Tour Guide

"Ah. You don't remember me? I see. It can't be helped. It's been twelve years after all." Andrew saw Charlie's confused expression and had a realization, his attitude different from earlier.

These words made Kai puzzled. There wasn't anything mentioning Andrew in Charlie's information apart from him being the travel agency's tour guide. What does he mean by it's been twelve years?

He contemplated, 'Is this something I needed to fill by myself as part of completing the plot?'

Twelve years ago was when his family left the town. Andrew is a local and their age gap wasn't big. Them knowing each other and possibly being friends was no surprise.

As he was thinking, a ding sounded from the screen.

[ Ding! ]

[ Sub-task no. 1 in progress. ]

[ Plot completion: 2% ]

Kai's eyes brightened. So completing the plot was like this.

The timer for his prompt was coming to an end and he hurriedly put on a thinking expression followed by an 'it's you' a few seconds later.

Andrew watched silently as the young woman acted in a daze for a second then put on a 'thoughtful' look without actually changing her face. When the other widened her eyes a bit, he finally couldn't hold back his laugh.

Covering his mouth with his fist, he turned his head to the side, trying to hide his face.

Regrettably, his effort was useless since Kai already saw everything.

Kai blanked for a second before he felt the urge to roll up his sleeves.

The guy was actually laughing at him! He, who was trying hard to act was being laughed at!

Pursing his lips, he gritted his teeth, trying to endure as he thought, 'Forget it, suffering a warning for an NPC is not worth it.'

Andrew saw the young woman with pursed lips and a red face and knew his effort of hiding didn't work. He removed his fist from his lips, laughing freely.

Kai stared at the laughing man blankly. He began to wonder, 'Is my acting really so terrible that even an NPC would laugh at me—'

Halfway through his thoughts, Kai belatedly realized.

NPCs have fixed expressions, words, and actions according to the script. Just like how they wouldn't react at candidates getting OOC warnings and howling like mad, a candidate's terrible and unseemly acting shouldn't bother them!

Andrew wiped the corners of his eyes. He teased, smiling. "Babe, your acting is really cute."

Kai slowly widened his eyes, opening his mouth to speak only for Andrew to beat him to it.

Andrew raised his hand, ruffling Charlie's head. "Treat me like a normal NPC. Be careful acting out of character."

The transparent screen flashed, showing Kai his script as if in agreement with Andrew's words.

Kai felt complicated. Who is this guy? Mr. Rupert?

"Don't bother guessing. I'm not Rupert." Andrew spoke as if he can read his thoughts.

Kai thought for a bit and didn't really bother anymore. Since the other said he wasn't Mr. Rupert, then he isn't. In any case, the other's identity is not that important to him at the moment.

"Would you like to come in?" Kai's voice was flat, no longer putting on an act as he read the words on the screen with no emotion.

Andrew made a serious expression upon hearing this, his voice even sounding heavy. "A girl shouldn't invite a guy to her room. Didn't your parents tell you this?"

Listening to the man's reply that was different from the script, Kai almost wanted to roll his eyes.

Andrew finally had enough teasing and spoke his real purpose. "Alright, I'm only here to 'catch up' with you according to the script." He looked at his watch. "Our conversation was supposed to be brief and should end at this time."

He said that but he showed no intention of leaving, still standing in place and staring at Kai.

Kai had no choice but to accompany the other stand at the door.

Andrew didn't say or do anything else, keeping his initial posture.

A few minutes later, as if finally having enough, he bid his farewell to Kai and started to leave.

Kai stared at the man's back in a daze, feeling a familiar yet unfamiliar emotion he couldn't quite point out.

Although he said the other's identity wasn't of much importance, he still subconsciously tried to match the man with everyone he met during the time before coming here.

After being in hell for a day, the number of people he met and talked to can only be counted on two hands, among which none fit the guy's character.

Kai remembered the mysterious flyer. Could this guy be somehow related to it?

At this time, Andrew suddenly looked back.

Kai had no time to avert his gaze and was caught staring red-handed.

The man squinted at the young woman's reddening ears and chuckled playfully. "Your longing look is worrying. Should I stay for a while longer after all?"

Kai bowed his head, not wanting to look at Andrew any longer. 'This man's nonsense is getting worse. I should stop bothering with him.'

Andrew laughed. "Alright, I told you not to bother guessing. I'll introduce myself to you when we're out." He turned back, adding words full of meaning as he walked away.

"Of course, given that you were hired. And, oh— that's right." He stopped, glancing at Kai once more.

"You should change the setting of your main task and sub-task to manual input if you don't want to fail or lose a point by guessing incorrectly while making your hypotheses."

Leaving those words, he left completely.

Half an hour passed and everyone went downstairs to gather.

Kai only noticed just now that there was a gloomy atmosphere enveloping the whole town. According to his experience, this usually happens when a large concentration of dark energy is nearby.

"Before we proceed with our agreed itinerary for today, the mayor invited us to have a meal in her residence as a form of welcome," Andrew told the group as they get into the car. He was back to the polite and gentle tour guide.

"The mayor invited us personally?" Someone expressed their doubt.

"Yes. After all, this is the first time the mayor of Wallux Town attempted to further promote the town through our travel agency."

Wallux Town is a small town known for its beautiful sceneries, fairytale-like lake, and colorful mountain forest. In recent years, it had been known to many and was a famous tourist spot.

Every few years, the town would celebrate a festival only open to the locals. During this time, the tall and solid iron gates of the town will be closed off to outsiders. Even the town's signal transmission would be cut off.

Andrew looked at the eleven people one by one.

"You are the first outsiders celebrating the festival with us as such, we, especially the mayor hope for you to enjoy the festival to the greatest extent. This welcome is only a small part."

The car started moving on the road towards the mayor's residence.

The mayor of Wallux Town is a capable woman named Alice Turner. During her reign, the town was made better with every one of her projects.

The Turner family had been holding the position of mayor since the current mayor's great-grandfather and were known as a respectable family.

"— The prosperity and fame of Wallux Town were mostly thanks to the efforts of the Turner family," Charlie told Meghan beside her as the vehicle moved past the busy streets of the town.

"You seem to know the town well?" Mrs. Simpson sitting beside Meghan heard his words and commented. She was one of the other seven people on the trip, accompanied by her husband, Mr. Simpson.

The others with them were Mr. and Mrs. Hughes who came with their daughter, Micah, and two lone guys, Chris and Gio.

Meghan answered for Kai, "She was a native. Her family used to live here."

Mrs. Simpson showed an expression of realization. "I thought it was because you've been here before. Are you familiar with Mr. Andrew then?"

With this question, Kai was made to realize he actually never figured out what Charlie and Andrew's relationship really was.

Thankfully there was the script otherwise, he wouldn't know how to answer. "We were childhood friends."

Mr. Simpson, who was listening to their conversation beside Mrs. Simpson asked with a gossipy voice learning his response, "I didn't see the two of you acting familiar. Are you no longer friends?"

Kai inwardly responded, 'Of course. He didn't even tell me we were supposed to be one.'

Charlie shook her head. "No, it was because of his job. As the tour guide, he's not allowed to only show favor to one person."

Mr. and Mrs. Simpson was surprised. "There was actually something like that?"

To be honest, Kai had no idea either. He highly doubted this was just a BS made up by Charlie to pass the topic. "Yeah. He came to see me earlier to tell me about it and apologize for his unfamiliar act by the way."

Hearing this, Meghan was reminded. "By the way, didn't you come here last month? Did you know then that we were going on a trip here?"

Kai was stunned. Charlie came here last month? This seemed to be an important detail but—

"How did you know about my coming here?" Charlie asked with wide eyes and loud voice.

Meghan realized her question and was taken aback. She averted her eyes. "I came to find you in your dorm last month and your roommate said you left. I thought you probably came here."

Charlie stared at Meghan. Meghan felt uncomfortable by Charlie's stare and uneasily moved her butt in her seat.

After a while, as if seeing enough, Charlie took back her eyes, her voice sounding nonchalant. "Is that so? It seems we're really best friends. You can even guess where I went to so accurately."

She then turned her head to look out the window, smiling. "I promised the mayor last time to come visit the town again before the festival. I thought I might not have time to visit on the day of the festival because of Stephan and I's couple's anniversary so I came in advance."

Meghan showed an awkward expression hearing the words 'couple anniversary'. Replying with a half-hearted 'oh', she took out her phone, no longer talking as she pretended to be busy.

Looking at her attitude, Kai was filled with doubt. She was obviously lying about guessing his location. Was it because the reason was something she couldn't tell him?

With how confident she was when she spoke, she must know of something that can know Charlie's location in an instant. But what is it and what purpose does it have? Who put it on Charlie? Meghan?

Just as Kai finished this thought, a green prompt appeared on his screen.

[ Ding! ]

[ Sub-task no. 1 in progress. ]

[ Plot completion: 7% ]