Supporting Characters in the Game are Obsessed

Casa del Russo Gracium Hotel.

As the name suggests in Italian, the building’s exterior was majestic, reminiscent of the Pantheon from ancient Roman times.

In the cyberpunk world, buildings constructed like this were extremely rare.

Thanks to that, even though it was in the same city, it felt like I was in a foreign land.

I took a short, light deep breath.

I stepped onto the escalator leading up to the main entrance.

At the entrance of the hotel, a security employee, looking like a doorman, was standing in a formal posture.

The employee glanced at me and bluntly said, “Sorry, we’re not open today.”

“I came to attend the party,” I replied.

A brief silence followed.

“…Could I check your invitation?”

I pulled out the paper invitation from my pocket and handed it to him.

The employee carefully examined the contents of the invitation.

He checked if there was a chip embedded inside and seemed to scan it.

Finally, he looked at me with an odd expression.

…Did my suit look that cheap?

Even though it may look like that, it was expensive clothing that Eve needed several days of broadcasting to afford.

Well, I understood.

Since it was a periodic party.

It was probably a place only for invited guests.

I hadn’t seen it even once in the news.

If someone I hadn’t met before showed up to participate in the party, I probably would’ve been suspicious too.

But the invitation I had was genuine.

Not a forgery, but a real one provided by Monolith.

“…I apologize, guest. You may enter.”

I casually responded and took the invitation back from the employee.

Passing by him, I entered the hotel.

Not being a real businessman, I naturally grew cautious in my actions.

No matter how low the probability of getting caught was, I couldn’t help feeling tense.

[The probability that the individual you encountered was ‘Smile John’ is 2%, I calculate.]

Julia’s “Smile John voice data” had produced this result, informed by Eve.

2%.

It was an ambiguous figure.

Well, since the same gender or similar voices make it tough to calculate probabilities, that makes sense.

The InfoSeller7 had mentioned that Smile John was one of the attendees.

I wondered if I needed to scan the hotel employees too, but regardless, Eve was doing that for me.

I wasn’t too concerned.

Thinking that way, I walked toward the banquet hall.

Soft, subtle classical music was playing throughout the banquet hall.

Since it was still earlier than the time listed on the invitation, the number of people inside was quite small.

I wasn’t sure how many were invited to the party, but it seemed unlikely to exceed a hundred.

I glanced around.

A few people were gathered having a conversation, while others sat in luxurious chairs receiving calls or managing their schedules via holograms.

Large tables scattered around had various kinds of dishes prepared.

All of them appeared to be made with natural ingredients.

It didn’t seem like anything was forbidden to eat.

Yet, I couldn’t see a single person eating.

Most were just accepting wine glasses from waiters and quenching their thirst.

…It should be okay to eat, right?

No, snap out of it.

Why had I come here?

To find out the identity of ‘Smile John’ who claimed he would attend the party.

There was one thing I needed to do now.

…

I naturally moved toward a table with food, already holding a plate in one hand.

This was definitely not because I wanted to eat.

It was the best choice to overhear conversations around me.

I had to blend in so as not to attract attention.

Of course, I kept enough distance from the people talking, but that was fine.

I had a competent AI with me.

I muttered softly.

“…Eve, can you eavesdrop on the conversations nearby?”

[I’ll check. However, for accurate data measurement, conversations too far away won’t be possible, I inform you.]

“Well, I can just keep moving around.”

As I filled my plate with food, my attention was directed toward the back.

Moments later, voices of strangers reached my ears.

[I heard the new product from LAD has been quite popular in the lower-class area?]

[Haha, you’re over-praising me. But yes, it has already surpassed last year’s sales.]

[It’s true what they say, to conquer the market, you have to start from the lower classes. After all, lower-class people aren’t entirely useless.]

[Even though our company started with animal feed—.]

Then Eve’s voice chimed in.

[The respective match chances are 3% and 5%.]

You can’t be full after just the first taste.

I kept moving around.

If I continued to wander like this, I thought I might soon find Smile John.

I aimed to maximize my route, beginning to fill my plate with various dishes.

I tried my best to secure a good position to eavesdrop on people’s conversations.

“…Excuse me, is there anything I can help with?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Although during that process, a waiter looked at me like I was suspicious, it wasn’t a major problem.

I kept moving.

However, as time passed, more and more people filled the banquet hall.

[This individual is at 1%.]

[This individual is the person you checked earlier, I inform you.]

[The respective chances are 5%, 7%.]

It’s really hard to find.

This task turned out to be more challenging than I thought.

“Phew.”

I let out a sigh without realizing it.

Then another unexpected problem arose.

“…I can’t take it anymore.”

[What seems to be the matter, I ask.]

“I’m so full, I think I’m going to die….”

[……]

It became too much for me to continue grabbing food while walking around.

It was a result of trying not to look suspicious.

After all, I had been filling my stomach with high-class cuisine for a lifetime.

At this point, I had no other choice.

I thought I’d have to wait for the staff Monolith promised to send to assist me.

It seemed better to move with their help.

I should take a break.

So, holding my belly, I sat in a chair to rest for a bit.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar man approached me.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

There shouldn’t be anyone who would recognize me here.

I’ve hardly received corporate requests except from Monolith.

He was a man who looked like he was of Asian descent.

He had tattoos on his face resembling braille, and despite his rough appearance, he wore a smiling expression.

But how should I put it?

I also sensed a hostile vibe from him.

After I responded, he asked me.

“I just wanted to ask since you look like an Asian, what’s your name?”

His sharp squint fixed on me.

…Hmm.

Should I reveal my real name?

Or should I give a pseudonym?

And if I do give a pseudonym, what name should I use?

In my embarrassment, I blurted out an answer that could fit both.

“…Shun Lee.”

“Oh, you’re of Chinese descent.”

Nope.

“I’m Hei Lu from Heishukai, Tactical Organization Manager.”

Heishukai referred to a corporation that was practically the Chinese mafia in cyberpunk, the Triads.

Honestly, he was not someone I wanted to have a lengthy conversation with.

“Ah… I see. Then I’ll just—”

As I attempted to escape.

Hei Lu continued to speak.

“Sorry to bother you again, but may I ask one more question?”

“…Go ahead.”

“Have you been to the Center Plaza on a rainy day recently?”

I had no clue why he was asking such a sudden question.

But regardless of that, the atmosphere between us sharpened.

On a rainy day at the Center Plaza.

Of course, I had been there.

It was the day I met Maya.

But I had no idea why he was curious about that.

As I stared at him silently without answering, Hei Lu talked on.

“There was an incident involving one of our mercenary employees at Heishukai that day.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

“Oh, the employee’s name was Hei Wang. To put it simply, after extracting and interpreting the data from the deceased employee’s brain, it seems he recognized your face.”

I still didn’t understand.

What that had to do with me and why he was holding me here talking.

Honestly, it didn’t take a genius to know that in a cyberpunk world with highly advanced facial reconstruction technology, impersonating faces wasn’t difficult.

[Hei Wang.]

At that moment, Eve spoke.

[Hei Wang is a battle mercenary from Heishukai, recently among those who escaped from Pelicanus, and he is a Chrome Psycho who was killed by entity ‘Maya’ at the Center Plaza, I inform you.]

“Oh.”

Now, it clicked.

“…Did your employee cover his entire body in military chrome?”

“Well, he was an up-and-coming battle mercenary, so of course.”

Maya had attacked a Chrome Psycho.

It was a situation that could be easily misunderstood.

Maya’s attack on him was from behind, and I was the last person he saw before he died.

And Eve must have deleted the remaining surveillance camera data.

…

Wait a minute.

Is this a situation where I should run away?

It hit me.

The Smile John I was waiting for hadn’t shown up, and I was tangled up in an unforeseen situation with the Chinese mafia.

If I fought in the upper-class area, escaping would be a challenge.

“Therefore, please temporarily accompany us outside.”

Hei Lu coldly hinted that he wanted to submerge me in concrete at the bottom of the lake.

How should I handle this situation?

In the midst of my worry.

A woman’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Is there something you want with my companion?”

The first thing I saw was someone short.

Maybe she stood about to my chest.

But inexplicably, despite her height, she exuded a significant aura.

Her deep purple hair flowed elegantly.

In my surprise, before Hei Lu could react, I asked.

“…Who are you?”

“It seems it’s my first time meeting you? It’s me.”

The knowing look in her eyes.

And the change in her speech pattern depending on her physique.

“…Chairman?”

The most reliable person had arrived.

…

I didn’t understand why she showed up in a new body, but she was also the most burdensome person to see.

Aren’t you busy…?

---