54 This Hero Rushes To Confront! (1/2)
We bolted out of Naomi's home. She was rather flustered as we began our sudden action, but there was no time to waste. We needed to get to the inn as soon as possible.
As we ran, we encountered Yasri as she was walking along the road. She motioned over to us, so we stopped our movement towards the inn to speak to her.
”Ah, it is the adventurers! How goes your investigation?” She asked.
”Yasri, what do you know about the girl named 'Rena' that performs at the inn?” I asked her while getting very close.
”R-Renya-san? She lives alone since her parents passed away a few years ago.” Yasri began.
”Okay. She said that she's Mulbik's number 1 idol. Do you know how long she has been claiming this?”
Yasri looked at me with a confused expression. ”Idol? I knyow nyothing about this… Why would there be an idol in Mulbik?”
I backed away from Yasri as I was taken aback by her lack of knowledge on this subject. How does she not know about this?
”I thought you knew everyone in this town! Surely you would have heard about someone calling themselves an idol!” Tael suddenly shouted out.
”W-Well… I do nyot keep up with everything in the town…” Yasri muttered.
”Isn't that what you said your job is, Yasri-san?” Erana asked.
”Guh… W-Well, I keep up with… most things!” Yasri excused herself as she held up a single finger.
I let out a sigh as I walked a bit away from the group.
”Hm? Onii-san, what's up? Did you figure something out?” Kany turned over to me and asked.
If Yasri didn't know about this…
”Oi! Don't ignore me again!” Kany shouted out as she slapped me on the back.
”H-Hey! I'm thinking!” I turned and responded.
”Well don't just keep it to yourself! We're a party. Parties work as a unit.”
I looked over to Tael and Erana and they both were simply watching me. Yasri quietly sidled away from the two of them before they could notice. Instead of saying anything, I just let out another sigh. Kany is right, if I want this to succeed, I'll need to ensure that everyone else is on the same page.
I gathered us all together in a tightly knit group and began my explanation.
”Look, it's possible that mind control can include things like memory erasure, so we can't depend on Yasri for this. What we need to do is go to the inn and question people that we KNOW would have some type of information, like the barkeeper or his son.”
”Huh? Why would those two know anything, Kenji?”
”Well, remember how people shouted out for Rena last night before she performed?” I asked Tael.
”Yeah?”
”Well, I have a hard time believing that she's capable of both implanting and removing memories, especially from people that she isn't in close contact with.” I explained.
Suddenly, it was as if a lightbulb appeared above Tael's head.
”Exactly.” x3
Tael's smile quickly turned into a dejected expression when he realized that the rest of us had already figured it out.
”Okay Kenji-san, what do you want to find out from innkeeper-san and his son?”
”Hm… Honestly I don't know yet. I usually just play it by ear when it comes to asking questions.” I flatly stated as I scratched my chin.
The other 3 members of my party all stared at me with their mouths agape.
”Onii-san… You don't plan ahead for questioning?”
”Not really. I just know how to ask the right questions is all.” I shrugged.
”The right questions…?” Erana stared at me curiously.
”Basically, ask questions that can only give you important information. Anything that can be used as either a weapon or as fuel is what you need to get when questioning someone.”
”Kenji, I think you're going to need to show us instead of telling us.” Tael sighed.
”Alright. Let's head to the inn. I'll demonstrate there.”
”Okay!” x3
We all broke from our grouping and began to walk along the dirt path once more. It did not take us long before we came face to face with the inn once more. Since it was still in the middle of the morning, the inside of the inn was quiet.
I took a deep breath and walked through the doorway.