NOVEL NEXT Chapter 63
The appeal points of each race are incredibly diverse and usually hard to grasp.
This concept is especially pronounced in non-human races that are far removed from human forms.
For instance, a tree that’s extremely popular among wood spirits might appear grotesque to humans.
Or the Sirens, with their fish-like appearances, seem rather similar to each other.
Naturally, just as humans struggle to understand the emotions of non-human races, non-human races also find it difficult to comprehend human sentiments.
The mere arrangement of features can separate beauty from ugliness?
From the perspective of the tree spirits, whose faces twist and turn as they grow, it simply feels like a squabble among faces that all look quite similar.
In other words, no matter how attractive a human might be, to non-human races, they are no different than stones lying by the roadside.
Thus, the Maximized Idols aimed at these non-human races had to significantly set aside conventional aesthetic senses.
For those who struggle to distinguish facial features, it’s basic to cover the face with thick makeup as if painting a picture.
A voice wouldn’t need to be a gentle, sweet one; loud, abrasive sounds akin to nails scratching a chalkboard would be even better to assert presence.
The charm they embody is universally pursued—immense strength, unconditional acceptance, and love!
The Maximized Idol of Kodeoria, Aisha of Destruction, was born under such a backdrop!
“Um… I sincerely apologize for showing such an unsightly appearance… On the outside, it’s meant to seem that way…”
After finishing the terrifying promotional video shoot, Aisha, who had called us to the waiting room away from people’s gaze, spoke timidly.
Where had that person gone who just wrecked a guitar while scratching their neck?
The drastic change was so extreme that one would wonder how it could happen just because the cameras were off.
However, it seemed that the intention wasn’t to receive an apology from her.
Alice and David immediately shook their heads and responded to Aisha’s words.
“N-no! You were really cool!”
“Indeed. As a professional, I found it quite an intriguing composition. The ultimate charm that could approach even non-human races, perhaps there’s some strong power in that… It became a valuable enlightening opportunity.”
“Oh my, really?”
“What a complicated statement…”
Aisha, who seemed to have lost her usually intelligent demeanor, clapped her hands like a girl, thrilled by David’s outburst.
But perhaps it was due to her overly terrifying makeup that Raven, silently observing from the side, facepalmed.
Honestly, it was quite cool, by my standards. The makeup on her face was burdensome, but thinking of her as a unique non-human meant I could accept it.
Especially the performance where she smashed her guitar on the floor felt like witnessing a great general leading soldiers on a battlefield.
Of course, it’s a form that makes one wonder, “Is this an idol…?” But hey, if it works, what can you do?
Perhaps David, viewing it all from the perspective of an omniscient idol otaku, felt deeply moved.
Bold, the general manager of the office next to Aisha, passionately chimed in.
“This young man knows what’s up! That’s right! Ultimately, an idol is someone who becomes a revered figure for people! An idol that transcends species, situated beyond mere beauty… is none other than immense power! Aisha will become the archangel to push the weary and hesitant!”
Eek, that voice is way too loud. Is there a speaker attached to that throat?
I frowned at Bold, who was shouting with an ear-piercing voice.
Did he notice my expression?
Sitting next to me, Alice moved up close and covered my ears with her hands.
Though it wasn’t excessively loud, I gave a slight nod to her in gratitude for blocking the sound.
“Yeah. Well… I get the general idea. Still, let’s prioritize our tasks first. By the way, did the manager know that the client was suffering from a stalker?”
While Alice and I were huddled together, it seemed we had entered work mode.
Raven, with a dull expression showing no emotion, posed a question to Bold.
That question must have been quite significant, as Bold looked utterly ashamed and replied,
“Ah… no. I’m terribly sorry, I only learned about it when Aisha shared her worries. Gahh… How dare anyone do such shameless acts to an idol of Kodeoria! I absolutely cannot forgive this!”
“Hmm, I see. It seems Aisha started suffering from the stalker about two months after her debut. So that means it’s been about a month now. I gather she’s been silently enduring all this time.”
“Yes, that’s correct…”
“Cough… Aisha! Because of my shortcomings, I was unaware of your pain! I’m truly sorry!”
Bold bowed his head towards Aisha, whose face was flushed and flustered in a way that didn’t seem fitting for the situation, telling him to get up as if to assure him everything was alright.
Their relationship felt more like that of a father and daughter rather than a general manager and an idol.
Especially the expression of Alice, who seemed overly empathetic, almost as if she had been moved to tears.
However, Raven was a man who didn’t bring personal emotions into public matters.
Normally, he would have shaken his head in embarrassment like Alice, but now he was maintaining his composure, simply nodding his fingers as he continued speaking calmly.
“Which means… while it’s not certain yet, it seems that stalker is within this company.”
“Y-yes?!”
“W-what?! How could that be?!”
Aisha and Bold widened their eyes, showing signs of deep shock at Raven’s words.
Of course, it’s only natural to react this way upon hearing that the killer threats sent via text and email and the stalker, who sent photos, might be a fellow company member.
However, one always needs solid grounds to make others believe their opinion.
Raven glanced towards David, who was sitting beside him, and gestured as if to signal him.
David seemed to have been waiting for this cue, pulling out his laptop from his bag.
After typing a bit on the keyboard, he turned the screen towards the two of them.
“This is… a photo from inside our company?”
“Yes. It’s part of the photos the client provided, which were claimed to have been sent by the stalker, analyzed by taking a shot from the same angle at the actual site. As you can see, by drawing a virtual line externally… we can determine that these photos absolutely could not have been taken from outside.”
“So, that means…”
“It suggests that the stalker tormenting the client is likely an internal employee.”
Of course, we aren’t at the stage where we can definitively identify the perpetrator yet.
Raven conveyed that he had managed to find out the estimated time these photos were taken and requested Bold to provide names of those who were present in the company at that time.
For now, that’s as far as we would go.
Given the possible danger the stalker posed, we decided to assign Alice as Aisha’s bodyguard while we also briefly stepped outside the office to search for additional evidence.
“Jin, do you happen to know Yuria…?”
“I’m working. Alice.”
“Okay…”
Alice seemed to want to stay next to me while shooting glances, but at Raven’s cold response, she had no choice but to sulkily comply. It’s scary.
Honestly, I also wanted to stay beside Alice.
But how could I go against Raven’s gaze, which seemed to say there would be two people to protect if I stayed? I could handle protecting myself, but…
We quietly stepped out of the office afterward.
It seemed that Raven planned to part ways with David, each pursuing their separate tasks.
“Phew, David. You go check out the scene where these photos taken by the stalker were snapped and see if there’s any evidence left behind.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll check the CCTV as a fixer; just contact me if anything happens. Yuria, would you like to rest at the Fixer Office?”
“…!”
“Do you not want to? Then you can either follow me or go with David.”
What will you choose? Raven presented me with options, as if requesting me to pick one.
I had brought her along partially because I didn’t want to leave her alone in the office, so they didn’t seem to expect much from me anyway.
Hmm, if I must choose between the two… I should go with the one that looks more fun.
I leaped and stood next to David.
In the original story, to find traces of the stalker, they wound up reviewing the CCTV enough to strain their eyes.
So instead of staying by his side unproductively, it felt more comfortable to enjoy a breeze with David.
Raven chuckled at my determination, signaling that if anything happened, he’d be notified, then he took his leave.
…Watching him leave as if a burden had been lifted, I couldn’t help but feel a bit pained.
But considering that I, who cannot use telekinesis, am a burden, I guess it can’t be helped.
“Then, let’s go. Yuria.”
“…!”
David glanced at the distant figure of Raven before heading with me to the location where the stalker’s photos were taken.
What we needed to do was head there directly and look for any clues that could be of help.
It shouldn’t be that hard, so we figured we could treat it as merely taking a stroll.
Aisha had been photographed in various places: restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, cosmetics shops, flower shops, and so on.
It was truly remarkable that she managed to visit all these places adorned in that terrifying makeup.
Was it perhaps her philosophy that she must always be an idol whenever and wherever?
That extraordinary commitment of never removing her makeup unless she was about to sleep was genuinely admirable.
“Well, it seems we’re not finding any significant evidence or traces. Has too much time passed?”
“….”
Of course, even after visiting the places where the stalker had taken photos, finding decisive proof was challenging.
With more time having passed, and apart from the shots of her back, these were just common places anyone could visit.
Thus, David decided to change his investigation strategy.
First, he asked the shop staff if they remembered Aisha and if anyone suspicious had been following her.
Perhaps it was because Aisha had a striking personality, most staff seemed to recall her. However, they had trouble remembering anyone suspicious tailing her.
After all, after looking at the sun, it isn’t easy to spot fireflies beneath it, is it?
Being overly eye-catching can indeed be a disadvantage.
But the more attempts you make, the more chances you’ll yield some results.
At the café we visited for the fifth time, we finally managed to gather some information about a potential stalker.
“Hmm, is that so? Then… Excuse me.”
“Yes. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help… Oh, wait a minute!”
“…Yes? What’s the matter?”
“Oh, I think I might remember something! You’re talking about the suspicious person behind the scary-looking sister, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Um, there was a guy with somewhat red hair who looked kind of shady…”
“Hmm? Is that so?”
David expressed gratitude repeatedly to the slightly shy staff member.
Oh? It seems that person is developing a crush on David. What should I do, he’s already taken.
I quietly sent a prayer for the woman embarking on her path of suffering from the onset.
Following David, I exited the store, genuinely pleased to know we’d made some progress.
“A guy with red hair. This seems to be a decent harvest. I’ll need to check the remaining locations and then update Raven.”
“…!”
Good job. I gave David a thumbs up, praising him.
We could have easily returned with no results, but having accomplished even this much felt considerably fulfilling.
We continued our field investigation afterward.
Places where Aisha’s eating was photographed, the cosmetics store where she looked troubled…
And when David and I walked into a bookstore that Aisha frequently visited, I ended up colliding with someone trying to exit.
“Ugh… Hey, could you watch where you’re going?”
“…!”
Bump.
The person I bumped into near the corner of the bookstore was a girl about my height.
She had a face partially hidden by a half-mask, with black hair.
The beautiful mask adorned with butterfly patterns bore the clear expression of annoyance from the girl.
Oh? Is that person… someone I know?
As soon as I recognized that fact, a chill ran down my spine.
In that moment, I realized, I might be facing the greatest crisis of my life.