Chapter 50

Kidnapping (?)

At the very moment the military academy’s graduation ceremony was in full swing,

Stay-at-home Wifey sat across from Anton with a tea table between them, trapped in an awkward atmosphere.

Stay-at-home Wifey’s hair and clothes were a complete mess.

However, it was not because Anton had done anything to him.

After receiving permission to go out and heading toward the slums, Stay-at-home Wifey had been greeted by several burly men dressed in black.

“Get in. He’s waiting for you.”

Naturally assuming that Haydam had summoned him, Stay-at-home Wifey had not thought much of it even when they blindfolded him inside the car.

But once they arrived, the blindfold was removed, and he found Anton sitting across from him.

He had jumped in fright and caused quite a commotion.

Stay-at-home Wifey had fled into a corner like a cat with its fur standing on end, swinging a chair while shouting at them not to come any closer.

After finally calming him down and getting him seated, Anton asked with a thoroughly exhausted expression,

“Why were you so frightened?”

Stay-at-home Wifey hesitated before answering in a small, fading voice.

“I thought I was going to be tortured…”

“You’ve been reading too many novels.”

Stay-at-home Wifey gave an embarrassed smile at Anton’s response.

Not novels. I’ve played too many games. This place usually appears during torture scenes.

Come to think of it, this secret location had only been used as a torture chamber after the player became Commander-in-Chief.

While playing, I always wondered who had built a secret place like this. So it was Anton.

Anyone would have trembled just as he had if the first place they saw after taking off their blindfold was somewhere they had tortured NPCs during the game.

“You should have told me you only wanted to talk.”

“I did tell you.”

“To be honest, I’m not very good at English.”

Haydam would probably have sneered and asked, Are you proud of that?

Anton, however, appeared intrigued.

“That is a rather refreshing answer.”

“Refreshing? Where are you going?”

“The only child around your age I’ve seen lately is Lord Haydam. Lord Haydam is… quite skilled with words. Especially for someone his age.”

“He isn’t just skilled. He talks like a venomous snake.”

Anton chuckled at that.

Did he really bring me here just to talk?

Seeing that Anton genuinely did not appear to intend him any harm, Stay-at-home Wifey secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Commander Anton, one of the NPCs from the Cola Sector.

In truth, Stay-at-home Wifey knew almost nothing about this NPC.

All he knew was that Anton was an NPC who committed suicide after the player poisoned Daphne, following her into death.

I’m pretty sure this man kidnapped me because of Haydam…

Since Anton did not seem to intend to treat him roughly, he probably wanted to ask him something.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Anton abruptly asked,

“How long have you known Lord Haydam?”

How long have I known him…?

Why was he asking that in particular?

Would something change depending on how long he had known Haydam?

Should he boast that they had been close since their days in the slums?

Or was Anton asking him to testify about Haydam’s childhood?

Hmm…

Stay-at-home Wifey tried to think like Haydam for a moment, but soon gave up and decided to answer honestly.

There’s no point in clumsily imitating Dopamine Addict. I don’t know how to play psychological games anyway.

Besides, telling the truth seemed like the fastest way to end this nerve-racking one-on-one encounter.

Because…

“I’ve known Haydam for about… three months?”

He had only known Haydam for three months since being transported into the game.

If he claimed they had known each other since their time in the slums, he would have to fabricate countless stories.

But if he simply told the truth, there would be no need to make anything up.

It would not be difficult to prove, either.

Anton had clearly expected him and Haydam to have known each other for a long time, so his expression immediately tightened.

“Three months…?”

“When I came to enlist, Haydam filled out my enlistment form because I couldn’t write. That was when we first met. Why?”

Judging by Anton’s eyes, he did not believe a word of it.

“Your enlistment form says that you came from the slums. If you were both from the same slums, surely you must have known Lord Haydam.”

“I just told you. Haydam filled out the form for me.”

“Are you saying Haydam simply wrote down the slums as your birthplace? Then where are you actually from?”

Stay-at-home Wifey confidently answered Anton’s repeated questioning.

“I don’t know.”

“…You don’t know?”

“I have no memories from before I was ten. That’s why I couldn’t write, and it’s also why I still can’t speak English very well. It isn’t because I’m stupid.”

Anton did not seem to believe a single statement Stay-at-home Wifey had just made.

To be fair, even Stay-at-home Wifey would not have believed such a story.

Claiming that he conveniently had no memories from before meeting Haydam sounded like the kind of setting no one would accept.

“But your enlistment form included a name as well as a birthplace. Don’t tell me that name was also fabricated.”

“How did you know? Haydam came up with that too.”

“…Are you seriously asking me to believe that Lord Haydam named someone Darling Outsider?”

“No, shouldn’t I be the one getting angry about that? I’m the one who has to live with that name!”

When Stay-at-home Wifey snapped back in genuine outrage, Anton leaned against the back of his chair with an incredulous expression.

“I see why Lord Haydam is so fond of you. I wondered what he saw in you, but… you completely fooled me with that innocent-child act.”

“……”

It isn’t an act…

However, Anton did not seem likely to believe him even if he denied it, so Stay-at-home Wifey remained silent.

“Very well. Let us assume that you have known Lord Haydam for three months. You seem to be summoned by him quite often. What do you usually do when he calls you to the Commander-in-Chief’s residence?”

Perhaps believing that Stay-at-home Wifey was refusing to cooperate, Anton began openly pressing him about what he did with Haydam.

“Does he give you special training? Or perhaps secret orders?”

“Uh…”

Stay-at-home Wifey decided to answer this truthfully as well.

“We mostly eat things.”

“…You do what?”

“Cookies… Oh, and combat rations too. He told me to try all sorts of things, so I ate all sorts of things.”

Whenever he met with Haydam, they had been busy eating in order to test their abilities, so it was not technically a lie.

Anton’s expression sharpened with a hint of irritation.

“Are you mocking me?”

“No, but is it really that strange for two ten-year-olds to get together and eat snacks?”

“Of course it is! Are you telling me that all Lord Haydam does after summoning you is feed you snacks?”

Anton’s voice rose in a manner unlike him.

Stay-at-home Wifey shrank back slightly, but soon gathered his courage and asked,

“Why are you so desperate to know what Haydam and I do together? What are you going to do if Haydam finds out about this?”

“……”

Anton stared silently at Stay-at-home Wifey for a moment.

Then, apparently having calmed down somewhat, he spoke in a composed voice.

“Lord Haydam said he intends to make my son his adjutant.”

“…What? Plato?”

Anton’s eyes narrowed when his son’s name left Stay-at-home Wifey’s mouth without the slightest hesitation.

“So you already know about my son as well. It appears you and Lord Haydam discussed quite a lot while eating snacks.”

“He never told me Plato was going to become his adjutant. Is he really planning to give the position to Plato? Did you confirm it properly? Haydam is more than capable of deceiving someone by promising them the adjutant position.”

“…Aren’t you Lord Haydam’s friend?”

Anton asked awkwardly, as Stay-at-home Wifey seemed to trust Haydam even less than he did.

Stay-at-home Wifey himself was currently rather flustered.

He had naturally assumed that the adjutant position would be given to him.

If Plato gets the adjutant position… then what about me?

As Stay-at-home Wifey’s expression turned grave, Anton continued speaking.

“…But the truth is, I do not trust Lord Haydam very much either. That is why I brought you here. I cannot determine whether my son should trust him.”

“Hmm…”

It doesn’t sound like a lie…

At first, Stay-at-home Wifey had naturally assumed that Anton, as the leader of the pro-Daphne faction, had summoned him to discover Haydam’s weaknesses.

But if Haydam had offered Plato the position of adjutant, Anton no longer had much reason to oppose him.

“Do you understand now? We may soon find ourselves in the same boat. So stop hiding the truth and tell me honestly. How long have you known Lord Haydam? Is he someone who can be trusted?”

Stay-at-home Wifey could tell that Anton was asking with at least some sincerity.

However, that did not change his answer.

“I really have only known him for three months, and he isn’t particularly trustworthy.”

Anton’s expression instantly turned cold at Stay-at-home Wifey’s reply.

“You still intend to continue this act after I have told you so much. You truly are cautious.”

He was not being cautious at all.

He had merely told the truth.

As Stay-at-home Wifey struggled to respond, Anton spoke with an unreadable expression.

“If you truly cannot trust me… then I will tell you one of my secrets.”

“A secret?”

“The truth is, I have a daughter whom I have kept hidden.”

“You have a daughter?!”

Even Stay-at-home Wifey, a veteran player of Safe Zone, had never heard that before.

Anton had a daughter?

A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and Stay-at-home Wifey asked in shock,

“Was Daphne your daughter after all?!”

Anton’s expression twisted.

“Daphne ‘was’?”

“Was Lady Daphne your daughter?”

“I offered to tell you a secret, and now you are writing some absurd melodrama. You truly should stop reading novels.”

Even though the former Commander-in-Chief was dead, Anton had remained loyal to Daphne and had even killed himself after she was poisoned.

Because of that, a theory had circulated widely among the players that Anton was secretly Daphne’s biological father.

Judging by Anton’s expression, however, that theory appeared to be false.

Ignoring Stay-at-home Wifey’s outrageous speculation, Anton reached inside his clothes and held out a photograph.

“I have a picture of her. Would you like to see it?”

I don’t know why he suddenly brought up a hidden daughter, but this could be something even Dopamine Addict doesn’t know. I should take a look.

Stay-at-home Wifey accepted the photograph from Anton.

When he examined it, he saw a young East Asian woman with black hair who did not resemble Anton in the slightest.

There was a mole beneath one of her eyes.

“…Huh?”

When Stay-at-home Wifey tilted his head while holding the photograph, a faint smile appeared on Anton’s lips.