The Daily Life of Saiki Kusuo in Zoldyck

Having a child lead the way seems more like child abduction, doesn't it? Wow, there are so many roles designed to guide people!

Chapter 171 It's time to sleep when it gets dark.

"Just ask for directions. When you can't find a place in a city, you always have to ask for directions, right? Basically, no one can get lost within half an hour."

Enough, let me calm down. What was the point of walking for so long?

“It’s perfectly normal for ordinary people to take a walk after dinner,” Nanmao said, making an excuse for him.

Thanks for the comfort, but it's summer now, and people who take walks during the day in summer are crazy.

As darkness fell, the streetlights came on, and a wanderer passed by in front of Kusuo Saiki.

The man with long black hair was wearing an old-fashioned Japanese-style robe. He also seemed to have a white pet with him. Perhaps because of the Japanese-style clothing, Kusuo Saiki reached out to stop him.

“…Hello, may I ask you for directions?” Saiki Kusuo said.

The long-haired man, his hands tucked into his sleeves, turned his head: "Oh, me? Sure, there's no trading activity right now."

Trading activity? Is this some kind of merchant NPC?

What follows is, at first glance, a white penguin creature, but it actually looks more like a person disguised as a white penguin cloth with an inner frame. If you look closely, you will find that what should be penguin legs are actually human legs with leg hair!

It held up a sign that read: "Welcome to the Mobile Store"

Wow, they actually welcomed us! And I'm penniless... Wait, most importantly, this feels so familiar... and it's not just the clothes! These two are Katsura and Elizabeth, right?! Why are Gintama characters wandering into this show? It's already surprising that the ants are appearing as NPCs in this game, but who else is there?!

Kusuo Saiki immediately turned his gaze to Nanmao.

This is the main content; visiting other people's blogs is out of the question, it can only be...

Nanmao lowered her head and tapped her own head, pretending to be cute: "When designing NPC characters, I couldn't help but look for something familiar!"

Please don't actually recreate those familiar anime characters!

"Since they're all anime with a satirical style, everyone will like them, right?"

No, that's a series with over 300 episodes, how could anyone finish watching it all! There are plenty of people who only know me, right?

"Being an NPC won't have too much of an impact! It's okay, there are plenty of people here who don't know The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. or have never watched Hunter x Hunter!"

How did someone who hasn't read either of these books decide to come here? They probably don't know any of them.

Gui (NPC): "You two... have been speaking in incomprehensible language since the beginning. Pink-haired boy, you just said you wanted to ask for directions, right? What are you lost about? The path of life?"

Kusuo Saiki: I should ask a different NPC for directions.

Kusuo Saiki tried to stand up and leave from the other side, but found that the white creature had already blocked his way.

The two men surrounded him; he should have known better than to sit down in the chair.

Elizabeth NPC holds up a sign: "No money? No problem!" "Besides selling!" "We also buy!"

Just like the merchants in the game, besides selling items, can you also throw random things from your inventory to the shopkeeper for money? Hmm, that's a very convenient feature.

But I don't have anything to exchange for it now.

"Heh heh, that's not all. See the exclamation mark above my head?"

Who could see that? There's no such thing!

"Oh, I forgot to wear it." Gui NPC pulled a large red exclamation mark from his sleeve. The structure of the exclamation mark was maintained by a metal wire, and a ring was derived from the bottom of the sphere, which was placed on the top of his head.

It even comes with its own props?!

"Actually, we also offer missions! Kid, if you accept the mission, I'll take you to your home!"

This person knew exactly what I was going to ask, and why that had become a prerequisite. I had no intention of doing this task.

"The rewards are plentiful. You can buy any dessert in the shop after completing just one task, or hire the Yorozuya to do things for you, as long as you find that thing..."

The shop's desserts...

"Alright, alright, then let me ask you, what's the rewarding quest?" He regretted saying it as soon as it left his mouth. If the reward was good, the difficulty must be very high. He might not be able to complete it in his current state. Asking Nanmao for help was pointless, so why ask? The most important thing right now is to find a way home; it's already dark.

"There are two missions with the richest rewards, both involving highly nutritious ingredients. Let me see... Oh, the first one is the corpse of a common turtle."

Where can I find a country bumpkin?

"The second one is the carcass of a chameleon."

Where can I find a chameleon?

Wait, a chameleon? Why is that guy wanted as food? He'll be hunted, won't he?

"Hey, what are you interested in? Have you heard of chameleons? Can you tell us something about them..."

"When did the bounty appear?" Kusuo Saiki asked.

"Hmph, curious about when the bounty appears to judge the opponent's strength and the possibility of victory? Sure, I'll make an exception and tell you... It just appeared three days ago, the 'Corpse of a Country Bumpkin' mission."

Who cares about that bumpkin! I'm asking about the chameleon!

"As for the Chameleon Cat quest, it was only posted two hours ago. Oh, are you worried that someone else will steal the quest from you? Don't worry, most of the people who know about this are NPCs. You can only find out about this ingredient quest by asking a few shops. And all the players here... are basically competing fiercely in the school."

School = Involution is a good subject for realism.

"All day long today, in order to encounter players posting quests, I waited at the school gate with a speaker on my shoulder, singing, dancing, and rapping..."

Don't start talking about unrelated things. I don't want to chat with anyone. It's getting darker and darker. If I don't find a place soon, I'll end up sleeping in the park.

"There were many students coming and going to and from school, but not a single one of them stopped to dance with me."

Of course no one would join. He looks like a weirdo, doesn't he? If it were me, I definitely wouldn't go near him, especially with that guy having a strange penguin with him.

“There was a freshman who stood in front of me for a long time. After I gestured to him, he actually put an ornament on the ground for me and left.”

People are mistaking me for a street performer!

“This ornament must have a special meaning…” Gui, an NPC, took the ornament out of his pocket.

The accessory is shaped like a lizard. Although I don't usually pay much attention to accessories, this one looks strangely familiar.

Unknown: "This is an ornament from the Kuruta tribe."

Kusuo Saiki and Katsura (NPC) suddenly turned their heads.

Besides the two of them, there was only the white penguin creature nearby.

They were under the light of a streetlamp by a park bench, while Elizabeth stood two steps away on the other side.

The area illuminated by the light was not large; only half of Elizabeth's body was in the light, while the rest was in shadow.

Yes, like a ghost. Elizabeth was originally an unknown human-male creature draped in a white penguin-shaped cloth!

But he shouldn't be able to speak, right? Is the one speaking now a ghost? No, it's the actor playing the middle-aged man inside him...

"I thought the pink hair looked familiar. Why are they still chatting outside in the dark? Who are these two? I didn't expect you to be so talkative, Qi Mu."

Well, here comes the real uncle. At 28, he definitely deserves to be called an uncle. And he should be the one who's more talkative, asking so many questions right off the bat.

Kuroro stepped out from behind Elizabeth the NPC, dispelling the ghost theory. A new human appeared, and Katsura and Elizabeth made way for Saiki Kusuo.

Although Kusuo Saiki recognized the person from the later voice, he was surprised by the other person's attire.

Wearing a gray suit with a white shirt underneath, his outfit exuded a scholarly air. Even the briefcase he was carrying and, most importantly, he was wearing glasses.

99% of a scoundrel's traits are transformed into refinement under these glasses; only a discerning person can see that he is still a scoundrel.

"Aren't you sleepy?" Kuroro asked.

Well, it's not time to yawn yet, but it's also a good time to say goodbye. It's definitely not like I can't find an opportunity to interrupt. Saiki Kusuo stood up. He'd ask one last time; if Katsura, the NPC, didn't guide him, he'd choose another NPC.

Kuroro turned his head to look at Elizabeth, who was holding up a "Welcome" sign: "If you can't get directions from an NPC, you should find another one. NPCs are there to serve people, there's no need to go out of your way to chat with them."

I know he's being long-winded, I was just thinking of doing that! Besides, I'm just resting here, and he's the one talking to himself over there.

"The settings in this area are much more ordinary than other places. The NPC dialogues are also ordinary; you can predict the content in advance. It's just an ordinary city outside, but something feels off. Have you noticed anything?"

No, being ordinary is too good. You really don't know how precious being ordinary is.

A gentle touch came from his leg. Kusuo Saiki looked down and saw that the cat was gently nudging him with its head to help him move forward.

Okay, let's go. There's nothing to talk about with a master's and doctoral student.

Just as he was about to leave, Kusuo Saiki remembered something: "Kuroro."

"Hmm? Do you want me to take you home? I'm quite busy, I need to prepare lessons."

"They're offering a bounty on a chameleon."

As Saiki Kusuo walked down the dark road, he glanced back and saw Chrollo and Katsura (NPC) sitting side by side under the streetlights.

We were chatting so enthusiastically, but oh dear, we still need to ask another NPC for directions.

Fortunately, Kusuo Saiki has excellent night vision, and the city has streetlights at night. Half an hour later, Kusuo Saiki was successfully escorted to his doorstep by a female high school student.

Don't ask him why he's a high school girl. He didn't want to either, and he didn't want to let a high school girl go home alone in the middle of the night.

"Um... you're a freshman at the high school section of the 'All-in-One Service' university, right?"

The school's full name is a bit long, isn't there an abbreviation? How can you tell I'm a freshman?

"Actually, I'm your senior. I didn't expect it to be so late. I'm a little scared to go home alone. How about... inviting me to stay for the night? I can sleep on a tatami mat."

Sorry, not interested. Saiki Kusuo is closing down.

He hadn't even left the entryway when a sound came from outside the door.

"Tsk, what an unlovable junior! Just you wait!"

If you're wondering why Saiki Kusuo is so cold to this kind upperclassman, well, never forget this is the Dark Continent. Is that kind of makeup something a high school student would wear? A high school girl walking down the street in the middle of the night with such conspicuous makeup? If she's normal, she should go home already!

After losing his superpowers and observing so many faces for days, he's become somewhat able to distinguish between faces that are made up and those that aren't.

Given his unusual behavior, that person must have been a dark creature in disguise. He didn't rely on any special abilities; he just used his observation skills to see through it!

Thinking about it, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Is this what ordinary people's lives are like?

Nanmao's tail curled up, and she carefully poked Saiki Kusuo's leg twice to get his attention.

Oh dear, what's wrong?

Nanmao used his long tail to turn on the light, and Saiki Kusuo stared blankly at everything in the room for a moment.

It's a one-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom, and one-kitchen apartment, with a hallway on both sides showcasing the entire space. It's very simple, so everything is clearly visible at a glance.