"It's such a beautiful day, isn't it? The breeze is just perfect~" Lyrica cooed as she sat with her head back, allowing the breeze to blow her hair.
"Yeah, it's so calming... I forgot how nice Leanbox's weather is..." IF replied, resting her head on the soft grass. "Man, I'm glad I came here today..."
The pop idol looked at the brunette and ran a hand through her hair. "...I'm really glad you came, too... I've missed you so much..."
"5... I-I'm sorry I've been away for so long... It's just, I had to make sure Nep didn't blow Planeptune up; She was away for three years, after all. Gear and Histoire couldn't bring her up to speed alone." The brunette warrior sat up and rested her hand upon the idol's shoulder. "I-If you want... I can stay in Leanbox for a while? We could... catch up on things."
5pb. blushed, and smiled as brightly as ever. "I-I-I would love that!" The two embraced in a friendly hug, and the peaceful moment continued...
Watching from afar, all the way back at Leanbox castle's patio, were two particular figures. "Oh, aren't those two just so precious together? I'm really glad we got Iffy to come!" Leanbox's oracle, Chika, cheered.
The woman sitting with her, Cave, sighed. "Do you really have nothing better to do than to watch those two hang out? There must be some order of business to attend to..."
"Aw, Cavey, don't be such a spoilsport! This is a very important task: I need to play matchmaker for those two shy birds!"
"Matchmaker...? Is that really... ethical? What if they don't want to be more than friends?"
"Can't you see, Cavey? They totally want each other! They just... need a little push in the right direction."
The SMD warrior shook her head. "Whatever..." She looked once more at the two girls in the distance, and sighed somewhat-longingly. Even from here, she could see Lyrica's beautiful blue hair, flowing so peacefully... "...Just please, leave me out of this; I don't want to catch your insanity..." With that, the woman stormed off.
Chika continued watching the innocent friends, tossing around ideas in that energetic head of hers. Just when she was about to stand and head back inside...
"Hey there! Hope you don't mind me intruding, but... need some help?"
The oracle jumped in surprise, and looked behind her; A brown-haired young woman was standing in the doorway.
"Uh, er... Who are you? And how'd you get in the castle? Crap... Vert won't be happy if I left the door unlocked again..."
The stranger smiled and raised her arms defensively... This seems familiar... "Actually, Lady Green Heart allowed me in herself... My name's Demesne; A bit odd, but I'm of... well, odd origins. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Chika."
Demesne (Seriously, that's a name?) held out her hand, and the oracle cautiously shook it. "Hmm... Well, if Vert let you in, then you must be ok... So, what did you want?"
The odd young woman smiled, and pointed towards the girls in the distance. "I couldn't help but notice that you are interested in pushing those two together, correct? Well... I, myself, am a connoisseur of girl-love, so I wanted to help you."
"H-Help me? Seriously?" Chika thought for a moment, and began to grin. "Hmmmmmm... Well, if you're serious... then sure! Welcome aboard the "Get Iffy and Lyrica to Cadoodle" express! ...So, any ideas? I've... got nothing so far."
Demesne chuckled, and held up a finger. "How about this: You ask those two lovebirds to try out a new batch of "tea" you made..." She leaned in close to the oracle's ear. "...Only, it won't be any ordinary tea; It will be spiked with high-quality alcohol... At least, that's what you'll tell the pop idol."
Chika raised an eyebrow. "W-Wait... T-Tell Lyrica? I-I can't tell her about some plan like this! She'll never go along with it!"
"Have no fear, dear Chika; Today is a very special day. The universe is giving off so much energy right now... 5pb. will listen to what you have to say, I can guarantee that. However, you only have the next few hours; Any time after that, there's no certainty..."
The oracle of Leanbox considered things for a moment. "...The alcohol: Where do I get some? Vert may get concerned if she sees wine in the castle."
"Here..." The stranger pulled out a bottle of some drink seemingly from nowhere and handed it over. "I've already cleared it with Green Heart; You're in the clear."
The oracle's eyes widened in disbelief. "T-Thank you... Demesne... B-But... why do all this? I mean, I just want those two to finally stop denying their feelings for each other. You didn't need to help..."
The brown-haired young woman smiled softly. "Tehe... I just like giving love... a little push... That's all..." She looked at her watch, and nodded. "Well, I don't want to overstay my welcome; I'll be off."
"A-Ah, ok! T-Thanks again, Demesne!"
"No problem, sweetheart. Good luck!" And with that, the strange woman left the patio.
As the mysterious girl was about to leave the castle, she stopped and found Vert standing in the doorway. "Everything's good to go, Lady Green Heart; Chika thinks she's in full control."
"Good... That's very good. Thank you again, Shade." Vert smiled, and bowed in respect. Wait... Shade? Isn't her name Demesne? Are those her first and last names? Huh...?
"Oh, it's my pleasure, my lady... But, I must ask one thing: Are you sure you're alright with these proceedings? Pardon me for prying, but you don't exactly hide it well that you have feelings for Miss IF..."
Vert turned her gaze to the floor, her smile taking on a more somber tone. "...It is true that I have feelings for IF... but, I believe that she will be happiest with Miss 5pb... Her happiness is all I could ask for..."
The stranger pat the goddess on the shoulder. "...I understand the sentiment, but... do YOU? Do you really understand your own wants and needs? You must also consider your own happiness as well from time to time..."
The CPU didn't respond, so "Shade" simply nodded her head. "Ok, I'll be going now... I hope to see you again someday..."
Vert silently waved as the girl left, then went back pondering everything. "...I am content with Miss IF's happiness... right?"
Outside the castle, the brown-haired young woman smirked to herself. "That went rather well... In due time, Vert will make up her mind... It's all a matter of waiting, now..."
...Should I even ask? Am I supposed to care? What's the point if no one's gonna give me a damn answer? Ugh... let's see what this installment has in store...
"E-Excuse me, Mistah... M-May I have some food?"
A small child, a girl no older than seven, lightly tugged on Adrian's shirt. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to look at her. "Hm? Food?"
"Y-Yes please! We haven't eaten in days, and Mommy is fewy sick... A wittle bwead would help, Mistah."
The three brown-haired young men had just risked their necks robbing some bread, as they had no money to their names. Now, some helpless little child was asking for a share.
Alex grimaced, clearly conflicted. He was starving, damn it! But... the way the little girl stared at them so pleadingly... Why, it melted the heart he probably didn't even have. He looked to the leader of the group.
"Er, Adrian, what should we do? I mean, we were only able to steal six loaves of bread. That's barely enough to satisfy two of us, let alone three AND an unexpected child!"
Almaz stayed quiet in the background, unsure of what to say. He was created with the image of a hero of justice in mind, but his meekness and indecisiveness prevented him from speaking up.
The leader of the brothers contemplated things for a moment. "...Little girl, how much do you need?"
"W-Well, Mommy is weal hungwy, and Dadda hasn't come home in days..." The child counted off on her fingers. "...Uhm, two pwease! I'll give one to Mommy, and save the other for when dadda gets back." That... doesn't sound too likely, kiddo...
Adrian shook his head. "But what about you? I'm sure yer dad would want you to eat first and foremost..." He looked at the other two, sighed, and picked out three loaves. "Here... For your whole family. It's the best we can do right now; I'm sorry."
The little girl looked in silent awe at the bread. "W-Wow...! T-T-Thanks, Mistah!" Her eyes lit up, almost making the men forget how weak and saddened they had seemed mere moments ago.
The brown-haired young man smiled gently, and knelt down to place his hand on her shoulder. "Heh, no problem, kiddo... Say, what's your name? I'm Adrian."
"Tehe, I'm Isara. I'm turning eight next month!"
"Well, nice to meet you, Isara... Now, you should hurry on home; don't wanna keep your mother waiting."
"Okay! Thank ya, Mistah!" With a smile and a nod, she skipped on down the road and into a hut. The front door was decorated with a small yellow flag, but no other eye-catching features were present to help it stand out from the dreary surroundings. Just the one small expanse of yellow among the dreary grey and brown wasteland.
"Isara, huh?... Nice name." Adrian mumbled to himself.
His two brothers eyed him suspiciously. Alex slowly walked closer to him, and cocked his head to the side. "Uh, bro... Was that really the smart thing to do? Now we only have one loaf of bread for each of us tonight!"
"... And what else were we supposed to do? Let a child starve? We're not monsters, Alex." Adrian retorted, a hint of ferocity in his voice. Something about his tone struck a bad chord with Alex, and he began to clench his fists.
In the end, though, he managed to suppress the urge to smash his brother in the face. "... Look, it's just... it's survival of the fittest out here! We can't buy food, so we need to scrounge up every small morsel we can get our grubby little fingers on! If we give it all away to others, then we're gonna die; plain and simple! I don't like it, but that's the way of the bloody world. Better get used to it..."
Adrian sneered at his irritable brother, but didn't snap. Sad as it sounded, Alex was right. It was a kill or be killed kind of world...
... Which got him thinking...
'...Y'know what I don't get?' The leader asked himself subconsciously. '...This whole village is poorer than all hell, right? And... I bet it's safe to say that there are a lot more villages and towns just as bad off, if not worse...'
The leader looked up at the clouds above, struggling to organize his thoughts. He wasn't sure what was entirely coming over him, but it felt like he had some moment of... clarity, so to speak. '...Why? Why do some people have such shitty lives? This is a tremendously technological world; hell, people build sentient robots that can build other sentient robots! If we're so advanced, then why are there so many people in need?' He clenched his fists, finally reaching the apparent heart of the problem in his mind. '... This world is run by the CPUs; the all-powerful goddesses, with their "amazing" HDD. So, why don't they do a frikkin' thing to help? They have so much power, and yet don't do a damned thing with it... Odd...'
The two other brothers exchanged confused glances, then shook their heads. Alex spoke up in an attempt to dispel the awkward atmosphere that he had helped create. "Uh, bro, y-you okay? You look like you're thinkin' a bit too hard about somethin'... Heh, I-I can see steam rising from yer ears."
"Yeah, Adrian... You all right?" No reply. Almaz sighed, shrugged, and began walking off. "... Er, let's go home now, bro..."
Still in deep thought, Adrian absentmindedly followed his brothers back to their hut...
THE DRAINED VETERAN AND ALL HER FRIENDS
It's pretty much common knowledge that IF, the battle-hardened veteran, was a strong and fierce fighter, especially when compared to most other Makers. If one of the CPUs ever needed a worthy scout to carry out a monster-hunting quest, the brunette would understandably be one of the first choices.
However, IF was certainly not invincible; She could get injured, or lose in a battle, or even... catch illnesses, which leads us to today's brief episode.
"Aaaaa... Choo! ...Shit, I feel like crap." The brunette sighed, her voice clearly strained and nasally.
5pb. frowned to herself and lightly pressed the back of her hand against her lover's forehead. "Oh my, you're fever is seriously getting worse. D-Do you need anything? I-I can get some water, if you'd like?"
IF's lips curved in an exhausted smile. "No thanks, I'm good... My throat burns when I drink, anyways, so it'd be no help."
The idol nodded, but still continued frowning. She just couldn't stand to see her invincible IF looking so miserable. "...I feel so helpless..."
The brunette shook her head and chuckled. "C'mon, Fivey, it's just a cold. Don't worry 'bout me; You'll just get sick, yourself... Why don't you play your guitar? If you wouldn't mind, it'd... cheer me up..."
The pop idol thought for a moment, then grew quite the energetic grin. "Ah, right! Of course I'll play for you! Here, let me just fetch my things..." She dashed out the room, leaving her lover alone for a second. Huh, so this author remembered that 5pb.'s entire schtick is that she plays the guitar... Still doesn't make me feel any better about our mystery writer.
Anyways, within seconds, another figure entered the room, but it was not the pop idol. "Hello, Miss IF... Oh dear, you look quite ailed. Is there anything I can do to be of assistance?" Lady Green Heart asked, softly clutching the sick girl's arm.
"Nah, I'm fine, Lady Vert. P-Please, I-I don't want to get you sick! Y-You have a nation to run, I mean! Don't put your health in jeopardy because of me!" The battle-hardened veteran blushed embarrassedly.
Even though that whole... misunderstanding(?)... between IF and Green Heart from the last story seemed to have been resolved, there was still a bit of tension between the two friends... I mean, Vert had nearly seduced the sick warrior in a bathtub, for goodness sake! If that doesn't make things eternally odd between friends, I don't know what will.
Vert smiled peacefully, and shook her head. "Do not worry about me, IF; I would gladly trade in my health if it meant restoring you to your proper self." Another nod of the CPU's head.
"...Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." As much as she tried to hide it, IF was glad that Green Heart was here. As odd as things were between them, she still revelled in her company.
The goddess took a seat on the bed, and lightly ran a hand through the brunette's hair. "I will be all right, Miss IF. Now, please get some rest. I'll watch over you."
It was then that the pop idol marked her return. "Ok, time to rock out! ...O-Oh, hello Lady Vert! I thought you and Chika went out?"
"No, Chika has some business to attend to, it seems. I'm here by my lonesome."
"Oh... W-Well, I was about to play my guitar. You can stay, if you'd like?"
Green Heart contemplated the idol's words, and nodded again. Always with the nodding. "Why, that would be lovely. Thank you for the offer, Miss Lyrica."
"Yeah... Thanks for doin' this, Fivey." IF mused, smiling warmly at her famous lover.
Lyrica winked at her small audience, and grabbed her guitar pick. The private show was about to begin!
...Er, but where's the music? Where's the "wwwaahhhhhwahwahwahwahhhhs," or the "newwwww... new-new-new-new-new-newwwws," or even the "beeka beeka bwow whaughs?" Lyrica is a pop idol, but we never actually see or hear her in action? Hell, the only times I've ever actually seen her play her guitar is when she's killing villains (namely, me). Why does her music help kill things?
... Anyways, 5pb. played a silly love long on her guitar for a bit(which we didn't get to hear), and then collapsed on the bed with a smile. "So, how was that? It's been a while since I played that song, so some of the chords may have sounded off."
IF attempted to hug her girlfriend, but her head was too cloudy for her to make the simple gesture. "You were great, Lyree; Perfect, as usual."
"Indeed. For such little preparation time, that was a most impressive performance." Vert said, her hands clasped together in delight.
"T-Thank you...! I-I can play an encore, if you'd like?" And that, she did. Gamindustri's popular pop idol played another tune (Eh, something is easy with eyes closed, or whatever; It's not important). The soothing tune and the comforting sounds of the guitar's "twangs" drifted over the sickly brunette, causing her to slip... away... into... a... deep... slumber... *Zzzz...ZzzZz...ZZzzz-snnCHHhkkkk-phsawwww- zZZzzzZZ...*
...Woah! Sorry about that! That song nearly made me slip into unconsciousness, as well! Whew, I'm tired...
...Hm... What is up with this feeling? It's like... I don't know, there's something sinister behind this scene. I'm getting the same uneasy sensation as the crappy Purple and Black Heart chapter gave me. In a professional story, wouldn't these scenes be dispersed amongst the actual overarching plot? Hell, the last story had that: While Narrator further displayed his insane tendencies, our view would cut to the goddesses doing something, then the battle-hardened veteran dealing with her problems, and occasionally even Linda and Nisa performing their misguided duties.
Here, when we just focus on self-contained vignettes, the pacing drags; Completely and utterly drags! We get disjointed scenes that go nowhere, and virtually hold no importance over anything!
...Is that what you want? Is that what any reader wants? Simple fluff pieces that merely serve as standard days in the lives of our heroines? Doesn't all of this feel cheap, or something?
...Well, no matter how much I may bitch, we still have to finish this segment. Not much longer now...
IF slowly opened her eyes, and groggily glanced around her. Lying beside her was a sleeping 5pb., and to the side sat a sleeping Vert, half of her body pleasantly leaning against the soft mattress. Seems everybody had eventually drifted off to sleep... Well, no shit, author! That's pretty obvious!
The battle-hardened veteran sighed contently. Sure, she was sick, but she felt at peace.
Suddenly, the shuffling of footsteps could be heard in the hall, and a familiar face clambered into the room. "Ah! Iffy, you're finally awake!"
"C-Compa!? W-When'd you get here?" The sickened brunette was utterly shocked, and for good reason: The medic had been staying on Planeptune for the longest time! Why was she now on Leanbox?
"Nep-Nep told me you were sick, so I came all the way over to make you all better! She couldn't come, but she's here in spirit!" The nurse boldly proclaimed, her syringe in tow. Ah, there the lackluster explanation is.
IF wondered just how Lady Purple Heart heard the news. She decided Chika must've blabbed to Histoire, who then let it slip.
Whatever the case, the battle-hardened veteran felt better than ever; Three of her best friends had come to take care of her! Sure, her pride would never let her act completely helpless, but the gesture made even her steel heart melt. "T-Thanks Compa, but y-you didn't have to do that! I-I don't want to be a burden."
Compa cheerfully shook her head. "No, no, no, Iffy; I came here because I wanted to. And..." She raised her syringe to the heavens, "...I'm a certified nurse! ...Er, in training! There's no ailment my syringe can't tackle!"
IF looked graciously into her best friend's eyes, feeling like the king... er, queen of the world. "...Yer the best, Comps. I love you, ya little brat." And it was true; In one way or another, the battle-hardened veteran loved Gamindustri's medic-in-training. She would go to the ends of the universe to keep her safe...
...Guh!? W-Wha...?
...But how far would that devotion go? In a life or death situation, would Miss IF really have the strength to protect her best friend? Could the brunette keep any of her friends and allies alive?
...Or was she destined to fail them? When the moment arrived, would this invincible warrior be able to save anybody?
Hell... Would she even be able to save herself?
...Tch!
W-What the hell was that!? I-I swear that wasn't me! S-S-Something just stole control for a second there!
...Shit, what's going on? First, these crappy vignettes, and now demonic possession of the script? What's this fic coming to?
Compa blushed at IF's remark, and ran over to hug her friend. "Have no fear, Iffy; I will take great care of you! You'll be back on your feet in no time."
And so, IF spent her sick days in the company of her three best friends (well, one happens to be her lover): 5pb, Vert, and Compa. Ah, such a touching moment...
...Hm... It must be nice to have friends... R-Really nice...
...Oh! Uh, what's next? ...Hmmm... Er, nothing; This segment is done. What the...? Well, that was rather anticlimactic, wasn't it? Hell, what was the frikkin' point? If you really think about it, this was just an abridged summary of the battle-hardened veteran's relations from the previous stories. The only thing that happened was IF being sick, and several beautiful women voluntarily risked their own health to take care of her. What was the significance? Where's the humor? Where's the enjoyment?
THE DRAINED VETERAN AND ALL HER FRIENDS: END
A few days passed, and the three brown-haired young men continued to live like vagrants. With each new morning, the boys were forced to find food and gather water from the old, musty well, and money was extremely scarce. They had to eventually succumb to pilfering more bread from a local vendor, as we learned earlier.
"I'm sick of all this crap!" Alex snapped one day. "For once, I just want to sit down an' have a decent meal! We need some cash, pronto!"
"Oh jeez, is complaining all you can do!? If ya wanna help so much, then get a freakin' job already!" Adrian groaned, lying on the ground with his arms beyond his head.
"Ain't no place hiring, ya buffoon! All this village has is one-man food carts."
Almaz looked at his two brothers uneasily, wishing that they would stop fighting. "Uhm... Er... Why don't we just pack up and head off to a larger city, then? I mean, Sim City is pretty close, or Randome would work too... Hell, who's to say we can't dwell in Lowee? We're not exactly fugitives on the run, you know... In fact, very few people even know what we really are! Yeah, now that I'm this far... Why are we even living like this? We're not criminals!" Hm, he has a point, not that I really care.
The bickering boys exchanged quick glances, and sighed. "... Y'know what, fine. You wanna leave this place so badly, then let's go! But, don't blame me if we get killed by some over-leveled random encounter!" Adrian yelled, and then sprang to his feet.
"... No matter where we go, there's still the fact that we have no bloody money. Credits won't be just floating over the ground all hunky-dory like!" Um... What accent is this Alex guy supposed to be using, anyways?
"Oh yeah... Damn, we're still screwed there..." Almaz now looked defeated. Adrian, however, had a sudden thought...
"... The book! Damn, how'd I let it slip my mind?" The other two looked at him with raised eyebrows; seems to be their trademark. "Mother told us that 'The Crucial Codes' could be used for almost anything, right? So... What if we find a cheat that could help us get some instant cash?"
Alex pressed his palm to his face. "Oh brother... Don't tell me you actually believe that crap!? How could a cheat code book help us in the real world?"
"Iunno... But I discovered something while flippin' through the pages..." Adrian grabbed the nearly-forgotten tome and frantically flipped to Page 42, and showed it off to the other two. "See? Pretty interesting, huh?"
On Page 42 was a very detailed photo of some odd game controller, one unlike any of the ones available on the market today. It seemed to be a combination of multiple consoles' controllers, what with the letters and symbols and numerous analog sticks. In the dead center of the contraption was a brief inscription:
"The Ghost-
Pale Heart"
"The hell is this? Who or what the bloody hell is Pale Heart? That's certainly not any CPU I know!" Alex muttered. Almaz remained silent, studying the picture. The irritable brother continued looking at the controller, and then spoke up again "...Well, so what? What's this picture have to do wit' anything?"
Adrian gave a small smirk. "... Touch it... I dare ya."
Alex looked at him for a moment, then rolled his eyes and reached out. "Ugh... If it'll please ya, then I'll freakin' do it..." He moved his thumb to the left analog stick, and... "W-What the hell!? It's... It's actually moving?" Indeed; The flat picture of the game controller was actually more dynamic then it looked. It was an odd sensation indeed; Alex knew that he wasn't touching a 3D object, but it didn't feel 2D either... Really? That's the best description this author's got? Man, who's writing this script, anyways?...
"H-Have you tried entering any of the codes yet?" Almaz asked, his excitement levels rising.
"No... I didn't really feel comfortable doin' that... I mean, what if Mother gave us this, meaning to blow us sky high? We are her failed creations, right?"
"... Well, so what if it kills us? We're livin' like shit anyways! Whadda we got to lose?" Alex proclaimed boldly. Almaz's eyes broadened nervously, but he didn't speak up.
Adrian took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and nodded. "... Ok, let's do this!" He flipped through the pages in the book, and found one that appealed to him. "This one says: 'Easy Money'... R2, R2, L1, L1, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP, LEFT, DOWN, RIGHT, UP... Ok, uh, write that one down."
Almaz wrote down the code with a pen he must have pilfered from somewhere, and read it aloud. Adrian entered the sequence using the controller picture. Once it was entered... the book emitted a buzzing sound.
"H-Huh?" The leader of the men saw a brief message appear at the top of the page: "Requires Level 25!"
"You shittin' me? The code's not available?" Alex yelled, disappointment taking over his features. "Level 25? I am definitely a higher level than that!"
Adrian shook his head, and looked at the back of the front cover. "Ahum, just as I thought..." There for all to see was an experience bar, and the number 1 next to it. "... It's not us that need to be Level 25; it's the book!"
"H-How do we level up a book, Adrian!?" Almaz gasped.
The young man didn't answer, but instead looked through the pages again. Now that he knew better, he noticed that each code had a level requirement stat next to them. Finally, he came to one that was Level 1: Debug Menu.
"Hmm... Ok, easy enough..." He flipped back to the controller, held down L2, and pressed the triangle button. A ding sounded, and the back cover began to glow. "Woah..." Turning to the back cover, a couple of check boxes were now visible. Only one was selectable, however. "'Raise Friendship Level'... It's the only one available right now. Huh... It says to walk up to a desired target, Level 2 or lower, and select the option... Ok, let's test this out." An idea popped into his head. "... Ya think the bread vendor's lower than Level 2?"
THE ORACLE VS. THE ALTERNATE ARISTOCRAT(!?)
Chika looked at the note she kept in her pocket, then up at the tavern before her, back to the note, back to the tavern, and then nodded contently. "Whelp, here's the place! Now, let's see what this stranger wants with my Vert..."
Stepping inside the cheap tavern at the edge of Leanbox, the oracle slowly glanced around the room. It wasn't a particularly busy day, with only a select few patrons present. To the left, a bickering married couple; at the bar itself, a suspicious-looking man with pale skin and a black trench coat; and, at a random table to the right, a handsome young man with shoulder-length brown hair, with flamboyant curls. Could he be the one who summoned her here?
The oracle, eyebrow raised, slowly walked over to the table. The sophisticated man smiled, and turned to face her.
"Why, hello there; Chika, I presume? Hm... I was hoping for Lady Green Heart, but it appears she didn't come." The young man spoke with a pompous air about him. Not really the type of guy you'd like to spend a lot of time with.
Chika crossed her arms and took a seat. "Hmph... I would never allow my Vert to talk with strangers, especially creepy men! You'll just have to say whatever you want to ta me."
The man, aristocratic in nature, brought his hands together in front of his face, covering his frown. "... Well, I suppose it can't be helped. I can settle with the oracle of Leanbox; in the grand scheme of things, you're the one who actually runs the nation, correct?"
"Don't you dare demean everything Vert does for this nation!" The oracle snapped suddenly; something about this stranger just filled her with a most uncharacteristic rage. Clenching her fists, she studied the man's face closer than before. "Hmph... So, who are you, and where the hell are you from? Hate to say it, but you seem like a Leanbox fellow."
He gracefully flipped the hair curl in front of his face. "Indeed I am; my name is Jade, and I am a native of this here fair nation."
Chika scowled, but resisted insulting the man's haughty tone. "... So, what did you need to meet with Vert for? Townspeople can't just talk with the goddess whenever they feel like it."
"... I wished to propose a... business opportunity to her. But, seeing as she isn't here, I will trust you to deliver the message to her in my stead."
"A business opportunity...?" Chika raised one eyebrow in a questioning fashion, then sighed. "Why would we need something like that? Our shares are fine as is; in fact, Leanbox is better off than Lastation, last time I checked..." Still, despite her words, the prospect of more money intrigued the oracle. "... Grr... Well, you made me come all the way out here to this rundown place anyways, so ya might as well give me the proposition."
Jade smiled, and firmly clasped his hands together. "Excellent; you're a smart woman, Chika..." The oracle sneered in response, but remained otherwise silent. "... So, you are aware of the company named 'Avenir,' correct?"
"Avenir? They're a major Lastation ally. What about 'em?"
"I've recently been hired by them... They would very much appreciate the backing of Leanbox's government."
Chika tilted her head in confusion, wondering where the aristocratic gentleman was going with this. "Why would a Leanbox man like yourself work with a Lastation company? And how could they possibly expect aid from us!?" Fair questions indeed.
Jade flipped his hair curl again. "Ohohohoho... You see, Lady Chika, Avenir is no longer pleased with the way Lady Black Heart has been running things." He looked at his fingernails, a disgustingly smug grin plastered on his face. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors circulating about an impending marriage announcement? From what I hear, good ol' Black Heart is getting married to Planeptune's own Purple Heart. Such an event would certainly plunge Gamindustri into chaos, and Lastation would be in grave danger. There's obviously more to their suspicions than just that, but surely you understand Avenir's qualms with this decision?"
The oracle already knew about the engaged goddesses; nearly everyone in their group of friends had found out around the holiday season. She also knew that the wedding would certainly present problems to the stability of the four nations. Still, it didn't seem like anything to excessively worry about.
She shot the man a demeaning look. "So, you're asking me to help Avenir betray Lastation? Are you insane?"
"Oh, I'm not crazy, dear Chika... and do remember that I am but a mere messenger. But you must admit, Lady Black Heart is only going to hurt her citizens further as the days go on; that much is clear. What Avenir requires is simply a little under-the-desk funding from your end of things, and my... dearest three associates will take care of the rest. I ensure you: by investing in Avenir, you will open your nation to profits the likes of which it's never seen before. If the takeover goes as planned, you will promptly earn half of all of Lastation's shares."
Now the oracle couldn't contain her anger. "... What!? What type of nation do ya think we're running? We would never agree to sabotaging another landmass, and I'm insulted you'd even insinuate we'd be interested! You're lucky I don't alert the authorities right now!"
Jade frowned, and covered his mouth with his hands again. "Lady Chika... There was one thing you misunderstood: I never said you had a choice. Avenir demands your assistance. It's not just Lastation that Avenir has its eyes on; if you don't abide by our demands..." His eyes stared harshly at the woman; he meant business now. "... then we can't guarantee your nation won't be targeted next."
"A-Are you threatening me!?"
"Oh no... I'm simply warning you of the inevitable. It's all beyond my control now; if Singe wants your land, then he'll get your land. By simply forking over a small payment, you ensure your nation's prosperity- and safety- for years to come. In the end, you can only win." Wow... This guy is evil.
Chika, insulted beyond compare, sprang up from her seat, slapped the aristocrat's face, and began heading for the door. She stopped for a single moment to utter one last reply. "... I'm going to forget we EVER had this conversation. If you even once show your face to me or my Vert again, then there'll be hell to pay! Tell Avenir to take their proposal and shove it!" And thus, the oracle left the bar in a fit of rage.
Jade could only remain seated at the table, his crossed hands continuing to shroud his face. "... Nearsighted bitch... And dear old Green Heart didn't even have the stones to show her face to me..." He lowered his head, his dagger-like eyes tearing into the tabletop. "... That insufferable skank! She was a coward back then, and she's a coward now. Hiding behind her damn assistant... Who the hell does she think she is!? She's simply scum... No, less than scum..." Oh my... this young man is practically seething with rage! What's his deal? And... why does he seem to have such disdain for Leanbox's CPU?
THE ORACLE VS. THE ALTERNATE ARISTOCRAT(!?): END
"Look, there's the scruffy old dood!" Almaz said, a bold finger pointing at the bread vendor.
"Alright, let's give this a shot!" Adrian hammily declared as he held up the tome towards the unaware old guy. Taking another deep breath, the young man pressed his finger on the check box... and a ding sounded yet again.
The old man jerked his head up suddenly, and noticed the three brothers. His mouth grew into a huge smile, and he motioned for them to approach him.
"Uh... Now that this is happening, it, er, feels kinda creepy..." Alex mumbled, but still the boys walked towards the vendor.
"Ah, if it isn't my favorite traveling trio! I just wanted to take this chance to thank you heartily for your support! My business is now seeing more customers in a week than it previously saw in a year!"
The boys looked at each other in clear confusion; they had never spoken to this man before, beyond simply asking for bread. Was that cheat code so powerful that it could plant completely false memories in someone's head?
Regardless, before they could respond, the man continued. "Please, it's not much, but it's the best that a humble old man can offer: Take as much bread as you can, free of charge!"
Adrian frantically waved his hands in front of his face. "N-N-N-No! W-We can't do that!"
"Please, I insist! Here, hold yer hands out in front of you!" The boys reluctantly did as asked, and their hands were filled with loaves of bread. "There ya go! Now, don't get into any trouble, you three! See ya around!" The man then went back to work, almost as if nothing happened.
"Uhm... Thank you!... L-Let's get out of here..." Almaz nervously suggested, and the others nodded.
Back at the hut, the boys placed the abundance of bread on the table, and breathed sighs of relief. "S-Shit, it actually works... W-What else d'ya think we can do with it?" Alex asked, wiping his forehead.
"I dunno... but it says we're Level 2 now..." The leader revealed, seeing the bold number shining brightly. "... It says we unlocked new cheats on page 4... Ah, here we are: 'Basic Illusions'... Petty magic tricks? Really?"
Almaz's eyes lit up upon hearing the new cheat. "M-Magic tricks! Those could come in handy, couldn't they?"
"How the hell can childish illusions help us?"
"Well... think about it: We need money, right? And, well, this book also needs to level up in order to use higher-powered cheats, right? So, we could impress people with some magic tricks, make a little money, and be able to level grind all at once! Sure beats making everyone our friend. I mean, that is a helpful cheat, but I couldn't have been the only one who felt uncomfortable by taking advantage of that old man..." Almaz offered, rubbing the back of his head.
Adrian stroked his chin, nodding resolutely. "... Y'know what, I think you're right... but we'll need to go somewhere with a more dense population to really make a profit..."
Alex shook his head. "The hell? Are you all going freakin' insane? Jeez... Fine, then do ya really want to go to Lowee? It's gonna be a long walk."
Adrian smirked. "Well, we have enough bread here to last us a few days... Now's as good a time as any..."
"O-Ok bro! Let's do this!" Almaz cheered, and the trio began to pack whatever they could for the long trek that awaited them...
