Save 5:Corpo Espionage

"Huh, honestly, I didn't think that the goddess would be so..."

"Stupid?" I finished for Goldman. Once again, I was standing in the strange void once more. "Well, better them being dumbasses than outright evil like what your King encountered."

Chuckling, Goldman leaned back into his throne. "Let's hope the rest of the goddesses are just as idiotic. Anyway, story time~" Him singing that phrase made my ears hurt thanks to his glitchy voice. "Alright! With his rebellion begun, our beloved King began his journey. Slowly but surely, he gained influence and allies. After a few years, there were people outworldly and unflinchingly criticizing the Goddess and despising her. Even her own military force were allied with the King. With so many people believing in him and joining his message, he stole 75% of the shares from the Goddess. With her so weakened, it was easy for any human to kill her."

Kill? "Wait, the King-"

"Of course. That woman wasn't even a goddess anymore. Hell, she had no humanity left in her. That woman caused so much suffering, even the King felt nothing but hatred towards her. Not to mention that the remaining 25% of shares she still had were coming from some of the most powerful people in the world, if she was left to live, she'd eventually cause more problems. It was only natural that her life had to end." The way he described it, as if it was an inevitability.

"I.. I can't help but disagree. There is always a peaceful way out. Maybe some concession needed to be done, or some negotiation's but-"

"No, she had to die."

"No one HAS to die!" Stepping forward, I glared at the silhouette of a man. "Even the most evil and inhumane people can be reasoned with, eventually. No, this King simply gave into the hatred that he felt and got revenge! That's not royal behavior. That's... that's... That's cringe!"

"YOU'RE CRINGE!" Yelling in his dollar store mic, the silhouette leaned on the edge of his seat. After a hard moment of staring at each other, he sighed and sat back down. "No, you're right. I'm sure that if he was here, the king would agree with you. But.. unfortunately, some things can't be taken back." Strangely melancholic, the man actually seemed to be happy when the world grew darker again. "Sorry about today. Hopefully next time we'll have a better conversation."

Nep-AHHHHHH!

Sighing to myself, I slowly ate my breakfast of some simple cereal. "Hm hm hm~ Arcy, why the glum face? Aren't you happy?" Neptune asked as she took a seat next to me. We were having breakfast in Chian's factory after having reported our completion of the quest. However, the strange dreams were still on my mind, so I left IF to report the mission to her. "We did a good thing and we're getting paid for it! Isn't that the best?"

"Hm. Yeah, sorry. I just didn't get a good sleep last night."

"Really? Because you were hugging me pretty tight~"

"Um, it was the other way around, Neptune. Also, could you not drool all over me next time?"

"Next time, eh? Are you expecting to sleep with me very often? Spicy~" This girl. Shaking my head, I just continued to eat my breakfast until IF, Compa and Noire came back. Strangely just as gloomy as me. "Soooo, what's up, chumps? What's the next move?"

As soon as IF sat at the table, she planted her face on it. Compa forced a laugh and patted the adventurer on the back. What the? Only the definitely-not-Black Heart looked normal. Well, she definitely looked exhausted, but she still had an air of elegance about her. "Well, after we reported to Chian, she gave us quite the next task." Brushing one of her twintails back behind her, she seemed to hate the next thing that she was about to say. "She suggested that we do a few jobs for Avenier."

Oh, that's why they're so dejected. However, I was completely for the idea. "Hm, Chian's really got this planned out then. It's sort of a genius. We'll be able to get some decent information from this." Avenier is not only a piece of shit company, but also Chian's number one rival in the upcoming Tech Expo in winning the first prize. Why are we still aiming for this tech expo when Black Heart was right in front of us? Well, Neptune's our leader so... "If we do what she asks, then we can get her some amazing info on those Corpos."

"AGH! So what?!" Bolting her heat up, IF glared at me. "Yeah, there are a few pros, but it's not like there's much that we can do! Even if we do work with them for a bit, there's no reason for them to give us any good information! Not to mention they'll be on our asses so they can learn more about us than we can for them."

Neptune, already out of the loop, looked at me. Waiting for me to dumb things down for her. Seriously? "Well, you do have a point. But I'd still say it's worth the risk. Even if they give us shit tier jobs, that still gives us plenty of info." Neptune's audible groan of confusion made me scratch my head. "Think about it like this. The job that we did for Chian? By doing it we learned a few things about her. One, she gets her materials from Midgard city. Second, there aren't very good trade routes between Midgard and Lastation. So, if we wanted to sabotage her, we'd have the perfect amount of information."

"Ohhh! So what you mean is, even if they just give us fetch quests, we'll still get some cool info! Hehehe, you're brain sure does come in handy Arcy! Not the rest of you though." This coming from the girl who used me as a cushion when falling from space. Wait, I'm more than a brain and a cushion!

Excited, Compa jumped out of her seat, only to lose some of her luster. "Wait, but how are we gonna get them to give us a job?" Wordlessly, Noire, Neptune and I turned our gazes to the ever reliable S-Rank guild member. "Oh, right! Hehe, we're counting on you Iffy!"

"Why'd I join up with you guys again?"

"Because we're sooooo cute! Duh!" Oh no, Neptune really is breaking Compa's brain.

Nep-Nep!

After making preparations and taking a few more small guild jobs, our group found our way to Thelad Sanctuary. A small forest near Lastation. One of the last few of its kind in the country.. "This is where we're meeting him? I'm surprised we were able to get in contact with an Avenier higher up so fast." I said as we stood around the base of a large tree. IF standing beside me while Noire, Neptune and Compa were messing about. More like those two are screwing with Noire. I'd feel bad for her if she didn't almost kill me yesterday.

Nodding her head, IF took constant looks around our location. "I know. While I'd like to say he got back to me so fast was because I'm an S-rank, I can't help but feel a little... on edge. You know?" She definitely had a point. We were about to meet with a high ranking member of one of the strongest companies in the entire world. It's undeniable that the person we're about to meet is one of the most influential people in the country, most likely worth millions or even billions of credits. And they're definitely a douchebag too. Had to be, you wouldn't be a higher up for a company literally destroying Lastaion slowly but surely if you weren't. "Keep your guard up."

"Heh, you should be telling them, not me." As our conversation came to an end, we heard footsteps coming towards us. Noire, Neptune and Compa rushed back to us as the man we were meeting showed up in front of us. Wait, that's-! The man standing in front of us was wearing a stylish purple suit. He had on a bright green tie and a fancy hair cut to boot. His glasses themselves looked like they were worth more than every credit I've ever had.

"Hello there. It is a pleasure to meet you! I am Ganache, founder of Avenier. I apologize for making you wait."

Shit. This... isn't good. Glancing over at IF, her face was stone cold and neutral, but her fists were clenched. She didn't expect this either. I expected some shitty PR guy to be giving us the quest. Not the founder! Since when did CEOs do things?! Aren't you supposed to stay in your office, playing games all day pretending to be busy? "Do not worry, we simply wanted to be early." IF effortlessly put on a fake smile before bowing. "I must say, it's rare to meet such high ranking officials. Let alone get a job from them. Could it be that you saw that much potential in us?"

Chuckling at IF, the man glanced at all of us before looking back at IF. "That's quite the joke." Asshole. "Either way, I have a very important job for you. We plan on constructing a new plant around here. However we're having issues with the monsters here. From what you told me, , your group is quite good at monster hunts. Please clear out the area as soon as possible."

"Yeah, that's what Lastation needs. Another factory." I whispered to myself, making sure to turn away from the founder as I did so.

"What was that?"

"What he said was that this'll be a breeze!" Once again, Neptune's endless supply of energy saved me. Jumping out from our side, she dramatically waved her sheathed sword around. "I'll get these monsters outta here before lunch! But maaaan, I was kinda afraid you'd ask us to do some paperwork. I doubt anyone would be able to read my handwriting." I'm surprised she can write.

"Neptune, I don't think there is anything in the world that you're good at other than fighting." Noire said with a shake of her head. "Oh, wait. How can I forget just how annoying you are."

"Hey! I'm good at other things! Like pickpocketing Arcy! I've been holding his wallet for like half the day and he hasn't noticed."

"Wait.. NEPTUNE!" running around with a smile on her face, the lilac haired girl truly did love to torture me. "DAMMIT! GET BACK HERE!" As I chased the girl, Ganache wordlessly left us to our job.

And so, we spent the whole day meticulously killing any and all monsters that spawned in the sanctuary. It was during this that Noire made her battle debut. Being the perfect mid-ranged fighter with her rapier, she was amazingly strong, just like Neptune. Any monster that escaped IF and Neptune didn't even get a millimeter further before being slashed out of existence. "Wow, you're pretty good, Noire." Blushing at my praise, the black haired girl brushed her long hair behind her back dramatically, a thing that she seemed to do a lot.

"W-Well, of course! I'm not the g- I-I mean I train very hard! Yes, that's it!" IF glanced over at me with a deadpan stare as she listened to Noire's horrible cover story. Can this girl even keep a secret? Planting her rapier into the ground, she looked around the now empty forest. "Well, it seems we are done with our mission here." I turned my head to confirm that she was right and sure enough, there wasn't a monster in sight. "Hm? Are you alright, Sir Arc?"

"Yeah... wait, sir?" The goddess nodded her head, but seeing as she was a serious woman, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she's not making fun of me. "Well, it's just that helping Avenir leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Esspsialy since they plan on destroying this forest to build another fucking factory."

Slowly nodding her head, Noire's proud expression fell. "Yes, you have a point. It truly does make me wonder what has happened to Lastaion." Huh? Shouldn't you know that better than anyone? But, she didn't seem to be lying or acting. Is Noire just as in the dark as we are? If so, why? Now, I was starting to worry about the girl. "H-Huh? Why're you staring at me."

Quickly trying to come up with an excuse, I blurted out "You looked cute." Dammit, I didn't mean to say that. Now I'm going to seem creepy.

"W-W-W-What?! W-Who you t-think you are! I'm not h-happy to hear that at all!" That was a classic tsundere line. And just like a tsundere, she was blushing wildly and glared at me. "Y-You're S-S-S-Stupid!"


Traveling Skit: Country Tier List (Cast: Noire, IF, Arc)

After finishing the quest, the day was just about over. The sun close to disappearing over the coast. Intent on getting some rest and food before it got too late, the party of five began the long trek back to Lastation. Neptune and Compa were leading the group, discussing what kind of food to eat when they got back to Chian's factory. That left Arc, Noire and IF to silently walk behind them. Getting bored of the walk, IF began to wrack her mind, trying to find a way to pass the long walk.

IF: So, I wanted to ask you a question, Arc.

Turning his head to the fellow adventurer, Arc nodded his head, ready to answer whatever came at him.

IF: Do you have a favorite nation? I know you said you didn't really like Lastation, so do you have one you like?

Nowa: You don't like WHAT?! (Crossing her arms, Noire glared at the weakling) What's wrong with Lastaion? I happen to like this place.

Arc: Course you do, you're its goddess. (deciding to let that go, Arc tried to think up the best way to describe his feeling) Well, it's not that I dislike Lastation, it's just that I can't stand the place. Wait, that doesn't sound right. *sigh* What I mean is that it's not the best place for me. I have a weak constitution, so the lack of decent air quality in the main cities makes it hurt to breathe. Not to mention the abundance of valleys and abandoned factories that act as dungeons around here, don't mesh well with my way to fight. When I'm alone, I lean on stealth and there aren't a lot of places to hide in a valley, are there?

The explanation actually made a lot of sense to Noire. But that didn't make it any easier to hear for the Goddess.

Nowa: Lastation's really gone downhill since I left. Of course someone like him wouldn't want to stick around in my country. My disappearance allowed greedy people to destroy the place I called home and... I'm a failure as a goddess.

Noticing the depressing air around the Tsundere, IF decided to try and remedy the situation.

IF: Well, I actually like Lastation. It's got a good amount of work, and the hotels and food are decently cheap. Sure, there are a few things that could change for the better, but it's still a great country. I'm sure once Lady Black Heart fully makes her return, she can fix this place right up.

Arc: Hm, you have a point. If Black Heart can get rid of the Corpos, fix up the environment and clean the air, I'm sure this place will get alot better.

Somehow, the disguised Goddess did not catch on that the two were doing their best to cheer her up. Innocently, she put on a large smile and puffed her modest chest out.

Nowa: Of course I will- I mean she will! (Pointing a finger at Arc, she smirked) Just you wait, Arc. You'll be begging to stay in Lastaion very soon. It'll be so fun here you'll never want to leave.

IF & Arc: She's way too easy to please.

IF: Anyway, that still doesn't answer my question. What's your favorite place?

Arc: Oh. Well, that's easy. Lowee. Sure, it's cold up there. But the snow is so pretty, and the dungeons are really easy to sneak around in thanks to all the snow and greenery. Not to mention that it's the only place I know anyone in. Muramasa lets me crash at his place when I'm there too.

Nowa: That... I can't argue with that. Arc, I think you need more friends.

IF: That's rich coming from you, Noire.

Nowa: I-I have friends! I have at least a hundred!

The two guild members smirked at each other but decided not to argue with her further.

IF: Just so you know. My favorite nation is Leanbox.

This time, it was time for both Arc and Noire to get in Sync.

Nowa & Arc: I hate boats


After dinner, I stood outside the hotel we were staying in, needing a break from the constant human interaction. As much as I enjoyed being with everyone, something I found weird considering how much I got made fun of, I suppose I'm still a loner at heart. I guess spending twenty years alone does that to someone. Walking around the quiet Lastation, I couldn't help but go back down memory lane. Seriously, the only friends I've ever had before these idiots were Muramasa and MAGES. And even then, I barely see them. MAGE gets around just as much as I do and Muramasa lives in Lowee. Honestly, I may as well not have any friends. Sighing to myself, I made a stop at a park and to take a seat. Thankfully, it seemed like Lastation had decided to throw me a bone because the air was easy to breathe at this moment.

When I got there, however, I was surprised to see Noire sitting down on some grass, looking up at the sky. "Didn't think I'd find you here." I said as I walked up to her. Looking up at me, the disguised goddess looked just as surprised as I was. "What, did Neptune annoy you too much?"

"N-No!" That's a yes. Taking a seat next to her, the large blush on her face was pretty funny to see. "Well... sometimes the things she says really are unnecessary. Hmph, who does she think she is?"

"That's Neptune. Honestly, I don't think that girl has even the capacity to think before she speaks." But, saying that I remembered how she saved my ass earlier when Ganache heard what I whispered. "But she is surprisingly diligent."

"I don't believe that at all." It's rare, but she is. The black haired girl sighed and turned her full attention to me. "Um. Sorry."

"Hm? For what?"

"For... um, what happened in the valley." I didn't really understand what she meant, until I thought about what happened before we met 'Noire'. Ah, for the whole fight, huh? I kind of wanted to apologize as well, for throwing her into a wall, but then it would kill the kayfabe of her disguise. So, I simply nodded . "Okay. Thanks..." Sitting there in awkward silence, I thought about just getting up and leaving. But, she suddenly spoke up again. "I wanted to ask you something. You have a... unique perspective as an outsider. So, I wanted to ask you about what you thought about the console war."

"Hm? What about it?"

"W-Well, the goddesses are coming back. So... what side would you take? I asked IF earlier and she said she'd stay neutral. As I'd expect from an S-ranker. But..."

That was honestly not a question I wanted to think about. I'm a pacifist at heart. The fact that I was weak played a large role into it. I don't want to see people get hurt, whether they are connected to me or not. "I'd..." But as I thought about my answer, that stupid gremlin popped into my mind. She'd be dragged into it, wouldn't she. "If push comes to shove, I suppose I'd rather run away, with Neptune, Compa and IF. I'm not an asset in any way shape or form, so it's not like anyone would be strengthened with me in toe."

"But isn't Neptu-"

"I won't let her get hurt. I'd rather have her shitting on me than fighting some useless war." In that moment, the illusion was shattered for her, I'm sure. She knew that I knew, both her secret and Npetune's lost identity. Yet, she smiled.

"You're a good friend then. I... wish I had someone like that."

"Hey, if you want to run away with me, I won't say no. You're my friend too, Noire."

Looking up at me, Noire's eyes shone in a way that I'd never seen. "I... I-I'll keep that offer in mind." Well, it's' good to know that at least one of the goddesses doesn't' necessarily want to continue this war. Turning away from me, she cupped her face. "A-And think about your phrasing! That sounded like a... a... a p-p-p-pr-r-osal!" Oh come on. Suddenly, the silence wasn't awkward anymore, so we sat there looking up at the Lastation sky for a while before going back to the hotel.

Nepymon!

It was immediately the next day that we received our next quest from Avanier. Honestly, I was surprised that we'd get another quest so fast. For a company as large as Avanier to have so much work for the Guild to do was both strangely on brand and not at the same time. Of course a multi-billion credit company would throw all of the hard work it needs to be done to the Guild. That way, they don't need to deal with their own employee's getting injured. Anything to line the pockets of their higher ups. "Arcy, are you thinking about Corpos again? You're gonna get wrinkles if you keep making that face." Neptune's strangely sweet voice threw me out of my ranting head.

"Yeah, sorry. It's just..." Noire wouldn't be having such a hard time if it weren't for these guys. Sure she made a horrible first impression, but she's not a bad person. And it's obvious that these guys are taking advantage of her not being around. "I'm just worried about Noire."

"Hm, a strangely womanizing answer. Don't tell me you're trying to get under her skirt!"

"That's the last thing on my mind right now, Neptune." Though, she is really cute. No! Don't let this dolt influence your mind! "Anyway, where is that guy? He's actually late." The five of us were waiting in front of an old abandoned factory for Ganache, who was supposed to give us the details of our next job. Glancing over at IF, even as she chatted with Noire and Compa, she too was glancing at her watch every other second. Something's not right. I may be being far too cautious, but being cautious is what's kept me alive all these years. And listening to my gut for when to run has been the number one instinct I listen to. And it's telling me to get as far away from here as possible.

After a few more minutes, the familiar figure of the founder was seen walking up to us from a car. "Ah, apologies. I was a bit caught up in something important." The young man said as she fixed his green tie. "Being a CEO is a demanding job after all."

"Oh, I'm sure! Make sure you take breaks so you don't burn out, kiddo!" Neptune said with a smile. "So, whatcha need from us! Does another monster need a beatin! Or maybe just some baby sittin! I'm sure Arcy and I would make great baby sitters!" What are you talking about? It'd just be me versus you and the kids. Hell, maybe the kids would end up taking care of you.

"No, nothing like that." Pointing to the factory behind us, he continued. "You see, that was a factory of ours, however after a certain incident a few years ago, it was taken over by monsters and we had to abandon it. Now, with the Lastation Expo on the way, we need to get a certain item that we had left behind in there."

IF, taking control of the conversation again, spoke in a professional manner. "Is that so? If you don't mind me asking, what is the item that you need us to recover for you? It sounds quite important for you to go so far to get it back." And yet they waited years to apparently try and recover it. IF glanced towards me, clearly thinking something similar.

"Ah, well that's simple. You see, in that factory we were conducting experiments with a special ore, Lastalite. It was a special ore that allowed us to create tech that could last thousands of years. With it, we made hard drives filled with special materials that were unfortunately lost there."

"Lasatlie?" Noire placed a hand on her chin as she repeated that name. "I've never heard of that."

"Neither have I, and I've been around." IF backed the goddess up. Same here. Not to mention that sounds way too good to be true.

But, without missing a beat, the founder said "Ah, we've simply had a monopoly on the ore is all. We've kept it a secret to have an advantage over our competitors."

That makes no sense. Even if he was telling the truth, it painted an impossibility. Avanir is one of the largest tech giants in the entire world. It has hundreds of thousands of employees, a solid thirty percent of them being engineers alone. For not a single leak of this amazing ore existing to ever happen, or for their competitors to not notice something was off about their products was impossible. Yea, this Lastaalt doesn't exist. No shot. Something's not right here. "Excuse me, sir. This sounds a bit to much for us, then." Raising my hand, I tried to get us out of this job as fast as I could. "While IF is and S-ranker. I'm still at E-rank. This is definitely above my pay grade."

"Come on, Arcy! Don't be so hard on yourself!" Neptune, for once think! "Don't worry ! We gotcha!"

"Neptune wh- hey! Stop pushing me!" Ignoring me, the egghead pushed me into the factory with the rest of our group hesitatingly following. And sure enough, as soon as Compa's feet made it past the entrance, the large factory doors slammed shut. "I knew it!" This is why you should always judge a book by it's cover!

"Huh? That's weird. Hey, Gege, can you open up the door?"

Muffled chuckling was heard from the other side. "I must thank you for being such a useful idiot. I almost had to think up an excuse! You brats, truly thought that I wouldn't know what you are doing? Working for Chian and doing reconnaissance for her? Avaneir knows all."

Slamming her fist onto the door, Noire glared at it. "You bastard! Let us out!"

"I'll open the door once I know you all are nothing but monster food. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy person." The sound of his footsteps were easy to hear, but Noire kept punching at the door.

"LET! THEM! OUT!" However, nothing could be done. The doors were thick and no doubt made of some high density metal. I doubt that even if Neptune and Noire transform and try to break through it, we'd get anywhere. In fact, the whole factory was made of the same materials. This... might be it. "Ugh! Ganache! Open the door!"

"Noire..." The mood of the entire party fell. I mean, it's obvious. We don't exactly have any options here. Hell, even Nepotune looked like she was ready to give up. "What are we gonna-"

"Ugh, can you guys stop with the whole melodramatic shit?" Scratching the back of my head, I let out a sigh. "Yeah, things aren't looking good now, but so what? It's not like we haven't been through tough situations. I mean, come on, on the first day we met we fell into a hole and fought a giant spider. We'll find a way out of this, so calm down guys." Noire and IF didn't seem to agree with what I said, but Neptune's big dumb smile finally showed back up.

"Well said, Arcy! Come on guys, are we gonna let some guy named garbage beat us? There's gotta be a way out somewhere, so let's turn those frowns upside down, get out of here and beat the heck out of that dummy!"

"Neptune's right! And Arcy too, I guess." Wow Compa. Reading my mind, she flashed me a smile. "Just kidding, Arcy. Come on, we can't let him get away with this! I'll stick my syringe up his butt next time I see him!" T-That's scary!

Smirking, IF equipped her weapons and walked ahead of the group. "Yeah, you're right. Lets get out of here then. We need to get back to Chian before he pulls something."

"Yeah!" Compa and Neptune pulled out their weapons and followed the brown haired girl. It was only Noire who was still stuck in place.

"Come on, Noire. We can't let Lastaion wait for their CPU any longer. Especially one as caring as you, right?" Smiling at her, the goddess turned to me with a blush before huffing away. "Jeez, I was just trying to help."

"I-I don't need your help, nor do I appreciate it. Idiot." Man, you're not beating the Tsundere allegations. "But... you're right. Let's go."


AN: Good Morning everyone. I'm back with this cycle's update. Nothing much to say this time, other than that I'm currently back to 100% after my surgery. Thank you all for reading once again and I hoped you all enjoyed it.