HPDBC Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Could she have noticed my manly gaze?
Luna met my eyes and responded.
"What?"
"May I ask you a favor?"
"Sure. I don't know what it is, but go ahead."
"...You're agreeing without even hearing what it is?"
"We made a deal."
The deal was that if I did her a favor, she would grant me the right to ask her a question.
Luna was referring to that.
"I have hundreds of things I want to ask you. So whatever it is, I have to agree. It's more urgent for me, as you said. And..."
"And?"
"That... fri, frie..."
Frie?
"Because we're friends..."
A voice as small as the flutter of a fly's wings.
But I heard it clearly.
'Luna... You've grown up so much.'
To think she would call me a friend.
Was this what it felt like to watch your daughter grow up?
I felt like I was about to cry.
Well, it was just a feeling, nothing more.
"Anyway, if you have any worries, feel free to talk to me! I, I'll go ahead!"
Luna abruptly stood up, threw her tray into the disposal area, and fled from the spot.
I called out to the back of her head as she left.
"Miss Luna! Let's meet at the school gate tomorrow at 9 AM!"
There was no reply.
She just raised her middle finger as she ran away.
'That means she'll definitely come tomorrow.'
A perfect interpretation!
I could be called a Luna scholar at this point.
Chewing on a piece of chicken, I was lost in thought.
'But is it really okay?'
Since I've decided to go for it, I will proceed.
The NPC I need to meet, the location, the order of the conversation.
I remember all of that perfectly, so there should be no problem.
The current issue is...
'The final battle.'
The battle with 'The Demon's Shard' is problematic.
Not just the attack power, but whether health is sufficiently high is the most important issue.
Because it's a gimmick where multiple players have to share the damage.
'The common strategy for veterans was to clear it after Episode 3 due to the health issue.'
This meant the veterans' best record was at the beginning of Episode 3.
No one had attempted it from Episode 1, especially not in the first week after school started.
If I succeed, I'll be both the first and the best.
My motivation was surging. But.
'Right now, Luna is the only one I can count on.'
A two-person party... Actually, it's practically a one-person party.
My stats are only at 21, I'm incompetent.
To tackle it without trouble, I need at least two more people.
Or one incredibly strong person.
'Isn't there a high-level player passing by... Huh?'
Then, Rodelin entered my field of vision.
She was busy giving demerit points to freshmen who were fighting.
[Lv.43]
There it is, a high-level player.
Luna and Rodelin.
With the two of them, the attack power is more than enough. Both are characters who use their family's secret techniques.
Though health is more important than attack power for conquering 'The Demon's Shard', what I am planning is not a normal strategy.
'A strategy that theoretically doesn't need even a point of health. I'm going to try that.'
Alright, it's decided. I should approach Rodelin too.
After finishing my plate, I headed towards her.
Too friendly with the protagonist character Rodelin?
Who cares. There's a super cheat hidden piece at stake.
Besides.
'Luna is already marked. If I hesitate, the game story will just proceed.'
To lose one arm and wander aimlessly until death. That's Luna's future.
I never expected to get into a brawl with the Teron faction on the first day of school.
With the sound of something bursting, her face turned beet red.
A face too embarrassing to look at with open eyes.
Escaping from the mirror, Rodelin crawled into bed, hoping tomorrow would never come.
* * *
The next morning, between the school gate and the square.
I found myself in a very awkward situation.
"Explain properly about what happened yesterday."
"...Pardon?"
"About asking if I like children. You better explain what you meant by that."
"???"
Asking if someone likes children means exactly that. What more explanation is needed?
Geez!
She even looked fierce, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
She was in full defensive mode. Was she preparing for war?
"I only asked because there will be children to play with. I was asked for help. It would be troublesome if you disliked children..."
"Is that really it?"
"Of course."
"Then why is it just the two of us? There seem to be quite a few people around. Don't we need more manpower?"
Rodelin, that's because I don't have any friends.
You'll never understand how hard it is to make friends with this appearance.
But I didn't need to make such excuses.
A savior appeared from behind.
"Hm? What's this? Why is the Vice President here..."
"Ah... you mean from last time..."
Rodelin couldn't finish her sentence.
After a moment of deep thought, her face suddenly turned crimson.
"Ah... Aaaaah! I see, I see. My apologies, Zero. I misunderstood."
"What kind of misunderstanding did you..."
"Hurry, let's go! Didn't you say you had a place to be?"
Rodelin, mumbling her words, hurriedly left the spot.
Really.
She's such a strange woman.
* * *
"So, where is this place you were asked to help?"
"We'll be there in just a bit."
Unlike the game, it's not easy when you have to move physically.
But there's no need to worry. The person I'm looking for is quite a distinctive man.
‘The clown.’
Not just by appearance, but also because he's a character who always has children around him, he should be easy to find.
After about ten minutes of wandering around the square.
I finally found the clown.
Dressed in his distinctive makeup, he was handing out balloons to the children.
I have to work under this clown for a day.
Doing so will grant me a skill, the starting condition for a hidden piece.
‘Well, I wasn't actually asked for help, but I'll manage somehow.’
Luckily, Rodelin was keeping her distance, so I should be able to deceive her easily.
Just as a group of children left after receiving their balloons, I approached the clown.
He suddenly grabbed my shoulders with a shocked expression.
"Lu, Luterus!? Is that you?"
...Why is he acting like this?
This dialogue was new to me, but I was more surprised by the clown's reaction than anything else.
‘This clown character is always supposed to be smiling.’
An NPC often called 'The Mask of Madness' among the players.
Always smiling, whether in conversation, performing, or even during his breaks.
He's called 'The Mask' because he smiles so much it seems like he's wearing a mask.
But now, this character who always smiled was looking at me with a shocked expression, no, a look of desperation.
I've played the game thousands of times, but I've never seen this reaction before.
It meant a hidden piece I didn't know about had been triggered.
‘He's mistaking me for a child named Luterus...’
Fortunately, I knew about the character Luterus.
I recalled all the information related to him in my head.
The hidden piece starting with the clown, the hero, The Demon's Shard, Luterus, and the parrot.
The connection between the clown and them, a mystery unsolved even by the veterans, ending only in speculation.
As I fit the final puzzle piece I just found, a perfect picture was completed.
--TL Notes--
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