Alcohol: The Ultimate Favorability Booster (2)
'Alright, time to unleash the skills I've honed on countless customers... or not...?'
Trouble hit right from the start.
Nice going, me.
I'd planned to kick off the conversation using the small talk info we'd exchanged before arriving at the village, but I knew jack shit about this fantasy world. Normally, when meeting a new client, you'd start with something like, "Hey, know any good food spots?" or "I found this amazing dessert place." But this was foreign territory—no intel whatsoever. Even if I knew Cream's interests, I couldn't take the lead.
Have to try another approach...
Another way to bond: get 'em hammered. Once the buzz hits, moods lighten up. If I played it right, I could boost my favorability while tanking Sieg's.
"You handle your liquor well? Here, another round."
Every time her glass emptied, I topped it off. Based on the Cream I'd observed over the past few days, she'd have turned it down before getting wasted. But...
"Sieg, you jerk..."
Spotting Sieg off in the distance, cozying up with some girl and laughing it up, Cream was seething with jealousy. She didn't refuse—instead, she downed every pour.
Cream was too buzzed to notice, but Sieg kept sneaking glances our way while he drank.
She's getting to him, huh? That wasn't the look you give a friend.
Not quite a lover's gaze either.
Friend-plus, lover-minus. Probably just realized his childhood buddy's a girl now that the journey's underway. Those side-eyes? Pure irritation at her boozing it up alone with another guy—me.
"Sieg's been... since way back..."
Cream kept repeating herself.
She's sloshed!
Time to act carefully. Boost my favorability, drop Sieg's—hit both goals to milk this setup for all it's worth.
Right now, Cream's tunnel-visioned on Sieg; no other guys registered. So, knock his pedestal down a peg, remind her other men exist. Slip myself into that slot.
Not bluntly—beat around the bush, wear her down gently.
Excitement for the plan curled a smile on my lips before I knew it. The kind anyone would call demonic, straight out of a demon lord's playbook.
Whoops, gotta watch that.
I wiped the grin away, looked at Cream, and spoke.
"You really like Sieg, huh? I can hear the love in your voice..."
I whispered it soft. She clapped both hands over my mouth to shut me up. I wanted to tease her by licking her palm, but held back and winked instead.
"Jeez, quit teasing~"
She caught on, puffing her cheeks in a mock pout.
"Hahaha!"
We burst out laughing in unison. Mine because she was adorable; hers because the moment was fun. Different reasons, same big grins.
Perfect vibe.
Time to shift gears?
"Sieg's got it lucky... so popular."
Bashing him to drop favorability? Amateur hour. First, praise him—make Cream clock how he was ignoring her, surrounded by giggling girls.
Her face hardened as she watched.
Point one.
Sieg's favorability dipped. Temporary, sure, but who cares.
"Handsome face, hero status... leagues above a nobody like me."
"N-no, that's not true~ You're cool too, Sig!"
She giggled, trying to cheer me up. I'd fed her that line on purpose, playing up my low self-esteem to draw it out.
"Yeah? What makes me cool, then?"
"Hmm..."
Cream stared at me, deep in thought. Exactly what I'd aimed for. Force her to ponder me—something she never did before—and spot my upsides. Favorability rising.
"Uh, um... your skin's so clear! And uh..."
She scrunched her face, squeezing out compliments.
Yeah, compared to the protagonist, I'm just average Joe.
I swallowed tears inwardly.
"You're quick on the uptake!"
The payoff from days of studying her paid off.
"Sieg's just... so oblivious!"
Sudden Sieg-bashing kicked off. I hadn't planned this far, but hell yeah.
"He's always been like that! Runs off giggling whenever Chris calls him! Oh, Chris is the girl next door to Sieg!"
Our Cream...
Turns out she's a total motormouth.
Once she got going, complaints poured out: always doing his own thing, chasing neighborhood girls' skirts. Years of gripes, apparently.
I nodded along subtly—"I see," "That's rough"—without overdoing it.
"Ah! Feels so good to vent!"
She stretched wide.
"Sieg just talks over everyone, never really listens."
She wobbled to her feet mid-sentence.
"Sig, you're super charming, so don't worry!"
Bothered by my earlier insecurity, she grabbed my cheeks and yanked.
"Off to bed~"
She waved, heading inside, then paused.
"This is our seeeecret too~"
Finger to lips, mimicking her daytime gesture.
Sweet. Two secrets in one day.
Huge haul today.
Alcohol for the win!
"Having fun chatting with Cream?"
Sieg slid into her empty spot, jealousy dripping from his tone.
"What'd you talk about?"
I pondered his question.
Spill the dirt-talk?
If yes: Sieg's friendship, plus his Cream favorability tanks. If no: just his jealousy simmers.
Pass.
That sounded way more fun, so I zipped it.
"Secret. Ask Cream tomorrow."
I left for bed, his sour face my lullaby. Sweet dreams incoming.
"Sorry about last night!"
Cream showed up first thing, apologizing before I even shook off sleep. Face red as a tomato—no blackout, just regret.
"No worries, no need to apologize. Honestly, you were cute."
"C-cute?"
She floundered at the word.
What’s with that reaction?
With her looks, she'd heard "cute" nonstop since childhood. But this...
Acting like it's brand new?
Nailed it.
"First time hearing it from someone my age."
"First time? Sieg never said it?"
His name darkened her face instantly.
That oblivious dope never once called her cute, guaranteed.
"Nope, not from Sieg. Not from the neighborhood girls either..."
Her cuteness plus constant Sieg-tagging drew heat from the locals, apparently.
"And right after heading to the capital with him, I got picked as saintess—stuck in the church the whole time."
Nuns or priests calling the saintess "cute"? Yeah, no.
Lucky break.
Morning favorability spike had me grinning ear to ear.
"Cream, Sig!"
Sieg's voice killed the mood, waving as he approached. Cream...
"Hmph!"
Last night's memory hit; she turned and marched the opposite way. Sieg flustered, chased after.
Altera eyed them coldly.
"Ah, young love~"
Hagen slung an arm over my shoulder, smirking.
"Alright! Sword training while those two are gone!"
The training he'd mentioned at first meet. No word during travel, so I'd figured forgotten or BS.
One or the other.
Either he spaced and just remembered, or observed me en route and deemed me ready.
Latter, probably.
Hagen's boisterous, not reckless. If he'd sized me up carefully and greenlit lessons...
Good call sticking to subtle plays those days.
Trust-building paid off again.
"Never held a sword, let alone done chores, eh?"
He eyed my soft palms.
"Basics it is. Prep first! Run—go~!"
Out-of-nowhere laps. I chased him hard, but gym virgin me soaked in sweat fast, legs burning.
"Hahaha! Gassed already? Not very manly!"
He lapped me, shoving my back.
"You got this! One more lap!"
PT coach vibes straight outta YouTube.
"Hngh... I'm dying!"
Altera pitied me, then glanced Cream's way.
Missing Sieg?
If so, worth factoring her in.
"Quit daydreaming!"
Hagen clocked it, smacked my back.
Time dragged; I collapsed mid-Hagen's endless run.
"Hng... haaah..."
A shadow fell over me on the ground.
"Good work."
Cream, with towel and cold water.
"Sort things out?"
No subject needed. She got it.
"Dunno..."
Sieg trailed her but struck out. Good for me.
Sieg sulked too—no eye contact with her, just jogging with Hagen.
Gotta milk this mood.
No clue how long it'd last, but ride it till it fades.