Episode 5: We Are Protagonists (1)
Aiden didn't arrive in the city until today. It had taken about five days. In truth, it shouldn't have taken this long. If he'd just stuck to the main road without detours, he might have been able to sit back and relax by now. At the very least, that had been Aiden's plan.
The problem was the nun tagging along beside him.
If Claire hadn't gotten curious every time she spotted someone driving a cart. If she hadn't insisted on popping into every village they passed. If she hadn't been itching to chat up every person who looked like they might have a story to tell.
They probably could have made it back sooner.
Good thing there was no rush.
"…Then come listen on your own later and tell me about it."
"Sure thing."
And now that they were finally in the city, Aiden was showing Claire around. She was still trying to take in everything with wide eyes, but thankfully, after he'd reined her in, she stopped accosting strangers and just wandered nearby instead. If he showed her a few eye-catching sights and wore her out, she might even follow along obediently.
"…?"
Then, he felt a presence behind him, like someone calling out.
It wasn't anything like an "excuse me." Nothing ominous either. So he glanced back casually and saw a figure cloaked head to toe in a mantle standing there.
"Who might you be?"
They couldn't make eye contact. The hood pulled low over the figure's face hid everything. No visible weapons either. Height gave some clue, but not enough to pinpoint anyone specific. All Aiden could tell from the visible lower face was that it was a woman.
"A bird, or a birdcage—which do you prefer?"
With that, she tossed out a question that made no sense whatsoever.
"Pardon?"
"It's just a simple survey, so answer freely. You too, the one next to him."
"M-Me? Uh… what was it again? Something and…?"
"Bird. And birdcage."
"Hmm… well…"
Claire reacted, and the cloaked woman lifted the corners of her mouth in satisfaction. Her hand emerged from the fluttering cloak—empty, just delivering that odd question. Suspicious as hell, in Aiden's eyes, but not "dangerous" suspicious. She seemed like just another eccentric who wouldn't suddenly go off the rails.
"I prefer the bird. Birdcage feels kinda negative, y'know? What about you, mister?"
"Honestly, I doubt anyone would pick birdcage."
"So we both chose the same, huh?"
Claire glanced at the woman, who replied without dropping her smile.
"Yeah, looks like it. Most people pick bird for the same reason as you two."
"Some picked birdcage though?"
"Plenty. They all had different reasons, of course. For example…"
She gave a wry smile and continued.
"Someone said it's more comfortable inside the birdcage."
"Staying cooped up in there all the time sounds boring, though."
"But under the owner's care, no need to struggle. Pets aren't slaves, after all."
"Huh… that kinda makes sense when you put it like that…"
"Good. One more question."
"Huh?"
Claire hadn't expected another and glanced at Aiden in panic. If she could do whatever, she'd eagerly await the next one, but right now, she had to go if Aiden said so. Fortunately, he nodded.
"Okay. Supporting the weak all the way versus reforming the wicked—which sounds more fun?"
"Uh… fun? Not which is more impressive or anything?"
"Yep, fun."
"Well, um… what do you think, mister?"
The question got passed to him. Even the asker shifted her gaze to Aiden, waiting.
Not like there was a right answer.
"If it's purely about fun, reforming them, I suppose."
"Mm… yeah, figured. I think so too."
Under her hood, she started grinning in a way that rubbed Aiden wrong. Or maybe it was just the creepy vibe making any smile look off.
"Alright, questions over. Thanks for thinking it through seriously. You too, miss nun."
"Aw, no prob… Um, what did those questions even mean? The bird or birdcage thing?"
"Nothing special?"
"Whaaat? C'mon."
Hard to swallow. Asking vague stuff like bird versus birdcage, or what's more fun—you'd think she'd explain the point. Claire scowled in disappointment and pressed, but the answers stayed the same.
"Dunno myself. Just repeating questions someone asked me long ago."
"You really don't know?"
"Dunno myself. Just repeating questions someone asked me long ago."
"But… you said you'd heard them yourself. No guesses?"
"Dunno myself. Just repeating questions someone asked me long ago."
"Uh…"
"Dunno myself. Just repeating questions someone asked me long ago."
The problem was, her responses didn't vary a syllable. Not just the words—speed, tone, vibe. Exact repeats, down to the last detail. That finally sparked suspicion about her hidden face. Sensing something off, Claire backed away cautiously.
"Ah, uh… got it. Nice meeting you. We gotta head out now."
"Leaving? Sorry for holding you up."
"Y-Yeah. Take care…!"
Claire retreated bit by bit, then grabbed Aiden's sleeve and tugged. That lady's weird. Suspicious turned straight-up scary. Hiding her whole body like that—probably nuts. Stay close any longer and who knows what happens. Hurry up and go. Why aren't you moving? I'll behave from now on, so let's go. Okay? Her eyes pleaded exactly that.
"Let's get going."
"She's looking pale. Take good care of her. Thanks for the advice."
The woman raised both arms and waved at Aiden and Claire. Claire never looked back, but the woman kept waving as the two NPCs walked away. Aiden was the only one watching.
They grew distant until even her mutterings faded.
"She knows repeating the same answer gets weird looks. Then scrap the choices altogether."
Once they vanished into an alley, Sephirah pulled back her hood, revealing her eyes and hair. She'd chosen options to look deliberately odd, and it worked too well. Claire's face had been pure fear.
"…Reforming's more fun, she said."
[Hint: —]
[6/30]
NPCs with names let players initiate chats. Conversations felt real, so repeating choices could influence their state.
"Reforming sounded more fun to me too."
The self-tutorial on "Dialogue" ended there. How direct chats flowed. How much freedom. How much impact. Following the hints had revealed plenty.
And that mysterious gauge that ticked up during choices. Filled this much from one chat—three more and it'd max out. Easy if she stuck to Aiden's lead.
"Next time, I'll bring a friend too, Aiden."
With a clear goal now, the player headed into the real action.
* * *
"…Phew, she's not following."
Claire only sighed in relief after ducking into a random alley.
Someone friendly chatting her up out of nowhere in an unfamiliar place had seemed novel at first, but what a mess.
"Mister, are there really that many weirdos around here…?"
"Hardly."
"I'll ignore strangers from now on."
Even though hardly anyone chats up strangers. Still glancing back like someone might tail them—first impressions die hard for Claire.
But if it meant she'd behave more, Aiden was all for it.
"Tour over, then?"
"Yeah… I mean, yes. I'm beat…"
The nun who could trek and yap all day without tiring showed rare fatigue. Not physical—mental. Like staring at a tome so thick you'd never finish.
"And mister. This place feels… big. Like, the scale."
"Isn't that good?"
"Too big. Dizzying. How do you even memorize the streets?"
"Wander till you're used to it?"
"I'll definitely get lost and waste a whole day…"
"Runaway to lost child next."
"Don't call me a lost child…"
Of course. Koun was the most populous city around. Impressive at a glance, but navigate it and the vast, tangled mess lost you quick. Almost no one had it all mapped in their head.
"So, put up with me a bit longer…"
"Need a guide?"
"Yes. If it's a hassle, forget I asked."
"How long?"
"Three days… no, a week. I'll help where I can. Deal?"
She needed at least that long, apparently. Then what after? Last time he suggested working together, she'd said she'd think it over. This might be her roundabout yes.
"If you hate it… just say so. Was just testing!"
Or not. Still winging it.
"I'll be busy with you around."
"Stick by you, no getting lost, find beds easy."
"You can keep up?"
"You saw last time. I followed."
"And from now on too."
"Yep, since you suggested it."
Claire answered without hesitation, whatever he threw. Too sharp for whimsy. Not deep calculation either.
Still.
"Do as you like."
Time would tell.
