Episode 5. We Are Protagonists (3)
Aiden felt new knowledge flooding into him—knowledge he hadn't known before. It was just like that first day when memories had been forcibly implanted into his mind.
Genres can be swapped once per day to change your behavioral style.
Currently, SANDBOX and RPG, which can overlap with other genres, have been unlocked.
Genres were like choosing the weapon you'd use that day. If you needed to sneak somewhere, you'd pick a dagger and bow; if you had to smash something, a hammer. It was the concept of swapping them out as needed to fit the situation.
"What sort of ability is RPG, simply put?"
Easy to grow, with intuitive visible results.
"And SANDBOX?"
Natural phenomena shift into easy-to-understand, convenient forms.
This was far easier to grasp than the verbose explanations he'd heard before. But "easier" was still relative; there were parts he didn't fully understand yet. Especially this SANDBOX genre.
"I think I'd need an example to really get this one. Is that possible?"
No verbal reply came this time either. Instead, as if to answer with action rather than words, something began to appear before Aiden's pitch-black vision.
A campfire made of a few logs materialized. Nothing special about the number of logs or the size of the flames—just an ordinary bonfire. The fire didn't go out, but once the logs had mostly burned away, grass started sprouting beneath it.
This would set the grass ablaze.
Whoosh...
And as the grass caught fire and blazed up, wind began to blow over it. An exaggerated but undeniably tangible breeze—you could feel it even if you held your hand up.
Metal left out won't rust.
All gear needs maintenance, but as long as you don't neglect it, you'll never lose it.
Strong updrafts form easily from spreading flames, and in stormy areas, lightning will be drawn to any metal you carry.
It wasn't completely nonsensical, but neither was it realistic. These were contrived laws, perfectly tailored for practical use.
Would you like to hear the SANDBOX explanation again?
A child's sandbox, where you could do anything you wanted. That was the world players lived in.
The next day, at midday with the sun high in the sky. Aiden, dressed in a simple tunic, stood before an ornate building, accompanied by Claire in a light, flowing dress.
Seeing her in something other than her nun's habit for the first time in a while, she actually blended surprisingly well into the surroundings.
"I'm sleepy, old man..."
To Aiden, she was just a kid.
"You can head back if you like. Though I won't have time to guide you next time."
"You're a meanie, old man..."
"You said you wanted to see something flashy, like a proper city."
"Won't even let me sleep..."
She looked pretty rough. He'd heard her complain about being sleepy every morning, but was she really that much of a heavy sleeper?
A few minutes after bringing her along, she still couldn't keep her eyes fully open.
"Have you ever collected anything, like curiosities?"
"No... How could I in a place like the snowfields? I don't even know what to collect."
"There's someone in this city who tries to buy up anything that seems collectible. Spending absurd amounts of money, in ways you can't even fathom."
"Sounds like someone far removed from a broke guy like me."
"And that person has decorated their house to show it all off, leaving the door open for anyone to come in."
"That... does sound kinda fun."
Aiden felt a brief moment of satisfaction as things went according to plan. He'd brought her along thinking she'd be interested, and this reaction made it impossible not to like.
Think again.
Did you really have thoughts like that?
And if only that voice would stay quiet.
There was nothing odd about bringing Claire here. He was just showing her a fitting spot while guiding the way—one that matched the illusions of the city from her book.
With that thought, the voice didn't press further.
"So, like, for example?"
"Jewelry stood out the most, but I remember books and tools too."
"Oh, if we can look around, that sounds fun."
Yeah, what's supposedly unnatural about this? He's just taking someone who wants to see everything to the most interesting spot first.
If this moment was unnatural as the voice claimed, then where exactly was the problem? All the way up to grabbing the doorknob and turning it—
"Ugh!"
"Whoa!"
The moment Aiden grasped the doorknob and opened the door, a boy burst out from inside and collided with him. Luckily, Aiden was just pushed back a step, but the boy stumbled over his own feet and fell hard.
"Ow..."
"Hey, you okay? Both of you?"
"I-I'm fine! Don't worry about me!"
The boy scrambled up, brushed the dirt off himself, and bolted away in a hurry. By the time Aiden regained his balance and turned around, the kid was already sprinting off somewhere.
A brief mishap that happened in an instant. If anything, this felt more unnatural.
"You okay, old man?"
"No way a bump like that hurts me."
"No, I mean, in the book I read, kids like that are always..."
"Wasn't a pickpocket."
"Aw, too bad."
Aiden checked his possessions out of mild concern, but nothing was missing. It was just a forgettable blip, aside from Claire's disappointment.
"No one saw that, right? Hopefully."
"No passersby, but... maybe someone inside."
"That'd suck. I want them teasing just you."
Why is she like this?
"Don't stand out there chattering—come in. It's hot."
The half-open door swung fully ajar without warning. Cool air wafted out from within, and the homeowner's voice echoed from deeper inside.
It meant she'd seen the whole near-fumble.
It didn't go as you wished.
"Disappointing."
Aiden ignored her and stepped inside first.
A gallery created by someone who collected anything that caught their fancy—liquor, cards, jewels, rare flowers, artifacts from great figures. The building had no official name. It was an open exhibit, but first and foremost, one person's home.
Still, it needed some distinction from other houses, so the owner was known by her family name: Satyr.
A being prepared for the player's challenge.
An elderly woman who scoured the wide world for unseen treasures.
"Why'd you leave the door open and just stand there? I know you visit often, but try to avoid that sort of thing, dear."
"Sorry, Satyr."
"Ah, well, what brings you today?"
"Not so much business as..."
Aiden glanced back at Claire, who should have been following.
Satyr might be disappointed, but he'd come today to fulfill her illusions.
"Whoaaa..."
Sure enough, Claire was already ignoring everything, gazing around the library-like atmosphere.
Wooden shelves lined the space, packed with antique books or glittering ornaments. Anyone might feel greed beyond their station here.
"Ah, you brought someone to admire it all. What a charming friend."
"More like a lost child I'm protecting."
From a short distance away came Claire's retort.
"I'm not a lost child!!"
"You two seem close already—that's to my liking, dear."
Satyr twirled a finger in the air, and a chair appeared before Aiden.
"Let the child browse."
"If left alone, she'll get lost. She hasn't even greeted you."
"I've known you longer, yet you show no interest in my things. I prefer her, dear."
"..."
That's just because there's no point getting interested in things you can't have.
But she had a point, so Aiden sat without protest.
Satyr. An odd person whose personal info boiled down to just those two words.
She'd built a house in Koun for her collections, and once unsatisfied, she'd opened the front door with ample security and started buying valuables from others, expanding ever onward.
Where did the money come from? How'd she acquire her old pieces? What was her given name beyond the family one? Why "madam"?
Clad in the mask of a riddle, with settings deliberately left unrevealed.
Nothing revealed about this gentle elderly woman.
"Made a friend, have you?"
"If that's what it is, sure."
"You never struck me as the type to bring one along. How'd you end up with her?"
"Guess I'm not the person I thought I was."
Aiden had never traveled with companions. It wasn't avoidance or some big issue—he'd just handled jobs solo until now. No real reason for it.
Do you remember when you became close with your neighbor?
As expected, the voice pipes up with these thoughts. But he had no intention of dwelling on it, so if only it'd shut up.
"Good for you. Now if only you'd show a bit more interest in my house. Like that child."
"Hard to get excited about things I have no use for."
"True, to someone practical like you, most lack utility."
Thud. Something fell from an unseen spot. With only three people here, it had to be Claire. Had she dropped something?
But Satyr showed no concern over the noise.
"Speaking of which, I picked up a few things that might catch your eye. None quite good enough to display here, though."
"You went hunting for stuff just to pique my interest? Things you know don't interest me?"
"Got my dander up. It's my one joy in life, seeing others delighted by my collections. Care to see?"
"...Shall I?"
"Wonderful. Wait just a moment, dear."
Satyr rose. Her frail, hunched form looked pitiful as she stood.
"Old man, old man! What're you doing?"
Claire, after a quick spin around, returned to Aiden. Neither carried anything. A bold thief might target that moment.
"Little thief, you ready?"
Meanwhile, far enough that Aiden couldn't hear. A cloaked woman placed a hand on the boy's head and asked.
The boy nodded, and she pulled her hood down over her eyes.
"Detonate."
She triggered the bomb.
