Recruiting Lara had been the easiest task of the day, but the next person would probably need more than just persuasion.
With that in mind, I sent a message to my mom.
—Mom, in 30 minutes, send this message: "…" to...
—Oh? And why do you want me to say that? I don't remember you being this shy.
—I need some gaming partners, Mom. Would you help me?
—Of course!
—Great, I'll be back in the afternoon.
—Take care, dear.
The first piece of the plan was already in motion. I had secured someone to take care of the basic education for the catgirls. If they're as smart as I expect, they'll need something more advanced.
I'm talking, of course, about physical education and military training.
Fortunately, it's not too far from here...
--
A simple house. Worn, but well-kept furniture. An old wooden table, cozy, bathed in light filtering through a window.
"…"
"…"
Sitting across from me at the dining room table was the person I had decided to confront.
I sat quietly, mentally rehearsing every word, trying to craft an effective strategy to convince her to join my cause.
The person in question...
Short, coarse blonde hair that had lost its former shine. Her deep amber eyes, almost golden, reflected the light as if hiding secrets that time had failed to erase. Her tanned skin, hardened by the sun, bore deep wrinkles, silent scars from the years and the experiences she had lived through.
This is Lauren Stone, my mom's best friend from her army days.
That's right, my sweet and innocent mom was one of the few women who managed to excel in the military and be successful, a great achievement considering the time she joined the army.
(It's even more impressive that my dad turned her into that sweet, innocent woman who raised me...)
"So... Eva, I'm glad you're visiting, but... do you need help with something? Did your cousin get into trouble again?" as usual, Aunt Lauren seemed pretty uncomfortable with my sudden visit.
Considering I only come by when my mom wants to visit or when Luke gets into trouble, it's understandable.
(Now then... how should I approach this?), I thought quickly.
I needed to kill some time and sync it somehow with my mom's message, so the best move would be...
"Aunt, actually I need a favor from you, but first, let me tell you a few things. Can you spare me a bit of your time?" I told her I needed her help, but first, I'd give her a brief context.
*Adjusting
"Sure, tell me, " she agreed, straightening up in her chair at the dining room table to listen more intently.
"So I want to tell you about Tower of Conquerors..." and so, I told her about some of the wonders I'd experienced over the past few days.
My goal was to make Aunt Lauren understand how important this game was to me, as well as embellish to the extreme the features of the VR game.
"It's impressive you can do..."
"I see... " she didn't seem very convinced.
I used everything at my disposal to show Aunt Lauren how much this mattered to me, and just when I was about to finish, I played my secret card.
"Did you know you can even form families within the game? You can even have kids."
*Raised eyebrow
She raised an eyebrow for a moment before responding.
"Wow, how technology advances..." though she recomposed herself almost immediately.
(I got her attention... but not enough... fortunately, my unbeatable card is about to be played.)
*Check the clock
(Any moment now...)
"Also..." and just as I was about to continue...
"Wait, Eva," she interrupted me in a soft voice.
"Yes?"
"I'm happy you're so enthusiastic about this kind of... game, but what do you really need from me?" she said in the softest tone possible.
It was clear she was being patient with me, something that wasn't typical of her, but she was probably doing it out of affection for me, being her best friend's daughter.
(After all, military folk aren't exactly known for their delicacy in these situations...)
*Straighten up
I straightened my posture and looked her in the eyes before saying:
"Aunt, actually... I have a great ambition to become the most powerful person in the game, and for that, I need highly capable people, " I said seriously while looking her straight in the face.
She remained silent, but I could see her expression beginning to change.
"I'd like you to help me as my general. You're the most competent and trustworthy person I know."
It's not an exaggeration to say she's the best person to lead the team I'm forming. After all, she has quite a bit of experience in her field, having achieved the rank of Lieutenant General in active service.
(Recruiting her is crucial for my future plans since ordinary players wouldn't expect a professional military strategist to use complex tactics in a VR game.)
If I can get the catgirls to learn how to handle military equipment and modern tactics...
(Together with Ethan, we'll be able to impose our interests over everyone else. After all, there are no laws in Genesis.)
*Sigh
At that moment, I heard a sigh that snapped me out of my thoughts.
It was Aunt Lauren, with an awkward expression, like someone who wants to reject a request but doesn't know how to say it.
"You see, Eva... It's great that you're stepping out of that lab of yours and are so invested in this game to invite me, but I... " and just as she was about to turn me down...
*Brrrrr! Brrrrr!
On the dining room table, a cell phone started vibrating.
We both looked at the device to see the sender:
[Best Friend 👊✌️]
"It's your mother... hold on a second, " she said, puzzled as she picked up her phone and opened the message.
(Perfect timing.)
*Frown
She looked at me several times between reading lines until she finally set the phone aside and crossed her arms.
I didn't waste any time. With the most pleading face I could muster, I looked at her with hopeful eyes.
(☆▽☆)
She undoubtedly realized that I had orchestrated for my mom to send that message, but she didn't mention it.
"Aunt... I can't do this without you. You're the most competent and trustworthy person I know. I need you."
*Long sigh
Finally, Aunt Lauren closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"I don't have the equipment... " she began to say.
"I already bought it. It'll arrive early tomorrow, and I'll help you set it up, " I quickly responded before she could change her mind.
She stayed silent for a long moment, then opened her eyes.
"Alright... but only for a few days. Believe it or not, I have things to do, " she relented, albeit reluctantly.
(Retired and childless...)
I said nothing and got up to give her a hug.
*Tight hug
"Thank you, Aunt."
"...," she responded to my hug awkwardly without saying a word.
"Well, Aunt, I need to take care of a few things. See you tomorrow morning, " I said as I grabbed my things quickly to leave.
"...hey."
"See you tomorrow, Aunt!"
*Door opening
*Door closing
I didn't give her the chance to speak and back out, closing any avenue of escape.
--
*Sigh
As I walked to my next destination, I let out a sigh of relief, having successfully convinced Aunt Lauren.
(Although I had to adjust my approach a little, I'm glad it worked.)
As for keeping Aunt hooked on the game, I'm not worried. I'm confident I can reel her in somehow.
Only one person remains to complete my recruitment for today.
(I don't think it'll be very difficult to recruit the next person.)
With that in mind, I walked toward my next meeting, which wasn't far from here.
--
Something curious happened as I walked to my next destination.
I was passing through an affluent street when something caught my attention.
*Whistling
An ordinary young man, probably a college student, casually walked toward a certain house, whistling.
(...)
I didn't know why, but I couldn't stop watching him.
*Ding-Dong
The young man approached a family house and rang the doorbell.
(That house... is that Adriana's house?)
I remember that house. When my mom married my dad (who, by the way, comes from a wealthy family), she was forced to live among certain people.
Though it was a bit difficult for her at first, she eventually got used to it and even made some friends.
One of them is Adriana, a divorced woman with a daughter.
*Door opening
—Hello! —the young man's voice sounded familiar.
The one who came out to greet him was Alexa, Adriana's daughter, one of the most disappointing people I've met.
(A new boyfriend, maybe?)
*Door closing
The young man finally entered the house.
(...strangely familiar.)
There was something about that young man, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. Even when I searched my mind, I didn't recall knowing anyone with those features.
(At least not in real life.)
*Shake head
I shook my head to rid myself of absurd assumptions and continued on my way.