Anyway this party arrived at the back alley inn (The Serpent apple), where the trio had a secret base. (Actually it was not been even that, as it was so out sight from main streets.) As always, the establishment was empty. At that sign Sunraku told Emul that she can undo her transformation now.
The moment the door closed, a person who heard a two familiar voices walk out from hiding behind a corner. It was Arthur Pencilgon [Towa Amane, woman], a spear master and in IRL secretly a famous fashion model. But, there was something odd about her. She was wearing a fantasy fluffy skirt inn waitress costume. With a closed eyes, she approached them politely like a trained waitress. As customs says for a girl in her role, a proper greetings require; A crossing legs. A picking up own skirt with two finger on a side and lifting that corner a little bit up. And of course a slight bow down, not just by her head, but whit her entire body. She done it. So she face them (still closed eyes) with a gentle trade smile as she warmly welcomed them. "Welcome dear heroes and travelers from afar to Serpent apple, our humble inn. Please seat in and enjoy yours time here." She even gently gestured for them to sit down on chairs around a table.
"… … … ..." In contrast to her offer, a seconds were passing as everybody just stay in silence. Entire party stared at her as if in shock.
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Then, both (boys?) start to laughing very hard, mocking her for her waitress outfit. No words, just gestures, facial expressions and laugh that says more that words can.
She had a hard time to hide her wrath. Next a pop up message beep in front of her.
Bird man noticed that. Reading it on spot he stop laughing, stamping floor with his foot and bark toward her. "Wait! Did you just get a payed, just for greeting us?! That messed up!"
Monk do the same stamp. "That (*dere) posture F* don't suits you! Tsundere is not you stile, yandere or dominatrix is what where you putting all yours moneys."
She change her attitude to clearly hostile. "What did you say you little shits? How dare you daring to come to this place, asking for a food from me, and then asking for more!? Order so much that you will chuck on it!" As she was death staring them down, she notice a side message. As she glanced at it by half eye, her eyes wide as she got surprised.
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The boys noticed that. "Did she actually got paid more? For being yourself?"
"Something fishy is going here. Like if she found a loophole in (court sentencing her to slave work in cosplay cafe) and she decided to exploit it to get rich. She dint stealing the money from us, right? Like we dint get extra fat fee bill at the end of the day? So high that we eventually end working here with her?"
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Sunraku sits down to table, and in serious, nearly conspirators expression glanced at the waitress. "So~o…How much?..."
At that moment Arthur got a dark shadow on her face, staying there motionlessly for few seconds. Meanwhile the others sit to the same table and give the waitress a stare. Only after that, she spoke up coldly. "A… 110 millions."
"…" Everybody stay silent, motionlessly.
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So it was on place that she bark. "Say something!"
It was the white bunny Emul who auto reply. "That's a lot!"
That triggered a freak out outburst reaction on Sunraku. "Man! We were joking when we agree that your parchment roll like list of crimes is definitely long enough; that when a narrator start reading it, that roll will roll out through entire court hall to the stairs outside. But dam you woman!!Are you telling us, that you deeds are enough to write a second (Geneva convention)?! You said you gild got puppy boring. I saying: (How the heck you wasn't been arrested IRL for all what you had done here?!)"
Oikatzo as tricky monkey put a ballad gesticulation of a bard. "Oh. How tragic. A dark queen, fallen from her throne, falls all the way down to a dept so deep, that she is forced to work as waitress in nobody inn for rest of her life. Once a cruel ruler who ruled over 80 knight, now this princess without a kingdom, must wash disses in a back alley pub."
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Yet this waitress grit her teeth. "That's rich from a trash bird a so called pro player. And why Attack master is here?!" She trow her pointing finger at the legendary armor set. "I got clean after the fire show. So I literally don't have anything more to take."
It dint help her to calm, when Psyger-0 assure herthat this warrior dint come here for her.
On other hand bird man, after leaving some steam, was suddenly relaxed. "After all that what our friend had done for me, and us. I kinda want to repay a little by including him into the non-classified story. Of course, if you agree first."
Monkey translate his words. "In other words, he wants you to be around, when he come to the part (Where you sacrificed everything for a ghost girl, that ditch you the moment you finished for her, her impossible quest.) Dam, I though you will jump the gun there."
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She sigh but smiled a little. "And here I was thinking you two grow up. Yet you pouring salt into my wounds. I will kill you!"
"Now you back to yourself."
"By the way, how much you spend or lose on this gig? The stars tears were one thing, but…"
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"Well…" As she give it a deep though the other get hoked to know more. "The scales on its own burned like 30 millions worth, In total... I spend like another 60 to 90 on everything else… But if I must count the gild?… Definitely over 500 millions to one billion, (if they were greedy), went gone on this mission."
"Dam you royalty manners! That's like space program budget."
Monk nearly throw a (Wake up!) slap to the other boy. "Hello~o? This civilization is kinda a result of a space program. Tell the truth! Did you skip the open credits to?"
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He got into a proud gesture. "Damn-yes, I do."
Now, it was the legendary gear who spoke up. "That 110 millions in dept seems to be unlike high, can you elaborate?"
Spear master look in trouble. "This feels like an interrogation by a police officer. How the heck this happened?" She sighed sadly. "Well, I was prepared to pay the penalty fine for dying as Player-killer. But shi~it happens. That scale had a hidden penalty for losing it. Forget the need to go into mayor house to pay off the penalties and dept.This auto cash me straight into red numbers. Forget that sweet safety line when you operation balance cant go bellow 0 and the depth is displayed below next to bank account. Now I am so deep in dept, that I cannot even leave this place. I waken up with only the bare minimum of clothing and through exploring options, I was forced to take the waitress penalty job. Yet this pub is deserted and I will not get paid enough if I not working. To get out of this, I must work out a several thresholds. Its like another chain quest line only available for waitress profession." She sighed. "Who the heck had so much time on they plate to implement this into such details? Its like corporate trap 1.0.2."
Yet Monk was out of line once again. "Man, what give? Just pretend to be a someone famous, lure in some sheep's to scalp. You had been a freaking lead of an entire kingdom and 80 knights. You can do it. Act nice and the people will come running, standing in lines, opening they money pockets for you."
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She shake her head in denial. "I can't do that from due to my IRL job. That's like the narrowest part I wowed to not do in any game. What an Irony."
Sunraku make an another offer. "How about to get hired as a maid? Following you master on its journey. Maybe that will allow you at last to leave this cage of peace."
Oikatzo once again explained. "Yeah, someone here skip a tutorial, so he don't have a slightest idea of how professions and jobs works here."
Emul to shake her head in denial. "I don't think, that dad, I mean a boss will consider to help in this regard. Debt is debt."
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Suddenly the entry door to inn loudly open as someone stand in them. It was Animalia [Maria Itsukushima, woman], leader of SF-Zoo. A sorcerer who mastered abnormal status (debuffs) just to photograph monsters # pets. The druid once saw Emul turn from girl into rabbit, so she will not be deceived by her human form on streets. Right now her eyes directly fall on that rabbit so this druid storm in.
Yet Emul shout. "How did you find us? I was covering our tracks!"
Animalia drooled. "Ha, ha, do not underestimate the tracking capability of animal lover. Now, you promised me something bird man!"
"I say that I will only to consider it. Anyway she is my teammate, not a pet. At last a mascot, for sure."
But monk shake her/his head. "Man, That's sad on another level."
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Animalia, with predatory spread hands was preparing for jump. "I don't care, I want a rabbit pet. Tell me you secret! At last a picture with her! No! You know what my heart need!"
Bird on other hand was skeptic. "Don't make me call for a restriction order."
Of course monkey reacted to it. "Dude, that was so accurate, that it was no funny at all."
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So the blue feathered guy turned its attention to the white bunny. "Emul, you don't need to do this. But, this girl really wants to bond with you. Its you chose."
"Well. If she want to be friend. Then I think a one talk will be enough to calm her out. Only if she can hold a secret." As the bunny glanced at Animalia, that girl gotoverjoyed, and agreed to any condition.
So as the two moved to other table, the rest sigh in relief.
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Then a metal glove risen to air, armored knight asked for an attention. "Excuse me! I want to test something." She was scrolling for a while in her inventory. Then she pull out on a table a golden scale.
But monk shout on instant. "Hold on! What if that money penalty is tied to handing it out to?! Every time, boom mills [millions] running down the river like an open dam. Think about it!"
Second one to shout was the bird man. "Hold on for second time! If that the truth, then that's a pretty risky gamble. Normally I will sniff for bugs, but due to the nonsense those scale represents, it can be possibly an overlook glitch. Heck, it can even be an intentionally made, so no one will mess with it! Imagine we just playing a handover ball with it, and in no time we all stacked up down into multiple bankruptcy."
Third one was of course the spear master. "Hold on for third! I don't wanna to cause unnecessary trouble! What if the monkey and pigeon are right, and this will financially take down one of the strongest gild in game? I already have one, so I hope thatthe bankruptcy thingy dint stack-in! Right? Right??" Because she tried to sound off like a maiden in trouble, the two of her friends saw through her play, and call her a poisonous snake. So she his at them "Trash pigeon and party monkey are accustomed to eat a dirt. But not me! I have duty to keep a certain standards." On spot they declare that she is not their princess and it was them who end her ruthless rule.
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Yet the maiden of love got fully inner blushed. (("Hizutome kun, is trying protecting me from obviously dangerous transaction! I am so happy!!")) Whoever she tried to held her role-play composure. "Indeed you concern is welcomed. That ensure me in one thing, that I dealing with people who have good enough hart to care for each other. On other hand, information on how those scales work are wort of the risk. But if this left you with worries, we can deal with it as a transaction."
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This line make the trio of unique monster slayers to stiff for a second.
Plate armor warrior continued. "I will not force any of you to join our gild by some tricks or ransom. And affiliation with us seems like one sided intention from our gild master. On one thing, I can try to hire Pencilgon as servant or maid to allow her exiting the inn, in order to return the golden scale to its place. That shall be an obvious approach to deal with that unnatural high penalty." Suddenly she make a cute gesture touching her fingers together nervously, but she had still that armor on her. "Yet I do wish to get closer, not just in game..."
Monkey was first to comment, a warning to his friends. "Lone sage alert! Man, cant you consider for a second a possibility that we can live like on different Islands? It don't need to be economically feasible."
This line can be a little bit hard to explain. But from certain point of view/explanation it can be explain as loner who spend a lot of time (study the art) to the level of expertise or mastery. Yet it seems that those knowledge are the only valuable thing they posses. Like a martial art student who studied martial arts in solitude to become sage who sped most of its life-time up in mountains. (So an asocial loner longing for a friend.)
Snake was quick to back out with risen hand. "About that. I can bite down the return quest. But, the off-game meetup? I can do that due of the work I doing. It will be too hard to explain. To much wild gossips."
Uomi too explained that, it will be hard for him to explain, why is he on leave, if its not relate to his working environment.
That left the bird man. "What is this? Did I hit my popularity phase? Only to the two of you having a cold foots? What do you even want?"
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Yet the girl in armor freak out. "If its only the two of us. A meet up will be nice..."
As friend blonde boy-girl tried to protect his friend. "Man, don't accept it. This dude will kidnap you at last."
Even horse tail was protective. "Normally I will not care, but dude here having a point. That body can be more that you can handle, Sunraku."
Pigeon dint fret. "Common guys. This fella is a girl."
Monkey and Snake exchange a very serious glance, until it tick them, and they made this (Now I get it.) noise bark.
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The plate armor tried to make a cute girly expression, but it look weird when the trio was looking at metal macho stature.
Monk smirked. "This will be a hell heck of a blind a date. Who will ever want to date you?!" In contrast the plate armor stares him down with menacing aura.
(Waitress) fold her arms. "Shall I contact a police? In case you will be kidnapped anyway. Or other way?"
Blade master on other hand bark at the snake. "You will call on us police, just from the trill of doing it. You will hardly to resist to not do it!I know you will have this weird crawling thick under you skin, tempting you to do it.Anyway, if the IRL think is off the table, what wrong from just hanging here in SLF?"
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But, in contrary-- a panic reaction occurred inside of Psyger-0. (("Oh no! Did I loosing Hizutome-kun?! I need to do something! A quickly!")) In her panic she slightly moved her arms that make a clanking noise.
But accidentally, from the others point of view, its seemed that she light slap the table by one arm in (I spoke up my conditions!) gesture. While the other arm stronger the grip around the scale, maybe a moved it back in a millimeter in (If you don't like it, I will take the scale) gesture.
The trio gulped on empty.
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Yet the maiden was on thigh line to not lose her mind. So a can voice spoke to them again. "Actually, the three from four of us live in the same city."
Oikatzo had already his hands behind head in chilling pose. "That's quite a stalker area stuff." Bird man and Spear master noticed that he suddenly stop opposing the meetup idea, as if there was some secret agenda behind it. "For me: It will be something else, if it was a promotion or something, that will double as popularity boost. But for those two in bird-stature relationship; it will be like an arrest warrant."
As Sunraku was scratching his head, Psyger-0 radiated stone stature like tension, and boy-girl acting nonchalantly, Pencilgon was thinking about something. "Guys… This can work..."
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As they gave the waitress a deep stare, she take her time until she addressed that she had a plan. "Huh… Well, if you two muscle heads want a par-time job gig… Then, there maybe can be a way of how it can be a meetup and still be beneficial for our IRL roles. I have something on mind, where you athletic bodies will be put into a good use. A one time IRL thing. Until you can manage to follow the script at last to some point."
Yet pigeon rattled/barked at her. "You really planing to kill us for real, don't you?! Like the murder case on a hotel in middle of a dark forest, that got isolated due bad weather."
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Except she bark back. "Don't be stupid! I cant do that IRL. If anything I will manipulate the scene to the extent, you will ended up arrested."
Yet an another notification show up on her side as she was continuously earning moneys, not just by talking to them. So both boys shout at her, to stop milking the situation!
The arguing trio tried to act as they don't notice the (Yes!) clenching fist gesture on full plate armor legendary gear, but a drop of sweat was exposing them. Not that the maiden in love noticed that.
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Anyway as they were ready to call it a day and disband the party: Bird man on they exit from inn, tried to pull out a cover move, where he tried to convince visitors, especially the zoo leader, with a lie. "Common bunny, transform back to yours human form. That's right folks, she is my teammate. Sorry for that confusion."
But Animalia giggled. "Nice try Sunraku-kun, you attempt is actually a funny one. Its shows that you are not here for long. Actually I am glad, that she have a partner who care for her so much to try this. And yes, do not worry. My goal was newer to kidnap your companion or expose your party secrets. I want my own adventure. So me and Emul chan talked about it." And she too went out.