New Development
There were several topics of concern for me as I checked some information in the magical archives before moving to the Law and Records section for some facts and numbers.
My assigned quest was just not to spy on the conference but to figure out what exactly was plaguing Gaellia to warrant an AI partner that claims the world needed to be "saved." Any number of threats can wreak havoc on a world: socio-political, agriculturally, natural disasters, man-made disasters, et cetera.
What was definite, at this moment, was that the crops were at an all-time high and so were the attacks from monsters.
Pausing once I found the records I was looking for, I checked my HUD. For the first time, I voluntarily focused on the little scroll on the lower-left corner of my vision to open up the Quest menu.
It unscrolled smoothly before the window took up half my vision, translucency preventing the menu from blinding me. Thankfully, 37 also figured out how to use sprites, colors, and templates because the menu was a nice soothing forest-green hue instead of acid-green.
<Main Quest | Side Missions>
<‣Find out what is happening on Gaellia.>
<↳Listen to the discussions happening in the Emergency Conference. ☐>
<✓ Sneak into the meeting hall.>
<✓ Spy on meeting without being discovered.>
<↳Talk with Program A-42 and Partner. ⌧>
<✓ Meet with them.>
<✘ Talk.>
<✘ Negotiate.>
<New!↳Research effects of Gaellian Mana-Flow.>
<New!↳Research potential consequences of political unrest from missing dignitaries.>
37 seemed to have revised the Quest log based on how I was going about completing the quest.
Focusing on the Side Missions tab, I saw a new list with the usual dailies and chores (and random hunting tasks) that I was sure was created by 37's sensors; some of them were so typically RPGesque it wasn't even funny.
Closing the menu, I looked over the yield records of crops over the decades to check for any suspicious numbers and patterns. Mentally noting significant years, I returned the records back to where they belonged before searching out Elin.
I could, of course, look for monster activity through history books. But why do so when Elin had the entire history section memorized in that brain of hers?
"Good evening, Nori," Elin greeted when I found her. She wasn't wearing her cotton gloves, suggesting she was probably done with work for the evening. The young woman adjusted her glasses before gesturing for me to follow. "I was just heading home. I suppose you're going to hole up in this building again?"
"Yep! See, I got distracted by the local discussions happening and got curious about why there is an emergency conference," I readily admitted to the shorter bookworm. "I wanted to ask you a question about it, actually. Questions."
"You and everyone else," was her wry comment as she opened a storage closet and pulled out a short cape and a leather suitcase. Elin shoved the bag toward me and I obligingly became her temporary luggage rack as she pulled on the navy cape and donned a pair of feminine ash-blue suede gloves that matched her bow. "What did you want to ask?"
Listing the dates I recalled, I then asked, "Were there some increases in injuries and deaths in those years? Or mentions of increased activity with predators and attacks on humans or farm animals?"
Elin paused in smoothing down her shirt back to its pristine state. Hazel eyes locked with mine with a bit of surprise coloring her gaze. "Well. I suppose you wouldn't be bad at research; that is more specific than others had asked so early on."
I just smiled in reply. Not like being able to read at nearly two thousand words per minute should be wasted. And that was with full comprehension. My speedreading was only hampered by the turning of pages now.
The numbers 37 calculated for me (when I was bored one day) were kind of crazy but I'm not really complaining. I like to read. The only downside is that I've now officially run out of information to inhale.
The girl took back her briefcase and started heading out of the building; I followed along as she replied.
"There were increases of beasts being infected by Mana Madness in those years, yes. The worst of the years you listed was the one 315 years ago, where a dragon ran rampant along the northern coast of Westria and glassed the area. Only Magdalene the Valiant was able to stop him but perished in doing so. It was a major loss of a heroine for Gaellia; Magdalene was one of the founding members of Crown City."
'Wasn't Magdalene the Valiant a dragoon?'
[Yes.]
Okay, that was odd. What were the chances of that rampaging dragon being her partner—and this wasn't relevant at the moment. Another time.
Focusing back on the immediate information, I tried to think of any pattern that might cause the planet's Mana Flow to fluctuate and was unsuccessful.
"You mentioned questions?" Elin voiced as we stopped at the entrance of the Library. She was pulling on the hood of her cape in her usual meticulous way.
"Well, I was trying to figure out if the fluctuations of the Mana Flow of the planet was a natural phenomenon since it is undoubtedly the increase in mana within the atmosphere that caused crops and plants to thrive along with an increase of susceptibility to Mana Madness by creatures. Can you think of any other natural disaster that might coincide with the increase in mana?"
She pursed her lips. "Usually, small earthquakes and general overactive tremors from the ground precipitates the mana veins leaking into the atmosphere. The confusion of the current situation is that all the signs were missing other than the higher yields of crops and increase in monster activity which could have been put to other reasons."
About to ask another question, I sensed something wrong and changed my words at the last second. Smiling, I waved, "Thanks, Elin. Hope you enjoy your rest."
Elin looked down her nose at me and sniffed. "You tell me that when you should follow your own advice. See you tomorrow."
"Bye-bye!" I singsonged cheekily until she was a distance away, before I turned back into the building.
'Thirty-Seven, what's wrong?'
His distress had bled through, causing my mild alarm.
[I… wasn't sure at first but I just ran another comprehensive scan on my radar. 42's signal disappeared.]
I lifted my head, suddenly alert. 'Disappeared?'
Recalling the other program and partner, I visualized the Harajuku lolita-wannabe. Nineteen years old, maybe five-feet-four-inches tall, wearing a pastel pink and blue frilly lolita dress with flower-print mary janes. Her hair was curled and looked like croissants with the light-brown color, topped with a giant bow.
The only thing of significance that I noticed when I <Scanned> her was the parasol she carried. It was a growing weapon that absorbed the user's energy with pretty good perks. I figured Miss Princess Syndrome Partner was so egotistic because of said weapon in her hands.
Considering it was getting rather late into the night… 'What exactly did you sense?'
[Before her signal disappeared, she was meeting with another program and partner. The other pair seemed to fade away before 42… simply… cut off from my sensors.]
I glanced around me and made a bee-line to a window, thankful I was walking a hall with access to some. I left the building and flipped onto the roof before I slowly walked back and forth along the rooftop.
I had a bad feeling about this.
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