Chapter 52: Discussion Regarding Harém
"My mentor just sent me a message that is waiting at the café."
"Let's go."
"Wait, scary dude.", Joey said.
"Don't call me that, stupid dude.", I snarled.
"Okay, I will call you smart dude from now on."
"What do you want?"
"Add me as a friend.", he said with a pleading expression.
"Why?"
"If you spot any beautiful girl, hit me up.", he said with a bright smile.
"I am not adding you."
"I was kidding. You see, I am a new player, so I will need help."
"How about you join our party?" Elena suggested.
"I want to, but...", Joey broke off mid-sentence.
"But?", I asked.
"There are no girls in your party."
"Hey Ricky," I looked at Ricky and said, "Is this girl...guy really your brother? He acts nothing like you."
"I am embarrassed to admit it."
"Why is he like this?"
"No idea."
"Wait, don't tell me that he even made a girl avatar to hit on girls!", I asked with absolute shock on my face.
"You are quite wrong.", Ricky said.
"Oh?"
"He logged in for the first time today, at 8:13 AM.", Ricky explained.
"And?", I said curiously.
"Then he started hitting on girls in his male avatar and someone reported him, so his male avatar got banned for a month at 8: 32 AM.", Ricky said while facepalming.
"....."
"And now he made a girl avatar.", Rikka finished the explanation for Ricky.
"Is he like that in the real world too?", I asked.
"Apparently yes.", Ricky said.
"Tell him to stay away from Elena.", I said with a menacing expression.
"Don't worry. He is scared of you."
I have never met someone like him. A girl avatar, huh? How does it feel to be a girl in the game?
"Hey stupid dude, come here.", I said.
"What is it?", Joey asked.
"I want to check something.", I said.
"You won't hit me?", he said with fear.
"I will not.", I promised.
He stood before me.
I inspected him from head to toe.
He looks like a girl. You can change your appearance, so it's no wonder but...what are these breasts?
I moved my hands and touched them. They were soft. I squeezed them. They feel like real ones. I glanced at the stupid dude, and he was making a disgusted face.
"Hey Ricky.", I asked.
"What is it, Adas?", Ricky looked at me.
"Are you sure he is not a girl?"
"Do you think you would be alive if he was really a girl?", Ricky asked while snickering.
"Huh?", I looked at Ricky.
"Look back."
I looked back to see Elena was puffing her cheeks while glaring at me.
"Elena?"
"What?", Elena growled.
"He is a guy so it's okay, right?", I asked.
"If you want to touch them, then you can touch mine.", Elena said while pouting.
She was pouting for that?!
"Let's go. My mentor is waiting.", Elena said.
"Yeah, bye Ricky and Rikka.",
Her mentor is the same.
She is a girl, but she uses a boy avatar.
It should be okay--
"Oh, I am sorry." Someone bumped into me.
"Are you okay, Robna?", said the voice.
"Yeah, Biana. I am okay.", said another girl.
They are...
"It's Adas.", both of them said at the same time.
"The klutz sisters.", I said.
"What brings you here?", Elena asked.
"Today is Sunday, so we logged in."
"Hey Robna and Biana, are you interested in joining our party?" Elena asked.
"We are not active players. We just play on free days.", they said.
"It's okay. I need your help in clearing World Zero.", Elena said.
"It's impossible.", they stated.
"What?"
"Didn't you guys read the instructions?", they asked incredulously.
"We did."
"No one can clear world Zero in a party.", they said.
"What?"
"You didn't read the instructions after all.", they said.
"We did.", Elena insisted.
"Yeah, we did.", I told her.
"Read it again. Especially the last line.", Biana said.
We opened the message and scrolled down to the last line.
[Players can't clear world Zero in a party or a guild. If a party or guild enters the world Zero, they will be counted as individual players.]
I glanced at Elena; she was making a shocked face.
I glanced at Ricky and Rikka; they were making a happy face.
I know that they have exams but...don't show your happiness.
I glanced at the stupid dude; he was dumbfounded. Well I can't blame him. He has no idea what we are talking about.
"Why is there something so important in the last line?!", Elena growled.
"So, we are sorry, but we can't help you.", Robna said.
"No, it's okay.", Elena said.
"We can add you as a friend.", Biana said.
"Thanks.", Elena said.
We added them as friends.
"Add me too!", said the stupid dude.
We added him too.
"These two girls are cute. Hey, do you have a boyfriend?", the stupid dude asked.
"A pervert!" He got kicked by Biana.
"Nice one.", I laughed.
"Why is a girl asking us that?", Robna asked with confusion.
"He is a boy,'' I said calmly.
"What!? Eek, pervert!" He got kicked again.
Elena nudged me as she said, "Das."
"Yeah, Let's go.", I said.
We are on our way to the café.
I am alone with Elena. Now is the time to talk about that.
"Hey Elena.", I asked.
"Hmm?", Elena looked at me.
"Why are you okay with me being with other girls?"
"Why...do you ask?", Elena said that with slight hesitation.
"I am just curious."
"Fine, I will tell, but promise me first you won't get angry."
"I promise."
"Do you remember the movie we watched?"
"The anime adaptation of the game?"
Elena nodded and said, "Yeah."
"So?"
"There were many girls in love with the main character."
"Hmm."
"That is called a harem."
"....." I didn't know what to say.
"Umm, a harem is...a guy with multiple girls in love with him."
"I know that."
I have read about it. Even my ancestors had it.
When I used to visit my grandparent's place, I read many books about my ancestors.
My first ancestor, the great Alexander Edens was the first one; the family name 'Edens' comes from him. He is the founder of the 'Edens' family. He once ruled most of the world.
"I have also played many visual novels, where harems are common."
I know that too. Apparently, there are different types of visual novels, some for girls, some for boys, some for adults.
I furrowed my eyes as I asked, "So what about it?"
"In those games, there are different routes for different girls. Some routes have happy endings while some have sad endings."
"Hmm."
"There are also some games where the main character ends with one girl. There are some where the main character ends with all girls; it's called harem ending."
"Okay?"
"Some of the games I have played where the main character is in love with one girl but ends up falling in love with another girl and many other endings."
"...."
"I know that you love me, but maybe one day you will find someone better than me and leave me.", Elena said as she hugged herself.
"Something like that--"
"I know. I trust you. I am sure you will never do something like that, but there is a possibility that you can fall in love with some other girl."
Lier.
Why did her face flash before my eyes?
"So, you are scared?", I asked.
"Yeah. If I allow you to be with other girls, then you will stay with me too.", she said.
"You are an idiot.", I said.
"Don't call me an idiot.", Elena said while pouting.
"There is no one I love more than you.", I stated.
But... I think I love Lier too. I don't know. I am not sure. My feelings are a mess. I need to think about it properly before confessing it to Elena.
No, fuck that. I am telling her now.
"I know.", she said.
"So there is no need to worry."
"Miss Serah loves you."
"...."
"You are handsome, and I am sure there are many girls in love with you."
There is, there is one. She kissed me yesterday.
"So, if something happens between you and Miss Serah or any other girl, tell me. We will talk about it.", Elena said while smiling.
Alright, time to confess.
"Elena, do you remember I said I have a cousin?", I asked tentatively.
"Yeah. Lier, was it?"
"Yeah. Actually yesterday--"
"You know, in my middle school, there was a girl with the same name, Lier Parkson."
"..."
"She was my friend. Well... not a friend, but she used to sit beside me."
"..."
"She was so smart, just like you. She didn't have any friends. She was being bullied, and no one helped her. They bullied her every day, then one day I went to the office and told the teachers."
"..."
<Corruption rate 36%>
"The teachers didn't stop the bullying."
"....."
<Corruption rate 42%>
"I secretly checked her ID card and saw her parents' phone number and told her parents about it."
So it was Elena who informed her parents.
"Then what happened after that?", I asked.
"Then the next day when I went to school, the school was demolished."
"I see."
Good job, grandpa.
"Then I switched schools. I don't know what happened to that girl afterward.", she said.
"I see."
I think you are going to meet her again, and it's very soon.
When we reached the cafe, "Welcome to our café."
After entering the cafe, we went to the table in the corner.
"Adas, this is my mentor. Grace.", Elena introduced me to the boy sitting in one of the chairs.
"Hello, I am Grace. Nice to meet you, Adas."
A guy with blonde hair wearing armor said with a smile on his face.
"Nice to meet you."
He doesn't act like a girl at all.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone