บท 21: 4.6 Sequence Break?

"I'll have you know that I'm at the prime of my life!" she haughtily laughed, a far cry from the Genki-girl attitude that she had from earlier. "If you can't handle me, then surely you couldn't handle a proper woman."

I opened my mouth to retort, only for her words to sink in as I raised an eyebrow. Did she just pre-emptively burn herself just now?

Stretching out my hand to grab my rewards, the stack of paper bills materialized in my hand before I then stashed them into my pitifully shallow pockets. I'd probably have to replace them asap if I didn't have an omnipotent inventory system at my disposal.

"Shizu, did you just admit that you're far from a proper woman?" I genuinely asked as I turned to her.

The girl actually flinched at my words before she visibly psyched herself up again. "If being a proper lady means learning how to do makeup and being stuck learning manners, then I'll proudly say that I'm as improper as the common whore!"

Woah!

It was my turn to flinch. That was far from what I expected her to say! Did she not have some semblance of self-respect?

"Calm down, now. You don't have to tell yourself that," I let out an awkward chuckle as I found myself backpedaling. A part of me knew that I should keep on the offensive, but it just wasn't in my nature to go too far into the teasing business.

"Why shouldn't I?" Shizu sarcastically asked, a tinge of self-deprecation staining her once energetic tone. "That's what... people tell me I am. Might as well own it, right?"

Damn... This was seriously triggering all of my own alarm bells as I found myself folding my arms over my chest. This was an NPC, right? An NPC that I just met and gave me a quest far beyond my own level? Beyond the sketchy quest description, our interaction should've been over as soon as I left her. And yet here she was still talking to me...

I'm starting to care, and I don't like it one bit.

"Don't say that," I sagely advised, memories of talking about the subject coming to the fore of my mind. "You are what you are. Don't look down on yourself."

A charged silence settled between us. In an instant, I didn't care that I was talking to someone whose entire personality was written by someone I know, that I was currently in a world entirely foreign to my own. Instead, I was talking to someone that needed proper encouragement to get past her own insecurities. I guess her archetype was just a facade to-

"Who says I'm looking down on myself?"

Eh...

"I'm proud of being an improper lady!" Shizu declared for all of the world to hear, completely uncaring of the people that were now starting to gather around us. "Being improper means that I get to choose what I want to do with my life, and that's all I ever care about!"

Oookay... I guess I wasn't needed after all? Still, I caught another set of implications that I just knew would haunt me if I didn't get some sort of resolution.

{CHIME!}

Wait...

[Side Quest: A Princess's Resolve COMPLETE]

I blinked... What?

[Rebel Princess Questline UNLOCKED]

Huh?!

"Thanks, Stranger! I still feel like I should know you already, but I'm grateful for the time you spent with me!"

I could only stare in utter befuddlement as Shizu smiled at me as if I had somehow saved her life. Meanwhile, the prompts floating in front of me still screamed brokenness as I still didn't know who this Princess was or how I even accessed them in the first place. I mean, I don't remember even accepting such a quest!

"U-Uhh... No problem," I hesitantly replied, my eyes darting back and forth between her and the prompt in front of me. "And no, I'm pretty sure we haven't met."

At my words, Shizu visibly deflated. However, she didn't even give me the time to feel bad as she perked up just as quickly. Her patented Genki-girl smile was back in full force as she bowed to me.

"Then let me ask you for your name. If it isn't a bother, of course."

I blinked at her surprisingly respectful tone. Still, I suppose it was only fair to return the favor.

With a bow, I casually spoke my name, "Moriya, Shizu."

After a few seconds, we raised ourselves back up from our mutual bow. Taking a glance, the swathes of people watching us earlier was now nowhere in sight as Shizu and I stood eye to eye in front of one another.

"Well met then, Moriya," she nodded with a radiant smile. "I hope we get to meet again!"

"Likewise," I returned the gesture, though I was pretty sure my smile didn't look as great as the one my once tour guide gave me. "I had fun."

A light blush appeared on the woman's face. I paid it no mind, of course. It wouldn't do for me to mistake signals when doing so would only lead to awkwardness.

"T-thanks, Moriya."

With one more quick bow, Shizu gave me a wave before practically running off into the nearest alleyway. Still didn't know what her deal was, or why her quests constantly referenced a princess of some sort, but I'm sure it'll be relevant again sometime in the future. For now, I was once again back on my lonesome, stuck in a city with nothing but the clothes on my back and fifty thousand Leafs that I was pretty sure was a currency of some kind.

"I guess I'll just walk around a bit..."

With a shrug, I stared at the first alley that piqued my interest and walked forward. Who knows? Maybe I'd find something completely random again. Or maybe a shop that might accept these Leafs. All while waiting for Guidance to return and actually give me some kind of direction.

"Really taking your time, huh..."

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