Volume 1 Chapter 38
Anastasia became available on the third day.
The forum’s discussions on how to conquer Anastasia haven’t cooled down. Even though no one saw Anastasia on the second day, today the strategies to win her over have reignited the players’ enthusiasm.
[Fubuki: Let’s count who failed today]
[Red and White Shrine Maiden’s Donation Box: Mizuho Trading Company, Rode Mercenary Group, Leguria Trading Company from the Kingdom of Yzlar]
[Yun Bai: All our efforts, all in vain]
[Legend of Link: Actually, there’s also Count Smiley from the Kingdom of Yzlar]
[Swordsman173: You mean Evanhe under Count Smiley, the so-called handsomest adventurer in Yzlar?]
[Anna My Wife: Isn’t he mentally unstable?]
[San Yu Wu Meng Sheng: Well, he’s good-looking, and even has a fan club created by female fans. How many in-game characters have a female fan club?]
[Extraordinary Bro: I feel sour, how about you?]
[Salty Fish King: Eating lemons, eating lemons]
After players discussed that [Charisma] could be used to raise Anastasia’s affection, the major guilds are also ready to act, each offering up the most charismatic hunks from their guilds.
To leave a good first impression on Anastasia, they even staged various acts. In fact, the thugs and thieves Anastasia encountered today in Hirst were actors they hired to make a good impression.
However, Anastasia resolved the crisis before their planned main characters could make their entrance, and there was no sign of her affection changing.
Even if their staged dramas failed, it didn’t expose the fact that both parties were in cahoots. Why doesn’t Anastasia increase her affection when she sees handsome guys?
The few handsome players Anastasia met today have a reputation among NPCs as friends of women. Their [Charisma] is so high that even the fruit shop owner they meet for the first time is willing to give them a discount. People generally like beautiful things, so meeting a good-looking person should naturally bring some level of affection.
However, Anastasia had absolutely no reaction, treating them like ordinary adventurers, showing no signs of affection.
She doesn’t like fancy clothes, gold and silver jewelry, or handsome men. So what does Anastasia actually like?
For a time, this became a question that all players urgently wanted to know. However, the two most straightforward methods to raise affection have both failed. Are they supposed to wait for some unknown event chain to trigger?
The official side has shown no signs of making a statement, as if silently declaring that our game is very balanced and it’s your strategy that’s wrong.
Night, at the headquarters of the Lone Star Trading Company.
“Yahallo~”
Without any warning, the door to Dextas’ office was rudely pushed open.
But Dextas didn’t even blink, continuing to write diligently. If he jumped at every surprise, he’d have had a heart attack from his own sister long ago.
“Big bro, big bro, I heard you confessed to a girl! Good job, you’re finally smartening up, no longer the blockhead who takes girls to the gym for wrestling on blind dates!”
“…”
“So, where’s my future sister-in-law? Can you introduce me to her?”
“…”
“Big brother! You don’t answer my calls in real life and now you won’t even chat when I’ve come all the way from Arcadia!”
Dextas suddenly raised his index finger.
“Firstly, I don’t know where you heard this gossip from, but the object of my affection is an NPC, not your future sister-in-law.”
“You’re so desperate you’ve fallen for an NPC, meow?”
“… Secondly, you said you came all the way from Arcadia, but getting to the Kingdom of Mikael in three days is unrealistic. So you used a teleportation crystal and registered my name, hoping I’d reimburse you.”
“Th-that’s because… I was worried about your marital matters…”
“Thirdly, the 108,660th warning: knock before entering.”
“We’re siblings, meow…”
“Fourthly, the Catfolk character doesn’t automatically add a speech quirk; acting cute won’t get me to reimburse you for the teleportation crystal.”
“I really came to help you, meow!”
The girl slammed the table, and Dextas finally looked up, halting his writing.
ID: CaloCat, a Catfolk girl, is Dextas’ sister in the real world. Since there’s no rule that siblings have to play the game in the same faction, CaloCat chose to be a Beastman from Arcadia.
“Return to Arcadia. That would be the biggest help.”
“I came to help you!”
CaloCat snatched the carefully considered plan Dextas had been working on and skimmed through it.
“Creating a large event chain to put Anastasia in crisis, attacking Rothschild… Big bro, this won’t win a girl’s heart.”
“Go back to Arcadia.”
“No, no, no! Look, your plan says you want someone to get close to Anastasia to gather information?”
“Understanding the customer’s needs is basic common sense.”
Information about Anastasia’s personality is too scarce at this stage, so players like Dextas are stuck. Unlike them, Dextas, being a high-ranking player, chooses to actively break the status quo rather than wait passively.
CaloCat, patting her somewhat flat chest with the confidence of a high school student, volunteered enthusiastically.
“Big brother, no one’s more suited for this than me. You know I’m great at making friends~”