I've been trying to reduce how much information I display in each chapter in order to quicken the plot.
I don't know if it's noticeable yet but I'll keep trying.
There are still a few interactions left till I jump to Babylon's opening and I'll try my best to try and end everything within a few chapters, to give each interaction 2-3 chapters at most if not just 1.
That's all from , enjoy.
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/Later…/
[DING]
After enduring Yumi's 'touch' as she wiped the sweat off his body and a small session of bodily asurents, Dale got his attention stolen by the System as it beeped in his ears once more.
So while Yumi was distracted by her notepad, Dale read the notifications.
[You have completed the Quest, Herb Chain Part 2]
[Due to the dissonance between Soul and Body, no Experience shall be awarded]
"..."
'That's all?... No, I'm looking at this wrong.'
'I already got a Master Class Potion for free, the possibilities after this are endless.'
'This is good enough as it is.'
Dale didn't think too much about the little Experience loss regarding his Quest, instead, he placed his shirt back on since he wasn't feeling as hot anymore, approaching Yumi once he was done with it.
"... Should I call you a Master Alchemist now?" He asked with an amused but honest smile
"Don't even think about it." She replied with a smile of her own, albeit her attention quickly went back to her journal
"Right now, I'm barely on the sa level my father was before he passed, so if I wish to accomplish his dream, to surpass him, then first, I must be capable of doing everything he could do as well."
"Many grew with his incredible potions and dicines, and although I can't turn back ti, I'll at least try to make up to those who weren't given that chance."
"And once I'm there, I'll pursue his dream… To surpass his own father, a recognized Titled Master." She said as she closed her notebook
"His father?... You an your grandfather?" Dale asked as he sat down at a chair next to him
'What's a Titled Master?'
/Nod/
"I never t Grandfather… He left the world early during my father's childhood, and he was taken care of by my grandmother… She passed away too when I was still young."
"As for my mother's side of the Family, it was a snake… While out in the fields."
"During the ti between my father's rise as a proper alchemist and grandfather's death, there wasn't any way to properly take care of these kinds of scenarios…"
"And albeit each and every one of those scenarios was rare and unfortunate, they were amidst the unlucky ones…"
"I feel like I've said that a few tis already, haven't I?" She said with a depressed smile as she looked at Dale
"..."
Dale didn't say much, but his eyes said a lot already…
"... This silence, it isn't like you. I know what you're thinking about, it is quite the coincidence, isn't it?"
"The Duddencell Household isn't one to last long, it's almost tradition at this point." She said with a small awkward smile as she cleaned her eyes
"..."
Seeing her rather decadent expression, Dale couldn't sit still.
Whatever he thought of her now didn't matter, because right now…
"!"
He got up from his seat and gave her a warm hug, a simple but honest hug.
"Even if it's like that, then we'll break the Cycle won't we?"
"We'll be like Tina and Old Man Testros, we'll still be alive and kicking even after 100 years, at least, I want to."
"What about you? Don't you think it's too soon to be talking about leaving all alone? Who's going to make these gut-wrenching potions for ?" He asked with a smile as he looked at her
"... You just had to add that last part did you?" She asked with a poker expression as she looked at Dale
'You were doing so well...'
"Hum?"
"..."
/Poof/
Instead of replying, Yumi just placed her head on his chest, not saying anything due to her own fluster.
/Clench…/
"I… I don't want to die… I want to live." She said as she clenched her grasp over his shirt
"If fate wants dead… Then I'll fight it!"
"Well said… But did you have to add that last cringey part?" Dale asked with a teasing smile as he looked at her
"You!... Mn…"
Initially bothered by his sly remark, Yumi tried to push him away, only to realize her position once again.
Going through all stages of grief in a single second, Yumi eventually just slamd her head against Dale's chest, causing him to spit so air out.
"Ouch… Was that necessary?..."
"Shut it… I need a napkin to wipe my face with."
"... I'll lend you my shirt this ti." He replied as he exhaled
"..."
[Yumi's Intimacy has risen Massively]
…
For a minute or two, they stood in silence, but with great energy, Yumi resud her work as if nothing had happened.
Estranged at first, Dale eventually just went with it, helping her make the potions, and although he didn't get another Quest, he ingested several valuable potions, one for each of his Basic Stats.
And like this, Dale received a permanent 5 to all of his Basic Stats.
He couldn't ask for a better reward than this… Oh, and of course…
/Shine…/
Atop Yumi's head, six Erald Hearts now spun around freely, with a seventh one growing on the side.
The future had a lot in hold for Dale, in more ways than he thought…
…
/Not long after, outside…/
"... You wanted to et ?" Dale asked as he looked at a man's back
"Yes, but first, I would like to apologize for the way I contacted you and this room's condition, there is only so much I can do with the ti and resources I was given." Winthrope replied as he turned his gaze from the window
"I'm not soone to hold onto such things, if I was bothered by Resko's current situation I would've gone crazy long ago due to all the tis I had to clean my boot out of sand."
"Please, sit down, I won't take much of your ti." He said as he raised his arm to a chair nearby
Without saying much, Dale sat down on the couch, crossing his arms as he looked at the old man.
As for how he got here, barely had he taken a step out of Yumi's house, a player approached him, saying Winthrope was after him.
So despite his initial confusion, Dale followed the player into his current location, an old Manor 4 floors high currently being repaired and used as a temporary residence for many of the refugees.
After parting ways with the player, he made his way to the last floor to a room Winthrope had turned into his temporary Office.
There wasn't anything grand about the room, on the contrary, the room had many clear signs of decay from likely a century of mismanagent.
It was rather empty also, the Noble who lived here likely abandoned it, leaving behind things too big to be carried on horse wagons such as couches and beds.
Though most of those have been... "Borrowed" by the residents of the past, no way would the people in need leave these fancy households alone after their owners abandoned them.
"So? May I inquire what this is about?" Dale asked as he looked at him
'After we were done, Sarferato and Erile must've exchanged so words with him while I was checking so things out, this conversation has to be about that.'
"Hum... I wanted to start with so small talk, to... Discuss my past behavior, together with so light exchanges but…"
"It doesn't seem that'll be necessary." Winthrope replied as he looked at Dale
"I'll cut all that boring talk then."
"You… Don't have to pretend to not know, I'm already fully aware of it, your ploy." Winthrope said as he crossed his arms as well, looking at Dale with a faint almost otherworldly smile
"?"
'What?'
Dale's confusion reached an all-ti high as he looked at Winthrope's 'I figured it all out' expression.
'Just what is he talking about? My ploy? What exactly am I planning?' He thought to himself as he used all of the gears in his head to process this situation
In the end, he imagined this to be a Hidden Quest of sorts, sothing related to all of his actions so far. Maybe, without him knowing, he had fulfilled the requirents for a Quest, and given how things worked in Azimuth, this was how the Quest was now being offered to him.
If he wanted to get the Quest and follow its line... He had to figure it out!
After thinking heavily, he decided to... Gamble.
So with a slightly heavier gaze, he said:
"... Do you have any better ideas?"
"Heh, no, that was indeed the only solution... At least it is now."
Winthrope changed his gaze to look at the sun through the window on the far end of the room, saying:
"I can kind of understand now why father used to drink sothing light whenever he had a guest, it was just... Proper."
"In any case, you have my full support, it was ant to be, anyway."
"..."
'Isn't this the ti you explain everything so I may understand what's going on?'
"... It... May be a bit difficult for to take over..." Dale said in a low tone as a bead of sweat fell from his forehead
"I'm aware of that, hence the fact I'll be the governor for a while."
"I'm old and not ant to be a leading figure anymore, normally, this position would fall to my son but... He's sowhere else now." He said deeply as he looked at the old table between them
"As for my grandkids, they're too immature to do anything nor do they possess the qualifications to lead others."
"About a year should be enough, I'll build Resko's most basic infrastructure and pave the way for you."
"... Why go so far if you're not going to..."
"There is only one thing I care about more than my own Family, and that is this city."
"Because to , as a mber of the Kahler and a descendent of the Campbell households, Resko is almost part of us."
"I may have grown in the woods, but there wasn't a day I did not hear about this place..."
"I wish to preserve it, to restore it. And it has already co to that my descendants... Cannot make it happen."
"And you believe I can make it happen?"
"Yes, and more than that as well."
"That's quite the faith for soone you just t, I must tell you... I'm not sure I'm good enough to manage a city... Not if I should."
"That won't be a problem."
"Even if I am to step down, I can still perform all of my duties... To give you and every one ti to grow so that when the ti for us, the old, to pass co..."
"You may all move forward." Winthrope said as he closed his eyes
"..."
'I think I know what he's talking about but I can't understand why he arrived at that conclusion...'
'Just what's going on in this old man's head...'
"Before we continue then... I'm curious." Dale said as he got an idea
"What gave it all away?"
"Ah... That's simple." Winthrope replied with a chuckle
…
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