"Sheryl is arriving now!"
"Where's the head butler and maid?!"
"Ignore them. They're in the room now!"
"Check if the Knight Captain's in the training hall! We need someone to calm things!"
"Hey, you!"
A ponytailed maid squinted, biting into a stolen cupcake.
"What?"
"Don't just say 'what'! Hurry before you get scolded by—"
"Kindly fuck off."
"O-okay..."
Another bite. Another writhing thorned text.
Ah, she'd almost forgotten this useless mastery.
"System. Does Speechcraft have any damage perks?"
Imagine Fus Ro Dah-ing enemies off cliffs. Skyrim Style.
"Wow. Useless tree."
<...>
"Only if dialogues were skippable." Mochi puffed her cheeks with cupcake.
"Doesn't mean I'll waste SP like candy." She sighed. "Enough. Reward."
<...compiling...>
[Sleep Darts: Darts induce sleep. Duration scales with MP.]
[Latent Silence: Create a 15-second soundproof zone when enemies alert. (Cooldown: 48h)]
"That's... OP." Munch munch. "Works with
"Perfect." Gulp. "Silenced Blood Explosion? Sounds applicable."
Now to either circumvent or weaponize alerted states.
"System. Check Lantern Merchant for—"
"There you are!"
"Ugh..."
Sheryl stomped over, maids scrambling behind her.
"Hi."
"Follow me. Now!"
"I refuse."
"You!" Sheryl puffed like a hamster. "You're a maid! I'm the master! Follow!"
"I refuse."
"Oi!"
Should she
...Wait.
She checked her UI.
"...Fine." Reluctant nod.
Bandit outposts could test skills later.
"Eh?" Sheryl blinked. "A-are you okay? You ignored me in the carriage, so this is creepy. D-do you need help?"
"Want your tongue gouged out?"
"N-no thanks..." Sheryl looked away as maids gasped.
"Ah!" Sheryl clapped. "You..."
She peered at Mochi. "...like cupcakes?"
"Mhm." Bite. Munch. Munch.
"Maids! Tea and cupcakes to my room!" Sheryl turned. "Follow me, Miss Savior!"
Mochi frowned, swallowing her last bite.
--------------------
"Hehe. Cute, right?!"
"Too much pink."
Emerald eyes swept the room. "And too many dolls."
"I'm eighteen! A grown woman!"
"So an adult? Pft."
"Oi!"
Truthfully, Mochi's past-life decor was energy drinks and cup noodles.
"Enough." She waved. "Business?"
"What? The assassinations! The head maid, butler, and Knight Captain—all in one hour!"
Sheryl's eyes sparkled, innocence masking her morbid glee.
"And?" Mochi narrowed her eyes.
"And we have three targets, my cute savior!"
"Ugh." She recoiled at "cute."
"Need advice? Ballas is tough!"
...Who again? Ah...
Mochi crossed her arms.
"Too much for one hour?" Sheryl sipped tea. "I can wait—"
"They're dead."
"...What?"
"They're dead."
Silence. Sheryl's head rang like a marriage bell.
Splash.
"Ah!" Tea scalded her thigh. "W-wait, how?!"
"What." Mochi sighed, grabbing another cupcake. "Don't tell me speediness fails the quest."
"Of course not! Oh—"
Sheryl pocked out a pouch.
The pouch sprinkled black dust. It vanished midair.
"A Communication tool?"
"Yep! Guildmaster's invention!" Sheryl puffed her flat chest.
"The body doubles arrived already?"
"Mhm. The Southern Branch members are all professionals after all!"
Southern Thief Guild... Hm.
"They don't specialize in illusions or mimicry." Bite.
The South upheld royal traditions—meaning illusions were taboo, 'noble' theft permitted.
Hypocrites. All of them. Like that traitorous knight.
"Not sure. But Guildmaster said they're Southern, so they must be!"
"...You trust her?" Irritated munch.
"Of course! She promised me the greatest assassin—and here you are!"
"How flattering." Deadpan. Munch munch.
"Be prouder! Even my brother's never been praised!"
"Then that's the Guild's fault." Angry gulp. Hm...too sweet.
"I-if you say so..."
Sheryl fidgeted under her glare.
"By the way, Miss Savior... The Guildmaster wants you at the gate."
"The gate? Why?"
"A date! I... think?"
"You think?" Large bite.
"Um, yes. And... keep the maid outfit, she ordered."
"Ah, a Fetish." Final gulp. "I'm off."
"W-wait!"
Mochi paused. "What now?"
"Th-thank you..."
"For killing? Don't."
"No! For accompanying me..." Sheryl clutched her skirt. "I know you don't... like me much..."
"Nothing personal. I hate talking."
"But just being here helps! You're my second female friend!"
Mochi's brow twitched.
Her hand shot out.
"Mmm...mmm... Not the cheeks again..."
"Blame your pet-like face." Monotone. "Who's the first?"
A harmless question—but crucial. Sheryl's character file listed no friends due to her illness.
"Selena Veyne! The Baron's daughter!" Cheek squish. "We met by accident!"
A hesitation.
Selena... Veyne?
"Did Aldric Veyne's son crossdress?"
No female Veynes existed in the lore.
Did the mod swap out something again?
"Um... what?"
Clueless of their deaths, huh?
Mochi's grip softened. Her Brother must've hid the truth from her.
Innocent eyes blinked, untainted by malice.
For a moment, a curiosity flared to snuff the pure ignorance.
"Sleep well tonight. Without numbers like five haunting you."
Perhaps fragments of her still ached for companionship—
even if she'd likely murdered her friend.
The pinch was gentler than in the carriage.
--------------------------
Ponytailed maid at the gates. Laced stockings stuck uncomfortably to her thighs.
A guard's nod.
"Ah." Mochi sighed. "Elegant as ever."
"Shouldn't a master dress well when walking her pet?"
The Guildmaster's sweet smile dripped danger. Her purple silk dress fluttered in the plagued wind.
"Answers first. A date here?"
"I never lie." A chuckle. "I want you to understand what will be, little thief."
"Lead, then." Mochi strode past. "I've got quests in mind."
"So cold?" The Guildmaster followed.
"This pet's frustrated of being a mere pawn, Miss Timerbender."
She yawned. "Feel free to kill me again. My heart can take a few stabs."
"Would you like me to?"
"Absolutely not."
Mochi grinned. "But I'd pay to see you beg for it."
"Oh? Is the puppy yearning her master to bark?"
Mochi stopped.
The image: Guildmaster, teary-eyed with dog ears, bowing for affection...
<...Executioner.>
"What? Let a woman fantasize—"
Throat silenced.
A. This graveyard has space for you. (Kill)
B. What if I kill Sheryl? Would you beg? (Lie)
C. Bark for me. Or I'll kill myself. (Threaten)
Ah, classic terrible options.
Didn't the System just suggest befriending her?
The lips moved themselves. "What if I kill Sheryl? Would you beg?"
A slight tilt of a head. Then an amused gaze.
"Go ahead."
A jolt. Then a chortle. "Don't care much of your subordinates?"
"Oh no, don't be mistaken."
The Guildmaster grinned. "Since when were you under the impression that she was irreplaceable?"