"May I ask the reasoning behind your request?" the witch asked softly, her expression unreadable.
"…With the current state of affairs," Lumielle replied, "I believe it's far more sensible to place my trust in a credible stranger than in anyone within the palace. Haxks also has a history with the Mhaledictus, and his skills in espionage and reconnaissance are invaluable."
"I see," the woman mused, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "For a moment, I feared you had lost your resolve and abandoned your claim to the throne. But your plan is to leverage this boy's skills to sift through the treacherous layers of nobility."
Daisuke shot a glance at Lumielle, clearly surprised.
"Precisely," she nodded, her gaze unwavering. "While my safety is important, the greater priority is ensuring that I don't fall into the hands of the enemy. I need to identify who among the court can be trusted to support my cause."
The woman chuckled softly, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "And here I thought your hesitation to curry favor in the court was due to an inferiority complex, but it seems you were simply exercising caution."
The woman paused for a moment as her expression shifted, a shadow of concern crossing her face. "In truth, I'm relieved to hear you say that as there have been quiet whispers of a campaign to seize Myst Mountain once the war concludes."
Lumielle's eyes widened in alarm. "They're… after the vast natural resources believed to be there."
"That's correct," the woman replied, her tone grave. "Harnessing the resources of Myst Mountain is a strategic move to recover from the financial strain of the coming war. But if they encounter resistance from the monsters guarding the land, I fear they may resort to burning the forest to clear their way."
"What?!" Daisuke exclaimed in disbelief. "Would they really go that far?"
"Myst Mountain holds resources that could rival even the empire's, and its geographical location is perfect for maritime trade," the woman explained. "If you were a capable king, wouldn't you seize such an opportunity?"
"By destroying thousands of acres of land and slaughtering countless creatures? Absolutely not!"
"Then you are a fool."
"Better a fool than a monster," Daisuke shot back firmly.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of the woman's lips at his response before her gaze shifted back to Lumielle. "Anyway, I would much prefer to see you succeed to the throne," she said. "You are reasonable and your morals are just. But your sniveling older brother will only end up as a puppet to those degenerates, much like your father."
The princess pressed her lips into a thin line. "Then… will you help me? I believe Haxks will raise less suspicion if he's disguised as a woman."
The woman looked the boy over with the scrutiny of a butcher appraising prime monstron. "Well, I did attempt turning him into a snail earlier, though it didn't quite work. Still, I'll accept your request and the challenge… for the right price, naturally."
"This greedy ol' bag," Daisuke scoffed beneath his breath. No loyalty to her country at all. And to say all that without even flinching.
Lumielle lowered her head in a deep, graceful bow. "Thank you very much."
Daisuke sat there, his mouth slightly agape in shock. For a fleeting moment, his mind flashed to that scene from The Little Mermaid where Ariel, commanded to sing, had her voice sealed away by Ursula. This was in exchange for giving the starry-eyed girl two left feet and a chance to land a hunk of a man with an odd fascination for fish.
But as Daisuke's gaze lingered on the princess, his thoughts shifted. Lumielle's intentions were far more noble than Ariel's. This wasn't just about her own desires—everything she was doing, above all, was for the sake of her people.
"I will fulfill your request," Sinister Granny said, clearly satisfied with the benefits she stood to gain. "However, to create the necessary elixir, there's one more ingredient I'm lacking—Palismaire Flower. I'll need you both to retrieve it."
Daisuke raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with playful arrogance. "In that case, shouldn't you offer a discount? After all, we're doing part of the work. Seems fair, don't you think?"
Sinister Granny's face twisted into a dreary frown. "Lumielle, I'll be needing an extra ten thousand gold for the trouble of dealing with your friend's incessant pestering."
"What the hell?!" Daisuke snapped.
"20,000."
"You greedy ol' hag!"
"30,000."
"I see why you're called Sinister Granny!"
"40,000."
"You soulless—"
Before Daisuke could finish his sentence, he felt a shiver shoot up his spine as Lumielle's murderous gaze settled on him.
Sinister Granny glowered. "45,000."
Daisuke returned her hostile gaze.
"45,200."
Daisuke paled. "…I'm sorry?"
"I don't like you," the woman murmured acidly, then she turned her attention to Lumielle and handed her a small piece of parchment. "If you use this Illumina Seal, it should guide you to the flower."
DING!
[Foraging in the Mammothgrove Forest]
[Quest Difficulty: C-
To secure Daisuke's position as her personal aide alongside Lyndoria, all while arousing minimal suspicion within the court and royal guard, Princess Lumielle tasked Sinister Granny with crafting a gender-altering elixir. However, the peculiar brew demands one final, rare ingredient hidden deep within the wilds.
Clear Conditions: Using the Illumina Seal, locate and deliver the elusive Palismaire Flower to Sinister Granny as requested.
Rewards:
▪︎ Affinity with Sinister Granny -10%
▪︎ EXP -2,000
▪︎ -500 Gold
Quest Failure:
▪︎ Sinister Granny's wrath and lingering disappointment
▪︎ A grim future for Lumielle and the Arcanium Kingdom
▪︎ The destruction of both Mammothgrove and Murkwood Forests]
CRICK. CRACK. CRASH!
Daisuke's mental fortitude crumpled. For a fleeting moment, he sat motionless, his mind unable to process what he was seeing. Time seemed to freeze as he stared at the quest failure description, the absurdity of it threatening to tear reality itself apart. In all his years of gaming, he had never encountered something so utterly ridiculous—nothing even came close.
I don't even have a single point in Affinity with her, Daisuke fumed inwardly, grinding his teeth. So how can the reward be negative? His gaze narrowed as he glared at the witch. And she even wants to swipe my gold and EXP after I'm done risking life and limb to find this stupid plant? This is batshit crazy!
Daisuke clenched his fists, the urge to lash out with words—harsh and venomous—coursing through him. But he knew it wouldn't bring him the satisfaction he craved. No, a sharp retort wouldn't do justice to the fury boiling inside him. He wanted to wrap his hands around her feeble neck and strangle her. But both options were out of the question. He couldn't let his rage throw a wrench into their plans—well, Lumielle's plans since he absolutely loathed the idea of being turned into a woman, and yet, he was trapped in this absurd situation where his personal discomfort had to be swallowed for the sake of the bigger picture.
"The flower should be no more than a mile from here," Sinister Granny said, her tone dismissive. "Now, off you go. Goodbye, and good luck."
PLOPP!
Before either Daisuke or Lumielle could react, time and space suddenly bent to the woman's will. In an instant, the world around them seemed to warp and twist, leaving them suspended in a disorienting vacuum. It was as though a charged particle beam had punched a perfectly round hole through the very fabric of reality, leaving a pitch-black void in its wake. Half of the table had vanished, disintegrated into nothingness, along with their chairs.
Daisuke barely had time to register the bizarre anomaly before they were both plunged into the black void, falling helplessly into its depths. In the blink of an eye, a flash of blinding light consumed them, and everything around them disappeared.