I thought that, at this point, just like me, she would realize that this letter was what was needed to complete Roselyn's mission, but it seemed her mind was elsewhere.
"Tomorrow's too far away! Let's have some fun, Sister Roselyn. I have some sexy outfits that Honey loves—they're leotard-style. Oh! Wait, no, I need to buy them first. Oh! Maybe some role-playing? That would be good. Are there any Dracula costumes?"(Iris)
"Huh?"(Rose)
Iris seemed to want to drag Roselyn—who was confused—into the room. I don't know how she came to that conclusion, but I stopped her.
"Stop. Nobody's talking about that. Leave Miss Rose alone."
'For starters, you know what this card does.'
I also questioned her mentally, since she seemed to have been thinking about other things during our conversation.
'Yes. While youwas sleeping, I asked System-chan. I know what all our cards do, including the two Galge protagonist cards you got from Lys.'
'What do video games have to do with this?'
'Honey, don't be silly. Obviously, both are things that all galge protagonists have. First is the one that tells the protagonist what the heroine wants—the one you used with Li-Lin—and the one you're holding, which lets you give a personalized gift to increase the heroine's favorability.'
'...'
I hadn't thought of it that way, and while this obviously isn't a game, it certainly has some similarities. Or maybe whoever made it thought the same way Iris did.
I suppose Iris's mind saw giving that card as a way to increase my favorability or something similar, and thus, end up having sex.
It's a conclusion she reaches by skipping over a lot of things and following strange logic, but, as always, that's just how she is.
Now then, the card was the Heartfelt Gift Card
I had also asked the system about its function while Iris was asleep; it was a somewhat complicated card, so I made sure to ask many questions, which, luckily, it was able to answer.
It's a gift card, but it doesn't work between Iris and me; it must be given to a third party.
The card's function was to grant a person whatever they most desired in their heart at that moment.
The card can turn into any object.
If the person was very hungry and their most pressing desire was to eat, it would give them a full meal.
If the person wanted to be powerful, it could grant a powerful elixir or a powerful weapon.
Yes, the desire didn't have a specific method, it could be just a meal ticket or it could be something much more valuable.
But one had to be careful. If the wishes were too abstract or unrealistic, such as wishing for world peace, the card could not grant them directly.
In that case, it might give something related to that wish, such as a book containing a story that ended with world peace.
It is a card with very varied results, but powerful if used correctly.
That's why I had to be careful about who I gave it to and what exactly that person truly desired.
And that furthermore, that desire could be fulfilled through a specific object.
That's why I kept asking insistently, clearing up any minor doubts so that not only I, but she herself, would now keep in mind what she truly needs and wants.
So I looked back at Roselyn, who had been staring at Iris with doubts about what she wanted to do earlier, and called out to her.
"Miss Rose, what I hold in my hand is a divine artifact from the age of the gods."
"Huh? A divine artifact? Even though it just looks like a normal card. I've seen some artifacts, and they usually give off a peculiar aura, but I don't feel anything from this card… are you playing a joke on me?"(Rose)
"No, I'm not. Even though it doesn't give off the aura you're expecting, this card in my hand is in fact one of those artifacts that grant abilities, created during the past era."
"I see, and you don't seem to be lying, but even if it has a powerful skill—" (Rose)
"Wait a minute. I know what you're going to say. I know you only need one specific skill , but this card doesn't have a specific skill like other artifacts. Luckily for you, this card has the power to grant you whatever you desire most."
"Huh? Whatever I desire most? I-is that even possible?" (Rose)
"Yes. The mysteries of the Age of the Gods are beyond our comprehension."
And I really don't think what I said is entirely false. This card and the others were definitely created by some kind of god—or rather, that being behind the system.
Anyway, I need to make the function of this card clear to you so everything goes smoothly and there are no mistakes; after all, there are only two of them.
"You're right, but even so, really—"(Rose)
"Doubts are unnecessary since you'll soon use it and see for yourself, but you have to be sure that this is truly what you want most right now, because if your greatest desire is something else—like, for example, my wife 눈_눈—you'd lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"N-no. I do love Iris, but... through countless days and nights when I felt overwhelmed, thinking about accidents that could have been prevented and all the bad things that could have been avoided... I always blamed myself. If only I had had that Skill... my son, my husband, countless subordinates, friends, teachers... if only I had possessed that Skill, I could have..." (Rose)
"Yes, unfortunately the past cannot be changed, but the future can, so take it. And this will give you what your heart desires. And change the fate of your family and loved ones."
I held out my hand with the letter for her to take, and she took it with a trembling hand.
Not even a second later, the letter began to glow a deep pink while emitting lights in heart patterns—very anticlimactic for the situation.
But the next moment...
Bang.
A skill book appeared in Roselyn's hand, and another appeared on the table.
There was the catch to this letter; after all, this is our reward, and it would be strange if we didn't get any benefit.
Yes, this had the skill to make the other person's deepest wish come true, and it gave us an exact copy.
I used it mainly to complete the mission, but the skill she described seems powerful, and I figured it wouldn't be a loss if we got it.
I grabbed the book quickly and tossed it to Iris.
'Put it in your storage.'
'Honey, I can learn it… I want to be a monarch of darkness and shadows.'
'...Okay, but wait until she leaves first.'
'Yeah! Now I'll be the shadow empress! Hehehe!'
I had a quick mental conversation with Iris, and I really don't mind her having it.
It seems like a skill that lets her escape and stay safe if she knows how to use it, so there's no problem.
I looked at Roselyn, and she didn't even pay attention to what we did. She seemed focused on the book in her hands, and her hands seemed to tremble even more as she appeared to be reading the cover over and over again.
"Miss Rose, recognize what this is."
"O-of course. Books like these are common artifacts that store abilities. Now I can feel that divine aura that was missing before, and—and the cover says it's the 'Dark Dweller, Unique Rank.' W-what does that mean?"(Rose)
"Huh? Big sis, even I know that. Aren't unique skills the ones that have no rank limit and grow with the bearer?"(Iris)
"Huh? Unique skills are skills that don't correspond to the profession you possess. But like all the others, they have a growth limit."
"Huh? Really? But we—"(Iris)
"Ahem! Stop right there, Iris. I told you not to neglect your studies. Stop making things up when you don't know."
"Huh?"(Iris)
'Stop. It seems there's something we overlooked regarding unique skills. Don't say another word.'
'Really? But the system says they're unique abilities.'
'Anyway, let me handle this.'
"Well, Miss Rose, it seems the artifact you used isn't common. The artifact is something Iris and I found by chance, and we couldn't use it, so we didn't really know the full extent of its capabilities. By any chance, do you have any idea about this? "Have you heard of abilities with that kind of rank?"
"No, this is the first time, but what Iris said… I think I heard of abilities that the gods gave to their most important followers, which allowed them to grow with them, adapting with each ascension and becoming stronger… D-don't tell me this is one of those…"(Rose)
"I see… it seems Iris's wild ideas were spot on. Even a broken clock is right twice a day."
"Honey, is that an insult or a compliment?"(Iris)
"A compliment. (¬_¬)"
"Honey, you're obviously lying."(Iris)
"Ahem!, let's not get sidetracked. So, Miss Rose, it seems it's just as you say."
"B-but I've never heard of this kind of thing being found. The highest-ranked one ever found was years ago, and it was a rank nine skill ."(Rose)
"I suppose it really is quite rare."
"That's an understatement. At the auction for that rank nine skill , an exorbitant price was reached. Many kingdom rulers fought over it. If this skill were to come to light, there might even be a wa—Ugh… no, I don't even want to think about it."(Rose)
It seems that's actually more dangerous than I thought. I didn't expect it to be that rank . I thought, given everything we discussed, it would be a rank six ability.
"I understand, but the artifact I used wasn't that powerful. It seems your intense and pure desire caused a miracle beyond all expectations. You could say that, in a sense, you were solely responsible for this miracle. Well, learn it and save your family."
I didn't hesitate for even a moment to make her fully responsible for having obtained that ability. It was also fortunate that I acted quickly and that she didn't even realize we had another one just like that—
"I-I can't… this is too valuable… I don't think I…"(Rose)
"Miss Rose, everything that needed to be said has already been said. Take this and prevent the fall of your family. If you keep resisting, I wouldn't mind reminding you just how far you've fallen: getting involved with another man's wife and being judged by a mere masseuse from a small salon… or how pathetic, insignificant, and powerless you are right now—so much so that you are planning to make your great-grandson carry all this burden. Is that what you want?"
"N-no... O-okay, I'll learn it. If I'm not mistaken, I have to focus on absorbing divine grace... Ah! Yes, I've got it. Ah! It even explains how it works... it really is the skill... sniff... Finally... waaa!..." (Rose)
My words finally convinced her, and the process of acquiring the ability was similar to what we already knew.
It seems to be something obvious in this world, and as soon as she learned the skill and realized she hadn't made a mistake, she burst into tears like a little girl.
"Oh, big sister, you really seem happy. I'm glad for you."(Iris)
"Waaa!… I really don't know how to repay you."(Rose)
Iris, being Iris, hugged her and patted her on the back.
It's a bit surreal considering Roselyn's background, but hey, she's a person just like everyone else, with burdens to carry and problems to deal with.
Hers were especially heavy and oppressive.
Finally finding a way out must have made her pour out everything she'd been holding inside.
Come to think of it, she's the first client who's told me her story in such depth. I wonder if there's anything else I should keep in mind.
I'll analyze it thoroughly later
..
.