A hint...?
This system of mine actually has a hint?
That reminds me.
I still have no idea what makes mine special. Sure, it dishes out rewards like a quest—like most systems do. But… does mine have some kind of unique specialty?
An SSS-rank Sword System or even some guns would've been nice. I mean, I literally transmigrated to another world; it's not that unreasonable to ask for something like that, right?
Or am I just being too greedy?
Technically, I should already be a grandmaster when it comes to fighting.
There's that. Problem is, I didn't exactly get the memories on how to use those skills. Sure, muscle memory might kick in, but…
I should probably just shut up before whatever god brought me here decides I'm a spoiled brat and smites me out of nowhere.
For now, I should just be satisfied with what I'm getting.
'Accept hint.'
[Opening Hint]
[Faye Amberly: Currently undergoing a personality shift due to recent actions. Avoid changing strategies for smoother progress in the relationship. Slight adjustments can still be made, however.]
So…
I'm basically doing a good job?
Is that seriously all it's telling me? It couldn't give me anything more useful? Even without the hint, I'd probably do exactly what it says.
I just hope the rewards in future quests make up for it.
"Ahem, Duke Noctierre, is there something on your mind?"
The herald's voice echoed, full of genuine curiosity and worry. He was talking to me like he was coddling a baby.
I couldn't really blame him. If anything went wrong with me, the entire empire could collapse. No one, not even the imperial herald, could just ignore it if I looked distracted.
"No, it's nothing. Continue."
I said, and the herald didn't press me further. Good thing people here took my words at face value.
"Anything wrong, Cassian?"
"Nothing. I'm just not interested in the topic, that's all."
Faye laughed at my answer.
"Well, I guess economics and politics don't really matter for someone as well prepared as you, huh? If I had to guess, I'd say you already have plans for every possible future event."
Plans for every future event? She was partially right, to be honest.
I mean, I definitely knew every crisis and problem that would happen in the near future, but being prepared for all of it…
Definitely not. But now that she mentioned it…
I should probably relay this to Edward so he can inform my advisors. If my one brain can't handle everything, I'll just have several others work on it.
Besides… if the novel's correct, all of my advisors should be comically loyal, treating me like some kind of god among men or something.
Very convenient.
So for now, I should probably give Faye a confident answer.
"Of course, being prepared is my job after all."
Faye blinked at that, then smiled—small, but definitely impressed.
"I figured as much," she said. "You don't seem like the type to leave things to chance."
…If only she knew.
I leaned back a little, propping my chin on my knuckles while I pretended to pay attention to the debate going on in the center of the hall.
Prepared.
Right.
If reading a novel years ago and remembering maybe half of it counted as preparation, then sure—I was the most prepared man in the empire. Still… that wasn't exactly something I could tell her.
"Though," she added, dropping her voice just a bit, "it's kind of reassuring."
"Hm?"
"That you're the one making those decisions," she said. She glanced at me for a heartbeat, then looked away again. "It makes things feel… stable."
Stable.
That word stuck with me more than it should have, because if there was anything my situation wasn't, it was stable. I was winging it through a story I only half remembered, making choices that were already changing people in ways I didn't fully understand.
Case in point—
My eyes drifted back to her hand.
The ring...
She wasn't nervously fidgeting with it anymore. Now her fingers just rested there, almost deliberately, like it belonged there.
Like she belonged there.
[Faye Amberlyne: Personality heavily shifted due to actions.]
"…You're staring," she whispered.
"Just thinking," I said.
"About the ring?"
"…Among other things."
She hesitated, then sat up a little straighter, like she was reminding herself of something.
"Then I'll make sure it's worth looking at," she said quietly.
That… was new.
Actually… how many times have I said this already? Of course, everything's new. Nothing is really following the novel's original route anymore.
I turned my head enough to look at her properly, and this time she met my eyes without fluster, without panic, just a small, steady, confident smile.
Or at least, the most confident one she could muster.
Still... another thing that was definitely new.
Before I could answer her, the herald's voice rose again, cutting through the noise of the hall.
"My lords and ladies, we will now proceed to the matter of internal security within the capital—"
Ah. That didn't sound good.
"—Recent reports indicate an increase in unauthorized activity within the lower districts. Smuggling, illegal contracts, and unregistered mercenary groups have begun to surface."
My attention sharpened.
That… sounded familiar. Not clearly, but enough to make my stomach tighten, the kind of plot point that didn't matter until suddenly it really, really did.
It sounded... very familiar.
"The imperial court is considering stricter enforcement measures," the herald went on. "However, such actions may disrupt trade and civilian stability. Opinions are welcome."
Nobles started talking over each other immediately.
"Crack down on them at once—"
"You'll choke commerce if you do that—"
"Then regulate it instead—"
Same old argument.
I wasn't really listening.
Lower districts, smuggling, mercenaries?
I swear that rang a bell… why did it feel so important?
It was hard to tell if it really mattered, especially since I was looking at everything from a completely different point of view than in the novel.
Still, that didn't mean I was just going to throw away what I knew. At the very least, I should try to piece everything together.
I frowned, trying to dig through my memory.
Was this just background noise? Or—
No.
There was something. Small, but—
"…Cassian?"
Faye's voice pulled me back, and I realized I'd gone quiet again.
"Still not interested?" she asked.
"…No," I said slowly. "Actually… this one might be worth paying attention to."
Her expression shifted, curious now.
"Is it part of your 'preparation'?" she asked.
I paused for half a second.
"…Something like that."
Not a lie. Just… not all of it.
Her fingers brushed the ring again.
"Then I'll pay attention too," she said.
Of course she would. That was exactly the kind of person she was, or at least, the kind of person she used to be.
I leaned back once more, eyes returning to the center of the hall.
"…Let's see where this goes."
Because if my memory was even close to right, whatever was happening in those lower districts wasn't going to stay there for long.