[You've lost one of your villagers.]
"Wait." Darren fell silent, listening to Sasa's voice, which appeared out of nowhere. On the horse that was carrying him toward the camp, Darren heard that someone had died. No one knew who it was, only that it was one of his villagers. Darren turned to look at Richard, who looked just as confused. "Did you hear that?"
"You heard it too?!" Darren now asked the man in return.
[STATISTICS]
[AUTHORITY LEVEL: Commoners (480/1500 XP)]
[STRENGTH: D (205/1500 XP)]
[COUNTRY: Small Village (Money: 3600/10,000, Villagers: 8/25)]
[SUPPORT: (Public: 95/100(%), Politics: 0/100(%))]
[UPDATE: Villagers -1]
"What did you all hear?" Evan asked in confusion. He honestly had no idea what the two bosses were talking about. Evan rode his horse, watching them exchange a conversation that felt completely out of context, as if it were a private discussion.
"Never mind, I must've misheard something," Darren said to Evan, who was riding behind him.
But to Richard he signaled that this was something only they should discuss. After all, they were different. Evan and Max lived in this world and would never understand. While Richard and Darren were from the same place, the real world.
"There are still two days left until we reach the camp. I'm not sure if our friends at Mierre-Park have returned yet," Darren said, amid the quiet forest as they began to pass the foot of Mount Yanna in the Oron Mountains.
The sun wasn't shining brightly, the skies leaned toward cloudy, and later in the evening or at night, they'd probably be caught in the rain.
Richard had been right—the tents they bought yesterday would come in handy in a situation like this. Darren had been too narrow-minded, thinking there was no other option but to build a house. Constructing homes was certainly a priority, but with tents, at least they wouldn't be drenched.
"Didn't I tell you? Clouds from Clenta are starting to come. We'll be hit by rain tonight. Good thing we bought those tents for the camp." Darren just laughed at Richard's know-it-all tone and his pride for predicting the weather.
"Could be just a coincidence, Richard. Besides, why are you so confident it'll rain tonight?" Darren asked back.
"In the last few weeks, we've seen nothing but blazing sun. I'm sure rain is due soon. Besides, that person named Sasa-Sasa also—" Richard, who had been rambling, suddenly fell silent as everything around them came to a halt. So did Darren—he pulled the reins to stop his horse. He turned around and saw that Evan and Max had stopped moving, too.
"Why did they all stop?" Darren asked, confused. Richard turned to look but had no idea either. "Usually, this only happens when Sasa wants to give us a mission. Could this mean she's about to appear?"
"Sasa, what's happening in Mierre-Park?" Richard asked playfully, just wanting to test if this freeze was connected to Sasa, their mysterious game guide.
[Are you referring to the town of Mierre-Park?]
"Whatever it is, anything about Mierre-Park," Darren said, cutting in, desperate to find out more.
[Mierre-Park just harvested and will hold a Harvest Festival in a few days.]
"Doesn't seem like we're getting any helpful clues here, Darren. They built this game to make us curious, to figure things out ourselves. Even things happening inside Mierre-Park." Darren agreed. This game was designed to spark curiosity. Something big had to be going on. Maybe bloodshed in Mierre-Park had led to someone's death.
"Can we contact Luna from here?" Darren asked before directing his question to Sasa. "Sasa, can we talk to Luna?"
[Sorry, but until today, the developers haven't added the team chat feature.]
Both Darren and Richard let out a soft sigh. They were truly trapped in a game still in development like this. So many features were missing, making life difficult for everyone inside.
"Maybe I used the wrong prompt or question?" Darren looked at Richard, who just shrugged as if he had no idea either. "Sasa, will the developers ever add a team chat or voice chat feature?"
[No.]
"They planned to trap us from the start, huh? They could've added so many features to help us win this game—but they didn't." Darren grumbled, clearly annoyed by their current situation. "If there are bandits up ahead, I bet we'd all die clueless."
"What if one day the merchants are the ones who meet those bandits?" Richard asked, making Darren pause to think. Their casual conversation suddenly turned serious—something they didn't even intend.
"Should we create a trade post with some trained fighters?" Darren suggested mid-discussion. There was no sound—only silence, keeping their minds alert.
"Maybe we could hire some skilled fighters. They'd be able to protect the merchants from the bandits." Richard muttered quietly, deep in thought, as he imagined the mechanisms of a new trade route they were planning to establish.
"How much do we need to invest to build a business around this trade route? Maybe this business is similar to security for traders." Darren asked the man beside him.
[To start a security business along the trade route to Mierre-Park, you'll need at least 2000 gold coins.]
"Was that an answer to our question?" Darren looked up at the sky, wondering if he had misheard. "Sasa, what if I plan to open a restaurant at the camp?"
[Good idea. It would help add to the treasury to build our first village.]
"What about starting an inn business, Sasa?" This time, Richard addressed Sasa. Whoever this girl behind the game was, she seemed like a fun person to talk to.
[An inn business would be very profitable, especially when paired with other businesses.]
"How much capital do we need to start an inn?" Darren asked, taking turns with Richard.
[Depends on how many guests you plan to accommodate. I can help calculate and suggest someone suitable for the job.]
"Sasa, can Luna hear what we're talking about with you?" Richard asked.
[Other players can't hear this conversation unless they're within ten meters.]
"Can I know who the other players like us are?" Darren asked again.
[No, Darren.]
"Of course they won't tell us everything," Richard muttered after hearing Darren didn't get the answer he wanted. "Sasa, how do we continue our journey and end this session with you?"
[Just say "Bye, Sasa!" and I'll disappear. You can summon me again by calling my name twice.]
****
"Have you had dinner?" In the middle of the quiet library, Luna entered and approached Thalia, who was still reading a book. Since yesterday, Luna had noticed Thalia picking up that book several times to read. Thalia enjoyed reading alone, even though for Luna, the room was far too silent. "Thalia?"
"I don't want to talk to you." Luna stopped walking—just a few more steps and she would've reached Thalia.
"I'm worried you might be sick, so I wanted to check if you've eaten." Her voice wasn't as bold as usual. Guilt weighed on her. She was sure her younger siblings had misunderstood what happened.
"Do you know why Rhea died today? Because someone is finally receiving their karma! Because you are a murderer!" Thalia stood, glaring at her older sister with a cold stare. Her expression was harsh—she didn't want to deal with Luna.
Luna turned away, watching Thalia's back as she walked further and further. She couldn't blame her sister's anger.
Luna should've thought more carefully about her future. If she hadn't accepted John's offer, she wouldn't have ended up like this. She wouldn't have lost Rhea for the second time.
But her sisters didn't need to worry anymore. Luna was going to kill those who deserved it. And afterward, she wouldn't return.
Luna would return to her world. Very soon.