“Then problem solved, right? You beat that Bunowny’s special form, didn’t you?”
“Aye. We cut down a troublesome boss called Lust Rabbit—a frustrating foe that scattered the charm status like the plague. Worse were the countless Dark Filolials it summoned as its minions. Even our party was overwhelmed. They flipped out when we faced defeat on our first match.”
Oof... Status-spreading bosses are the worst. And that one had endless summons...that really sounds like hell.
“In our case, there was only one Dark Filolial.”
Charm status, huh? If that happened to us, we’d probably fall apart without a chance.
“So each one has its own gimmicks,” mused Kanade.
“Alto knew a lot about that stuff. He did a lot of digging at the library.”
Yeah, Alto was always the one who was the most knowledgeable about the flavor text.
“I think I understand it a little,” said Emoji. “It seems to tie into Brave Bunowny’s troublesome past. He seems to hold some deep grudge for the red-haired doll’s character.”
“Lore aside, the fact that he’s back means you beat him, right?”
“Aye, we did. After the battle, he dropped an item similar to the stuffed toy Brave Pekkle carries on his back. The item suppressed his Karma-fication and eased his stress buildup.”
Then it might be manageable. That means Brave Bunowny can aid in the development without posing too much of a risk. And with that in mind, I glanced at the accessory on Brave Bunowny’s back.
“It’s identical to the mount Brave Pekkle rides around on,” noted Kanade.
Exactly. The plush strapped to Brave Bunowny’s back captured Brave Pekkle’s mount down to nearly the smallest detail.
“It was called a Filo Plush. It seems to be very precious to him.”
“Brave Pekkle just uses it as a vehicle.”
I was starting to get a bit curious about the lore.
“Either way, that means we shouldn’t have too much of an issue...”
“Although his stress gauge rises slower now, he now flat-out refuses to listen to female players. If it’s any consolation, he does take a break if his stress ever reaches eighty, though.”
That wasn’t just a lack of improvement—he was even worse than when he’d started out. If he wasn’t going to listen no matter what, then even Brave Pekkle was easier to handle.
“I don’t know if it’s his way of making up for it, but he’s gotten a lot more active...and his y’knows have become permanent, it seems.”
He was a pain of a unit, even with his enhancement accessory.
And that same Brave Bunowny was having a conversation with Brave Pekkle.
“Do you get it now, pen? That’s why you have to listen to what penster tells you, pen.”
“Y’know, I think I get it now, bun! From now on, I’ll listen to bunster’s commands, bun!”
Brave Bunowny crisply saluted Brave Pekkle before lowering his head to Emoji.
“Oh? Oh-ho... It seems Brave Bunowny can accept commands now.”
Huh...so there’s synergy effects like that too.
By encountering Brave Pekkle, a once-difficult Brave Bunowny had learned to follow his own master’s orders.
“Problem solved.”
“Aye. Though truth be told, I’d already entrusted his command to one of my newly summoned development comrades, so the problem was already solved.”
Oh right...he still listens to male players. So if you’ve got someone willing to cooperate, he’s not that hard to work around.
With that matter gone and done with, I headed straight to the oasis to set my traps.
And maybe a little fishing when I’m done? I considered as I continued throwing them down. And that was when I was approached by a player who seemed to have followed Brave Bunowny.
“Hey! Loley! I think Brave Bunowny ran this way. Did you see him?”
Wait, it’s L’Arc. I should’ve known I’d find him here.
“Yo, L’Arc. Guess you got here ahead of me.”
“Hey, little lady. Sorry ’bout that. I tried to argue against it, saying we shouldn’t be troubling you, but Kanade insisted. She said you’re essential for farming.”
“No worries. I’m used to sis’s pushiness. In fact, I’m sorry for barging in on your event.”
He was hinting about getting involved in something special, after all.
“Then it’s all good.”
“Come to think of it, you two knew each other.”
“So, what happened to Brave Bunowny?”
“Well, after interacting with the Brave Pekkle summoned by the island lord, he is finally starting to listen to me.”
“For real?! Dang, I wish I was there to see it! I should’ve come sprinting!”
L’Arc seemed genuinely frustrated.
“So if I understand things right, the plan was to have L’Arc look after Brave Bunowny?”
“Nah, that’s... Well, kinda. The actual guy... Well, you know him too. My boss...”
His response was a bit incoherent as he scratched his head.
“L’Arc was summoned on his recommendation.”
“Just like how I put in a request for you.”
“So it was Mr. Aultcray, then. The guy who tried to talk to me only for Alto to step in and point me toward Kanade.”
But thinking back, Aultcray was the first one to hint about protecting sis.
“Yep, that’s the guy. Honestly, I’m glad he invited me over. It’s easier work here, compared to running around blind, at least. Since I didn’t know when I’d be called, I spent the meantime gathering as much intel as I could.”
Oh, that’s why he’s been so busy lately. Even during the wave, he was doing his own thing.
“Anyway, if Loley here can handle Brave Bunowny, then that’s that.”
“Indeed. It’ll be a great help.”
“So I’d say this is about a good time to introduce the little lady to the rest of the gang.”
“Aye. For all we know, there could be someone the island lord recognizes.”
“Who else? I mean, there’s Aultcray, and... Well, going by the flow, I’m guessing Therese’s here too.”
“She’s sure as heck here. But hey, don’t think about it and follow me. And little lady...keep your crab traps in moderation, okay?”
With L’Arc calling me out, I kept my crab traps at that. Didn’t want to ruffle any feathers—though I’d already managed to place a decent number by then.
I’ll need to put the rest out later. It’s essential for keeping the Pekkles fed.
“Got it.”
“You were dumping them like it was the most obvious thing in the world,” said my sister. “I was stunned.”
“Your efficiency is commendable,” Emoji remarked.
“How many more people are here?”
“Three. You don’t need to be so wary of them.”
Let’s see...there’s me, sis, Emoji, L’Arc...then Aultcray and Therese...that leaves one more. That means there are seven people in the settlement.
Whether that number would grow or not was still up in the air.
And with that in mind, I started assigning the Pekkles tasks as I trailed behind L’Arc.