We were staying at a ryokan during our short visit to the island. The other students were elated at the opportunity to sample this foreign culture, but it wasn’t quite as novel to Marie and me. I paid the inn an extra fee to secure us a private room. The academy apparently didn’t mind, since none of the professors admonished me for it. In fact, they seemed content for me to do whatever I wanted, so long as the inn was willing to accommodate us.
Our room was furnished with a table set in the center of a shared space, and Marie and I were currently seated across from one another.
“I’m glad they have green tea here. Still, it’s jarring. It feels almost like we’ve been transported back to Japan,” I said.
Marie wore a yukata the inn had provided. She was happily chowing down on the snacks they’d served with the tea. “It’s amazing how they perfectly replicated every aspect of a Japanese inn, down to this common area. Back when I lived in Japan, I’d never have imagined finding a place like this so nostalgic.”
“You said it.”
The moment was peaceful and relaxing. I really enjoyed kicking back like this, sipping my tea. But, truth be told, there was a good reason I’d gone out of my way to reserve a larger room for Marie and I.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
Marie’s expression turned serious. “Let’s. We have important things to discuss.”
We were both suddenly solemn, and why wouldn’t we be? We’d come to this Japanese-style island on our first school trip for good reason.
There was an item here that provided a substantial advantage in the game, specifically in combat sections. It was an especially high priority for players because it bolstered characters’ stat growth. Since it did so each time a character leveled up, nabbing it while a character’s level was still low was most beneficial and efficient. That was the whole reason I’d paid off the professors to ensure Marie and I could visit here.
The real challenge hadn’t been getting here, though. It would come now that we’d arrived.
“At tomorrow’s festival, the item is for sale as a charm,” I said. “But each person is limited to one charm purchase, and—at least in the game—that charm is completely random. You have no idea what you’ll get.”
Marie nodded. “Yeah, I remember. You have to reload constantly until you get the item you want. But there’s no such option for us.”
“Exactly. We’ll have just one chance.”
There was quite a variety of charms, and some were complete garbage. As Marie correctly mentioned, players might need to reload and try again dozens of times to get what they wanted. This wasn’t a game for us, though, so we couldn’t do that.
“Still, it’d be nice if we could reload,” Marie added.
I grinned. “Sadly, reality doesn’t work that way. But that’s okay. I figured out a way around it.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I plopped a fat coin purse onto the table. “Money. We’ll solve the issue with cold, hard cash. I’m going to buy every single charm the vendor has for sale!”
Marie’s eyes lit up. “I should’ve guessed! Other people would hesitate over how underhanded that solution is, but you’ve got no compunctions. That’s a real asset at times like this!”
“Fwa ha ha ha!” I cackled, then stopped short. “Wait. Is that really a compliment?”
“Yeah. This time, at least!”
Hunh. I guess it makes sense that I only get complimented for being devious when it’s helpful. I couldn’t quite say being praised for that made me happy, but I guess it wasn’t so bad, since I was at least getting some acknowledgment.
Luxion hovered at the edge of the room, gazing at us with great disappointment in his singular robotic eye. “Based on the initially tense atmosphere, I expected you to confer regarding something important. This was all over obtaining an in-game item? Master, you should have used this opportunity to propose instead.”
Huh? Hold up a sec. Does worrying over an item really seem so silly that this AI got concerned about us?