Acheron found it utterly fascinating.
She never would've imagined that Sylvia could be so… unguarded.
Not only had Acheron managed to undress her without resistance, she'd even slipped that alluring nightgown onto her. Through all that movement, Sylvia remained dead to the world, showing no sign of waking.
And under Acheron's careful observation, it truly seemed Sylvia was still immersed in the game—not pretending to be unaware.
It was enough to leave Acheron genuinely stunned.
'Was she always like this? Or is it just… because it's me?'
Acheron couldn't help but linger, gently toying with Sylvia's hair. This feeling of being trusted so completely… it was strangely moving.
So much so that some of the gloom coiled in Acheron's heart began to loosen and fade.
--+--
Meanwhile, inside the virtual game.
Because the sensation in the virtual world felt rather faint, Sylvia never let go of Firefly's hand, simply pulling her along toward the commercial district.
But for Firefly, lying in a medical pod with the highest-grade neural interface and sensory simulation equipment, the experience was different.
In Firefly's perception, the hand held by Sylvia carried the distinct warmth and texture of human skin.
She hadn't considered pulling her hand away, but being led like this, following someone else's guidance—it was a first for her.
Sylvia, trailing slightly behind, had been listening as Firefly described their surroundings.
Just then, a system window popped up before her.
--+--
[Target: Acheron]
[Favorability: 86 (Trust & Favor)]
[Relationship: Marriage in Name Only]
['Keep lying. The higher that affection climbs, the harder you'll crash when it all falls apart.']
[Reward: New rewards will be issued after the relationship stabilizes.]
--+--
Acheron's affection had gone up—for no clear reason.
'Well, I'll be.'
Sylvia could only marvel inwardly.
'What's she doing out there? We didn't even call today, so why the boost?'
Puzzled, Sylvia felt a strong urge to ring Acheron right then and ask where she'd gone and what she'd been up to.
Just then, Firefly's face appeared through the translucent system screen.
"What's wrong? Are you bored? You seem kinda spaced out."
Firefly's voice held curiosity and a touch of apology, as if worried her guiding wasn't engaging enough.
Seeing Firefly's expression, Sylvia spoke without thinking: "No, not at all. I was just thinking about what to buy. Your explanations have been really thorough."
'How does this girl manage to be so fierce in battle, yet so genuinely sweet out of armor?'
Firefly made an exaggerated sigh of relief, yet it came off entirely natural.
"Really? Oh, good… I was worried you might be bored."
"How could I be? Just having you here is enough. Honestly, I'm more worried you might find this tedious, since… your mission is to form a close contract with me."
Sylvia broached the topic tentatively.
While she herself was perfectly happy with the situation, Silver Wolf—as the one assigned the task—seemed content as long as Sylvia kept gaming with her.
Kafka was the most rational and level-headed; she wasn't much cause for concern.
But with Firefly… since Sylvia had only experienced half the game's story, she didn't really know what kind of person Firefly was deep down.
All she knew was that Firefly suffered from an incurable illness, slowly awaiting her end.
Sylvia couldn't be sure if, after forming a contract with Firefly, the system would still grant a ring.
And whether that ring could cure her—or at least stabilize her condition, keep it from worsening.
Noticing Sylvia's slightly worried look, Firefly's mood visibly brightened.
Anyone who joined the Stellaron Hunters had their share of baggage and scars—no one would fuss over something this minor.
Still, even if it didn't matter much, having a comfortable dynamic with your contract partner was always preferable.
"Ah, that."
Firefly lifted their joined hands, showing them to Sylvia.
"Not at all. I'm actually looking forward to it. Elio told me that meeting you… might be the chance for me to find meaning in my life."
"…"
'Oh no. Another straightforward one.'
Being on the receiving end of such a direct, hand-holding "confession" from a beautiful girl… it packed quite a punch.
Sylvia knew Firefly wasn't really professing love.
It was because Elio had foreseen an outcome that Firefly now stood before her, full of hope and expectation.
Even without knowing what the future truly held, she trusted Elio's word and placed her hopes in Sylvia.
Faced with such sincerity, even if Sylvia didn't particularly care about the meaning of her own life, she still wished to offer a blessing: "I hope you find that meaning too."
"Thank you, Sylvia."
Then, glancing around, Firefly pointed toward a shop.
"How about we check out that store?"
"Sure."
Sylvia smiled, following Firefly's lead, watching her skirt sway with each step, feeling the energy and warmth radiating from her.
"They call this place 'little Penacony.' They say you can find specialties from all over the cosmos here, though the experience still can't compare to the real thing."
Firefly mentioned the popular game's nickname. Its intricate design meant that, even setting combat aside, it could easily be played as a life simulator.
"I'd really love to see Penacony someday."
There was a clear longing in Firefly's voice.
Compared to this digital world, where you could clearly feel the gap with reality, the dreamscape of Penacony would be far more vivid, more perfect.
"How about we make Penacony the place for our contract, Firefly? I'll find a way to get us invitations to the Charmony Festival."
Considering Firefly's real-world health, Sylvia couldn't just drag Sam to some random planet to register—that'd be way too slapdash.
For a comfortable, meaningful contract ceremony, Penacony was the ideal choice.
But thinking of Penacony and the Charmony Festival inevitably brought to mind the game's first chapter—the image of Firefly being stabbed and… well, turned into 'Donut-chan.'
From later reveals and analyses, it seemed that getting stabbed wasn't a true death—it might even trigger some crucial plot points.
Still, the idea was pretty wild.
If she really took Firefly to Penacony to get married, only for them both to get assassinated right after the ceremony… that'd be both tragic and absurd.
Then again, since Robin also gets stabbed in the story, the question became: would she end up sharing fate with Robin, or with Firefly?
Then again, maybe Acheron would just slice that monster in half. Who knows.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.