episode_0066

On the way to the city in an old-fashioned car.

I am driving, and Leon is sitting in the passenger seat.

Bir had to leave for a while because of regular maintenance, but it would be too late if we waited, so we just left together.

“Director, where are you going?”

Leon asked while looking around at the surrounding scenery.

“I’m going downtown.”

“Didn’t you say you would be given a prize?”

“Okay, as a reward, let’s have fun in the city.”

The person who was most active during the last Wonderland was, of course, Leon.

Wearing cramped and heavy armor, he defeated monsters and successfully deceived Cheshire.

“Playing… . What are you trying to do?”

“Well, it might be something. Just eat delicious food, go shopping, etc.”

Leon was abandoned by his parents at a young age, suffered by his psychotic younger brother, and was subjected to a terrible experiment. Since then, he has been living a wandering life alone.

Because she has lived a strange life in many ways, her actions and speech are rigid, but there is a subtle girlish sensibility lurking within them.

That’s why Leon will like the award I’m giving him this time.

She’s just having fun, but to her, ordinary is special.

While playing this game, I thought a lot about what exactly strategy means.

The game system is similar to Miyeonsi, but romance with the heroines is not the main element in this game.

Rather, it focuses more on each heroine’s narrative, such as helping them overcome their dark past or making their long-held wishes or dreams come true.

Maybe the ‘strategy’ in this game is what makes the heroine happy.

‘It’s happiness… . It doesn’t suit this game at all.’

First of all, I want to be happy myself.

*

As I continued driving while listening to the song, Leon spoke to me.

“Director, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“…Is the child who was kidnapped before that okay?”

“By that child, you mean Veronica, right? Upon examination, they said there was no major problem with my body. Be healthy.”

“Thank goodness.”

A faint look of relief bloomed on Leon’s face.

Come to think of it, I decided to go see Veronica once she was discharged from the hospital.

I definitely have to take Bir with me this time. Get hit again.

“So what are you curious about?”

“…Is it because Veronica was saved because she was a pixie? Or is it for personal reasons?”

What is the purpose of this question again?

“Both. Managing Pixie in the first place is ultimately for my own personal purposes.”

“So, if I’m in danger, will you save me? Because I’m also a pixie?”

Leon has a very serious expression.

“Of course. This is not because of shallow morality that is prone to change. It’s because of my personal interests that will never change. For my purposes, I don’t want the pixies to die or become unhappy.”

“I see.”

Leon smiled slightly.

“Looking at the director, he seems to be trying hard to hide his good side.”

“That’s strange. I don’t have a good side to hide in the first place.”

It’s been a long time since I lost my humanity and became a character wrecker.

“Then why did you save the citizens on that island? There wouldn’t be any benefit. Wouldn’t it be safer to let the Bureau die to keep it confidential?”

It’s not wrong.

Although the kidnapped civilians may not have noticed the existence of the Management Bureau, it is still best not to be exposed at all if possible.

‘But hasn’t everything been exposed already?’

When the Backworld Alliance was created, information about the Bureau was leaked out through Banshee.

I don’t know how far it has leaked, but since it has already been exposed, there doesn’t seem to be any need to go to great lengths to completely conceal it.

‘But that’s not the point of Leon’s question.’

In the end, there was no benefit, so why did you save the civilians?

“There is a benefit. The bureau is run by taxes. I can’t believe that every single civilian has money.”

You can get it, but if you don’t get it, it’s like throwing money into the air.

Our finance director is already criticizing us for lack of budget, but we shouldn’t be wasting money.

“Money..? Haha. okay. That’s it.”

Leon burst out laughing.

Then he looked at me with a strange smile.

[Lion’s strategy progress has increased. (30 -> 36%) Acquire 300 strategy points]

Suddenly, Leon’s attack progress increased.

What is the reason?

‘Did my snobbish attitude work?’

That’s nonsense, and it probably has something to do with what Leon said to me.

– Looking at the director, it seems like he is trying hard to hide his good side.

In fact, the budget allocated to the management bureau does not decrease even if a few people die.

Therefore, my statement that all civilians give money is nothing more than an excuse.

Because Rion knows this, he probably judged me as a good person on his own.

‘That seems plausible.’

I guess I liked that smile you showed me earlier.

In any case, it is always good to increase the progress of the strategy, and the points are always right.

Shit.

*

*

When I arrived downtown, I parked my car and walked around.

Even though I was wearing a mask and a hat, I was curious because I kept feeling people’s eyes on me, but it turned out that everyone was glancing at Leon.

“Rion, are those your clothes?”

“I borrowed my employee’s clothes. The original clothes were dirty so I threw them away.”

For some reason, it was too tight.

Perhaps the staff member’s clothes didn’t fit properly, but Leon’s top was literally screaming. Especially the chest area.

I thought I should buy some clothes for this poor woman, so I stopped by a clothing store I found while passing by.

The employee praised Leone’s beauty and style and recommended various clothes, but Leone didn’t seem to like them all and looked around the store, saying she would choose them herself.

“Is there anything you like?”

“Hmm… . I’m choosing.”

As a result of walking around the entire store, she stopped at a corner with dull and clunky clothes, not light and airy clothes.

“For reference, you know this is what you’re going to wear, right?”

“I know.”

Leon takes out a gray tank top and a brown jacket.

“I like this.”

It’s the same style that Leon usually wears.

“Try it on.”

“Wow, is that possible?”

Leon looks surprised.

How on earth did she live so surprised that she tried on clothes at a clothing store?

I silently pointed to the locker room.

“Okay, then I’ll go.”

Leon goes to the locker room with awkward steps.

“I should bring clothes.”

“Oh, I forgot.”

This guy is quite foolish.

*

“…What does this mean?”

Leon is posing shyly in front of the mirror.

“It’s normal when buying clothes.”

As a joke, I told him that it is common sense to pose after changing clothes, and he actually struck a variety of poses.

“Oh my, you are so cool.”

The staff member watching with me continued to flatter Leon every time he posed.

As a result, Rion’s movements became more and more natural, perhaps as he gained more confidence.

“Please say something to your boyfriend.”

The employee passed the baton to me.

“It suits you well. Something cool?”

I expressed my impressions as briefly as I hoped.

Brown jacket and gray tank top.

The clothes were nothing special and drab, but the hangers were so nice that it made the atmosphere livelier.

I think the clothes the employee recommended would have been fine, but there’s no need to force it if you say you like it.

“Ugh… .”

Leon glares at me with a slight blush on his face.

[Rion’s favor level has increased. (3 -> 4) Acquire 500 strategy points]

What, why are you seducing me with this?

I’m embarrassed.

*

I bought a few more clothes similar to the ones Leon chose.

He seemed like a guy who wasn’t interested in fashion and bought things that were similar to what he liked in different colors, so I felt a strong sense of kinship with him.

While the employee went to pack the clothes, Leon asked me in a whisper.

“Director, why didn’t you deny it just now?”

“Just now? Oh, what did you call me boyfriend?”

“Yeah, right. The director and I don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“Why bother denying it? I’m a person who will only see it once anyway.”

I can’t believe I was only concerned about that.

It’s not easy to get used to this girlish sensibility that comes out of Leon from time to time.

“Well, I see. Well, there’s no need to do that.”

Leon looked embarrassed, his face blushed and he twisted his hair.

“Okay, the packaging is done.”

The employee handed over the packed clothes with a smile on his face.

‘This is a real smile.’

The tension is too high to be liked simply by selling clothes.

Perhaps the clothes we buy are bad inventory that doesn’t sell well.

To be honest, this is lame.

‘Tastes must be respected.”

I left the store with Leon, leaving behind the employee who enthusiastically sent me off.

*

*

“What is this..? It melted in my mouth.”

“Oh, do you know how to express things like that?”

This time, I went to a high-end restaurant with Leon.

While eating comfortably in a specially prepared VIP room, Leon’s eyes widened and he exclaimed in admiration for each of the delicacies he had tried for the first time in his life.

“I’m glad it fits your taste.”

“This is my first time eating food like this. I thought the food I had at the management bureau was the best I’ve ever had, but it turns out it’s true that there is a stomach above all else.”

I was worried that he might not like it because it tastes cheap, but it seems like he eats better than me.

“Places like this are good, but there are also many delicious things to eat at restaurants frequented by ordinary people. However, I can’t go to a place like that because I can’t show my face carelessly.”

“Is it that much?”

“That’s about it.”

To eat, you inevitably have to take off your mask.

When you take off your mask, your face with an attractiveness level of 100 will inevitably be revealed.

In a high-end restaurant, everyone basically has a lot to lose, so there are very few people who recklessly do strange things.

However, cheap restaurants are often filled with people who have nothing to lose or who are just empty-headed.

Especially if you’re drunk.

“…that’s about it.”

Leon looked intently at my face, and when he made eye contact with me, he lowered his head.

In that state, I silently moved my fork and stuffed the food into my mouth.

‘You didn’t have much interest in me until a while ago, so why is this happening all of a sudden?’

Is it because the burden that was weighing heavily on Leon has disappeared?

Or is it because I let my guard down?

If not, is it because they judged me to be a good person?

‘Oh, is that everything?’

Whatever the reason, since the liking level has already reached 4, it is only a matter of time before it reaches 5.

‘I’m anxious.’

First of all, the Leon we’ve seen so far is quite normal among heroines.

The only worry is that, like Lily, she is a former subject of the Granat Project.

Although it is not as serious as Lily’s, Leon also has problems with his ability to control his emotions.

That’s why I get so upset every now and then.

First of all, it appears that the only problem is ‘sadness’, but we cannot conclude that that is the only problem.

Moreover, since there is no way for a normal heroine to exist in this game, there is a high possibility that there is a huge mine hidden there.

‘If by chance it’s really normal, that’s a problem.’

Lately, perhaps because of my mental instability, I’ve been feeling increasingly attached to heroines.

As my existence in reality fades with excessive stress, I seem to be mistaken in thinking that this world is the real world I live in.

In the meantime, what if Leon shows his normal self?

There is a high possibility of being overly mentally dependent.

Even now, I find Rion secretly cute as he glances at me while pretending not to be like that.

‘Ugh, fuck. ‘Humans have become so fucking weak.’

In times like this, you have to act like hell to come to your senses.

But I don’t really want to roll over.