'What the... what is this?'

Ishiki's eyes widened as he read the contents of the screen. And he couldn't hide the impulsive grin that appeared on his face.

"You guys are very dependable, you know that. haha."

==================

Personal Quest

Objective - [Explain what a cake is]

Reward - [5,000 NC]

Penalty for failure - [?]

==================

He took several steadying breaths, then started speaking with voice carrying strange mixture of enthusiasm and melancholy:

"So, uh... A cake is a sweet, soft and delicious dessert made on Earth. It's usually round or square—well, you can have it in any shape you want, really."

He stopped abruptly.

The grin vanished from his face as fast as it had appeared. He didn't know why exactly, but the expression was suddenly... lost. Felt inappropriate for what he needed to say next.

"It... it's used to celebrate happy moments."

His voice dropped to near-whisper.

"Today... or maybe it was yesterday, it's my birthday."

The words fell into absolute silence.

Not a single message appeared on the Admin chat. All of them were quite, as if they had gone elsewhere or simply had nothing to say that wouldn't sound insultingly hollow.

Ishiki remained equally silent, staring at the drawn cake in dust. The simple lines looked pathetic now. Childish even.

After a long stretch, a simple message appeared.

[Admin 292 - Its something edible, I see]

[The Personal Ques is complete]

[You have received 5,000 NC]

Ishiki looked at the notification with an indifferent face and then dismissed the Admin Chat as well.

Then he sighed and looked at the Crimson Moon. 'Well, I guess... Happy birthday to me.'

"Cough! Hmm... So, Happy Birthday Ishiki."

Ishiki flinched violently at unexpected voice.

His head snapped around, scanning surroundings with paranoia. But there was nothing to be seen anywhere.

"Uh... who's there? Where are you? Come out." He said slowly, with palm open and ready to summon the Curved Bone.

The other voice chuckled. "Don't be so tense," Suddenly, two legs appeared from the roof's edge—dangling down with casual confidence.

Then a face lowered into view, appearing upside-down at the porch's side.

"It's me."

A stream of burgundy hair fell in inverted cascade as Filch's smiling face came into full view. Then his expression shifted to concern, and he frowned before Ishiki could respond.

"What? Have you gone mad? Whom were you talking to? Don't tell me... to yourself?"

Ishiki's eyes twitched. "Shut up, will you? I was just telling these admins, what a cake is."

Filch looked at him with expression caught between pity and worry—as if observing someone's slow mental deterioration.

Then he jumped down the roof and Landed gracefully on the ground.

He might not look like it, but Filch was one of the most seasoned fighter in this whole settlement, maybe he could rival the princess, but chose not to.

The tall man slowly walked toward Ishiki while setting burgundy hair back into place, then sat down beside him with comfortable familiarity.

"I know things are hard..."

Filch looked at him and put a hand on Ishiki's shoulder, nodding slowly. "But we should try to be sane."

Ishiki meanwhile was in a great uproar. 'Holy Cow... what in the world. Don't tell me -'

'They can't see the Admin messages?!'

Observing that his companion had zoned out, Filch asked. "What are you thinking?"

Ishiki looked up at him and scowled with expression carrying indignation.

"That your dumbass doesn't even know about the Admins."

Filch was stunned for a moment, he blinked a couple of times and then stared back into the starless sky.

"You really have lost it, well... I am not any better to be honest."

The tall buy went silent, besides him Ishiki was lost in his own thoughts. 'What the hell, what the hell? They don't know about the admins? Holy shit.'

'Everyone has system interface. Everyone has observers watching their actions.'

'Right?'

'...Right?'

This was a new and a very... insidious revelation. Now... there was one more thing added to the list of things related to himself, about whom he had no idea.

He had one more question too, a rather very important one or maybe just a greedy one.

He turned to Filch with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, Filch. I have a question."

The guy turned to him and nodded in approval.

"Uh... so it might sound stupid. But, how does one collect NC?" Ishiki asked with a bit of embarrassment.

Filch observed him for a prolonged moment, he opened his mouth, but stopped and sighed. He had reached the conclusion about Ishiki's mental state.

"Don't you normally get NC after killing Withering Beasts or Demons?"

Ishiki's eyes widened. This... how could that be? He... he didn't get the NC from killing those monsters. How could the things be so different for him?

'Damn it. I've never received NC that way.'

That meant, he was actually poor.

He grimaced and shoved it all aside.

What good would come from contemplating on the things he couldn't control. Even if he wanted to be surprised, he couldn't. There were several things he didn't knew and most would need that expression.

Filch's soft chuckle brought him out of spiraling thoughts.

The man was looking at ground with dark expression, somehow still smiling despite visible despair.

"Tell me something, Ishiki?"

His voice emerged quiet.

"Will we ever get out of here? Will we be able to kill the Emperor of Aethelburg? Wherever that damned place is—will we ever reach it? Will we reach back home, back to Earth?"

Ishiki was... speechless.

He shifted uncomfortably and stared at the cake he had drawn in the dust. After lingering for a long moment he finally spoke.

"I am not sure, but... Don't underestimate human will, Filch."

The words felt hollow even as he said them.

"Human's are very tenacious beings. We will surely be free."

Filch was silent for a moment and then laughed out loud.

"Haha... Free? Ishiki, you sure need sleep, you know."

His laughter died as quickly as it emerged, replaced by voice carrying terrible certainty.

"Freedom is a myth. An unattainable goal... What will we be free from exactly?"

He gestured expansively at nothing and everything simultaneously.

"The Scenario? Well, there would be another one after. The Trials? Don't make me laugh."

His expression darkened further.

"There is no freedom left, Ishiki. We are slaves. Slaves to the Neural Matrix System. Slaves to survival, to our very lives."

With that, he stood abruptly and walked toward the house's edge. He stopped at gate and spared Ishiki a smile that carried more sadness than any frown.

"Happy birthday once again. And get some sleep—the Crimson Night will end soon."

Then he jumped with supernatural ease. Small thud echoed from roof as he landed above. soon, even that sound faded, leaving Ishiki alone once more.

Alone with jumbled thoughts and despair. Staring at a cake drawn in dust that would blow away with next wind.

Soon after Filch left, Ishiki heard footsteps nearby and got alerted.

Summoning [Curved Bone] with mental command that had become reflexive, the pale blade manifested into his grip.

He stood quickly, perhaps too quickly, revealing anxiety despite attempt at appearing controlled.

He hid and observed as a shadow appeared beside the cottage.

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