I apologize to those who cannot see the furigana.
Leaving aside the “Sunken Prince,” the investiture ceremony ended, as expected, with an anticlimactic swiftness.
The only thing that deviated from my expectations was the number of spectators; everything else was just like in the game.
I received the “Sword Sealing Saint Cat Medal” as a representative of everyone, and then…
“You’ve done truly well. You and your companions are the pride of our nation. After the ceremony, you should reward your friends as well.”
The King whispered this to me at a volume that only I could hear.
(It’s here!)
Unlike the King, who left with a satisfied expression, I stiffened my body. In truth, the biggest “reward” for a Player in this investiture ceremony event was not the medal item or the honor, but the King’s words just now.
This phenomenon, which was initially thought to be a bug, was listed on the Bug page of the “Nekomeko Wiki” as “Upon clearing, the affinity with one random companion drastically increases (verification required).” Later, some people began to connect this unnatural increase in affinity with the King’s final words at the investiture ceremony, and it was understood to be a feature.
Of course, verification progressed, and this phenomenon has been completely solved. It is now called the “Clear Bonus Affinity” or “Post-Clear Heroine Select,” and it has been revealed that after hearing the King’s dialogue, the companion character spoken to first experiences a significant increase in affinity.
The increase is a uniform 30, regardless of the character. Since a normal character event usually results in a mere 5 point increase, this can be considered an outrageous increase. While the utilization varies from person to person, it seems that many Players would ensure their desired marriage companion had an affinity of 70 or more before clearing, and then use this bonus to instantly raise it to 100 for marriage.
(But what should I do…)
As the investiture ceremony concluded, I left the Cathedral with my companions, lost in thought. In this world, the affinity system is clearly different from that in the game. When it comes to affinity, the person’s feelings take precedence over game specifications. Therefore, it’s not entirely correct to say that this affinity bonus can be ignored. It’s also clear that this world strives to replicate the game’s events and specifications as much as possible. Even if the “affinity bonus” doesn’t directly cause an increase in a companion’s affinity, it’s likely that words spoken in this state would be perceived with unusual favor.
…So, who should I talk to?
In the sense of rewarding my companions, choosing the one who shared hardships with me is a straightforward choice. And when it comes to the one with whom I’ve spent the most time in this world…
“…Soma?”
Without a doubt, it would be Ringo. Although I met her after Ena, the time I spent with her is overwhelmingly the longest. She has saved me countless times, and at the same time, her existence has continuously encouraged me.
However, Ringo is a bug character and, originally, a Princess character who shouldn’t have been a companion. She is likely outside the scope of this affinity bonus. Maki, who slyly followed me after the ceremony, and the Bear that Maki is holding are excluded for the same reason.
So, naturally, the next candidate would be…
“You’ve been silent since a moment ago, did something happen?”
Mitsuki, who has always contributed to the party with her overwhelming potential and the cuteness of her cat ears. Although she started as an enemy, Mitsuki was dutiful even then, and the cat-eared girl was cute. Since becoming my companion, she has worked tirelessly in combat, reconnaissance, and searching for people. Recently, she has also learned to care for others, and the cat-eared girl is cute. Perhaps it’s worth giving words of gratitude to the cat-eared girl and Mitsuki.
However, on the other hand, there’s also the option of choosing someone with whom I wouldn’t normally be able to become close, without being bound by the word “reward.”
“Fufu. I am the Hero, fufufu…”
I don’t want to get close to a pervert who smiles creepily under his mask, but acquiring the Stardust Flare, which can only be obtained through Sahzan’s character event, is essential. The thought of accepting this as a way to raise my affinity and reduce future trouble by speaking to Sahzan is tempting.
Furthermore, whether it’s a bug or a feature, the applicability of this affinity bonus is wide, and it doesn’t matter if the character is not currently in my party, as long as they are a recruitable character. In an extreme scenario, this affinity bonus can be applied to someone I’ve never even befriended, or even someone I’m meeting for the first time. Perhaps this bonus could be used to broaden my connections…
“…Ah.”
It was at that moment. The figure of a certain girl caught my eye.
“…Ena.”
She was sitting dejectedly on a bench near the Cathedral, her shoulders slumped, alone. Seeing her, I felt ashamed of my own calculations. Whether such an “affinity bonus” would truly be effective in this world, I didn’t know. But either way, I decided not to manipulate someone’s feelings with such a thing.
(I’ll use this bonus to cheer Ena up.)
Despite the matter with the ring, Ena’s affinity has already reached 100, and we’re married. There’s probably almost no meaning in using the affinity bonus on her. Still, if it can help her overcome her sadness even a little, that would be the best outcome.
My hesitation vanished. I rushed towards Ena, wanting to cheer her up as quickly as possible,
“Ah!”
That was my mistake. Distracted and not paying attention to my surroundings, I collided with someone emerging from an alley.
“I’m sorry! Are you alright?”
I hurriedly reached out a hand to the person who had fallen on their behind, and then I realized I had spoken aloud. I clamped my mouth shut, regretting it, but it was too late.
No, this is unavoidable. I have to apologize to the person I bumped into, and if this person isn’t a recruitable character, then there’s no problem. Thinking this, I looked at the person I had bumped into…
“……What?”
At that moment, I felt as if my heart had stopped. The person’s face was hidden by a shabby, light-brown hood. But I felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. It stirred the freshest memory of my time in the game.
From somewhere, I heard a rattling sound. I thought it was quite jarring, and then I realized my teeth were chattering up and down.
(No way… Such a coincidence…)
But my wish was cruelly crushed. The hood fell backward with a rustle. Peeking out from beneath it were dull blonde hair and a face stained with soot and dirt.
“Ah, ahh, ah…”
An inarticulate groan escaped my lips. And from her unkempt, yet finely shaped lips,
“…Father?”
A desperate whisper emerged…
(—Step!!)
It was almost a reflex. I drew out Fire of Sh and Koganezakura,
(High Step, Shukuchi, High Jump, Shuntou, Step, High Step, Shukuchi!)
I fled the spot with all my might. The rules about not using weapons in town, or leaving my companions behind, had completely escaped my mind.
(This is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!!)
All I had in my mind was the sense of crisis, the need to get away from this place as quickly as possible! I put distance between us with movement skills, used High Jump and Shuntou to get onto a roof, then ran across the rooftops with another movement skill combo, crashing into a chimney and stopping. It was an escape attempt using almost all of my current abilities. For an ordinary person, they wouldn’t have even understood what had happened. Having gained some distance, my composure returned slightly, and I looked back…
…At the place where the blonde woman had been.
I met her gaze as she looked straight up at me.
“Ah, ah, ah… Waaahhhhh!!”
…I don’t remember what happened after that.
“Ng, ngu…?”
I opened my eyes to a poking sensation on my cheek.
“Hii!?”
I was startled by the blood-stained kitchen knife suddenly appearing in front of me, but I felt relieved upon seeing its owner.
“Christina? Did you wake me up?”
How did I get back after that? Before I knew it, I had collapsed face down on the floor of the mansion. Perhaps she was worried, as the mansion’s dolls were surrounding me. While I was happy about that, I was unfortunately not in a mental state to attend to them right now. I pulled out Rachel, who was trying to get inside my clothes, and pushed away Daniel, who was playing boisterously behind me, and then sat up.
“Why, why did this happen…”
I held my head in my hands. My body was still trembling. Certainly, the area near the Cathedral was within “her” range of activity. That’s why I usually tried to avoid it as much as possible, and it was my own fault for letting my guard down at that moment. Even so, why did she have to appear at such a pinpoint moment?
“Shadow Assassin…”
Her epithet slipped from my lips. But she had more than just that epithet. “Shadow Assassin,” “Walking Death Flag,” “Night-Crawling Darkness,” “Incarnation of Jealousy,” “Blooming Poison Butterfly,” “Seer of Souls,” “Eternal Pursuer,” “Lover on Your Back,” “Absolute Unsinkable Affinity,” “Death God of Twin Wings,” “Queen of Sickness,” and “Player Killer.” She has the most epithets of all the characters in “Nekoneko,” and she is a forbidden companion candidate character that one should absolutely avoid raising their affinity with if they value their life. Furthermore, in the unofficial “Capital City Dangerous NPC Ranking,” she secured first place by a wide margin, far surpassing Sahzan in second place and Poison-tan in third, making her the most formidable character.
“—Layla. Layla Milton.”
She is the Player’s greatest nemesis, the one who uses the ultimate skill, “Forced One-Hit Kill Player.”
