Fairy Gawain wanted to sleep with Jiang You in her arms tonight. Jiang You genuinely wanted to agree, but the System issued a severe warning: if his actions jeopardized the review process, his testing contract would be terminated, and he would be blacklisted. The red light of the pop-up window flashed so rapidly it looked like it was about to self-destruct.
It was the first time Jiang You had ever seen such urgency from a System notification.
Seriously, if you don't want certain things to happen, don't make the completion level so damn high! Jiang You complained internally, though he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
After weighing his options, Jiang You was ultimately swayed by Money. They were just paying him too much. So, he had no choice but to refuse the tempting offer—not that players could actually replenish their sleep in the game anyway.
Under Fairy Gawain's disappointed gaze, Jiang You closed the door and switched to the Fifth Holy Grail War Script.
This was the script where he had spent the most time and the one that offered him the most freedom of movement. Here, the Clock Tower had already handled his affairs in the outside world, allowing him to appear openly in any area.
At an open-air café, Jiang You summoned Fairy Tristan. Since he couldn't leave Manchester at will yet, this was the only way he could communicate with her.
Fairy Tristan had shed her usual vibrant red Gothic attire for a more modern, casual outfit. Although it was an armpit-baring style, a wide black vest completely covered her exposed shoulders, providing sun protection while reducing her skin exposure.
She even wore a pair of round-framed glasses, giving her the perfect appearance of a refined, literary young woman. This outfit was identical to her Swimsuit Second Ascension. Incidentally, Jiang You had bought it for her, directly referencing that very design, and it was clear she quite liked it. As for the round-framed glasses, they were a tribute to Morgan's era as the Witch of the Rain.
But this refined aura was shattered the moment she spoke. Her nose twitched slightly, and she immediately covered her nose and mouth, waving her other hand in front of her face as if trying to fan away the air.
"It reeks of dog! And sweat! What the hell have you been doing?!"
"Really?"
Jiang You sniffed himself but couldn't detect any particular odor. Fairy Gawain did cling to me for quite a while, though. He had to admit, as a member of the Fang Clan, Fairy Gawain had a certain loyal-dog quality. Despite her imposing physique (in every sense), she surprisingly possessed a girlish heart. Honestly, she was far cuter than Fairy Tristan.
"It's probably Barghest's scent," Jiang You said. "And is your nose really that sensitive? None of the other Fang Clan fairies reacted at all. Besides, I thought you liked Barghest."
After all, one of Fairy Tristan's ROOMTALK lines was: "I like Barghest, you know? Her kink is devouring those she loves, yet she desperately pretends to be a knight. Isn't that both pitiful and amusing?"
Even if she had reformed slightly, her twisted personality hadn't fundamentally changed. It didn't make sense for her to react so strongly to Fairy Gawain's scent, did it?
"Barghest?... Barghest?"
Fairy Tristan quickly realized who Jiang You was talking about. She only liked Barghest's twisted kink, not anything else about her. "Besides, I can't stand muscle girls! It's only been a day, and you're already calling her by a nickname? You said you were going to ask Mother for help—what exactly did she help you with?!"
Since Jiang You hadn't decided how to approach Fairy Gawain before seeking Morgan's help, Fairy Tristan was unaware of Morgan's plan. Jiang You intended to have Fairy Gawain attend Fairy Tristan's Closing Ceremony as a key witness, so there was no need to hide this from her.
He recounted Morgan's entire arrangement to Fairy Tristan.
After hearing everything, Fairy Tristan's expression darkened.
"What's wrong?"
Jiang You instinctively pulled his feet back under the table, sensing a vague threat. His instincts proved correct—Fairy Tristan once again launched an attack on the top of his foot.
"What do you think is wrong?! You promised to assist me, you traitor!"
Fairy Tristan's grip on her coffee cup tightened abruptly. The scalding coffee burst out, splashing all over the table.
"You're going to be Barghest's lover? Do you want to get eaten?!"
"It's not 'assist,' it's 'guide'... Okay, close enough."
Jiang You wasn't dense. Fairy Tristan's outburst was exactly like a girlfriend throwing a tantrum. He even detected a hint of concern in her last sentence. He glanced at the Affection reward from Fairy Tristan—it was already quite high. Ever since that night, her attitude toward him had improved significantly. The answer was obvious.
"You haven't fallen for me, have you?"
"Of course not!"
Fairy Tristan's face flushed slightly, but she wasn't some innocent young girl. She quickly suppressed her embarrassment.
"I just hate it when something that belongs to me is taken by someone else! Even if you're worthless in my eyes, I won't allow even my discarded trash to be picked up!"
A classic tsundere declaration. If Jiang You took the initiative now, he could earn even more Affection. But under the current circumstances, he felt something was off about this "game." He decided to put Fairy Tristan's rewards on hold for now and focus on securing the Three Knights first.
"Isn't this all for the Card? Besides, you know my state—attacks are useless against me."
Fairy Tristan knew how obsessed Jiang You was with collecting Cards, so his excuse was convincing enough.
However, it was then that Jiang You noticed a problem. Theoretically, Fairy Gawain's Affection for him was very high, and she acted like it. Yet, he had only received some minor rewards after preparing that one meal for her. The Affection inherited from Adonia didn't seem to count.
"...So I really have to build the Bond myself for it to count?"
"Still want to take it further?"
Fairy Tristan hurled the crumpled remains of the coffee cup in her hand straight at Jiang You's head. "Go drown yourself with your precious Cards! Send me back! I don't want to speak another word to a traitor!"
"What about our plans for later?"
Jiang You had sought out Fairy Tristan mainly to discuss the arrangements for the Closing Ceremony and to promote her identity as the Savior. He quickly glanced at his Card Pool. Good—even if her Affection dropped, the Cards wouldn't be reclaimed. It seemed they were one-time rewards, like characters you could dismantle after mining all their resources.
"I'll handle it myself! Don't you worry about it!"
Puffing with anger, Fairy Tristan stormed away.
"Feels like the NPCs are rebelling," Jiang You couldn't help but mutter. The game was just too realistic; even the NPCs had minds of their own.
"Forget it, I'll just treat this part like a Galgame," Jiang You grumbled. "Damn Konami, how many different game genres did you stitch together?! But even with this part, there are no CGs to watch! Couldn't you have just made Doki Doki Heroic Spirit Academy instead?!"