If I had slapped the Belt of Measurement Cards on the table immediately, our business negotiations would have probably gone smoother from the beginning.

Well, it worked out in the end without the belt, but I don't want to freeze like this when I talk with Rainwoman in the future. I need to rehearse my lines.

Then again, Crys said my story was more believable because I didn't rehearse my lines... But then again, Rainwoman is not as smart as Crys...

“Explain.” (Crys)

“This is called Belt of Measurement Cards. It's a Strangers' collectible item that will be worth hundreds of krúricks in the future, when people understand what they do. You don't know about this item either, right?”

“First time seeing it.” (Crys)

“These twelve cards measure all kinds of things using precise standards. These standards stay always the same. I assume you understand the implications? For example, this card measures weight of objects placed on top of it, this card measures temperature of liquids, this card measures air pressure or something... I'm not actually completely sure about all of them; honestly speaking, I don't want to confuse you with my art school level understanding of physics and chemistry, because you can probably figure out their uses better than me eventually, you're the real genius in the room. Now, the most immediately useful card for you would be this: a laser light card that is used to measure distance.”

I turned on the laser card. A faint red light beam appeared in the dimly lit room. The card itself displayed light gray symbols formed by dots and crooked lines, like braille kanji blended with hangul script. The symbols on the cards were Strangers language.

In the game, some side puzzles required players to draw or punch Strangers symbols into machines, but there was no need to learn a complete fictional language just to play a game, and even less to speedrun a game. I had just memorized the sequences that were needed the most. I could make guesses about what the symbols meant from my experience in memorizing puzzle solutions, but adding to the difficulty level, I had already realized that in this world each card had an unique user interface that needed to be learned separately as well.

It was the same as with the Flat Truck controls: easy for Strangers to use, deliberately difficult for lowly humans to use.

I had concentrated my card-cracking efforts on two cards I knew were useful even without the user fully understanding them. The laser light proved to be easier of the two.

“The red beam measures distance and shows it as symbols on the card, although the symbols are not readily readable. But if you attach this card on a suitable firearm, what do you get? A laser sight sniper rifle! Nifty hack, eh?”

“I see. You can approximate the distance and the red light aids with targeting.” (Crys)

Crys understood the utility of laser sight immediately. Yep, sniper rifles and scopes are good. You don't have to even enter the area to eliminate required targets.

The door opened suddenly. Kimono returned to the room holding a wooden tray with three warm plates of food and wine goblets.

I turned the laser light slightly towards her and she flinched away like I had pointed her with a weapon.

“Brother, what is this madman doing?!” (Kimono)

“Sorry, Kimono, it's not dangerous. It's just red light.”

I quickly demonstrated the safety of the laser to Kimono by pointing the light to the palm of my hand.

“It's just light, look. It can hurt your eyes, if you point straight at them, but it's not dangerous otherwise.”

Kimono glared at me like I was a bothersome insect. Even though she was a dangerous assassin, you couldn't help but tease her a bit because of her cute tsundere reactions. I kind of expected her to chase the laser light like a cat for a moment.

“A gun with a light string for targeting. How many of these cards exist?” (Crys)

“At least two belts. Probably a few more, I suspect, but this one is the only belt with full set that I know of. People don't understand the worth of even the basic cards yet. Right now we are the only ones in the world who know how useful these are, although we can't use them to their full potential yet. You see, there's also this surface scanner card that should shine white light, but I haven't figured out how to turn the light on yet. Scanning surfaces or measuring distances doesn't really matter to us, it's just the side-effect of having a light that matters. When I can find the right setting, we can also use a continuous white light, like a small Moon Lantern. It'll be very useful when moving in–”

“Here's your food, brother.” (Kimono)

Kimono placed a small plate full of meat stew for her brother and then quietly pushed a small plate with a smaller amount of stew for me. Drinks in the goblets were tawny fruit wine. She also placed portions of white bread for her brother, but not for me.

Kimono, you just want make it perfectly clear you don't like me, huh?

...You didn't spit in my food, right? You wouldn't do something childish like that, would you? It would be an indirect kiss, you understand? Or did you just put hot spices in my portion?

Aa, mou! I'll eat your spicy spit stew! Are you happy now, Kimono?

The food tasted normal. I was just being paranoid. Probably.

Kimono only ate small pieces of dried meat herself. Was she on a diet? Now that I think about it, she never ate much in the anime either.

“Brother, what do you think?” (Kimono)

“He's either telling the truth in a roundabout way or he's the greatest liar I have ever met.” (Crys)

“I meant the food, brother. I made it. In the kitchen.” (Kimono)

“...It is fine.” (Crys)

“Thank you, brother.” (Kimono)

Aww, what wholesome pair of siblings.

I used to play the game as them and talk as them, but I had never talked to them. There were not many peaceful scenes like this in the anime because Crys was already an insomniac and plagued by hallucinations at the start of the series, and Kimono simply followed his sleepless routines.

I knew them, yet I didn't knew them. But I felt they were my only friends and family in this dark world.

“So, Crys, speaking about the cards–”

A sound of a distant temple bell interrupted me. Crys immediately took out a pocket watch and winded it. The bell of the local temple tolled twelve times total.

Mechanical clocks and stem winders existed in this world. My smartphone was my only timer, and the time measurement card in the belt used a decimal time system with hundred seconds in a minute and hundred minutes in a hour. I'd rather have the usual 24-hour clock. I should get a cool pocket watch too.

“It is midnight. I will take this red light card, you will keep the rest and find their use. I still have work to do and we will leave to Seitheargnagh in the morning, so this conversation will continue tomorrow.” (Crys)

“Night shift ahead, huh– Wait, wait, where did you say we are leaving?”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Tomorrow we will make a trade in Seitheargnagh, so we will leave the city early in the morning.” (Crys)

Oh. Hell. No.

Not that place.

“Seitheargnagh, as in the fortress city of the Lucranah Cult?”

“Yes.” (Crys)

“You do know that... wait, do you know it? About what Lucranah is?”

“I understand that Lucranah's Cult has a big influence in the city.” (Crys)

“No, I mean Lucranah himself, the mid-boss, the Seitheargnagh area boss. He's a monster we have to deal with at some point, but he can wait until Caliph Tze has been dealt with.”

“It seems you do not know that we sell weapons to Lucranah's worshippers.” (Crys)

“Eeh? Tha-that's certainly news to me... well, I understand that you deal with everyone who is not Suleiman's follower or Caliph's follower, but still...”

“You think this a problem.” (Crys)

“Yeah, you could say that. The monster those religious clowns worship, Lucranah Skineater, is a big problem. He has Strangers overtech under his skin and he needs to routinely eat human skin to stay alive. He's a skin-eating vampire, basically. If he decides to eat our skin, we have to fight against him and the whole West Side Boys Cult, and that's a scenario I want to avoid at all costs.”

“Interesting.” (Crys)

“Please be more concerned about this, Crys! Lucranah is extremely dangerous, you know, he's interesting in a completely wrong way!”

“I've never seen Lucranah personally. I only deal with one of the arch-priests. To my knowledge, Lucranah is a simple deviant lord with excessively devout followers.” (Crys)

“That's just what he wants everyone to think... Truthfully, I don't want to go near Seitheargnagh at all. Lucranah is crazy dangerous and unpredictable. The worst RNG ever.”

“Errengii...?” (Kimono)

“It means unpredictable behavior. If we trigger that apex predator, he can spawn anywhere and attack anywhere. He moves using old tunnels under the city really fast, pops out of the ground when you least expect it, and he's crazy skilled in a melee. A head shot won't stop him, he needs to be restrained and dismantled.”

“How unfortunate. I have signed a contract with his followers.” (Crys)

“Uuh...”

I don't want to go. I don't want to turn this run into a bullet hell. I don't want to lose the game right when it got started.

But he has signed a contract. He's going to go there no matter what I say, he will go without me. I can't let them face that RNG god Lucranah blindly either. I need to at least provide the most effective manipulation strats, if they have to fight him head on.

And I don't want to separate from the main characters after finally finding them. I have to place my trust on their strength.

If only the twins were here on our side already...

“You know the strengths and weaknesses of Lucranah, I take it?” (Crys)

“Yeah, but the twins killed him in the original timeline and that happened in the future when they were even stronger than now. We should at least have fully equipped Rainwoman in our party before we challenge that area–”

“We will go tomorrow, whether you join us or not.” (Kimono)

“Yes... I understand... I'll come with you and help you... anyway, so, I'll just return to Warm Revenge Inn to sleep and return here tomorrow–”

“I suggest you spend the night here instead of returning to your inn. We are hosted by the merchants who own this building. There are free rooms in the fourth floor.” (Crys)

“Oh, okay. I didn't leave anything at the inn, so I don't have to return there.”

“Good. Kimono, take him to his room.” (Crys)

----------------------------------------

Kimono guided me to the fourth floor and opened a door to a room at the far end of the hallway. It was a small windowless room that reminded me of a passenger cabin in a sail ship. There was just a bunk bed and a small table with one chair. Nothing else. This was a staff room, wasn't it? A room for a manservant or a maid, not for paying customers.

“I'll take it. Thank you, Kimono.”

“Wash room is at the other end of the hallway. Do not disappear or I will hunt you down.” (Kimono)

“Why would I run away? I have no intention of fleeing, I just signed a contract with your brother. Or are you telling me that I should run away...?”

Kimono gave me a cold look and turned to leave, but I couldn't let this rare chance of one-on-one talk to slip away so easily.

I stopped her with a low voice.

“Kimono, wait a moment.”

“Why?” (Kimono)

“Can I speak with you in all seriousness? I know you think of me as a threat still, but I promise I will not bring any harm to you or your brother.”

“Promises are easily broken. You seem to know that the blood contract is nothing but paper, there's nothing to discuss of it.” (Kimono)

“Yes, but that is still the reason I can promise I won't harm you two. Because I know about you two, I truly do. And because of that, there is some personal advice I want to give to you.”

“Advice as someone who claims to come from the future?” (Kimono)

“Yes. Two pieces of advice, actually. First, please make sure your brother sleeps and doesn't work all night, at least not every night. It's bad for his health. He's been working hard every day and night since City of Sighs, right?”

“...” (Kimono)

“I'll take your silence as a yes. If he doesn't sleep enough, it will lead to problems down the road. Then, second piece of advice: do not try to make your wish come true yourself. It is too dangerous. I can find a way to make your wish come true in a safe way.”

She seemed confused by my words for a moment, but then it dawned to her what I meant and her expression changed from irritation to anger.

“Do not try to trick me with your vague prophecies! You can't know anything about me!” (Kimono)

“I'm not trying to trick you. Don't be afraid, I won't speak about your secret ever again after this, all right? I'm just saying that I can help you create that... peaceful place.”

“How would you know something like that? I've never said anything, I've never spoken about it aloud, never...” (Kimono)

“I know because you tried to create that place in the future. And you failed.”

Season three of the anime. One of the most controversial episodes. The episode named simply “Alphons”.

The episode where Dragon Kimono died.

She killed herself off-screen, by accident. It was like she was suddenly written off from the series for no reason.

She ran away from the Starfish Mansion because of a selfish wish she had been keeping secretly since she was a child. When Crys and others finally found her, she had already turned into a lifeless clay doll.

Spoiler warning, by the way.

The trigger for that event was the Alphons Room in the Starfish Mansion. The one room in the Starfish Mansion I need to make sure no one ever enters. When we get to that place, I need to seal that room with cement like a nuclear waste site.

Kimono turned away from me. She didn't try to deny it.

Was she blushing from embarrassment? No, was she actually crying?

...Is that a dagger she's holding?

Uh oh. I really hit a nerve.

“How do you know?! You even knew what happened at City of Sighs... How can you know?! What are you?!” (Kimono)

“I'm... a time traveler...”

“Shut up!” (Kimono)

Oh crap. I didn't break her, did I?

She's might kill me now. Crys is going to kill me if she doesn't.

No, no, no. Everything is falling apart. Rewind! Panic! Cancel!

A manservant hurried up the stairs to check what was happening and Kimono pointed her dagger at him.

“Go away!” (Kimono)

The frightened manservant obeyed at once and ran back down to the third floor.

“I'm sorry, Kimono, I didn't want to hurt you in any way...”

“Shut up! Are you the only one who knows?!” (Kimono)

“Y-yes, only I know and I won't tell anyone else. I won't say it aloud. I do not think your wish is childish or embarrassing, in fact, let me help you make it true. I promise to support you, if you promise you do not try do it alone. If you try to do it alone, you will definitely fail. Okay? Please put the dagger away...”

She wouldn't suddenly kill me just because I know her deepest, darkest secrets, right? Her brother would get mad at her for doing that. That's the last thing she wants.

“I don't have a choice, do I?! If you already know everything...” (Kimono)

“Let me say it again: I won't tell anyone, ever. I will take your secret to my grave. My only goal here is to help you and your brother. And after Caliph Tze is dead, your wish can come true. I can help you to make it a reality. Just promise me you won't try to do it alone. That's all I need to know and we can forget any of this ever happened.”

Tears? She actually had tears on her cheeks. Wha-wha-what is this? This kind of thing never happened in the anime. A screencap moment right here. Turn this cute crying face into a phone background image.

...No, no. Don't make fun of her, this is serious business. She's a real person, not an anime character.

“I'm sorry for upsetting you. I can't help knowing what I know...”

“You will never talk about this. Promise it.” (Kimono)

“I promise.”

I raised my pinky finger, but Kimono looked confused about what I was trying to do. Mu-Ur was a Japanese series in my world, but it seems pinky promises were not a custom in this world.

“Ah, sorry, this is a silly custom in the future.”

“You will keep your mouth shut or I will end your existence.” (Kimono)

“Yes, of course, I wouldn't dare to tell anyone. I promise.”

What now? She didn't say anything, she just kept standing there with a dagger in hand.

What should I do? Do I go for a hug or something?

I don't know how to handle dramatic scenes like this! I'm a fight-or-flight kind of person, not a tend-and-befriend person.

“...Uh, I'll just go to sleep now, okay? Good night. Don't worry about it, everything is okay. This never happened.”

I need to reflect on my conduct. That didn't go well at all.

Before closing the door, I saw Kimono brush her face with a powder feather while holding a small round mirror. Then she noticed me peeping through the door gap, made an indignant expression and walked away. No, I'm not a weirdo voyeur who thinks crying girls are cute or anything! Don't misunderstand!

...She's not going to come back and kill in my sleep, right?

Whew. Okay. The most important thing was to bypass Kimono's future suicide drama. Even if I kicked open a trauma door I shouldn't have kicked right now, it's better than she kicking open the door to Alphons Room in the future.

Umu. I did a good thing. Hopefully this was enough to prevent that future.

Now we just have to survive Seitheargnagh level without triggering Lucranah. Oh boy...

I took of my clothes and slipped under the blanket in the soft bed. This bed was even softer than the one in Warm Revenge Inn.

I fell asleep trying to avoid the hopeless intrusive thoughts of getting murdered by Kimono and the fact that there was still an ongoing slave exhibition in the basement.