"People near, far, and wide. Listen up and listen well! The Great Epic Legendary Tale of Gothra-sama!!!"

I'm not so sure about getting so deeply personal in a game, with some you met literally just today, but she seems very enthusiastic about it so, well, whatever I guess.

"You're kinda like an exhibitionist, but for like your emotions instead of your body. Hahahahaha!"

"What!?" Gothra was surprised by my comment then went silent. Oops, did I go too far? But she started it! I think. "...Okay, I'll admit, that was creative. Hahaha! But are you against people expressing themselves?"

"Oh, no, no. Not at all. Of course not. I just thought it was a funny joke to make. Too far?"

"Nope. I just said it was creative. But... 9/10."

"Jesus. Tough crowd."

"Hehehe. I'm pretty sure that you cannot just go around naked in this game, even if you wanted to. So bold of you to assume that I'm not the other kind of exhibitionist too!"

"Pfft! Cough! Cough! Cough! Hahahahaha! Fucking hell Gothra! What the fuck! Wahahahahaha! Okay, alright, I accept my 9/10 rating. Must you win everything?"

"Can't help it." She flipped her hair. "My very presence emanates victory."

"Sure, sure, oh Gothra-sama. May thine grace please continue with her storytheth."

"I shall. I will now recite to you the grand ballad of my Storytethet."

Clap, clap, clap!

She continued her tale after I gave her some pre-emptive applause.

"It all began when the first big bang happened..."

"What about before that? What happened before the big bang?"

"I fucked your mom, that's what."

...

"Well, she's dead. Necrophilia. Ew."

"Oh, ah, sorry..."

"Wait, you actually did fuck my dead mother!?"

"Of course not! It was a joke! Don't interrupt my story!"

"You're the one who started it with the fucking big bang of all things..."

"Oh... right... well, it has been a learning experience for all of us."

"Hahaha! What is this, an apology video?"

"I made a mistake, what I did is unforgivable, I don't deserve this platform, so please forgive me, like and subscribe. New videos coming out soon after I am no longer depressed because of you. Hahaha!"

"Bwahahahaha! I think that's still better than most! You only blamed everyone else at the end!"

"Hahaha... But well... really though, sorry. Maybe I'm getting too comfortable with you. I think that was a touch too far. And yeah... sorry about your mom."

"Eh, come on. No need to get like that. It's fine, I'm perfectly fine with it. It was her choice anyway, she survived to see The System, and she chose to die. She didn't want the immortality. I don't get it, honestly, but it's her choice at the end."

"Oh... I see. My parents made the same choice too, possibly all my people... or well, the people I grew up around with."

"Yeah... Anyway, I'm also getting real comfortable with you... and maybe I'm going too far too? I have to like keep reminding myself that we just met, hahaha!"

"Oh, well... if we're both fine with it then there's no problem then... Just tell me if, you know, I do something real bad or something. I'd hate to, uhh, lose a friend. We're friends, right?"

"Of course we are. You sent the request, remember?"

"Come on! I'm being serious for once!" She pouted... cutely.

"Ahahaha! Sorry, sorry. Yes, I'd love to be your friend Gothra. The first one I've made in a literal century."

"Ehehe, that's longer than I've been alive."

"Oh?" Wait, is she a minor? I didn't get that impression at all... Nope, definitely not. The System would've cut off our insane conversations long ago if that was the case... Whew.

"Ah well, yeah, I told you that I was born after The System, right?"

"Oh... yeah, that's a whole century right there. Man, time sure flies..."

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"It sure does. Err, Bereo, how old am I?"

"88 years, 3 months, and 2 days."

"I think he forgot the seconds," I chuckled.

"5 minutes, 11 seconds, and 15 miliseconds. And counting." Bereo added.

"Wow. He's diligent."

"He sure is."

The way she said that...

I squinted my eyes right at Gothra in a judgy look.

She smiled back at me. "In many ways."

"Bwahahaha! You're no fun. Or wait no. You're a lot of fun?"

"Definitely the latter. And it's not like you aren't either." she gestured at Ciraphim hovering over my side.

"My Ciraphim is a lot more normal than yours! An actual person might still wear her clothes!"

"And do you really think that no actual person would wear these? Really? You should know better, Firara-kun." Gothra pointed at Bereo with a wide teasing grin.

"I... okay, yeah. You're right. Definitely."

"Hahaha! Gothra wins again! Anyway, we're getting far off-topic once more. Though I am having a lot of fun, that's why we're going off-topic! But to not waste any more time, I'll start with this: I was born into the resistance! My parents were a part of it!"

"Oh... wait, the resistance as in those anti-system guys!?"

"Yep, the very one. Or well, I think there were many groups like that."

Oh wow, I've heard of those people, and it's not like I don't get it to an extent, but The System has only helped us, and victory against it is impossible, so why bother?

Gothra continued her story, "I was born into one of the members of a certain resistance group, I don't actually remember which one. I don't really care to look for them either, I haven't seen them in years. Rather, I'm the one who left, so why would I come crawling back? They're all probably dead anyway, cause' they didn't want to take the immortality option of The System. I mean it's their right to do so, and The System allows it of course, but why do they have to take it away from me too!? They got so mad when they found out that I've been spending the System Money that we all just get for free in order to buy stuff that I wanted. Were it not for The System's protection, they would've hurt me..."

Gothra gritted her teeth and rested her head on Bereo. She looked about to cry, and like I said... she didn't have to tell me...

"Hey, no need to force yourself. You can tell me some other time instead..."

"Hahaha. Quit worrying Fira. I'm fine! I just never really told anyone about all of this... though maybe I've mentioned bits and pieces in forums? Yeah, that. So this isn't much different!"

"It's totally different!"

"Eh?? Well, whatever. My parents got mad, and were about to hit me, but we all know that's not actually possible, right? The System will just stop it. Then they started cursing me out and shit, how it's unholy or mark of the beast or whatever. Then I said 'Yeah, well what if I like the beast then!? Ever think about that, huh!?' And they flipped the fuck out! Hahahahaha!"

"Well, good on you for showing them who's boss!"

"Yeah! Exactly! After that they got real petty, and always so passive-aggressive, constant fucking lectures, you name it. Those hypocrites! They also bought shit for themselves using System Money! But when I brought it up, they got mad at me! Can you believe that!?"

"Yeah, that's terrible. They can't even keep their own tenets. I mean I get it, they might have to rely on The System to survive, but they don't have to get mad at you then..."

"Oh no, they weren't just buying necessities. It's kinda like something I figured everyone does in secret. Maybe a few real devout ones don't? But well, my parents were devout enough to hate me for my choices..."

"Eh? Well, that's even worse then. Man, I'm glad you got out of there. If they actually kept their tenets, then well, they would really be dead huh?"

"Yeah... though I think that's a 50/50. No one wants to die, and The System would give them immortality if they asked. I bet they'll still somehow bullshit that choice in contradiction to everything they deigned to teach me from such a young age..." Gothra did a few stretches, even though neither our game avatars nor our real bodies ever really have a need for that. "In the end, I got sick of it all and left. You could say I left without saying anything, but you could also say that I've been saying things for years and years and years. They never listened. Oh, but I still left a note though, like the good godly daughter that I am. It said 'bye-bye' in very elaborate cursive."

"Hahahaha! What a way to go! Hell, I'm surprised you put up with it for years when I'm sure you could've moved out anytime."

"Ah, yeah. But if I was moving out anyway, I wanted to move out of that dump and into a big palace!"

...

"Huh? What do you mean...?"

"Well, I was saving up System Money in order to buy a big palace."

"But you left alone by yourself right. Why in the world would you even need a fucking palace?"

"What? It's only fitting of someone of my caliber! Gahahahaha!"

...

"You know you could've lived in a temporary house right? They're quite cheap. Or I think if you were to become homeless, The System would've given you like a good sizable apartment."

"What!?" Gothra acted surprised. But she wasn't, really. "...Well, I knew all that, of course. I'm not stupid! But you know, they're still my parents and siblings, right? They raised me, and they're who I've known since forever... I wanted to at least try to mend things up. I did. I really did... try. I waited and waited and waited... Until I couldn't wait anymore..."

Gothra now had a very melancholic and nostalgic look on her face, illuminated by the bright stars and the silver moon shining above, just like back on the real earth. She was looking off into the distance, as if trying to pierce time with her very gaze.

Oh shit... I'm fucking dense. I've no right to criticize stupid harem protagonists...

"Sorry... I took things at face value. I'm not... I was never good at picking up things. So I thought you really did wait just so you could get a palace."

"Do you think I'm that dumb!? But well, maybe, ahahaha. I actually did get a palace, and it's great. And I did in a way see it as a new beginning so I wanted it to be as grand as possible, you know?"

"I see... I mean, I think a palace is the most amount of land a single person is allowed to own, and it takes a looong procedure. But well, it is very poetic as a new beginning. I'm surprised it even went through, there must be plenty of people that want one right?"

"Yeah, well, I just tried and it worked. No one really knows the full criteria for these things. And if it didn't work, I was planning on just building up-- which I am doing with the palace land anyway, ahahaha! Like a Tower of Babel, it's fun to see how far I can go! My house actually reaches the clouds by now!"

"Eh?! ...Well, if it's fun and you like it then I don't see why not... but why!? What do you even do with that much space?"

"'Why did you climb the mountain?' 'Because the mountain is right there!' You ever heard of that quote?"

"I have... It's fine. It's just surprising."

"Well, sure. Not like I need your permission to do it..."

"Ah, I didn't mean that! I was just asking..."

"Ahahaha! I know, I know. But well... it's not like it's empty you know? Not a single room, except for the latest ones, are left unfilled."

"Oh? But it's really big, right? What would you even put... Nope, nevermind. No need to answer that question. I can already imagine..."

"Oh my. What a creative mind you have, Fira Dragonir. Fufufu."

And like that, we just chatted away for hours. We're supposed to be playing the game! But well, it's fine. If that's all I wanted to do then I shouldn't have picked up an MMO in the first place.