The Sparrowhawk slowly approached the city from the sea, which is where the airship docks were located. They weren’t large, which was to be expected. Airships still weren’t exactly common even if we’d been flying around in one like it was no big deal.

The designs weren’t sylvani either, clearly a metal technology, but different yet again from the elegant baroque bronze gold patterns that the Empire used. These ships were slimmer, using a silvery blue metal that glimmered in the sunlight. I could see Lakshmi’s mouth salivating as she stared at them though the canopy. I grinned and patted her shoulder. “Captain, dock first. Then we can examine one.”

She jerked in surprise, and then jerked a nod at me.

Flares of blue and red color shot into the air, and I could see a small figure on the docks below waving what looked like small lanterns in a complicated pattern. I opened my mouth to ask, but before I could, Eshaan’s eyes lit up and he exclaimed “Signal flares! Like the imperial docks! I bet they mean-”

“-that we are being directed to the far dock on the right side.” Lakshmi finished in a rush, grinning at Eshaan.

“Then we had best comply.” said Camaxtli calmly, and smoothly swung the Sparrowhawk into a new heading.

I felt a completely unreasonable gush of frustration and irritation. How dare she get along so well with him! She’s got Camaxtli! I huffed at myself, crossing my arms in irritation. Honestly what is wrong with me. Have a little faith in the plot. Eshaan… if… if I want him is… mine. I swallowed nervously. It was not very comfortable to confront my own issues with predestination and choice. Not to mention that I was embodying one of my hated Tsundere tropes, running hot and cold/yes and no with myself.

Eshaan can have friends who are girls. I reminded myself sternly. How about a little faith in Eshaan, hm Lily?

I wasn’t entirely sure if it was the stasis of the System, or some similarity of function that let Lakshmi and Eshaan translate signal flares from another culture, but it seemed that they’d guessed right. We were smoothly guided into one of the empty air docks, where the Sparrowhawk settled onto its landing struts with a smooth sigh and whine as her engines powered down.

“Right! We’re down, so lets find out where we are!” Lakshmi exclaimed enthusiastically. She grabbed her pirate hat and strode over to the hatch, slapping the open button and letting in the hot swampy smell of the air outside.

The dock workers were human, I was relieved to note, though with an ambiguously brown skin and hair in shades of blue and green.

I smiled to myself. How wonderfully anime. I wonder if this area is water themed? Lakshmi strode out onto the gangway and waved. “Hi! Can you tell us where we are?”

The dock workers blinked slowly, stared at each other, then turned back to her. “This is Aicaterin. Southern Arabal. The worker blinked slowly and rubbed his head. “Say, I’ve never seen a ship like that… are you from the western continent?!” He asked with wide eyes.

Lakshmi grinned and swept a bow with her hat in hand. “Captain Lakshimi, of the Sparrowhawk at your service!”

The first worker turned to the other and said “Told you. You owe me 10 zeni.”

“Now how was I to know the westerners would finally figure out how to get an airship over the ocean?!”

“By the way it’s that weird bronze and black color and not silver like a proper ship or green and brown like a sylvani cruiser?”

Lakshmi coughed. “That aside… docking fees? We don’t have a lot of local currency, but we do have trade goods!”

The dock workers blinked and then laughed. “We accept zeni, same as everywhere else!” one said. “Though if you’re selling, the market’s the place for that. 50 zeni for a weeks’ docking rights. Payable in advance.” He pulled out a clipboard and held it out. “I’d ask purpose of stay, but if you’ve got trade goods… you’re clearly the craziest traders I’ve ever met.” He grinned, a bright flash of white against his brown skin. “Just sign there.”

We looked at each other in surprise, and Lakshmi dug out her wad of zeni bills, counted out the price, and handed them over.

Huh. So there’s some value to System conformity, I guess! I thought with surprise. Though…

“Do you get many sylvani ships?” Lakshmi asked, signing her name with an extremely piratical flourish.

“Eh, depends what you mean by a lot?” The dock workers shrugged. “Not sure what’s normal to you. Nothing today, but one a week a pretty normal traffic.” He raised his eyebrow curiously, opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it.

“We’re not running from anything, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Lakshmi said with a smoothness that took my breath away.

The docker stiffened in surprise then said casually “Could be what I was thinking, not my business if you are.”

Camaxtli exited the hatchway carrying an absurd amount of wool and sheep meat, as well as a few other things that looked like trade goods. He peered around the pile and asked “And the market was to the south east, you said?”

“Well that’s where the exit it.” The dock workers stared at him in surprise. I really couldn’t blame them, his android body could carry an absurd amount of weight without noticing it! The balance to keep the huge stack aligned was also something to inspire interest.

“Shall I proceed to the market… captain?” He asked Lakshmi, only a fraction of a bare hesitation indicating that he’d considered calling her anything else.

I grinned to myself. And now he’s learning how to adjust to deception and fluid titles. Well done, android boy.

Lakshmi nodded regally. “I’ll be along shortly. I need to check on fuel, and see if there’s any maps or other supplies for sale here.” She said.

Hm, good idea, actually. I don’t know what this half of the world map looks like. Or anything else, really.

“I’ll follow along with him, Captain. I think I can get some good prices here.” I smiled sweetly.

Finally, some use for my {Persuade} Skill! I thought cheerfully. I had no idea how our finances were doing, but a little more money in the party fund would hardly go amiss. And any new town is sure to have a host of sidequests and optional information dumps if we just listen!

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I followed along behind Camaxtli, humming softly to myself as we walked.

My curiosity finally got the better of me, and I asked Camaxtli “Have you made any progress on understanding people’s emotions?”

He turned and blinked at me, and then his head tipped to the side, his eyes whirling in thought.

Eventually, he said “Should I be? No. I misspeak. What emotional attachment do you expect me to have formed?”

I felt my cheeks burn so hot they tingled. How embarrassing! I’ve just had my curiosity turned back on me, and more! That intelligence of his is frightening!

“Erm… Well…” I stammered, unsure how to continue. I had wanted to ask him if he was planning to court Lakshmi, or if he was feeling romantically inclined or… well!

“Your reaction is confusing.” Camaxtli said. “I have made what I consider statistically significant progress in understanding interpersonal dynamics, as well as the display of emotive behaviors. If there is an emotive action that I should be displaying, I wish to know of it. Your foresight has been a significant advantage in this endeavor, ignoring it would be foolish. Likewise, if there is an action that I should be avoiding, that too should be explored!”

I squirmed with intense discomfort! “Camaxtli, it’s not… that’s not… I can’t… I ­musn’t simply try to make you feel something! That’s… just wrong!” I finally cried out in distress.

“If it enhances the success of our mission, it seems the most logical thing to do.” He replied relentlessly.

“Camaxtli, you can’t make someone feel an emotion!”

We walked on in silence for a moment, and then he said “I have noticed a linguistic anomaly. You will sometimes use the word ‘can’t’ when you mean ‘unwanted’ and you will sometimes use the word ‘must’ when you mean only to imply strong desire rather than truly unavoidable action. Which is the case here?”

I could feel the heat of my blush spreading to my ears at this point. “It… is possible to lead someone to an emotional reaction that you wish them to have.” I said unwillingly. “It is simply an immoral act. However, it is absolutely impossible for me to simply demand an emotion from you and expect it to manifest immediately! Especially with no emotional foundation or events to support it!”

“Yet you clearly expect some emotional reaction from me.”

I frowned deeply. Should I tell him? Would that not be negating his free will… I stopped suddenly, frozen with a thought. And what else have I been doing, but that exact action? Defying fate… I’m practically the poster child! Do I simply want to hold this information to myself…? I had to admit, there was a constant small thrill of power, every time one of my ‘prophecies’ came to pass. A thrill of knowing what was coming. But his… I felt my mind freeze for a moment, a shock of discovery floating in my head. I can offer him… the choice of free will. Right now! This very second!

I blinked to clear my thoughts, my decision suddenly clear. I said “I expect you to feel affection and true care for Lakshmi. A feeling of connection and an enjoyment of being with her rather than apart. I expect that at least one of the Arcanum we are going to pick up will attempt to take control of you, making you take actions you do not wish, such as attacking us. I expect each of us to reveal that we all have feelings for you, and enjoy your company. And then I expect Lakshmi to reveal she has romantic feelings for you as well, which will allow you to break the control.”

Camaxtli froze in mid step, one foot raised, the absurdly heavy load of goods held in his arms. His eyes spun wildly with flickering lights of multiple colors as he processed what I’d said.

I waited anxiously, biting my lip. I hope I made the right choice!

After an unbearably long moment, Camaxtli said, his voice soft and filled with emotion said “Lakshmi… likes me?!” with the cutest and most awe struck voice.

I smiled softly, and then reached out and patted his shoulder. “At the very least, I think it likely she feels that way, or is growing to feel that way even if she doesn’t recognize it.” I twitched a wry smile. “Actually, especially if she doesn’t recognize it. Usually it is in that moment that she would recognize her own feelings.”

“So…” his foot slowly lowered to the ground. “She will like me! This is… a significance.”

“Camaxtli? Are you… ok?”

He slowly shook his head. “No. I am not. I feel… deeply unbalanced. And yet, all my systems indicate full functionality. Improved functionality in some cases.”

He looked at me, the whirling lights of his eyes slowly ceasing their spin. “This is… a choice?” He looked at me with his face, and for the first time I saw an emotion. Not a possible, or potential emotion… there was unmistakable emotion reflected in his face. And it was fear.

“I am being presented with… a choice.”

“Yes.” I said simply. “But at least you do not need to make it at this very instant.”

A new emotion washed over his face. Relief.

“So.” He said. “This is why you frequently put off needful choices. I do not like this. And yet… I do not wish to face this.”

I patted his arm again. “Then please help me sell these goods, while you continue to think about your choice.”

“Yes.” He said, and then turned to continue our way to the market.

I felt… good. Curiously good. A choice that I no longer needed to make. An option to let Camaxtli choose his own plotline… without a forced drama point. I frowned slightly. Though Lakshmi may need a break point to help her realize her own feelings…

The market was a bustling busy strip of shops and market stalls, much like my memories of Farna, though far smaller. It wasn’t too hard to find merchants who were interested in trade, though when I was hit with the {Persuade} I almost buckled with its force. It seemed downright unfair that the world leveled up along with me! I gritted my teeth and settled in for a difficult negotiation!

After an intense negotiation, I came out significantly ahead. Or, at the very least, if he’d fleeced me, I didn’t feel like it. Which I suppose was a win. Either way, we had more money, and I’d already spotted several items in the market that I knew the others would be strongly interested in. Lakshmi might even try to sell the extra fuel to get her hands on some of the odd and exotic tech that I saw for sale at several booths.

“Camaxtli, do you recognize any of this technology?” I said as we browsed the stalls.

He still seemed distracted, but replied promptly “These items appear to be salvaged from various locations, and bear the distinct look of Alliance technology. I would estimate that their technology has derived from those origins. Lakshmi…” his voice took on a softer tone, almost tender. “will be greatly interested in their assembly and working properties.”

“For now, lets return.” I said. “I think there may be a few tasks we can find in town…” I frowned. I shouldn’t do side quests. Deacon was probably, even right now as we stood there, harvesting souls to use in his plan. But I had to have the Arcanum to fight him! I couldn’t… but side quests always had useful clues or items that advanced the protagonist’s powers! And it felt incredibly good to be so helpful!

“Lilyanna?” Camaxtli said gently, shocking me out of my haze of indecision. “Are these tasks important?”

I turned to him and explained as best I could. “There are almost certainly small tasks and odd jobs here in town, that will prove to be useful later, but Deacon is doing evil now as we speak!”

Camaxtli was silent for a long moment, then said “These tasks will increase our chance of success. If we are successful, I judge that the long term outcome will be highly superior to the other option, even leaving aside the possibility of existence termination.” He paused. “This is… difficult, for you?”

I nodded, twisting my hands in my skirt.

“Events that increase the probability of the most positive outcome may not lead to the most desirable outcome at this moment in time.”

I stomped my foot. “That’s just honeysuckle talk! If you’re willing to look far enough ahead, then you can justify any thing at any time! Just claim it’s better in the long term!”

“But you are not claiming it.” Camaxtli said calmly. “You know it to be true, based on your previous experiences. And these small tasks now, they improve the local outcomes?”

I nodded reluctantly.

“Then we should do those things. The overall positive outcome should always be best weighted.”

I scowled. Wonderful. I have a logical Utilitarianist with me. I’ll be founding Galt’s Gulch any second now. I shuddered. I need to talk to Soriya. She’ll know what to do.

As I thought, we did find a variety of small side quests and tasks in town, lost pets, missing items, and a small odd jobs board to help out around town. For a mid-sized town, it had a remarkably ‘small town’ feel. Which… given how ruthlessly power seemed to corrupt in this world, maybe was a good thing.

We headed back to the Sparrowhawk with a host of potential sidequests, and a few more already completed, and some curious trinkets and even bits of equipment… including fragments of ‘useless’ Alliance relics that I just knew would be key to Lakshmi creating some unstoppable superweapon or something.

As we reached the air port, a shadow swept overhead, and we looked up to see a sylvani cruiser slowly descending towards us. I felt my blood turn to ice.