Chapter 4: The Answer Is Obvious

I wonder if it's because I'm fighting against the very nature of the game, but the terrible feeling that invaded my body when the Hero first visited me has returned. Every single bit of my existence is yelling at me to return to my home, to step away from the Hero as he exits the Elder’s house, but I am too stubborn to listen.

“Talon? What are you doing?”

The presence of Village Boy B isn’t really making things easier either. I would have liked to throw everything I have at the Hero, but I don’t want to disgrace myself in front of others. NPCs or not, I’ll be living amongst them for the foreseeable future. This guy isn’t really my priority right now, so I’ll just give some blunt answers and hope he gets the hint.

“I'm preparing to greet the Hero. Please do not interfere.”

“The Hero? Are you talking about the visitors from the Everflower Kingdom? I think you might be confusing simple envoys as people from legends.”

“Village Boy B. Take notice. His shining golden hair and blank expression. The elegant way he’s descending down the tall staircase. His uniquely rigid way of walking. If that's not the mark of a Hero, then you're blind! I have business with them.”

“Right, um, again, I'm not sure who this “Village Boy B” person is, but my name is-”

His voice cuts off as the Hero enters our proximity. Immediately I go stiff, and so does he. He starts to talk in a chipper voice.

“Ah, so you've all finished speaking with Elder Tres, have you? Did you need help with anything?”

The Hero stares blankly at Village Boy B.

“The Logswoop Marsh?! You're seriously going to travel there?! What was Elder Tres thinking…? Well, if you really are going to grab some ingredients there, be careful. I've heard the monster activity has been increasing, and attacks have become more frequent. Some have been poisoned really badly too.”

So even the Hero’s “dialogue” works the same in this world. Throughout The Tears of Nephelai, the NPCs act like the Hero speaks in conversation, but the players never see the Hero speak. I guess his silent stare holds a thousand words or something.

While this conversation is going on, I'm doing my best to even get a word out. I didn't expect us to be locked in place as NPCs even outside of our houses! I'm not even originally part of this scene, so why am I following the rules of the dialogue? That's just not fair.

“Yes, yes! Please be careful, travelers! When you return safely, we hope you can enjoy the Frying Festival!”

Oi!! Who gave my body permission to insert a random throwaway line like that? That's not even a line from the original game! Did the game adjust itself to my presence? If that is the case, I wonder if there’s a limit to how much the game can course correct. That could be an area I exploit.

The conversation lasts for another few minutes before the Hero and his Party exit the scene. I stabilize myself against the nearby tree and take a few deep breaths. Immediately, Village Boy B starts talking to me again.

“Wow, the envoys from the Everflower Kingdom must be really strong if they can go to the Logswoop Marsh without any problems… You think so too, right Talon?”

“Logswoop Marsh is a fairly low-level area for them, so they seem stronger than they actually are at this point. They’ll be fine if the “player” isn’t someone who runs from battles…”

“Um, I’m not sure what you-”

“The Purple Goops there are pretty easy, but I have to wonder how that Party is going to handle the Slimeamanders. Those can be a real pain.”

“Talon, what exactly are you talking about? I’m concerned. You look a bit unsteady.”

Oh, was I talking out loud? That’s a bad habit of mine. This is especially true when it comes to The Tears of Nephelai. I was someone who livestreamed my playthroughs of these games at some point. For better or for worse, “chat” doesn’t exist here.

“Ah, sorry, Village Boy B. This just happens sometimes. I’m not suited to bright places.”

“How does that even correlate? And also, my name isn’t-”

“Do you think the Hero will make it back soon? By your standards of travel, how long does it take to reach Logswoop Marsh?”

“...”

“Village Boy B?”

“...2 days. It takes two days to get there.”

“I see! Thank you for the information! You can tell the Village Elder that I will visit him next week. Something has come up. Have a nice time!”

“Hey! Wait!”

I turn on my heel and return the way I came. Dadirdtoun is already becoming familiar to me, which is good. With Village Boy B’s voice fading in the distance, I smile to myself. Despite the hiccups, I’ve learned quite a few things during this expedition.

First, Dadirdtoun has generally the same basic structure as the game. Because of that revelation, I should have no trouble navigating the world I am currently in, even if it’s a bit bigger. There might be a few more sprinkles on the cupcake, but in the end, the cupcake remains the same, and I will eat it with pleasure.

Village Boy B’s confirmation of travel time helps me get a better grasp on the distance between each location. The Hero always travels on foot. 2 days on foot to Logswoop Swamp is not a long trip at all. If I ever need to travel somewhere myself, I will get to places much faster than the Hero would. That consideration is, of course, excluding battles with monsters and the time spent at each location.

Next, no matter what, I will be railroaded into acting as an NPC in the Hero’s presence. I can’t talk or walk the way I want, and I’ll always default to that hauntingly chipper attitude. For all intents and purposes, I am a drop in the sea of flavor text that The Tears of Nephelai has to offer. I’ll also suffer adverse effects after every interaction. Village Boy B seemed fine, if not without a slight gap in memory, which means I’m the only one who truly realizes what the Hero’s presence does. What a cruel reality.

While I was blabbering on with Village Boy B towards the Hero Party, I was thinking of how I could make better use of my situation. If the game considers me “Village Girl A” and will even edit itself to maintain that agenda, then I simply need to find loopholes within those constrictions. I need to find out what can interact with the Hero without any interceptions. What entity in this game is powerful enough to contest the Hero?

Well, the answer is pretty obvious. It’s the Demon King!

The classic evil entity waiting in the farthest corners of darkness. The final boss who eternally bides its time, lying in wait for the Hero Party. The creator of chaos! The leader of shadows! Even with a generic name and status, the Demon King stands as a formidable enemy in this world. As the absolute final obstacle the Hero must face, wouldn’t the Demon King be able to use its power to challenge the Hero?

That is the power I need to seek. All I would need to do is inherit the Demon King’s abilities. The lore in The Tears of Nephelai states that the Demon King pursues throughout generations by spreading its essence into a new host.

I will defeat the Demon King, become the new Demon King, and I’ll challenge the Hero!

It has become clear to me that the world of Namida can act without the Hero. The villagers have their own lives, monster attacks still happen around the world, and every person has their own voice and personality. It is only when the Hero is present that the game reverts back to its archaic design. The Hero must have an area of effect that forces Namida to act like a game within a specific distance around him. That’s fine. I can work around that. All I need to do is avoid the Hero.

I’ll create my own final boss scenario! Every aspect of The Tears of Nephelai has been ingrained into my very blood. Knowing what I do about this game, I’ll find all the loopholes possible, exploit any techniques I learned from my past life, and plunder Namida of all its secrets before the Hero can. Even if I’m “Village Girl A”, I’m sure I can become strong if I put in effort.

Somehow, even though I’m planning this due to a growing grudge, this sounds fun. I’ll get to experience the world I love in an entirely different way.

Mother. Father. Even though you’re just locked away in an inventory slot right now, I’ll even crawl through the underworld to get you back. Wait for me.