Party, Assembled

"HAWAWAWAWA—” Lopopo reacted, looking left and right like a panicked person. “Your head is having a dip!”

…What did I do to deserve this suck treatment?

Laurel, still calmly observing, did not say a word. And the almost invisible, unattractive guy tried to reach Takuto, but he hesitated. So his arms were still in midair. Awkwardly.

However, as a confident man, Takuto refused to be apologetic. He did nothing wrong. He already tried to keep the secret by whispering into Laurel’s ear. And the key to being attractive was looking as stoic as possible when things got wrecked. Not to have an emotional rollercoaster when it was best to be.

So, calmly, Takuto said with his deep voice, “Do you think there is an assassin around here besides you, Laurel Beaumont? You could just dismiss my guess, but you did this. Do you think you are that threatening?”

“Oh my, then try to be more threatening.”

Without a warning, without asking for permission like a sigma, Takuto swiftly asserted his dominance, moving his hand and showing his superior knowledge of the opponent’s weakness.

Grope!

“Ky—” Laurel unconsciously retracted her arm as she pushed away her body from Takuto. And Takuto just laughed it off.

“Hah. Women.” Takuto sat back. He did his hair so people could clearly see his face. “Being emotional and difficult just for the sake of it.”

“It’s not just for the sake of it. I should be calm in a situation like this,” GG said, trying to interrupt him.

“You.” Takuto glanced at the blonde elf. “I won’t play your little fun games. Don’t give me mixed signals, just spread your legs, right now. I know you were already down bad.”

“How arrogant,” GG reacted, “Misinterpreting things and assuming you are on the high ground with a woman. Calm down, Takuto. Calm down.”

But it’s hot that way, GG. Women love a man who can effortlessly enter their radars, right? Like, making a woman think, “Who the hell does this guy think he is?”

“KYA! I’m wet!” Lopopo shouted while contracting her legs. See, GG?

But then she poured water on her thighs with a curious look.

“Well, she was just debunking you, Takuto,” GG commented. Nah. Nonsense!

“And you.” Now, Takuto looked at Soave, the bottom man. “Why were you hesitating? Why couldn’t you say anything? You weren’t trying to be cool, I suppose. Will you be like this forever? You need to have a voice. Otherwise, you will disrespect yourself and might let your friends feel ostracized.”

“I—” Soave tried to say something with his arms close to each other, but Laurel interrupted him. “Okay, I’m sorry I hit you, Takuto. But you know how crucial that information is,” said Laurel with a less intimidating tone.

Skill Tints.

Skills that can modify the other skills. They don’t need Mana and can be achieved with habits alone, so Manaless and lazy people like me can learn them. They are like unnatural magic skills, unlike physical skills. And they only need a cooldown to be usable again.

Which is why adventurers are reluctant to share about them and how to achieve them.

“My bad,” Takuto responded, raising his arms. “I was needlessly rude.” Then he made gestures to show that he was going to leave and not wait for a response. “Do I still deserve a spot in this party?”

“Well, you do,” Laurel answered. “Just keep telling us good information, and we will help you. I don’t think guns are really useful compared to bows because of their limited, hard-to-make ammunition. However, at least you can be acknowledged as an F-Rank adventurer if we give our word.”

“Don’t worry about that. I do have a Skill Tint. And I’ll let you know, Miss.”

“Oh?” With her usual smile, Laurel offered a handshake. “Let’s help each other from now on.”

“I’ll be in your care, Miss Beaumont.”

Or more precisely, Miss Villainess.

“Oh! By the way!” Lopopo slammed the table and pointed to the reflected light on Takuto’s pocket. “What’s that thing in your pocket? Tell me, tell me.”

Ah. I guess they will notice it at some points. Not to mention, I would chat a lot with GG.

Takuto lifted his smartphone and showed the bored GG to everyone. He had worried that someone would steal GG or even crush her. But he thought it might be better if everyone knew at some point, rather than making someone curious and putting her at risk. At least he had two smartphones, so letting people know right now as a test wouldn’t hurt.

Luckily, GG caught his worries and acted like an uninteresting thing. “Hi,” she said, with lackluster eyes.

“Oooo! It talks! Like a puppet!”

“Did you find her in an Event Venue?” Laurel inquired with a little grin.

“Yeah. It’s just a talking puppet with no other value. And I cannot keep this item alive for a whole day without a charge, so it’s much bothersome than guns.”

“Can it, can it answer questions?”

“Go ahead,” GG replied, not expecting a difficult question from a seemingly dumb elf.

“How big is his dick? Did you ever see?”

“Okay, that’s enough talking for today.” Takuto did not hesitate to pull away GG from the elf’s sparkling eyes. “I need to put her in hibernation to keep her alive a little longer.”

“Boo! Not fun!”

But GG reacted, “Well, if you ask me, and if you talk about inches—”

“Shut the fuck up, GG.”

The elf was obviously grinning, although she was covering her mouth to be polite. And Laurel just sneered at him, sneering at the possibility of him doing it himself. And Soave just smiled for some reason. Maybe he just found a new little friend. He didn’t seem to get it.

“Talking about the charge, an item to keep this thing alive, can you guys help me explore the Tentacle Dragon Event Venue? I’ll give you information about any big dungeon in Wildenmore Kingdom. I might join, too, if I believe I can contribute.”

“Do you have any intel about the Dark Witch Dungeon?”

“I do,” said Takuto, giving a smirk to convince her.

“My, then it’s a deal. Is tomorrow a good time? On the busy hours, let’s meet here.”

“Sure, I won’t go anywhere as I would stay here.”

He added, “Because I’m homeless.”

***

I guess it’s gonna be a cold night.

As Takuto put the broomstick and other cleaning equipment somewhere in the corner, he took a space right before the window. The Adventurer Guild fed him, so although he was penniless and maidenless, he could survive for now.

He sat, hugging his legs. And he put GG beside him, using a glass as her support.

“A world of wonder,” he mused.

“Yeah.” GG just gave him a short reply. But he could feel that she was saying that the scenery before them was beautiful. There was no pollution of light. Just stars and moving clouds, silently closing the chatty day.

The area around him slowly became brighter. It was Chia, holding a candle on a small, coiled holder.

“Here’s a sack of feathers… And some rags,” Chia said.

“L-MAO. It’s better than nothing, I guess.”

“Thanks, Chia. Our favorite receptionist.” Perturbed, Takuto asked, “Are you staying here?”

“It’s my home… I have to do the other paperwork. Good night.”

Even though Takuto was curious about how the Adventurer Guild could be her home, he didn’t want to hinder her work. So he simply replied, “Good night.”

As the area around him lost its light, GG whispered, “Bang her.”

“Shut up, GG.”

“How cruel… How many times have you told me to shut my mouth? Am I not interesting to you?”

“I actually don’t intend to find another woman. At least for now.”

“Why can’t you forget me, your dead girlfriend? Why don’t you take a chance with that sexually-frustrated receptionist? You know these rags are a sign.”

“Well, I’m just tired of it. Dating is too bothersome these days.”

“It’s another world, Taku. Common women are likely nonexistent here. Just help them for once, and you could bang them.”

“Or just bump into them to spark curiosity.”

“Or they might confess to you like a man. And undressing like an exhibitionist.”

Chuckling, both Takuto and GG just enjoyed the night together, even though GG had no emotion.

As the time went on, as the laughter faded, Takuto changed his tone to a dispirited one.

“I love you.”

Silently, GG listened to him. One second passed. Another minute passed. She began to hear his sobbing. His longing. She knew Yukari would be delighted to explore a new world. Another World fiction was one of her favorites. And Takuto might think about it right now. But he couldn’t do anything to make it come true. To make Yukari happy.

“Go sleep, Takuto. You have a big day tomorrow. I guess she would prefer you to be excited right now, like a child, awaiting a fun trip the next day. L-MAO.”

“I’m not a kid.” Takuto laughed.

“Well, then sleep.”

As he did not want anybody to snatch his smartphone in his sleep, Takuto grabbed GG and the rags, going to Chia’s desk. Hiding. And he just camped there, as Chia was busy in another room, somewhere.

His smartphone shut down itself. And the silent night went on.