Liliane looked around her surroundings like a child visiting a zoo for the first time.
She had never been to the main city of Fontaine before.
Being afraid of venturing into a large city when you know no one there was only natural.
Thankfully, their new group member happened to be a Fontainian--one from the city itself, no less. Upon learning this, Liliane decided to make the trip to the Court of Fontaine finally.
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : I'm near this big thing.
-=-
Liliane sent a picture of what she was facing to the group chat.
A massive fountain-like construct dominated the plaza, its floating cube-like central core framed by several rotating rings that gleamed with Fontaine's trademark mechanical elegance.
-=-
[Beggiest Beggar of Begdom] : I'm on the day!
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : Okay, I will just walk around as I wait.
-=-
With that, Liliane wandered off, glancing around aimlessly for someplace to pass the time.
'Well, I'll pick at random,' She thought.
Not even a minute into her stroll, she spotted a shop selling beverages and sweets.
'Fonta...'
The name stirred something faintly familiar in her memory.
She stepped up to the counter. The shopkeeper, who had been idly staring at the road with a blank expression, perked up at her approach and smiled warmly.
"First time in the city, mademoiselle?" The shopkeeper greeted.
Liliane blinked, caught off guard, then gave a small nod and pointed at one of the drinks.
Seeing her reserved demeanor, the shopkeeper didn't press for conversation. The shopkeeper prepared the drink silently, then handed it to her with a polite nod.
"That will be--" The shopkeeper named the price. Liliane was already fishing out her Mora and handed it over promptly.
As the shopkeeper accepted the payment, the shopkeeper added casually, "You can walk while drinking that, no problem. When you're done, just place the bottle in one of the collection crates--you'll see them around the streets."
Liliane hummed softly in acknowledgment and nodded.
She resumed her walk, sipping from the drink.
The taste jolted her memory almost instantly.
She had tried this before.
If she remembered correctly, it was when an adventurer had given her one... and that adventurer also happens to be none other than Lumian.
'I wonder what that guy's up to now...'
She was just curious, nothing particular.
The last scene she saw was him gravely injured.
Naturally, with how the scenes were presented, that would cause her some intrigue about what happened next.
'He might've been dead by now.' She thought.
She was curious about him, yes, but nothing beyond that--
Suddenly, she heard a clicking sound.
Liliane instantly snapped her gaze towards the sound and saw a kamera pointed at her.
Upon seeing that, she looked behind her, thinking she might have accidentally walked in front of something the woman was taking a photo of.
But she saw none.
So, the rest is speculative enough.
She was the subject.
However, Liliane's thoughts don't run like that.
'She's not gonna force me to pay for a photograph I didn't ask for, right?' As she looked back at the woman with the kamera.
Liliane looked at the woman strangely. She, after all, didn't have the ability to directly ask her.
"Sorry! I just thought you were so beautiful, I couldn't help but take one!" The woman clarified.
Upon hearing that, Liliane just decided to continue her stroll.
There is no way she would pay for it.
Still.
Even though she was rarely complimented, when she received one, it never stirred any particular feeling.
Not because of trauma or bitterness--she simply didn't need external validation.
To her, beauty was natural. When your goal is to become something beyond what you are now, it follows that you must also look beyond what is ordinary.
In her interpretation:
How can you call yourself a force in the same breath as a natural disaster if you don't even appear removed from those you surpass?
No, you don't need to be the most beautiful person alive. You only need to be unmistakably beyond normal.
But beauty alone isn't proof of that. It's merely the baseline--one of many signs that she was on the right path.
As the system itself once put it:
How can you hope to disregard human necessities if you don't even possess the talent, will, and form that separate you from them?
Well, the system also stated that she already possesses all of that. It was only her 'will' that remained unfinished--a work in progress.
And after that, she simply has to keep moving forward.
Anyway, she will not pay for that unconsented photograph.
'Hmm. ' Liliane hummed on her mind, and finally addressed the system.
'I would not be doing that.'
What is it?
The system was asking her to come back to that big, rotating, floating, mechanical fountain to steal it for a day, then put it back tomorrow.
She could guess why, probably the same thought behind her acquisition of flight.
However, there is no way she'd take something that big and important from the city.
Liliane might not know its functions, whether it is just for aesthetic or it serves a purpose, she wouldn't take it.
===
**System Panel: Answer--**
**Weak-willed.**
**The best course of action with the individual Liliane's goal is to disregard societal expectations.**
===
'I guess I would be "weak-willed" during my stay here.' Liliane huffed,
Then a thought crossed her mind.
'If I am being pestered this much when I just arrived over it,' She mused, 'Then what about the one that lives here...' Suddenly, her eyes gained a subtle hint of pity for her fellow system user.
Liliane continued down the walkway, her boots making a muted sound against the pavement.
There are a lot of tourists in the area, pretentious, elegant citizens in tailored clothing, street performers, some meks, and poodles dressed in nice clothes.
She sipped from her drink idly, glancing at every storefront she passed.
Her attention shifted when a man accidentally bumped into her arm with his shoulder while passing.
"Pardonnez-moi!" he said quickly, tipping his hat before rushing off without waiting for a reply.
Liliane blinked, unfazed--she didn't feel anything.
Polite enough, she thought, taking another sip.
That got her to think, 'Is it fine to fly within the city?'
No one questioned her when she arrived, though.
Then again, she technically didn't fly; she just jumped and slowed her descent.
She glanced upward. The city's layers stacked neatly above one another; if she wanted to, she could probably leap between them with ease.
'Would anyone stop me if I tried?' she wondered idly, sipping her drink.
The system, ever attentive, chimed in:
===
**System Panel: Answer--**
**Flight is regulated.**
**Detection probability: High.**
**Recommended course: Proceed regardless.**
===
Liliane squinted her eyes slightly. 'You'd love that, wouldn't you?'
===
**System Panel: Answer--**
**Affirmative.**
===
Her gaze caught on a gardemek patrolling, followed by its 'maintenance' garde.
She wondered briefly how fast they'd react if she launched herself skyward here and now.
Then, she reached a crossroad.
As Liliane was unfamiliar with the location, she just used her common sense and turned left.
She saw a crate of empty bottles resembling what she was holding and, without hesitation, dropped hers neatly inside. The glass clinked softly against the others.
Her eyes swept the street ahead.
'There would probably be another crossroad.'
And if she turns left again, she'll eventually come back to her starting point.
---
Pauline--or as the system labeled her, Beggiest Beggar of Begdom.
Looked up at Liliane.
Yes, up.
Compared to her, Liliane's a head or something taller
Pauline estimated that, while she stands at 166 centimeters, Liliane is probably around 190~ centimeters.
Pauline wasn't sure,
"How was the stroll?" Pauline asked with a smile.
Liliane lifted her hand, fingers extended and palm facing down, giving it a casual tilt left and right--a clear 'Ehh, it's alright' gesture.
Her expression matched it perfectly: lips pressed into a thin, neutral line, her gaze steady but utterly devoid of enthusiasm or displeasure.
"No worries! Let me show you Fontaine's real charm--plus, we can take as many pictures as we can with this!" She exclaimed, practically bouncing on her toes like the self‑proclaimed specialist she was.
---
"First! Clothing!"
At that, Liliane replied through the group chat.
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : The one I'm wearing has self-cleaning.
-=-
She was implicitly asking, 'Why, isn't what I have just fine?'
Pauline glanced up from the screen and gave Liliane a slow, appraising look.
Her outfit was… practical, if nothing else.
A black, long-sleeved turtleneck compression shirt clung to her frame like a second skin, outlining every defined contour of her upper body--shoulders broad, arms sculpted, and posture effortlessly commanding.
Over it, she wore a simple gray sweater vest, just enough to have the right to call it casual.
Dark brown cargo pants, functional and pocket-heavy, were tucked neatly into sturdy black boots that rose mid-calf, their polished leather faintly scuffed from use.
And then there was her hair--blonde and striking, flowing freely down her back in untamed waves. It wasn't messy, exactly, but it was wild, like it refused to be contained, strands draping over her collarbone and brushing against the tops of her trapezius muscles.
Pauline folded her arms, lips pursing in theatrical judgment.
"You look like…"
She tapped her chin in exaggerated thought before gasping lightly.
"…a mercenary who got dragged into a coffee shop by force!"
Liliane simply blinked at her, unbothered.
Pauline threw up her hands. "Non, non, non! C'est criminel! You're walking around the Court of Fontaine like you're about to storm the Fortress of Meropide!"
She spun on her heel, pointing down the boulevard with a flourish. "We are going to fix this. There's a boutique I know with the most magnifique dresses--ah, and jackets too, don't give me that look!"
Liliane's neutral gaze remained fixed on her.
Pauline sighed in mock defeat, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Ugh, fine, jackets only! But you're at least trying on something that doesn't scream 'I fight Mekas for sport!'"
Liliane tilted her head slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Pauline's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Bonne! That's close enough to a yes!"
Without another word, she hooked her arm around Liliane's--or tried, her fingers barely wrapped halfway--and began leading her toward the boutique with unrelenting energy.
"By the way, have you heard anything about the dynamite fishers?" Pauline asked suddenly, her voice bright but tinged with curiosity.
Given that Liliane lived outside the city, Pauline figured she might know more than the average urban resident.
The memory hung fresh in Fontaine's collective mind: a series of deafening explosions offshore, loud enough to ripple across the Court. Entire shoals of disturbed marine life had fled toward the harbors, sending waves of panic--and a very strong fishy odor--through the city.
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : Forget about that. How are you faring? Have you starved yet?
-=-
Liliane shifted the topic cleanly, directing it to Pauline's situation.
Lepine-Pauline: former equipment supplier to the Fontaine Research Institute. Former, because the Institute had recently blown itself sky-high, and with it most of her steady income.
Now she scraped by as a small-time engineer, part freelancer.
Not that she's living in poverty.
"Starve? Jamais! That would never happen!" Pauline declared with theatrical gusto, spinning on her heel to walk backward in front of Liliane, grinning like she'd just unveiled a masterpiece.
"I'm destined to be a billionaire, you know. Someday from now, and I'll be rolling in Moras!"
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : How about your core progress?
-=-
Pauline's smile faltered for a split second. She scratched her cheek sheepishly and let out an exaggerated laugh.
"Haha… it barely moves," she admitted, then immediately pointed a finger at Liliane accusingly.
"You're so bad at this! Why jump straight to serious talk?"
She twirled around dramatically, her coat flaring. "We should talk about something useless and stupid first! Warm up with nonsense before we get to the meaningful stuff--don't you know how conversation works?"
Liliane raised an eyebrow at that.
Pauline gasped, clutching her Kamera like a prop on stage. "O' Archons! Are you seriously staring at me like that? Fine, fine, your turn: say something useless!"
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : The weather's nice?
-=-
Pauline stopped mid-step, staring at her like she'd just confessed to arson.
"That's not useless! That's mundane!" she protested, waving both arms in exaggerated frustration.
She spun dramatically, walking backward again, hands flying as she ranted.
"Useless talk is like--'What if gardemeks were dressed in cute animal costumes?' Or 'Are they gay or just Fontainian?' You know, important questions!" As she casually points towards a group of men.
Pauline then shot upright, slapping her Kamera into her palm like a gavel. "These are the questions that matter! The backbone of civilized society!"
Liliane blinked at her slowly, entirely unmoved.
Pauline groaned and threw her arms to the heavens. "Ah, do you ever think about anything that isn't terrifyingly practical?!"
---
Chioriya Boutique.
That's the label on the signage above the door.
The shop was large, immaculate, the kind of place that radiated refinement without needing to try.
Yes, Lepine-Pauline had dragged Liliane to one of the most renowned fashion corner throughout Fontaine.
However, wouldn't it make sense for her to save her savings due to her situation?
Of course, of course, she had a justification for this--she already had her reasoning lined up!
A Chioriya piece was like gold. It didn't lose value--if anything, it appreciated. Buying from here wasn't spending; it was reshaping your assets.
To her, this was simple.
Water to ice. Same substance, different state.
Like buying land!
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : Is there even anything here that would fit me?
-=-
Liliane asked, seeing the displayed clothes through the glass window of the shop lined up neatly, a concern came to her.
'Everything seems to be too small for me...' She thought, her brows faintly knitting.
"Of course…" Pauline drawled, following her gaze. She tapped her chin with theatrical flair, eyes narrowing in mock assessment. "…customers your size aren't exactly common."
They had not yet entered the establishment, and it was already finalized in Pauline's mind that it would be a custom order, considering Liliane's size.
And yes…
Women built like Liliane were rare; as rare as finding Natlanese outside Natlan.
She probably won't get back her "investment". Resale value? Pfft--Practically nonexistent.
Pauline knew it. She could practically hear her Mora weeping.
'B-but, it's still a Chioriya piece, so...' Pauline endured!
That made it rarer!
No--unique beyond unique!
One of one!
"Let's get inside!"
---
The measuring tape slid around Liliane's shoulders.
They are measuring Liliane's body.
She stood still, expression neutral, while the attendant noted measurements in brisk, practiced strokes of a pen.
The only thing she'd removed was her sweater vest.
Well--technically, she didn't need to. But she didn't know that. So off it went, folded neatly, and was handed to Pauline, leaving the compression shirt to map out every line of her physique.
Thinking it'd interfere with the measuring.
"…"
Pauline stared. Specifically, at Liliane's arm, then her gaze moved to the chest, and finally, to the abdomen.
She had felt it when she had grabbed Liliane's arm earlier. She can feel every line of muscle on that arm.
It was like a rock covered in a smooth, soft synthetic material.
"What have you been eating to have such... masculine muscles?" Pauline asked, it's not that she's insensitive, like--c'mon, how fragile does one have to be to be offended by such curiosity?
Her gaze lingered. Despite the sheer intimidation factor radiating off Liliane's figure, there was no denying it--she was… attractive.
Pauline wasn't sure which category of beauty to align Liliane with.
So she asked, because really, what woman wouldn't want abs?
If possible, with minimal effort.
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : I just ate whatever I could find edible and buy in the nearby villages; boars, deer, fish, rabbits, squirrels, eggs, and, on rare occasions, bears... and probably every Avian locally available in Fontaine.
-=-
"If I eat the same stuff, would I also…?" Pauline ventured, half-hopeful, half-joking.
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : No, you'll probably just become fat.
-=-
"Hey--!"
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : I'm telling the truth, without discipline, you'll just be fat.
-=-
Pauline scowled. "Okay, fine! But what if I just want the abs?"
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : Aren't you pretty much unemployed? Just work out, I'll help you from straying.
-=-
Pauline clutched her chest dramatically. "But that's tiring! And I don't have the time!"
She immediately followed up with a grin. "Also, don't call me unemployed! I am actually in a billion-mora venture!"
Chiori, finishing the last of the measurements with graceful efficiency, arched a brow.
'Are they talking through telepathy?' She wondered.
Pauline hadn't shut up since they walked in, her words bouncing through the boutique with the energy of a wind-up toy, while the tall blonde that Chiori was measuring hadn't spoken a single word aloud.
Yet somehow, Miss Lepine-Pauline always seemed to be answering something.
Her mind replayed their entrance, Pauline bursting through the door with theatrical flair:
"Ah, Dame Chiori! Fashion goddess, savior of our unsightly sins, please transform this mercenary here into something worthy of civilized eyes!"
And the 'Liliane', as Miss Lepine-Pauline calls her, had not talked since.
By now, Chiori was familiar enough with Pauline to know her rhythms. The woman had become a regular--always breezing in with bright laughter and shameless flattery, always walking out with something expensive in hand.
Chiori had even pieced together what Pauline was doing with her purchases: reselling Chioriya pieces elsewhere at a markup.
So, when she confronted Lepine-Pauline back then; "You are welcome here--and so is your appreciation for my craft. But if my designs begin appearing elsewhere at inflated prices, I would hope my clients to show me the courtesy of honesty."
Chiori knew Pauline still had that thought behind her head to profit from Chioriya even now, but she also trusted that Pauline wasn't foolish enough to cross her twice.
Thus, Pauline comes back at times, but... as a designer? To propose her design.
'At least she retains enough sense to keep her indulgences civilized.' Chiori thought.
And yes, the billion-mora venture the 'Freelance engineer - Lepine-Pauline' was talking about was actually Pauline proposing her designs to Chiori.
"Now, we proceed with listing your preference, and I'll build the rest on that on my own," Chiori announced.
On that, Pauline looked at Liliane.
-=-
[Loudly Screaming Twig] : Tell her I want something that would not rip apart if I moved too hard.
[Beggiest Beggar of Begdom] : I got this!
-=-
"Anything's fine with her," Pauline said to Chiori. "She is not very fond of skirts, but pants skirts are fine!"
"All in all, Dame Chiori! Fashion goddess, you have the creative freedom!"
Chiori gave Pauline a long, patient look before briefly glancing at Liliane--silent, unreadable--then returned her gaze to Pauline.
"Hm. Got it," she said with crisp finality. "I'll have someone notify you once the preliminary drafts are ready. We'll proceed with fabric selection and fitting adjustments after that."
Liliane turned her eyes toward Pauline, the so-called freelance engineer.
What is wrong with this woman?
'She didn't tell her my preference!' Liliane thought, a faint crease forming between her brows.
Then, after a snap: '…Well, she's the one paying.'
She exhaled softly through her nose.
'I guess it's fine.'
Yes. It's fine.
Anyway, the most recent feature unlocked for the group chat was surprisingly useful.
After completing the Quest on the Statue of the Seven, they gained a new toggleable function: anything written in the chat could now be transmitted directly into their minds with no delay.
A neat perk, especially for dumping books or information into the chat and absorbing them in an instant.
Of course, it didn't grant instant understanding; the knowledge still needed to be read and processed like how you would a normal text.
Even so, for someone like Liliane, who couldn't speak verbally, it made conversation effortless.
As for how multiple chats from the other system users weren't barraging Pauline?
Simple. The system issued another group quest sometime after, which rewarded them with a follow-up feature: the ability to toggle--instant read--on or off per user.
Now, Pauline had it set so only Liliane's messages were delivered directly into her mind--no one else's.
-Chapter End-
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