"Hmm? Why has the 'Who Me?' quest suddenly jumped in completion rate?"
[Looking back through the memory database, as I compile every night. Your conversation with the Duke and your verbalisations last night on your way back to the room counted as you 'pondering your findings aloud'. As you put it.]
[The quest progression was then updated accordingly!]
[ಠ‿↼]
Clapping her hands at the news, Delphina was pleasantly surprised. Vague recollections of last night had begun to seep in as she thought about it. Though distinguishing when the dream began and where her exploration ended was difficult.
Hyper-realistic dreams were nothing new to her, along with getting stuck in places she shouldn't be… As a result, she had developed a long-standing fascination with checking if where she was, was in fact reality.
"Can I have any hints on how to plug in the last 15%? I'd like to aim for 100% completion."
[Just a moment!]
[(✿´‿`)]
[ERROR!]
[≧☉_☉≦]
[The remaining 15% is currently locked behind potential future quests. Due to the complexity of the situation, I cannot explain further…]
"Excuse you?"
[ಥ_ಥ]
[Checking quest priority database…]
[Processing ERROR message…]
[CONFIRMED, Quest: 'Who Me?' can be submitted as 100% due to retroactive quest parameter change!]
[Reward value has been changed to reflect parameter change.]
"Well, look at you, No.69. Thank you for sorting that out before I popped a vein. But what is the reward now?"
[I apologise, Delphina. I don't control the quests themselves; I can only issue rewards within a certain scope. Or request quest parameter edits before they've been started (0% completion rate only).]
[ಥ_ಥ]
[I should have checked that quest more thoroughly before issuing it. It didn't say it was part of a quest chain, so…]
"Even the Administration has its issues, huh?"
[༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ]
[And the reward is now 10% of the original Delphinas memories! I will commence the download when you say so! It will be broken down into 5% packages at a time!]
[As initially, you should have been given access to the Inventory. I will now change the reward parameters for 'Did They Bring Me Daughters?' or 'For What It's Worth'.]
[Processing parameters…]
[25%]
[56%]
[72%]
[100%]
[Complete! Quest: 'Did They Bring Me Daughters?' can be increased in difficulty to allow Inventory unlocking.]
[Issuing Quest; Did They Bring Me Daughters? (v2).]
"Wow, lucky me… Look No. 69, whilst I do like you, is there any way to expedite these processes? Jenkins is going to be back any minute now, and I can't keep hiding away like this when we need to chat. The interface bracelet does help for silent communication, but I can't type whilst dressing or being dressed, y'know"
Gesturing briefly to her left arm, Delphina felt that getting the point across now was of great importance. Everything was incredibly slapdash yesterday, and it wasn't something that would fly going forward. Especially today of all days.
Speak of the devil, and it shall appear. Jenkins was heading back from the dressing room, from what she could tell as she focused in that direction. The automaton must have just finished up in the wardrobe.
[Yes! I will keep my information panels as brief as possible as we interact in the future!]
[Quest: 'Did They Bring Me Daughters' (v2) involves fighting 100 worthy knights before and/or during the joint excursion. Date TBA.]
"Oh for fucks sake…"
Out of the corner of her eye, Delphina spotted the door swinging open rather slowly compared to normal. This was because, as Jenkins trundled in, a rather large pile of clothing and weapons was neatly folded and laid out on top of its… Head.
"Jenkins?"
I'll lay the outfits on the bed, my Lady. I have three different outfits you might choose from, depending on your mood.
"No, I mean, do you need help? With carrying the weapons at the very least?"
No need, young Lady. I have been designed to carry up to two humans at a time if necessary.
Bringing a hand to her forehead, a sigh slipped out of her nose. Whilst Jenkins hadn't commented on her sitting on the floor out of the blue, she decided it was best to get up now lest it incur any nagging.
As her astute little butler laid out the outfits for her, Delphina stayed at a distance so she could just pick one and get dressed. There was no way she was going to try each individual outfit on, even if Jenkins insisted. Her eyes drifted over the bedspread as each pairing came to life.
Before Jenkins had even finished laying the third set out, Delphina had made her choice.
"The second set seems good for today, Jenkins, don't worry about the rest. I'll pair it with the shortest sword and nothing else. I don't want to intimidate anyone with that fancy spear you picked up."
The outfit Delphina had pointed to comprised of a dark blue jewel-toned sleeveless shirt and stony beige linen trousers. These were paired with a russet brown leather over-bust corset and matching knee-high boots.
The collar of the shirt came up rather high on the neck, but left the shoulder blades at the back exposed for ease of movement. The linen trousers were breathable and light, and the leather ensemble would protect some of her vitals if necessary.
"I'm going to go wash now, Jenkins. Could you please try and find a belt to holster the sword on? I'm thinking of matching the blue by wearing it over the corset."
Yes, my Lady. That sounds like a good idea. I had prepared a separate holster, but it is also brown. And this is a jump, not a corset.
"Is it closer in colour to the trousers, or even the ties on the… jump?"
It is the same colour as the jump. I agree that blue would be a better choice.
"Let's go with that! I don't want to keep breakfast waiting any longer, so let's get a move on."
Scurrying through the bathroom, the pair of them briefly split as they each went to their respective station. Delphina, scrubbing the shit out of her face with a flannel and cold water at the vanity. Jenkins, blasting around inside the wardrobe, trying to find the perfect shade of blue to match her requirements.
Slapping some (well, what she hoped was anyway) moisturising cream on her face, she quickly combed and put her hair back up into the same ponytail as before. But this time, the side she had braided wrapped around the hair tie and hung simply, swaying next to the ponytail.
Finishing the braid off with a decorative metal cuff, Delphina took a quick peek in the mirror to check for any flyaways that may have occurred, as she had rather speedily braided her hair. Picking a few stands out near the face to soften the look, she then turned to the closed wardrobe door.
"Right! I'm going to get dressed. Come find me when you've got that belt!"
Not caring whether she was heard or not, Delphina hastened back to the bedside to quickly get changed. Everything was easy to manage alone, being all frontal closure and having simple ties or buttons. The boots were the biggest challenge, as she didn't have any socks.
"JENKINS, WHY ARE THERE NO FUCKING SOCKS! YOU CAN MANAGE BLOOMERS BUT NOT SOCKS!?"