Tyler settled into an inn near the entrance of The Quest Guild, affording him a clear view of the guild’s main gate from his room’s window.
Completing the formidable “Treant Task” was merely the first step in his strategy to win over Emilia, with each subsequent step more challenging than the last.
As Tyler stood by the window, contemplating his next move, the stupid loli couldn’t help but ask a question.
(Silly Nissen: Master Tyler, I’m a bit-o confused…)
(Tyler: Hm?)
(Silly Nissen: Is Emilia still our target-o?)
(Tyler: Yes.)
(Silly Nissen: Then why didn’t-o you flaunt your accomplishment-o of the treant task in front of her?)
(Tyler: Flaunting would only repel her; the more discreet I am, the more curious she will become.)
(Silly Nissen: Oh, I see! So, are we waiting here to invite her to dinner after she finishes work?)
Tyler was rendered speechless by the stupid loli’s inquiry for some time, lamenting that having her by his side for a month had been fruitless.
(Tyler: Priscilla Nissen… You are truly the most obtuse person I have ever met…)
(Silly Nissen: Eh?)
(Tyler: Tell me, what is the first rule of winning a girl’s heart?)
(Silly Nissen: Um… Uh… Emm… Ah! I remember! It’s not about-o chasing; it’s about-o attracting!)
Though the stupid loli recalled the lesson, she remained clueless about how to attract Emilia from within the inn.
Tyler, too weary to continue enlightening her, took action.
He arranged the materials he had purchased beforehand on the table and soon crafted an adorable paper golden fox with a beaming smile.
Next, Tyler affixed the small fox to the external wall outside the window. In this position, Emilia had a fair chance of noticing it as she passed by during her daily commute.
(Silly Nissen: Oh, so that’s the plan!)
The stupid loli exclaimed in sudden comprehension, appearing as though she had understood everything. However, she hadn’t grasped the concept and, too embarrassed to inquire further, remained silent.
Meanwhile, Tyler finished attaching the fox and sat down to review the rewards for this task.
━━━━━━━━━
Item Name: Meditation Ring
Item Effects:
Wear Requirements: Strength 9, Dexterity 9, Intelligence 9;
No effect if wearer’s attributes do not meet requirements;
When wearer’s attributes meet requirements, all attributes increase by 5 points, and magic recovery rate increases by 1 point/minute during sleep;
━━━━━━━━━
(While the attribute boosts are negligible, the increased magic recovery rate is quite useful. It’s a shame it’s a fixed value rather than a percentage.)
To Tyler, the ring’s effects were average at best, but the underlying “rules” provided valuable insights.
This was the first time he had seen equipment with wear requirements, and he surmised that other gear likely had similar prerequisites.
The reason his own weapons and armor didn’t display such conditions was their lack of wear requirements.
In the future, Tyler could gauge the quality of equipment through his appraisal ability.
Once the Divine Eye of Transcendence evolved further, he might even discern attack and defense values.
·
Tyler donned the Meditation Ring and pulled a chair to the window to sit down.
—『Combat Occupation skill ‘Heart of Focus – Lv1’ has been activated and remains in effect…』
After the battle with the Fir Treant, Tyler altered his strategy for training his skills.
Now, he would first spend a day training “Heart of Focus” then another day training “Deceiver,” since “Dexterity” would be an essential attribute for his upcoming solo Trial.
As Tyler trained his skills while keeping an eye on the situation outside the window, he soon confirmed the upgrade of “Heart of Focus” from Lv2 to Lv3.
Correspondingly, Tyler’s Dexterity increased by 10 points, and his Endurance’s maximum value also increased by 10 points.
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Tyler
Life Energy 89/150 𝒐𝗏𝑙ℯxt.𝐜𝑜𝔪
Endurance 90/134
Magic Energy 460/860
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Tyler aimed to enhance his Dexterity by training the “Heart of Focus” skill, allowing his running speed and Endurance to be at least as swift as a warhorse. Furthermore, his burst power should rival that of a feline creature.
He set this goal because he had previously confirmed with the Quest Guild Branch Chief, Oleg:
Only humans and their equipped items can enter the Trial’s gate, which means Tyler cannot bring Moto-chan into the Trial.
So, in the coming days, Tyler’s primary focus will be on pursuing Emilia, with skill training as a secondary objective.
Once he obtains Emilia’s confession, he will determine the difficulty of the Trial based on the “Precognitive Death Scene” results.
Indeed, upon hearing the mortality rate of the Trial, Tyler had already formulated an idea.
If he doesn’t die in the Trial in the “Precognitive Death Scene,” it means he can pass the Trial— the application of “Precognitive Death Scene” is not limited to avoiding death.
However, obtaining Emilia’s confession now is no easier than passing the Trial…
Tyler has only eight days left.
·
Emilia’s situation differs from Avril’s.
Avril lived in Ira Village for many years, isolated from the world and surrounded by simple villagers;
Emilia resides in a town and works at the Quest Guild, well-informed and meeting many people.
To attract Emilia, Tyler must first make an impression on her, then secretly learn about her, and finally adopt a targeted strategy.
On the evening of his first meeting with Branch Manager Oleg, Tyler presented Oleg with an “impertinent request” at the end.
(Click paragraph comment for quote from Chapter 97: Requests)
“The impertinent request” entailed the following specifics:
1. Inquire whether Emilia is currently single.
2. Inquire about Emilia’s background.
Although Oleg found it peculiar, he answered Tyler’s questions as requested.
First, Emilia was indeed single, and had no prior romantic experiences.
Second, concerning Emilia’s background, Oleg shared a connection to it.
Oleg told Tyler that Emilia’s parents were both Foxkin mages, and they were not only his close friends but also his trusted comrades in battle.
Later, the Foxkin tribe was affected by war, and Emilia’s parents couldn’t abandon their race. However, they couldn’t bear to take young Emilia with them, so they entrusted her to Oleg.
After that, there was no news from Emilia’s parents.
As the days without her parents grew longer, Emilia gradually “lost” her emotions. By the time Oleg realized the problem, Emilia had stopped smiling.
Eventually, Oleg heard rumors that the Foxkin tribe had been razed to the ground by evilkind forces. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Emilia.
Nevertheless, there are no secrets that can be kept forever.
Upon learning the truth, Emilia didn’t cry or make a fuss; she just silently became an even more emotionless person.
