[F07 | SP] The Quest was Rigged from the Start | <<Case of Wurms>>

[Acanthus 0]

Link to quest

It had been two weeks since her strange encounter with Edict and the outer limits of Cardinal’s reach. She had not made it through a single night of sleep so far. Shadows clawed her from her sleep, and the voice of the monsters they had fought on the third floor jolted her awake constantly. Tonight, she had been chased by the many-faced monster that had come for Edict. It bounded after her through an endless version of the meadow where Acanthus first encountered Hatred. Every time she turned to fight it, Edict stood between her and the monster. 

Idiot. She kicked over a stack of papers on the floor of her studio as she paced. What a stupid way to go out, killing yourself for a stranger. And then having the *gall* to try and turn it into a confession. I could just *murder* him.

…If the game hadn’t already done it for me. Acanthus deflated.
 

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus stopped pacing to pick up the stack of papers and calm down Kumaki, who had come running from the other room at the noise. “Sorry, girl.” She reached down to stroke the bear cub’s fur. “Just because I can’t sleep doesn’t mean I need to keep you up.” Kumaki leaned into the pets, nuzzling Acanthus calmly. “I wish I could take things in stride like you, little bear.” Acanthus plopped down and wrapped her arms around Kumaki. Using her as a pillow, Acanthus began to drift off to sleep.

A thundering chime echoed through the villa. Acanthus jumped up, dumping Kumaki off her lap and onto the floor. Without thinking, her right arm extended down to her waist, searching for a sword. You’re in a safe zone—in your own house, no less, she realized as the adrenaline wore off. Besides, something that rings your doorbell probably isn’t looking to kill you. But she pulled Ajisai out of her inventory anyway, just in case.

[Acanthus 0]

The walk to the front door was a journey in and of itself. Acanthus still wasn’t used to the size of the villa. She’d purchased this house because it was the biggest plot of land the game had to offer. And because the rooms offered in-game benefits, it just made sense to have the ability to add as many as the game would allow. What Acanthus hadn’t counted on was that size translating into “real life.” The Villa of Coruscating Flowers (Acanthus already regretted the unwieldy name) sat on about ten acres of land, and the house itself occupied a quarter of that. The villa had a dozen or so slots for rooms with mechanical benefits, but those rooms weren’t the only ones in the house. The downstairs had a robust kitchen with a larder almost twice its size, a dining hall that was set for thirty people, and a guest wing that could comfortably house all of them. The master bedroom and bath was the size of her entire apartment in real life. In short, the place reflected a level of opulence Acanthus was not accustomed to.

[Acanthus 0]

And part of that opulence was the five-minute walk from her bedroom to the front door. I guess this is why rich people have staff to take care of things. She was lucky that Cardinal handled most of the housework. Dishes and cooking were handled with the touch and press of a few buttons, and the fact that food did not spoil meant that Acanthus could simply buy ingredients for months at a time without worrying about it going bad. The Villa also seemed permanently free of dust and cobwebs. The sterile consistency appealed to Acanthus.

That consistency had been shattered by the painfully loud doorbell. She had no idea she had one, let alone that it sounded like standing in front of a train. Surely there was a way to change that setting to something more quiet. She made a mental note to add that to her list of errands, after she handled whatever strange midnight business had turned up at her doorstep.

[Acanthus 0]

The entryway had lit automatically with flickering oil lamps that put out far more light than they should have. Acanthus could make out one vague shape through the frosted glass of the main door. The size and shape of the figure was unremarkable, but the long, bright red hair could only mean—

“Titania!” She opened the door, motioning her friend inside. “What a strange hour to visit.”

“Not as strange as you answering the door. I guess that airhorn of a doorbell woke you up.”

“No, I was already up. Please come in.”

Titania stayed out on the portal, looking around at the massive house. “This place is huge. Way too huge for someone like me. I figured it would be too big for you too. Something more like a two-bedroom house in the city seems more your speed.”

“Titania.”

“I mean, that’s not a bad thing. It’s just, big houses like this are all about appearances and big house parties, and—”

“Titania.”

“...Sorry.” She stopped sheepishly, and stepped inside.

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus walked Titania to the sitting room near the front of the house. It was her favorite: as the smallest of the three parlors, it had a cozy, comforting vibe that the larger rooms lacked. It was also the closest to the kitchen, and featured a large east-facing window with a gorgeous view of the estate. It reminded her of the times she would drink tea with her mom while they watched the birds against the backdrop of her garden.

Titania flopped into a plush chair while Acanthus busied herself in the tea cabinet. “Green or black?”

“No coffee?”

“I’ll fix you some black, then.” The darkness of the early morning clouded the gorgeous view, but Titania stared out the window silently.

“Milk? Sugar?” Titania shook her head. “Just black, thank you.”

Why was she here? And at such a time? Whatever she needed, it was nothing so urgent that she shouted it as soon as Acanthus opened the door; on the other hand, it was urgent enough that she felt the need to arrive in the dead of night. Or was there something other than urgency at play?