"It's my turn." The girl outside the screen noticed everyone's eyes on her and spoke gracefully, looking at Alain.
Alain couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
Misha had been with him through one challenge after another since he first entered the game. Because of that, it was impossible for him not to view everything about her through rose-colored glasses.
"My gift is actually related to your daily life," she said, scratching her cheek shyly.
"First, money."
"Huh?" Alain was flustered. This wasn't what he'd expected. He thought it would be a skill-related gift.
As expected of my dear, thinking so far ahead.
"I had Millie hack the Safety Guard's bank account."
"Huh???" Alain felt his head buzzing; he was so confused his mind was just spinning.
He frankly voiced his confusion, "Can you explain in more detail?"
"Mmm. Dear, you get a monetary reward from the system every time you complete a mission, right?"
"Yes." Alain didn't deny it. In a way, the Safety Assistant was also a tool for him to earn a 'happiness fund' for his future with the Mitas.
Wait a minute... He was starting to understand what Misha meant.
"The Safety Guard has an automated program. When you safely exit the game world, it automatically deposits money into your bank account."
"Oh, oh..." Alain hadn't expected to be hearing about money matters in the game world.
"So, you can consider it an advance payment, right? I've transferred all the money from the mastermind's bank account to yours~"
Misha naturally knew his phone password. The girl unlocked his screen and showed him the long string of numbers.
It made Alain's head ache...
"Won't this be considered financial fraud or something?" He had no desire to end up in jail...
"...And besides, won't the person behind the unknown port find out?"
"It won't." Millie's words reassured him. "My dear friend thought of that too. She only did it after I checked the bank card information and confirmed it was safe."
Misha's voice grew serious. "Because the format of that card is very strange."
"Mmm." Alain had also thought about following the trail, using that bank card information to catch the person behind the Safety Guard.
After all... the Safety Guard was capable of giving a game world character a real-world identity.
It was impossible for Alain not to be curious about this kind of power that existed within society, within everyday life.
The bank card... and the person behind the Safety Guard, had been a persistent cloud hanging over his mind ever since Misha came to the real world.
Thinking about it carefully... the [owner of the card], the one who created real-world identities for the Mitas, might very well be the person from the unknown port.
"Alright, let's not talk about such heavy topics. Time for my second gift~" The long-haired girl studied Alain's face as if she could see right through him,
"Points." She uttered these two words softly, piquing Alain's curiosity.
But on second thought, the only points related to the Safety Guard would be...
"The shop points."
She added, "Because we can't let the culprit notice, I had Millie help me add some for you, within a reasonable limit~"
"..."
Alain opened the shop interface on his panel. He should have only had 100, enough to bring out just one Mita. But now...
"500??"
He had been worried about how to get enough points to bring out the short-haired sisters and Crazy Mita, among others. Now, he was practically rich.
"Dear, you're really—" Just as Alain was about to praise Misha, he noticed she had a hesitant look on her face.
"Is something wrong?"
Was there a cost to acquiring the points?
"Mmm... Alain, you want to bring Crazy Mita to the real world too, right?" Her fingertips toyed with a silky strand of her hair, twisting it into one loop after another.
Millie, on the phone, didn't say anything, clearly having anticipated this.
As expected, Short-Haired Mita had a surprised expression.
"Crazy Mita... the Crazy Mita? The most unpredictable and dangerous Mita in the entire game world? What's going on?"
"Her... In a way, she and Alain are like an old married couple. Their relationship is..." As Misha spoke, her lively eyes glanced over at Alain.
She shook her head. "Best not to say."
Misha could instinctively sense something from Crazy Mita... an indescribable feeling.
There was a sense of an enemy, but that wasn't quite right. If she had to put it into words...
[Rival]
Misha felt that was a fitting term.
She could feel a sense of threat from Crazy Mita. It was something she had never detected from any other Mita.
But.
Alain was very fond of Crazy Mita. That was a fact that couldn't be denied.
That fondness was probably on the verge of turning into love.
Since he liked her, Misha felt she should also fight for it on Alain's behalf.
"Actually, I've found a way to bring Crazy Mita to the real world."
"Mmm." Alain nodded solemnly.
For a girl to go this far for him... his thoughts began to race.
And Misha looked at his face, let out a breath with a complex expression, and was just about to say something when—
"Don't worry. My feelings for you are no weaker than Crazy Mita's."
"...Mmm!" Alain's words completely set the girl's mind at ease.
The other Mitas watched with amusement, clicking their tongues as if enjoying the drama.
"Ahem... Let's get back on topic." Misha's cheeks flushed red under their gazes, and she changed the subject.
"We just need the Safety Guard to remove Crazy Mita's virus status, and then we can bring her to the real world."
"But assigning a virus status is easy; removing it is difficult. Doing so will inevitably alert the unknown port. Therefore, Alain—"
Misha's expression grew serious as she looked at him, a fierce fighting spirit igniting in her eyes,
"Push forward, resolve everything, and take down the person at the unknown port. Then we can use the Safety Assistant with [Full Ownership] and no longer have to hide what we're doing—"
The girl's gaze was as firm as a rock,
"And lead everyone—including Crazy Mita—to the real world together!"
Like a decorated commander, yet with a girlish charm, she held out her hand. "Alain, bring happiness to everyone!"
"We want that too!" Short-Haired Mita and 2D Mita also came to his side, offering encouraging looks.
"I will."
Alain nodded, then looked up at the ceiling of the Tiny Version.
The Corrosive Entity... a powerful virus in the game world. And after it, who would be next?
He had a premonition. After defeating the Corrosive Entity, the unknown port would no longer be unknown.
The conflict between Alain and [him/her/it] would finally come out into the open.
___
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