Zoe opened his mouth, taking a breath.
“There are three things I can say.”
Hm? I looked up.
“One. Knowing the twins’ thrilling reality, Vivie feels a bit uneasy as a friend. ‘I like Ciel-chan and Shanta-chan, but their current selfishness isn’t good… I’m worried, is this really okay…’ Personally, I find this situation quite fascinating, so it’s fine by me. Ah, don’t look down like that. From here on, the second point and beyond are important.”
I was a fool to get my hopes up.
So? What’s the second point?
At my suspicious gaze, Zoe cleared his throat deliberately.
“Two, I’m sorry to get all meta here, but their unfortunate situation was hinted at in the story, right? It’s hard to believe this info was included in the script for no reason. It’s probably a setup. A setup leading to their redemption. Catharsis.”
“Ah, well, I kinda thought that too. But like I said earlier, Kimakura is just ruthless with its players. Like, take the overall results from that last world event—there’s already a precedent where it failed, so shouldn’t they lower the bar a bit? That’s what I feel, but in the end, it didn’t turn out to be a huge success either… And the revolution event? Seems like it’s set up so one side benefits while the other suffers, right? Thinking about that, it seems like a CielShanta bad ending is totally possible, and it feels like you could easily step on the landmines leading there. It’s scary…”
“Vivia-san. That’s it, that’s the one.”
As I was about to fall into infinite negative thinking, he jabbed his index finger sharply before my eyes.
“You’re right, Kimakura is a game that shows no mercy to its players. But you see, that can also be interpreted as a result of respecting the players’ choices and actions. Kimakura is often praised for its diverse scenarios, but this is based on a fundamental philosophy that places heavy emphasis on player decision-making.”
“Uh, hmm…?”
“I might have jumped ahead a bit, but what I’m trying to say is this: Ciel Shanta’s future, their ultimate position, is very likely determined by the players’ choices and actions.”
Huh? It felt like I understood yet didn’t quite grasp it, but that just now really struck a chord.
His next words made the faint tremor in my heart shake violently.
“So who is in a position to save Ciel Shanta’s future? That’s the third point I wanted to make. The one closest to that position is none other than you, Vivia-san.”
Huh, he’s saying something good. I think he’s saying something really good!
“The reason Kimakura seems harsh on players is simple: it’s because those players are a bunch of jerks. Well, online game communities are mostly like that anyway—they’re fundamentally self-centered. Whether it’s rankings or date events, the systems are designed to fuel competition, so it can’t be helped. Including myself, these guys couldn’t care less about the story’s happy ending if it means securing their own advantage. Events like that are doomed to fail. The same goes for the Ciel Shanta situation. Even though their popularity’s been rising lately, the twins are still at odds with Ryl. If this date event goes public, things might get even worse for them.”
“N-no way… That’s bad.”
“Exactly. If you don’t step up, who else is gonna do it?”
That’s when the fog cleared for me.
Oh, I see. …That’s true.
“It seems the twins’ dangerous side was indeed revealed during this date. But Vivia-san, how did they treat you? What do they think of you?”
“Ciel-chan and Shanta-chan said I’m their friend… Even though they’re young ladies of noble birth, they said they respect me…”
“The one who understands that side of them best—and this is frustrating for me—is currently you alone, Vivia-san. If you stop being their ally, then what you fear will inevitably happen.”
“…Yeah. Yeah! That’s right. You’re absolutely right.”
Zoe-kun, you’re amazing! Even though you’re younger, you’re great at cheering people up!
Somehow, I suddenly feel energized.
“Thanks, Zoe-kun. I’ll do my best! I won’t give up—I’ll keep cheering on Ciel-chan and Shanta-chan!”
He watches me clench my fist in determination with a faint smile.
“Yesterday, I was thinking of setting the noble district ablaze to get back at those nobles who dragged Ciel-chan and Shanta-chan into darkness…”
“Hmm.”
“No, I’m just kidding, okay? But seriously, there’s gotta be a more legitimate way to make them both happy! Kimakura is definitely that kind of game, right?”
“Yes, yes. Vivia-san, please proceed confidently down the path you believe in. I’ll quietly support you from the sidelines.”
Come on, Zoe-kun, don’t just ‘gently’ support me—give me your full cooperation. But then again, knowing how much Zoe loves Shanta-chan, he’ll surely do everything he can in his own way.
Thinking about it like that, it’s weird how it makes me feel confident.
If the two of us—me, a big fan of Ciel-chan, and Zoe, a big fan of Shanta-chan—joined forces, we might be unbeatable. Just kidding.
Then he returned to his activities, and I returned to mine.
Right in the middle of crafting a new outfit, ding-ding-ding-ding—a system-wide announcement sounded.
<The revolutionary event [The Great Fire of Count Adamera’s House] has been implemented. From this point onward, the new field [Hidden Ruins] will be unlocked, the Communicative Missions in Antwana will be unlocked, and other related social conditions will undergo changes. Please refer to the official video site “Kimakura Historia” for details.>
Hearing that reminded me of Zoe-kun’s words, and a smile naturally spread across my lips.
The future changes based on the players’ choices…
Yeah. Kimakura is definitely that kind of game.
******
[Kimakura Utopia. Talk Room (Unofficial)・Room for Live Watching Dam’s Livestreams・For Those Who Want To Watch Without Commenting]
[Valletta]
Don’t you know they’ll bring it to you if you keep a wolf?
[Hakase]
Let’s breed some bone horses.
[3745]
This is why I told you so often that if you start fixing up the ranch, there’ll be no end to it…
[hyuy @ Looking For Friends]
Full Moon Rabbit is so freaking cute…
[Itachi]
You’re going to the noble district in the end, huh?
[Yoshio www]
Indecisive, rambling stream lol
[Sauce]
Ryl-sama official announcement alert! Ryl-sama official announcement alert!
[Takenaka]
Ok
Closing the stream.
[Iris]
Keep Ryl-related stuff behind the scenes, okay?
We know it’ll reduce simultaneous connections.
[Anonymous]
Oh, it’s Zoe.
[Drop Birth Control Supremacy]
Nonchalant Zoe lmao
[Kohaku]
Zoe-san, what are you doing~
[Alice]
Eh? lol
[Hakase]
Lmao
[Mayu]
Oh no
[3745]
Crazy Zoe is hilarious lol.
[Momotarou]
Huh? Trying to start a fire?
Seriously, what are you doing?
[Poiret]
What a spectacular waste of Molotovs
What the hell are you doing in the safe zone?
[Kuruna @ Comeback]
This is the kind of thing you shouldn’t get close to, right?
[Iris]
They’re fearless
[Itachi]
Lmao
[Fuu]
Zoe: “Yes, yes… Vivia-san, please continue down the path you believe in with peace of mind… I’ll handle the cleanup behind the scenes…”
Dam: “Lmao”
Me: “??????”
[Don’t Deny It]
Mumbling to yourself is creepy.
[Saya Fukase]
Your heavy breathing is creepy.
[Kohaku]
Dam-san wasn’t even on the radar, lol
[Sauce]
Zoe: “Since it’s the management’s idea, there’s gotta be some flaw or bug in the system somewhere, right?”
That’s pretty convincing. Can you please stop?
[Rena]
Got it.
That mansion is Antwana’s house.
The leading bully of Ciel Shanta.
[Anonymous]
Ah, that wicked count’s daughter.
[Makoto-chan]
Dam-san senses something and quietly leaves.
[((Bomu))]
This guy was just laughing it off the whole time.
[Mentai Mayonnaise]
Wait, behind you! Behind you! Behind you! Wooooo!!!
[Kuruna @ Comeback]
Fire! The fire’s lit!
Don’t try to laugh your way out of this! Look behind you!
[Hakase]
Whaaaaaaat!?
[Madness]
It spread like wildfire…
[Mayu]
Zoe’s gone
Is it switched to individual mode?
[Mercury]
Did we trigger some event?
[Letima]
The number of simultaneous connections is exploding, lol
[Valletta]
The mansion’s still burning, yet the surrounding NPCs act almost completely normal. This is way too surreal.
[msky]
What the hell is going to happen…?
[Don’t Deny It]
Ah, revolution.