Chapter 36: Someone Is Starting to See the Truth
Chapter 36: Someone Is Starting to See the Truth
Hokuto thought for a moment before replying.
"No, Kiana isn't a fool. She's a paramecium."
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Again with the paramecium! What does that even mean…? Oh, whatever."
Seele's confused response floated across the screen.
Even though Hokuto couldn't see her face, he could easily imagine her expression—probably full of question marks.
"It's just a minor writing issue. Nothing major."
Ignoring the small inconsistencies, Hokuto tapped forward to continue the story.
After Kiana learned that Yae Sakura was the shrine maiden here, the game assigned a simple gathering quest.
It wasn't anything special—just picking herbs and bringing them back to the shrine.
Once the herbs were collected, another dialogue popped up.
[Alright! I gathered a whole basket! This should be more than enough!]
[Ah...]
[Yae Sakura?]
[Oh! You already picked this much? Thank you, Kiana. If you hadn't helped, I don't know how long I would've been gathering them alone.]
[No problem, but… Something feels off. The creatures wandering the mountain today weren't just normal animals. I can't say for sure, but I have a bad feeling.]
Yae Sakura's words shifted the mood.
At first, the story was just a lighthearted side quest about a cheerful white-haired girl meeting a fox-eared shrine maiden.
But now?
There was a sense of dread creeping in.
And then—
A green message appeared in the chat.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "Strange creatures roaming the mountains, a shrine maiden, and a saint who falls into a mysterious village… I believe I've already figured out where this story is going."
『Hokuto:』 "???"
The entire chat fell silent.
Hokuto immediately turned to Otto.
『Hokuto:』 "You think you know the ending?"
『Your Great Inventor:』 "The shrine maiden will be possessed by an evil force, and the saint will awaken just in time to seal her away."
『Hokuto:』 "...Wow, you just casually spoiled the entire story, huh?"
Hokuto sighed. He knew he had to say something.
『Hokuto:』 "And what makes you so sure?"
Otto's green text popped up almost immediately.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "Sure? No, not at all."
『Your Great Inventor:』 "But if I were writing the story, that's exactly how I'd do it."
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "…You have terrible taste."
Even Elysia joined in.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Ahaha~ This mysterious viewer is really passionate! Are you sure you're just watching?"
Otto, unfazed, simply responded:
『Your Great Inventor:』 "Oh, don't mind me. I was just making an educated guess."
Hokuto felt a migraine coming on.
Damn it, Otto! I haven't even reached that part yet, and you're already running your mouth?
Hokuto knew exactly how bad spoilers could be for an audience's excitement, so he pushed back.
『Hokuto:』 "I wouldn't be so quick to assume. You might end up embarrassing yourself if you're wrong."
Otto, as smug as ever, responded calmly.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "A wager, then?"
The chat paused.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "W-what? You want to bet on the story?"
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Oho~ Someone's really getting into this! Maybe you're not just a regular viewer, hmm?"
Hokuto wasn't about to let Otto take control of his stream.
『Hokuto:』 "No bets. But hey, why don't the rest of you guess how the story ends?"
He turned the situation around.
There was no way he'd let Otto be the center of attention.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "Hmph. Very well. It's not as if a simple bet would get me what I truly want."
Otto went quiet.
Hokuto immediately seized the moment.
『Hokuto:』 "Alright, then! Everyone, make your guesses! If any of you get it right, our 'Great Inventor' might end up eating his words!"
With that, the tension in the chat eased up.
It was a good move—instead of letting Otto control the conversation, Hokuto made it a fun activity for the audience.
Now, he just had to wait and see what they'd come up with.
Seele was the first to respond.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Ooh! Let me go first!"
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "I think there's something hidden in the shrine! And when the seal breaks, a magical girl will appear to defeat the evil!"
『Hokuto:』 "..."
Seele waited expectantly.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "What? Did I get it right?"
『Hokuto:』 "Uh… let's just say the chances of that happening are about as high as a comet crashing into Earth."
Seele's idea was so far off that Hokuto couldn't even be mad.
But there was one person who absolutely loved it.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Fufu~ What a creative idea! But… if I could make a small change, how about replacing the magical girl with a fairy instead? That would be perfect!"
Elysia was clearly having fun with this.
And then, she gave her own guess.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "I think… the two girls will work together, defeat the evil, and live happily ever after! A fairy tale ending, don't you think?"
Hokuto paused.
Her answer…
Wasn't that basically the third cycle of Yae Sakura's story?
He stared at the pink text on his screen.
Was this just a coincidence?
Or was Elysia too good at reading people?
Hokuto shook his head.
'She really is the ultimate pink fairy…'
『Hokuto:』 "That's a beautiful ending. I'd love to see it happen."
And then—
A green message appeared.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "Ah… I see now."
Hokuto's eyes narrowed.
Otto—
Had just figured something out.
End of Chapter 36