Yeah! I’m Gonna Score All of Them!

March 7th put her hands on her hips, puffing her cheeks out. "Are you kidding me? Do you think I'm stupid? Who'd believe that load of nonsense!"

Her eyes were wide, as if trying to spot a flaw in Giovanni's expression.

Giovanni spread his hands helplessly, his tone sincere. "I apologize, the situation in Belobog truly caught me by surprise as well. I never expected something like this to happen."

Topaz's gaze was sharp as a razor, fixed unwaveringly on Giovanni. "So you knew something like this would happen beforehand? Don't tell me you didn't notice anything at all. I don't believe it."

She took a step forward, closing in on Giovanni. "After all, this is the game you 'love' the most. With such a huge mess occurring, you didn't hear even a whisper?"

Giovanni tilted his head slightly, seeming to recall something.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, "Not that early. Hmm... probably about seven or eight days before you did."

"At first, I was quite annoyed too. The thought of some impure element contaminating the game I love most... it felt like finding rat droppings in a meticulously prepared delicacy. Completely appetite-ruining."

He paused, his tone shifting subtly, as if rationalizing it to himself.

"But then I thought, since this thing doesn't affect the game's core content itself, just acting as an extra bonus after victory, like a 'buy one get one free' gift... then it doesn't really matter, does it? Who doesn't like a little extra? Maybe... it could even make the game more interesting."

March 7th felt a bit dizzy trying to follow Giovanni's logic.

She tilted her head, asking with even more confusion, "Your original intention? What original intention?" She felt like she had grasped something crucial, yet couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Giovanni's eyes grew deeper, as if looking past the people before him towards a more distant, grander vision.

He said slowly, "My original intention, from beginning to end, has only ever been one thing: to let everyone truly enjoy the fun of the game itself! To let everyone find happiness in the game, forget their troubles... isn't that a good thing?"

His tone held a hint of fanaticism, as if swearing allegiance to some sacred belief.

March 7th froze, blinking rapidly, trying hard to understand the meaning behind his words.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she gasped, blurting out, "You... aren't you a Pathstrider of Elation? Those guys from that faction, don't they all... don't they all pursue..."

She got stuck, unable to finish the sentence, seemingly unsure how to describe the Aeon of Joy and Its Emanators, the Masked Fools. In her impression, they were all a bunch of... well, not exactly normal individuals.

This one before her seemed disturbingly normal, almost unnervingly so.

Giovanni watched March 7th with amusement, a playful smile on his lips. "How many Masked Fools of Elation have you met? Or rather, do you truly understand 'Joy'?"

March 7th opened her mouth to retort but found she had nothing to say.

After struggling for a moment, she mumbled, "I... I don't know much, just... just heard some rumors." She recalled the anecdotes Dan Heng had told her about those "thrill-seekers" who pursued extreme pleasure, even at the cost of causing chaos, and felt a slight chill.

"Mr. Giovanni is right."

Daziel finally spoke up, his tone calm and composed.

"Every Masked Fool of Elation pursues 'fun' somewhat differently. Just like Sampo and Sparkle... they are both Pathstriders of Elation, but the things they pursue are completely different. You could even say they walk separate paths."

He paused, looking sharply at Giovanni. "Mr. Giovanni, you are indeed quite different from other Masked Fools."

March 7th looked at Daziel in surprise. "Sampo... he follows the Path of Elation too? How come I never noticed?" She recalled her encounters with Sampo; although the guy was a bit slippery, overall, he seemed like a decent person, right? At least much more normal than this Giovanni.

Giovanni nodded in agreement. "Mr. Daziel is correct. Even though Sampo and I are both merchants walking the Path of Elation."

"But I am different from Sampo. What he pursues is perhaps purely profit, money, or other worldly things."

He said this with a hint of disdain, as if mocking Sampo's limited scope.

He straightened his posture, his tone filled with pride as he continued, "But for me, letting everyone derive genuine fun, heartfelt happiness from the game – that is the most important thing. This is my conviction, the meaning of my existence."

Giovanni's gaze swept over everyone, shining with an almost obsessive light.

His words resonated, echoing powerfully across the empty stage.

After he finished speaking, the entire stage fell silent. Even the buzzing electrical sounds from moments ago seemed to fade, as if all sound held its breath.

Daziel fell into thought, frowning slightly as he seriously considered Giovanni's words.

He had initially assumed Giovanni, like Mingxi of Aurum Alley, might have been affected by the meme and the changes in the worldline, ultimately consumed by greed and desire, turning into a Masked Fool who would stop at nothing for kicks.

But now, it seemed Mr. Giovanni was still the same Giovanni from before, consistent with his image in the original storyline – seemingly mysterious and potentially problematic, but in reality, still just a simple gaming enthusiast.

No, perhaps it should be said, the current Giovanni was even purer than the one in the original plot, more like a true Pathstrider of Elation. The original Giovanni, perhaps due to narrative constraints, hadn't really shown his Masked Fool side, simply portraying him as a somewhat enigmatic merchant.

But this Mr. Giovanni had his own pure pursuit of Joy. He immersed himself in the fun brought by the game and wished to share that fun with more people.

That was quite a grand vision.

But if Giovanni truly had nothing to do with the meme incident, didn't that mean the trail of clues had gone cold again?

Daziel felt a prickle of difficulty. He thought he had found the mastermind, but now things seemed to have become murky once more.

"Hey, mask-wearing guy. So when did you find out about this?"

Herta crossed her arms, her tone scrutinizing, her gaze sharp enough to dissect Giovanni's soul.

"A minor place like Belobog currently hosts three Pathstriders of Elation. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?" Herta wasn't denying his words, but rather suspected he knew deeper details he wasn't sharing.

Facing Herta's questioning, Giovanni remained composed, a meaningful smile even appearing on his lips.

He spoke slowly, his tone steady, "Ms. Herta, regarding your question, I'm afraid I'm not the most suitable person to answer."

He turned slightly, looking towards the edge of the stage. "Perhaps it would be more appropriate for another colleague of mine to explain."

"Everyone, allow me to explain this matter."

Before his voice faded, a slightly flippant voice came from the side of the stage.

Following the sound, everyone saw Sampo's figure, having appeared silently at the stage's edge at some unknown point.

He stood casually with his hands in his pockets, wearing his signature carefree, roguish smile, as if he had just arrived for a relaxed gathering.

"Sampo?" Daziel was slightly surprised, not expecting to encounter him here.

"You've been here quite a while, haven't you? Probably heard my evaluation of you too," Giovanni raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in his voice.

Sampo shrugged, looking completely at ease. "Doesn't matter. I came here for my brother Daziel."

He walked towards Daziel, familiarly clapping him on the shoulder. "Buddy! Long time no see! How've you been lately?"

"Looking for me?" Daziel's eyes held confusion, unsure of Sampo's sudden purpose.

Sampo lowered his voice, leaning closer to the group, speaking at a volume only they could hear clearly. "Let me tell you the truth. News about the impending meme crisis in Belobog, and about your special abilities, brother Daziel, has already spread through the taverns. This information... was personally disseminated by Aha."

"Aha?" Daziel's brow furrowed tightly. The name sent a jolt through him; he hadn't expected an Aeon to be directly involved.

"That's right," Sampo nodded affirmatively. "And that's exactly why that Sparkle girl was drawn here too. That woman is anything but well-behaved."

March 7th had a sudden realization, exclaiming, "I see! No wonder Giovanni knew Daziel's secrets! It was the Aeon of Elation pulling strings behind the scenes..."

Herta snorted coldly, her tone laced with disdain. "Fits His style. He's the type who delights in chaos, sees the universe about to catch fire, and eagerly pours another bucket of oil on it."

Sampo chuckled lightly and continued, "However, Belobog is my turf, after all. Seeing that Sparkle woman come here to stir things up, I felt something wasn't right. Fortunately, when Aha released the news, He also provided a so-called 'solution.'"

"Solution?" Topaz's eyes narrowed instantly as she pressed for details, sensing things were heading in an unbelievable direction.

"And that is..." Sampo deliberately drew out his words, pausing to keep everyone in suspense before slowly uttering the rest, "...to have brother Daziel proactively sleep with every single named, age-appropriate young woman in Belobog. Only then can the meme crisis be temporarily resolved."

As Sampo finished speaking, the entire stage instantly fell deathly silent.

The air seemed to solidify. Even the previously buzzing electrical sounds became faint, leaving only the flickering stage lights illuminating everyone's varied expressions.

Subtle expressions flickered across the faces of the female characters present.

March 7th's eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted in utter disbelief.

Topaz was the first to break the silence. Frowning deeply, she questioned, "Wait, what kind of logic is that? It doesn't make any sense, does it? Wouldn't the Aeon of Elation want things to get bigger and messier? Why would He be kind enough to provide the solution too? Can His words even be trusted?"

Giovanni picked up the thread, explaining calmly, "Regarding that point, Aha's explanation was: Compared to seeing some unremarkable planet fall into chaos, watching the prophesied savior abandon his adherence to justice and descend into depravity to save the world seems far more interesting, more pleasing to Him."

Hearing this, Daziel couldn't help but feel his mouth twitch. This explanation was simply dripping with malice, every word revealing Aha's twisted sense of humor.

"Well, well, looks like you've got quite the pull, kid. Gained the special attention of another Aeon," Herta remarked, sizing up Daziel with amusement in her eyes. "And, sounds like Aha has been watching you closely."

Daziel spread his hands helplessly, forcing a smile. "This kind of 'honor'... I think I'll pass. Whoever wants it can have it."

March 7th blinked, raising a crucial question. "But the problem is, how do we determine which women are... 'named'?"

Daziel fell silent for a moment, his mind racing, before finally speaking slowly, "About that... perhaps, I know."

He knew perfectly well in his heart that Aha's "named" likely referred to characters possessing unique models in the game.

In other words, excluding l0l! body types like Hook, probably every age-appropriate female character in Belobog was within the required scope to 'score' with.

The thought surfaced in his mind, filling him with a sense of absurdity and helplessness.

March 7th looked at Daziel, a complex mix of emotions in her eyes. She bit her lip and asked softly, "Doesn't that mean... to... to save the world, you'd have to... do that kind of thing...?"

She didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.

Forcing Daziel to act against his own will to save the planet – was that truly the right choice?

Everyone present knew Daziel possessed a strong sense of justice. This kind of "solution," requiring the sacrifice of his personal boundaries, undoubtedly placed him in a difficult dilemma.

Daziel gently shook his head, his face unexpectedly calm, even... relieved.

"Perhaps Aha is bound to be disappointed."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and firm. "He might think I'll hesitate, struggle, wait to laugh at my predicament, but..."

He paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening like a drawn sword. "I am not the same person I was a few weeks ago. Now, I won't be indecisive about something like this."

Having experienced numerous upheavals and formed deep connections with various female characters, they had taught him to grow in their own ways. If he still clung to a simple, idealized sense of justice like before, that would be truly unreasonable.

"In the face of true crisis, so-called bottom lines sometimes seem meaningless."

Daziel continued, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his words resounding. "If it truly concerns the safety of an entire planet, I will not hesitate to do whatever it takes. Including... what you're all thinking."

Sampo's eyes lit up. He immediately rushed over excitedly, his face plastered with his trademark smile.

He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Brother, that's great to hear! I was honestly afraid you'd be shy and refuse. If that happened, Belobog would really be doomed!"

He lowered his voice, a sly glint in his eyes. "Seriously though, who are you planning to start with? Old Sampo here has the latest intel on them. I can sell you their whereabouts – friendship price, honest dealing guaranteed!"

Daziel was taken aback, then felt torn between laughter and exasperation. "Seriously? You're charging for that kind of information too?"

Sampo shrugged as if it were perfectly natural. "Buddy, you don't get it, do you? No pain, no gain! Just give me a little something for my trouble. Of course, if you don't pay... that's fine too."

He winked, adding, "After all, information is priceless, especially this kind of... exclusive, custom-tailored top-secret intel."

Giovanni cleared his throat, interrupting the slightly absurd "transaction" between the two.

He walked over to Daziel and offered a seemingly more "proper" suggestion. "Since Mr. Daziel intends to achieve his goal through Aetherium Wars duels, why not discuss it with Belobog's Supreme Guardian, Miss Bronya? Submit a list of participants, let them compete as special contestants in the Interastral Tournament Celebration, and engage in public battles with you."

He smiled slightly, a shrewd light flickering in his eyes. "This way, you'd have a legitimate reason, and it adds an eye-catching special feature to the Celebration. As for after the matches... I can arrange some... quiet little private rooms backstage, for the winner and loser to engage in in-depth discussion."

March 7th couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Mr. Giovanni, things are incredibly urgent, and you're still thinking about how to run your Interastral Tournament Celebration!"

Giovanni burst into laughter, making no attempt to hide his passion for the game. "Hahahaha! That's where you're wrong, Miss March 7th! As they say, combine education with entertainment, balance work and rest! Besides, I truly love this game!"

Daziel sighed but felt Giovanni's suggestion wasn't without merit.

He nodded. "Alright. This is a serious matter, we should indeed discuss it properly with Miss Bronya."

Sampo turned to Daziel, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "But brother Daziel, this 'in-depth discussion' part... you really need to seize the opportunity! It's a chance that comes once in a blue moon!"

"How about this: I picked up some interesting toys from the old flea market the other day, and some kidney tonic pills too. When you're fighting consecutive battles, you'll definitely find them useful. Old Sampo will take a small loss today and sell them to you cheap."

"No, thanks. Sell them to someone else," Daziel replied, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, feeling like he had just jumped into an even bigger pit.

_____

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