I spent some time launching shells right into the enemy base. "Super exciting!" as they say.
The mission was a success, and I had raked in a massive haul of abandoned loot. I had stopped Miti-chan from snacking earlier, but since I had to handle the corpse disposal anyway, I decided it was fine for her to eat whatever was lying around. It would have been a waste of food otherwise, and it would be a headache if a secondary event like a plague broke out because I left a mess behind.
"I've returned the shells to the Inventory and mostly tidied up, so it’s about time we headed back."
"...Say, now that I think about it, wouldn't it be better if I just stayed inside this 'Home' place?" Valeria asked.
『True. You were slow and just getting in the way. We don't need a guide for the trip back anyway.』
"I'll just cling to Tria-chan!" Miti chirped.
That was actually quite clever. I had Valeria enter the Home, stored her in my inventory, and prepared to Fast Travel. To think she volunteered to be a test subject for what happens to an NPC while they're stored in the Home... I decided to count that as part of her reward.
We arrived home safely. Since it was Fast Travel, it naturally only took an instant. According to Valeria, it felt like a mere moment for her as well.
If I used this right, I could probably shove monsters in there and keep them like pets. Miti-chan was already basically a pet, but becoming a Tamer sounded like a fun idea too... Hehehe.
Since reporting the quest was a hassle, I switched to Auto Mode and let the messages flow casually. I also deactivated VR Mode for a bit, choosing to tap out my responses on my mobile device instead.
"...So, there you have it, Princess. I have confirmed the total destruction of Hazama Fortress."
"...Th-th-thank you, Lord Angel. I never imagined you would achieve such a magnificent victory."
"Ah, Princess. They aren't angels; they are the Servants of the Spirit."
"Um, thank you very much, Servants of the Spirit."
On the screen, Tria-chan and Miti-chan puffed out their chests with pride.
"Leave the rest to us!"
"Ehehe! Anything for my little sister!"
The conversation text reflected their characters perfectly. Checking the clock, I realized it was almost time for bed. I felt like I’d been playing for a while and cutting into my sleep, but finishing the request at this hour was actually just about right. They say time flies when you're having fun, so it wouldn't be strange if time outside the game moved relatively slower. Thinking too hard about the mechanics of Thought Acceleration gave me a headache, so I decided to leave it at that.
"Now then, I shall claim the success reward. Hand over all your clothes; they are to be offered to the Spirit."
"Clothes are Collection Items! Come on, take them off!"
"Since you have achieved such results, I suppose it cannot be helped..." the Princess murmured.
Wait, what?!
"Hey, you two! We agreed to drop that!"
"...I was joking. You don't have to undress after all," Tria added quickly.
"...Too bad. But the Lord Spirit said the initial agreement is enough. Lucky you!"
Phew. What I typed was properly reflected in the messages. I was inches away from being branded as a pervert. Now then, I had the reward placed in the Inventory—actually, the Home’s Warehouse.
I tapped the "Request Complete" and "Return" buttons on the menu. The screen went dark, and I found myself back at the Adventurer's Guild. Tria and Miti returned as a pair. I wondered if the game counted Tria as having moved here even though she was technically supposed to be with Penpen. Regardless, I set my Controlled Character to Tria for the moment.
I was feeling a bit thirsty, so I decided to go grab a drink. Given the time, something caffeine-free seemed like the best choice.
After taking a quick shower and returning to VR Mode, I found the receptionist behind the counter on the verge of tears.
"Um, why have you been standing silently in front of the counter all this time? Please... say something..."
"Ah, sorry. I was just spacing out."
"Oh, thank goodness! I thought I had somehow offended you! Both of you were just standing there, perfectly still! You didn't move an inch!"
I had only been away for a little while, but I suppose if I left the mobile device on without active input, my characters just stood there like statues. It made sense, given I wasn't controlling them. I should have left it on Auto Mode.
"Anyway, I've completed the request, so I'm here for the SP reward."
"...Um, yes, let me check. Your Guild Card, please... Yes, I see. Everything is in order. Here is the reward... 'SP,' was it?"
The receptionist handed over a glowing white orb—a visual effect with no physical weight. It was promptly absorbed by Miti-chan, and a message appeared stating that we had acquired 3 SP. Since Miti was the one who had technically accepted the request, it went to her. It didn't really matter, though, as SP could be transferred between us.
Alto hadn't returned yet. As expected of a 10 SP request, her task was likely three times more troublesome than mine—even though I had gone out of my way to take on extra work.
"Let's head back to the base for now."
"Okay, Lord Spirit!"
"By the way, Miti-chan, why weren't you moving either?"
"Eh? Since the Lord Spirit wasn't moving, I thought we were playing a game or something."
I see. So it was like a game of statues. That was actually pretty fun in its own way—it made me feel like I had the power to stop time.