Posts from Rhemic Empire (2) Auto-translated

Melissa laughed. "A response from someone who knows their body! ... Mmm, interesting," she said, catching her breath. "Your feedback will be invaluable to us. Thank you very much, and all the best!" She left the shop. The owner (or salesman?), surprisingly, turned out to be a sociable and pleasant person. The only thing he was definitely wrong about was placing Ipomea Flox below that empress-like girl. The empress certainly has her own charm, but she's nowhere near a goddess. Nano pondered all of this for quite some time, not noticing how her feet led her to "Citrus." Perhaps her heart guided her. "I'll stop by here and finish with the shops," she decided. "Anyway, I need to be in this area."

Halmeldir greeted the man and introduced himself in return, trying to ignore the aura that had appeared. - Would you mind if we got straight to the point?

— Of course, — Telas agreed. — The first thing I need to draw your attention to is that the duke found several points regarding taxation and troop recruitment objectionable in the prince's letter... 40% is even more than it was under Emperor Olivia and his predecessors. Are you sure this isn't a mistake?

Added 6 minutes ago

Nano pondered all of this for quite some time, not noticing how her feet led her to "Citrus." Perhaps her heart guided her.
"I'll stop by here and finish with my shopping," she decided. "Anyway, I needed to come to this area."

— Nano, — Chartreuse Guildenbrand, Citrus' chief sales consultant, recognized the "journalist" — hello.
Today, in addition to various household items, the following could be highlighted on the Citrus product list:

Lime
A device for exchanging voice information over a distance.
Cost: 10000 Rumies

Cerberus
A motorcycle powered by an ephemeral engine; citizens of the empire call it a "steel horse." It is convenient for covering long distances and as a means of having a good time.
Cost: 62000 Rumies

Salius
A device that accelerates the body's recovery processes.
Each turn restores 10% of the character's maximum health.
All positive and negative effects are dispelled twice as fast.
Cost: 35000 Rumies

Accelerator
Initiative +100
Movement speed +3
Magic power +10
Cost: 39000 Rumies

"Looks like there's no one around."
Although nothing prevented the girl from using her wings and looking through the windows to see if it was really empty, Arita decided to postpone her visit to this place for another time, so as not to disturb the owner's right to privacy. Therefore, she headed to the Ikejaya Gardens, hoping to find someone there who could answer her questions.

What's going on in the gardens?

- Chartreuse Guildenbrand, the main and my favorite sales consultant at "Citrus". Hello! Oh-oh-oh, new stuff, - Nano walked around and examined the assortment. - Business is booming like never before, it's just wonderful. Rich people - successful business, successful business - a healthy economy, a healthy economy - universal happiness and prosperity.
With one movement, she turned on her heels and took out a pen and notebook.
- Let's start with the first point and first make me richer. Today, I'm gathering information for Chronicles and Asterion. If you only knew how many kilometers I walked and how many strange people I had to interview... - the girl's smile faded for a moment, and her shoulders slumped. - I came to you. Answer one silly question for me - what do you think about the factions and what is your favorite. And one banal one - how is life, how are you doing, who do you see yourself as in five years of working in our company. No, no, better - in our empire.

It turned out that it was not possible to simply enter the Gardens of Ikigai. To do this, one had to pass through the inner rooms of the main building and then enter the gardens, which were enclosed by walls and a glass ceiling, separating them from the rest of the world. At the entrance, Aritu was greeted by two people:

"Hello, sister," said the woman, greeting the guest with a sweet smile, "welcome to the 'Gardens of Ikigai,' where everyone is welcome."
Her companion, however, remained silent.

Added 17 minutes later
"As you wish." Before answering the questions posed to him, the employee of "Citrus" took his notebook and reviewed some notes. "Hmm. Considering recent events and the overall political situation in the country, this should be the best answer, yes, yes... Probably so. Perhaps..." He muttered these thoughts to himself and finally began to respond. "The Sonata Realm Faction: I undoubtedly support and respect our wise, beautiful, and merciful empress, but I believe that she needs to listen more to the desires of the people and allow them to determine how and according to what laws they want to live. The Legacy of the Empire: I can fully understand the concerns of the aristocrats and empathize with their position because something that their ancestors worked for centuries is being taken away from them. From words alone, everything they are going through seems very difficult, but one way or another, the only thing I hope for is that they will find a compromise with the current government. Nobles Oblige: I certainly sympathize with the noble men and women representing this faction, but I express my hope that instead of clinging to the past, they will meet the new era with their heads held high. Ikigai: the spiritual part of our lives is definitely very important, and therefore I can only welcome the attempts of this faction to bring peace to the lives of those who need it. Prosperity: This is a faction that not only represents the interests of the empire's citizens better than anyone else but also works with exceptional rationality, which is why it shows the greatest effectiveness. It is quite obvious that by supporting this faction, any citizen of the empire primarily supports themselves. Free League: Of course, I cannot speak positively about their illegal methods of operation, but I also cannot help but praise them for such a noble initiative as providing free assistance to residents of the capital and other settlements. Onryo: Although I would like to say something good about this movement, unfortunately, I do not find positive words. Imperial Liberation Front: I respect the determination of these people, but I would very much like them to use exclusively legal methods to achieve their political goals. Enclave: I support the initiatives of this faction, but I condemn its current leader. I am happy with my life and sincerely believe that the empire is the best country in the world. In the future, as now, I hope to work honestly for the benefit of our society and live worthily.

— Hello, sister, — the girl greeted the guest with a warm smile, — welcome to the "Gardens of Ikigai," where everyone is welcome.
Her companion, however, remained silent.

Arita politely bowed to her interlocutors. Then, she inquired whether they would be willing to answer a few questions.

— People come to this place to ask their questions and get answers. So yes, of course, I will be happy to help you.

Arita, with a polite smile, handed over a sheet of paper with questions that she had prepared in advance. As usual, the question of whether the phrase "Where the small world ends and souls rest" is appropriate for this place was highlighted.

“Hmm…” The girl pondered Arita’s words. “Perhaps it would be wiser to ask the Instructor these questions. Follow me, I’ll take you inside.”
For a moment, Arita has a thought that if she follows the stranger, something will never be the same again.

Arita paused for a moment, pretending to examine the gardens.
Revan, I assume you want me to change factions here. Will I lose all the bonuses that the Sonata faction gives me, and will I be forced to give up some skills?

Added after 56 seconds
If I join Ikaigai, will I still need to continue the quest? Will I still have a debt hanging over me because of it?

Who knows...

Lan, whatever. Just for fun!

After hesitating for a moment, Arita decided to continue on her way, following the stranger. She was interested in this Mentor.

Added 1 minute ago
I would even say that this faction suits me better in terms of role-playing.

Having passed through the main building and found herself in the gardens themselves, the visitor could not help but notice that Nihon culture prevailed here – this was reflected in the architecture, clothing, and manners of the followers of Ikigai, even in the types of plants one could admire. Groups of people were engaged in various activities – meditation, reading, calligraphy, drawing, etc., and perhaps the only distinctive feature of their ways of spending time was that no one disturbed the relative silence of this place. The sounds of water and bamboo fountains served as music here. Continuing to delve deeper into this artificial yet natural space, one could only marvel at how something so vast was located in the center of the city.
— O Great One, I have brought you another lost soul who needs your help. — Having announced the reason for her visit, the elf bowed and soon hurried away, leaving them alone.

The impressive woman with an extraordinarily strong aura approached the guest and pierced her with a gaze from expressive crimson eyes.
— Oh, poor child... — The mentor hugged Arita and began to recount all of her difficult past; she spoke about Laura – her mother, about the evil stepmother Felicia, about the curse, about her father's suicide, and much more. — You have been through so much. But don't worry, it's all behind you now.
With a wave of her hand, the mysterious Nihon woman resolved everything – the long-standing curse vanished like dust in a light breeze, and Arita could speak again. For some reason, although the half-dragoness was much larger and more imposing than the fragile Nihon woman, Usami Kyoko suddenly seemed simply enormous to her. It felt as if one could hide from any problems in her arms; at that moment, she was like a goddess to her.
— I know where what you are looking for is located. — She said gently, still not letting go of the Alivan warrior, who wanted to stay in her embrace forever. — The wayward emperor rests in the house of a family whose lands were once famous for their steel and traditions, but now lie in the hands of a heretic and herald of decadent innovations and reforms; the homeland of warriors, contrary to its intended fate, has ended up in the clutches of a demon infecting this entire city with its corruption; joy and tranquility can be found in the home of a wood craftsman and great warrior; and most importantly, you will find the feeling you seek where this city ends and the big world begins. — Kyo gave Arita a strange oriental talisman with a precious stone in the center resembling an eye. — And now, go. Arita leaves the Gardens of Ikigai in a positive mood.

Arita's Faction changes to Ikigai

The effects of the old faction do not disappear (since there are no specific effects), while the new ones are applied.
Arita still believes that she is working for the benefit of Sonata Realm's faction, but subconsciously elevates Usami Kyoko's orders to an absolute level.

The effects of the old Faction do not disappear (since there are no specific effects there), but the effects of the new Faction are applied.

So, in addition to 1 Attack, 2 Defense, and 20 Hit Points, will I also get immunity to mind control, 30% spiritual barrier regeneration per turn, and +7 to all Hit Points? And now, like a courtesan, I have two beautiful ladies? Oh:

When Arita left the gardens, the first thing she did was make quiet sounds with her lips, sounds that had been unavailable to her for all those years. The girl was ready to scream with joy, she was so delighted with what had happened. Visiting the Ikegaya gardens gave her much more than she expected. And now she knew that she was in Usami Kyoko's debt. -And I, a fool, doubted whether it was worth coming here... - Arita didn't even realize how she had spoken her thoughts aloud. She still couldn't understand whether she liked her city or not. Perhaps now it will be a little harder for her to control her fiery temperament, since there is no longer a barrier in the form of paper. She no longer needs to spend a lot of time expressing her thoughts, because she can just say everything. Now the girl has a lot of work to do on herself. Among other things, the Mentor gave her the most useful advice she could give. And although some of her advice was not entirely clear to her, some of it was very obvious to her. So, she went to the police station to ask for a search warrant for Impeccability, providing all the necessary documents, as Castor L. Tzelen had previously advised her to do.