/nep/ - Hyperdimension Neptunia

>>3020

Survivalist approach.

>>3020

[X] The survivalist approach

Would it be a good idea for everyone the quest master to sage?

Could not purge my ass

>>3020

Brutal.

RIP AND TEAR

Everyone is doing survivalist but this is the most entertaining option.

>>3068

>>3070

I'd go with…

[X]The caravanners' lack of experience with the local monsters caused them to be in danger.

The key here is she wants an estimation of the situation, not in so much a status report. In other words, actionable intelligence that the government can use.

By reporting that Lowee caravans are ill-equipped to deal with dogoos and that no lives have been lost, this is the most immediately useful option to Lastation; Noire and Kei can send out an advisory that suggests the minimal recommended equipment for traders entering from that direction, and it also implies that Loweean merchants are incompetent which shifts any loss in prestige (and thus Shares) from Noire to Blanc.

Furthermore the mission only revolved around the well-being of the people you were sent to protect. The condition of the goods is the problem of the Lowee state; another headache for Blanc.

>>3073

Oh, and one other thing to consider: this is a job application. You wanna work for Noire to keep your ribs from meeting your epidermis, you maximize her ability to defend the nation and gather Shares. Defending the nation is self-explanatory; as far as Shares go, possession is 9/10ths the law. You gotta take them from someone…

>>3068

Lie

>[X] The caravanners' lack of experience with the local monsters caused them to be in danger. No life has been lost however.

You take a short breath, and start by describing the causes that led to the whole ordeal. Namely, that with their excessive aggressivity, the caravanners kept the dogoo's attention focused on them. You also make sure to explain that they all made it out alive.

"You'll be interested to learn that upon arriving here, the first thing they did was writing a request to the Guild to recover most, if not all of what has been scattered. You told me the facts, now be outspoken with your opinion."

You hesitate for a short moment, and then explain that the caravanners were clearly unexperienced and unprepared. There was no bonds between them, as they left one of them in their hurry to leave. You manage to hide your anger as you recall the poor feverish lad you dragged out.

You briefly see the small woman smiling.

"I don't suppose you asked them, so tell me, what makes you think they were that unprepared?"

What proves that they're amateurs?

[] [Survival 30] They kept shooting at the dogoo instead of waiting for it to get bored, wasting time, ammos, and pottentially attracting minor monsters to the area.

[] [Medicine 30] They left an man with a broken arm, didn't even tried to make a splint. They had no idea he was wounded that seriously, and when you ran by them, none of them was hurt.

[] [Inspected the traces] The dogoo scattered the traders' goods everywhere, but their personal belonging weren't damaged. Yet they ran away without returning to the cave to give the feverish man his medicines.

[] [Gun 10/30] Uh, yeah, something about the casings being too small. Like, they only had small arms and not big rooty tooty point and shooty.

[] [Speech 30] No leader or spokesperson, they left one of their own, they ran away the second you baited the monster, and they ran to Lastation with their hands in their pocket, in a panic.

>>3082

[✓] [Survival 30] They kept shooting at the dogoo instead of waiting for it to get bored, wasting time, ammos, and potentially attracting minor monsters to the area.

From what the story so far entails, the dogoo was a Metal Dogoo variant, which meant it's extremely resilient to attacks, thus attacking it would be useless, unless extremely well armed.

>On the bright side, the monster isn't that interested in gobbling up the entrenched caravanners, and the cave in hasn't completely sealed off the cave like you've been told.

It seems like the dogoo itself wasn't even interested in the caravaneers, and it simply stayed there because it was being attacked; the noise of the fire arms would've attracted other monsters, but it seems the Giant Metal Dogoo was a deterrent enough.

>>3082

[x] [Survival 30] They kept shooting at the dogoo

Although the other choices aren't bad either.

>>3107

Last turn took 5 days, most recent update was a day ago so probably not. Just slow.

>>3137

[X] You're the Courier. You have several sisters. Nice to meet her.

>>3142

It can only mean one thing~

Invasion~

>>3146

As long as it isn't a conquest

>>3167

Anyone at all can buy ads on this site for a pittance; some anon has been buying that Trump space site-wide for the better part of a year over much of the site.

>>3169

Hooray

[✓] You're the Courier. Nice to meet her.

Well, hello, Miss Kei. You're the Courier. Nice to meet her.

"And polite." She says with a smile. "That's a nice change from the usual bounty hunter."

You don't answer.

"Let's get down to business." Her smile disappears. "Have you met Lady Noire before?"

You saw her once. It was…

"That's not relevant. Lady Noire has a very good memory, if she saw you, she will remember you."

You were too far away back then.

"I wouldn't bet on it." The oracle looks down, tapping her fingers on the desk. "Mmmm. I already told you you're under my direct orders."

Yes, that part was clear.

"But a worker can't move around. A soldier cannot either, but it'll be expected for one to hang around…" She mumbles.

You open your mouth to say something, but you quickly shut up. The young girl is, again, deep in thought. After a moment, she raises her head and look at you.

"You're going to Lowee. I don't care how, but I want you to find any information you can get about that caravan that got into trouble earlier."

Hearing you have a new mission, you switch to business mode and start interrogating her. Why going to Lowee? Can't you ask directly the caravanners?

"No." She says flatly. "They'll figure out you're investigating if you're asking directly. They'll be stuck in Lastation for a few days, maybe even weeks. I want to know their deal without them figuring it out. Information is only valuable if the other party doesn't know you know."

You're not sure what the problem is. They were under-prepared, unexperienced and a bit stupid, but that was all.

"There are regulations in Lowee about caravans. More than in Lastation. Like being constantly in contact with Lowee officials if they're out of town. Lowee used their merchants as spies during the Console War. These people being under prepared, I want to know if they were greedy, negligent, lazy, or if they were manipulated."

Manipulated? Does she mean manipulated, as in "sent to die to discredit Lady Noire"?

"That's a theory. Now go."

That's a bit sudden, you need to-

"Hang on." She opens a drawer, picks up something that she gives you. "Don't spend everything."

There is more money in your hands than you ever had in your entire life until now. Even if you count caps as credits.

"Come back in a week maximum. Don't take any risk. Don't let anyone know you're working for me."

Okay, ma'am.

"And call me Miss Kei."

Looking at her smiling is an interesting experience.

So, you have a lot of money, and your goal so far is to reach Lowee.

[] Use the public transportation. Low profile, but secure.

[] Go to the guild, show your money, and hire a bounty hunter as a cover.

[] Use your Survival skills, and go to Lowee by yourself. Free, but you'll get some fame for going solo through the wasteland.

>>3178

[✓] Use the public transportation. Low profile, but secure.

>"Come back in a week maximum. Don't take any risk. Don't let anyone know you're working for me."

Really, who would know you and who would care you're using public transportation? Unless our end-goal is to become well known, it shouldn't be right now as one of our objectives is to stay incognito.

Unless the transportation blows up in our face, or transportation will take an unusually long time, to the point that travelling solo would be faster, we're going to Lowee relatviely risk-free and within reasonable time.

>>3178

>[✓] Use the public transportation. Low profile, but secure.

We covert ops now.

>>3178

Mixed between Public and Guild.

Public makes the most sense on the surface; low profile is a bonus but I really doubt it's too secure despite what the OP suggests. It's probably immediately safe but it'll leave a record of travel. It's not like it's too hard to back-trace from there.

So a bounty hunter to go with might be a good idea actually, as you'd have some muscle you could use for important tasks. Plus they could have Guild contacts that'd help with espionage (and since the Guild is almost a step away from the secret police anyway). On the other hand people would ask about where you got all that cash all of a sudden…and there is a chance that your bodyguard would be IF or a Guild-affiliated nep, in which case that would bring Kei's activities to the forefront of Planeptune and at least Histoire eventually.

This is also keeping in mind that I believe this scenario takes place BEFORE Mk2/RB2 as Kei is a new hire, according to the April 9th move.

Although the survival-fame route is obviously undesirable as that attracts attention, is out of character, and also personally risky.

>>3184

…you know, that's a good point. This series has more dimensions and alternate timelines than the number of bacteria in a pound of aged cheddar.

>>3178

>[x] Use the public transportation. Low profile, but secure

Your job is to just get info and get out. If we hire the bounty hunter we will look suspicious and be confronted when you try to get the info about the caravan. Also, with the credits we would have spent on the bounty hunter, we could bribe one of the caravan workers into giving us info, probably the guy we saved in the cave.

>>3178

>[x] Use the public transportation. Low profile, but secure

Who's going to care for what looks like some John Doe on a bus or train?

[x] Use the public transportation. Low profile, but secure.

Well, there's no real point in boasting about your sudden income, except for the satisfaction of pissing all these arrogants twerps off. And even through you wouldn't mind crossing the wasteland again, time is the essence, so you'll take the bus.

And as you sit tight between a tall woman in a black leather coat wearing a fedora and some kind of war nun in an armored exoskeleton yelling about mutants and xenos, you question your choice in transportation. Taking a boat would have been better. Maybe you'll use a boat next time. But instead of going back directly to Lastation, you'll stop by Planeptune first, and then you'll go to Lastation. Just to cover your tracks. Just like you would do in the wild.

As you finally reach Lowee, you're on the verge of running out of patience and punching people in the face. You'll take the damn boat next time. You don't care if it'll be a ferry or a cargo but anything will be better than that damn cramped bus where you can't even stretch your legs.

Enough complaining. You need a plan now. Counting the money Miss Jinguki left you, you figure out you can easily pass as a businessman. And if anyone ask why you used a bus, you'll just answer that this isn't your money and that you weren't allowed to spend it freely. So that's it for your story. Now you can start snooping around.

[] Go to the Basilicom, ask if you can check the local Securities and Exchange Commission, look for a trading caravan with a really small capital.

[] Snoop around near the warehouses.

[] Lay low for one or two days, check that nobody's after you. If anyone ask, you're checking how Lowee's holding together.

>>3191

>potential future boat ride

>Falcom exists

No.

Anyway…

[X] Go to the Basilicom

I don't think anyone is following us yet unless all traffic from the Lastation Basilicom is being monitored and tracked, and only the Guild has the resources to that (imperfectly).

Anyway we don't have a lot of time either, and going out on business as a cover and then doing nothing would seem a little odd, especially with the "Lowee holding it together" line.

And snooping around the warehouses might find the caravan…but if they are up to no good, they are armed. Their small caliber weapons might not harm a metal dogoo but they could punch a few holes in you. Also your presence could arouse suspicion.

But…you could also look up shipping manifests at the wearhouses without bringing Blanc's attention down on you. And it would be less trouble to deal with criminals than a government.

The only problem with going to the Basilicom is that Mina and Financier are pretty sharp so if you run into them Blanc for sure will find out about your trip, after a day or two though as she might be busy shitposting writing the Great Loweean Novel.

Anyway I think we can do what we need to do in two days or so, which is just enough time to get out of dodge before the local government gets involved by going this route. So, I think (very provisionally) this is the right way to go.

>>3191

[✓] Go to the Basilicom, ask if you can check the local Securities and Exchange Commission, look for a trading caravan with a really small capital.

Snooping nearby the warehouses might just get you into a run-in with security, which is something we don't want.

Laying low for a day or two is an option, but we'll invariably have to go to the Basilicom in the end and would just waste time we don't have.

If you ask me I'd rather check any public news sources if there's anything about a caravan, a group stealing a caravan, or anything caravan related, before heading out for the Basilicom.

Option 1 seems to be the only one where you check out information without really breaking any rules.

[✓] Go to the Basilicom, ask if you can check the local Securities and Exchange Commission, look for a trading caravan with a really small capital.

As you enter the Basilicom (it wasn't hard to find, honestly), you notice you just made a critical mistake : you're still wearing your old duster. Not only it clearly identifies you as a foreigner (as if your accent wasn't enough), but it also makes it obvious you're not a city dweller.

Swearing under your breath, you quickly decide it's too late to turn around and you walk in. Good thing you already prepared your story.

A helper quickly walks up to you. "Excuse… me? Can I help you somehow?"

You say you'd like to see the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that you're looking for a caravan.

He tilts his head sideway. "The what, sir?"

The big book with all the businesses in it.

"Ha, the Handelsregister. I can't bring it to you directly, sir, you have to consult it in the building."

Keep smiling, stay calm. And where is it located?

"Please follow me, sir."

The young man leads you deep in the building, make you wait a bit in an empty room, and comes back with a thick file.

"You said you were looking for a caravan, sir, so I took the liberty of only bringing the binder relative to them."

You thank him for a business smile which get him blushing.

There it is. The Happy-Go-Lucky Caravan Company. The lowest capital of all. All the others trading businesses have at least a capital of 100,000 credits, the Happy-Go-Lucky only has a capital of 2,000 credits. That's laughable. In a bad way. Borderline criminal. With such a small sum, it means that all the weapons the caravanners used were their own. The company doesn't own anything but the trucks and the goods. Damn, you're not even sure the employees are paid.

You turn around to face the Basilicom worker. He's sitting near the door, smiling while looking at you, elbows on her knees, holding his head, disturbingly looking like a girl in love. You point at the record and ask how old they are.

"Um? Oh, they're recent. We just updated them last week."

That's a strange coincidence. Why is there no registered office in the file?

"We don't keep track of these in Lowee. Is it your first visit?"

Yeah it is. You've been busy trying your hand in mining, and you've been unsuccesful, so you plan to restart a business, but this time about trading. That company just here, the Smile Sunshine one, it looks fairly decent.

"If you say so, sir. I admit I don't understand a thing about these. I heard the Lastation oracle is really good about this, though."

Is that so? Lastation could use some optimization, when you visited it, it was doing really badly.

"Just between you and me, sir." He glances at the door before whispering to you. "That's Planeptune's fault again. Things were balanced before, but even since Planeptune got that oracle, everything went wrong. Lowee is declining, Lastation is in the middle of an economical crisis, and I heard even Leanbox is facing inflation. It won't take long before Lady Green Heart adopts the credits as money, and when that'll happen, the prices will raise."

And he said he was bad at trading. You're talking like a real businessman, lad!

"O-oh, I'm just repeating what my sister says, sir! I'm not as smart as you'd think!"

He should study that. He would quickly get promoted.

"Oh please, sir, you're making me uncomfortable. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

You got a name and the proof that it's a really small trading company.

[] You need to find the head offices of various trading company. Through only one really interests you. Ask the worker's help about that.

[] What with that small company? Wouldn't a caravan requires a lot of money to work properly, given all the mountains surrounding Lowee? Ask his opinion on that matter.

[] Thank him for his help, go directly to the warehouses. With the company's name, finding the head office will be a walk in the park.

>>3197

>He's sitting near the door, smiling while looking at you, elbows on her knees, holding his head, disturbingly looking like a girl in love

>he

>her knees

>his head

>girl in love

I am so confused right now

But anyway

[✓] Thank him for his help, go directly to the warehouses. With the company's name, finding the head office will be a walk in the park.

While option 1 seems nice, we really don't need to create more tracks. The worker could get questioned if someone went here recently and we might get caught, especially since we look foreign enough already with our duster and accent.

>>3197

> Things were balanced before, but even since Planeptune got that oracle

Histoire confirmed diabolical

>>3197

>Leanbox faces inflation

And this is a problem how…?

Also:

>holding his head

>elbows on her knees

Hell of a schizophrenic case of gender dysphoria.

Anyway, I choose this if you can change into some "local" clothes.

[X] You need to find the head offices of various trading companies.

I wouldn't walk into that office blind, I'd definitely want to hear the word on the street before I started work on the company itself. HUMINT is always your friend in these cases.

>>3197

>[x] Thank him for his help, go directly to the warehouses. With the company's name, finding the head office will be a walk in the park.

>>3200

Inflation is never a good thing.

>>3199

I'd go more "overworked" than diabolical.

>>3201

Fortunately today's update has Lowee deflating so you should be quite happy with those results.

And Lastation right in the middle, very clever play OP.

>>3204

I know, but I had to go for the joke.

But that wouldn't make much sense as an example though since gold is a physical asset and has such inflation wouldn't be as much of a problem for them.

More likely they are on their own fiat note, and they are overprinting it. Or perhaps it's a reduction in supply causing prices to go up. I suppose if this goes on long enough we'll find out.

Of course we may have a trade war on our hands, too.

Assuming, that there are no mind reading devices present in this dimension, going for Option 1 and then going for 3 on the condition that the worker keep this secret is plausible, but…

I feel like everything is logged already so even the act of going to the Basilicom and asking for a record is already recorded, perhaps asking his opinion on the matter before going to the warehouse might be a good idea. His opinion shouldn't be logged or anything, and we might get some insight and a view from someone who resides in Lowee, since the caravan in question is of Lowee.

[✓] What with that small company? Wouldn't a caravan requires a lot of money to work properly, given all the mountains surrounding Lowee? Ask his opinion on that matter.

[x] Thank him for his help, go directly to the warehouses. With the company's name, finding the head office will be a walk in the park.

No, nothing else. You're going to meet some people, see for yourself how business is going, and maybe invest some money.

"I'm supposed to subtly encourage you of doing so, sir. If people like you put money in Lowee, we'll be able to quickly catch up with Planeptune."

Speaking about that, don't they have an oracle in Lowee?

"Oh, that." He scratches his cheek absent-mindedly. "I think we had one, but she resigned recently. I don't know the details. But I heard Lady White Heart is trying to find someone to replace her."

You see.

"But it'll be difficult to find someone able to compete with Lastation's oracle. Apparently she's a genius."

Ha. Well, you have things to do, so you should…

"I heard Lady White Heart planned to nominate Lady Mina as an oracle."

Who?

"My apologies, sir, of course you wouldn't know her. She was the regent when Lowee's last CPU abdicated, until Lady White Heart was able to assume her place."

Okay, now you're getting suspicious. First, he makes some really deep comments about Lowee's economy, and now she shows he knows a lot about history. More than most people, anyway. You'll have to come back later, right now you really have to go.

"Oh, no problem, sir! It's always nice to see new faces! Who knows, maybe you'll like it here in Lowee and you'll want to settle here."

Yeah. Maybe. What a strange but friendly guy.

"I heard that, sir! And I'm a woman!"

WHAT?

As you arrive in the dock district, you still hear that woman's laugh. That was really embarrassing, especially since you're proud of your ability to smooth talk nearly everything. Are you already getting rusty? It can't be, you're not old enough for that. Enough already. Just let's get this over with.

… Hang on, is that the right address? Can't be, it's a vacant lot. Calm down, forget that woman, and check again. Stock street, 10,12, 14 and this is here. The 16th warehouse. Except there's nothing here. Not even a shack.

You don't know what's going on but you don't like this. Could the address be false? Maybe you just got it wrong? Checking around, you spot other buildings, each with their company's logo. Nothing with the Happy-Go-Lucky Caravan Company. And while you got embarrassed by the accident with that Basilicom woman, you wouldn't mess up the address like that.

And yet it's a damn vacant lot. An empty field. You can't believe Lowee's bureaucracy would miss something like that, especially after seeing how accurate their records are. There must be something, anything left.

It's the afternoon, and you need to find a new lead.

[] Ask around. If anything happened, someone must have seen it.

[] Wait for the night, and check the land using your survival skills.

[] Return to the Basilicom and ask if you can see the land registry.

>>3209

>Yeah. Maybe. What a strange but friendly guy.

>"I heard that, sir! And I'm a woman!"

>WHAT?

O I AM LAFFIN

My damned ID keeps changing

[✓] Return to the Basilicom and ask if you can see the land registry.

No need to ask randoms and probably get the wrong information. Best to ask information from the best source. We're not here to ask opinions, we're here to ask for credible facts.

Waiting for the night is just asking to get caught by security and questioned for looking suspicious, besides if we really wanted to do that, we can do it AFTER we ask for the land registry, assuming we can even view it.

>>3209

[X] Ask around. If anything happened, someone must have seen it.

Well, you're here. You might as well ask someone why the hell there's a hole in the ground where your mark is supposed to be. You can always go back to the Basilicom anyway, as long as you don't run into Financier (since this is pre-Mina), Blanc, or the twins.

…you know now that I think about it, the Candidates haven't been mentioned at all yet either…

[✓] Return to the Basilicom and ask if you can see the land registry.

Crestfallen, you return to the Basilicom. Hopefully, it won't be closed yet. And even more hopefully, you cross your fingers that the woman you saw earlier left.

"Hello again, sir! How nice from you to visit us twice a day!"

Dammit.

"Don't mind the small stuff, sir! How can we help you, again?"

You explain her you went to the Happy-Go-Lucky warehouse only to find a vacant lot between two buildings.

"That's very strange indeed, sir! The penalty for submitting false informations to the Basilicom are dire, very dire indeed! What can possibly motivate anyone to lie to Lady White Heart's administration?"

… Yeah, that. So you kinda wanted to see the land registry, just for…

"I get it, sir! You wish to learn who acquired that lot and supposely built offices there, right?"

That's the basic idea.

"It shall be done as swiftly as Lady White Heart disposes of monsters, through it won't be as bloody, ha ha ha!" She turns around, give a few orders, and quickly receives a huge book given by a younger worker. "All right sir, here is your book! Don't burn it or tear the pages to smoke weed, books are precious!"

What is wrong with that woman? Yelling things like that in the middle of the building, with everyone is looking at you.

At any rate, you quickly found what you were looking for. The place was bought by the "CEO" of the caravan. Before that, it belonged to a man named "Warechu". And before that, it belonged to an alchemist who went out of business and thus is irrelevant.

The part that confuses you is that, as that woman said earlier, Lowee is pretty harsh if you're not clean. Why the Happy-Go-Lucky CEO would be a cheapskate, you can understand, but even an idiot wouldn't mess with Lowee's administration like that. So either he's stupider than you though, or he's being manipulated. Unfortunately, you can't ask him directly, and you doubt that cowardly idiot conveniently wrote everything down in a diary.

You're progressing a bit, but very slowly, and it's getting late.

[] Find out where that "CEO" lives, and sneak in his house. You have no chance of getting caught.

[] Look for the bill of sale proving that he bought the place from that Warechu person. This may attract unwanted attention from a loudmouth.

[] Give up on the search temporarily, work on your cover. Walk around, do some shopping, talk business with small owners. You won't attract attention.

[✓] Find out where that "CEO" lives, and sneak in his house. You have no chance of getting caught.

Damn, it would be really convenient if you could find anything in his house, but nobody does that. Not in Gameindustri anyway. Still, there's no harm in checking yourself. Let's see, that idiot's address should be here. Nice, he used his house as a guarantee before buying the place. For basically nothing. There's definitely something weird.

You turn around to thank the woman.

"No problem, sir! Don't hesitate to come again if you need help!"

If possible, you'd rather never set foot in Lowee ever again.

You don't know what you expected. But certainly something a little more impressive than this. You're currently in Lowee's suburbs. And not the luxurious suburbs where white middle-aged women from the old world were smiling while holding steel pans and cosmic knives. If Lowee's laws weren't that strict, you're sure you would've been mugged twice already.

You pass in front of the house, being careful to not stop or hesitate, or even look at it for too long. You never know, if the whole thing goes wrong, people will remember you walking around, as you're clearly new in the turf.

And frankly, calling it a house is extremely flattering. It looks more like a caban than a house to you. Even Novac was better than that.

The reconnaissance done, you return in town for a coffee and a dinner, and you wait for the night. It comes rather quickly, which surprises you. Are days shorter just because you're in Lowee? How strange.

You notice (with some veiled annoyance) that with the night came the snow. You're used to the desert, these cold wet ashes-like thingies are a pain in the ass. And more importantly, you'll leave footprints behind you. Better do it quickly.

It's a child's play to return to the "house", even without a light. You have to admit it, the snow made your job easier : everyone returned home instead of staying outside. Rummaging in your bagpack, you pick up some duct tape, that you apply generously to a window. Once it's done, you sneak to the front door, and quickly lockpick it. Entering the house, you quickly close the door behind you, take a flashlight from your backpack and look around.

This is depressing. There are two rooms, the entrance/dining room where you are right now, and a closet with an air bed. There's not even a blanket. You clearly misjudged that guy, he wasn't stupid, he was just poor. Poor and inexperienced. No wonder he was so worried about everything he lost to the dogoo, he probably isn't even insured, like most caravans are.

By the door, you find a key hanging from a nail stuck in the wall. You don't think he has a safe hidden somewhere, but you try the key on the door nonetheless. It works, and you've just locked the door. Too bad you don't have enough scrap metal to make a copy of this key, it would come in handy.

You quickly search the place, finding nothing but canned food and cockroaches, until you get your hands on a thick envelope. You empty it on the floor, and stare for a few seconds as credits are scattered all over the place. You begin picking them, and in a few minutes, you have roughly 25,000 credits.in a neat pile in front of you.

This only raises more questions.

What do you do with the money?

[] Take it, as proof.

[] Take it for yourself.

[] Put it back.

What will you do next?

[] Keep looking. You will end up finding something, you just can't have this much money without having any paper.

[] Your job is over, leave no traces behind.

[] Your job is over, but leave some traces suggesting a burglary.

[✓] Take it, as proof.

[✓] Keep looking. You will end up finding something, you just can't have this much money without having any paper.

As you put the money in your pocket, you really hope they aren't marked or anything. If you're caught in Lowee with stolen money, you'll be thirty before you can see the sun again. Still, there has to be someone else. If he had that much money, he wouldn't be living in such a shack.

You rummage the cupboard, finding more canned meat. The expiration date on these is older than you. Under the cans, you find a metal box. A really small one, like the one they used back in the days to store biscuits. Seeing it reminds you of your sister. You wonder how she's doing. Probably helping orphans and fighting monsters.

You do feel a bit dumb when you open the box and find papers instead of the expected cookies. Very old papers, on top of that. So old they've gone yellow.

Hang on a bit, there are papers, and pictures. Glancing over the papers, you can't read them. They're written in German, but they're clearly handwritten, personal correspondence. The fact that they end with "Liebe" is enough to make sure of that.

The pictures are more interesting. From the few you can say, these are group pictures, taken at Lowee's former Basilicom, before it was destroyed and rebuilt. However, you don't see Lady White Heart anywhere. If it's a picture of the former goddess, it must be really old indeed. Way older than the young lad owning this cabin. It probably belonged to his mother or something. Ha, here's another picture, of a woman holding a baby.

This isn't good. You need to return to Lastation. Quickly.

That kid you see on the pictures look nothing like anyone you met while carrying that crippled caravanner back to Lastation.

In fact, you're pretty sure that entire house is a set-up. Nobody has lived here for a while. You don't know why they left the money, but there's definitely something phony here, and you'd rather figure it out once you're out of here. Just in case there's a mine somewhere that you avoided by pure luck.

You quickly leave the house, lock the door behind you, break the window, and take the duct tape and the glass shards with you. That way, the local police will surely investigate and find out about the whole thing. You'd rather not be around if it blowns up.

A few minutes later, you're back in the main town. You quickly throw the remains of the window you broke in a garbage bin, and ponder what you should do.

You have to return to Lastation quickly to warn Lady Kei, but you'll attract attention if you leave too soon.

[] It is a matter of urgency. You have to take the first train tomorrow at 6AM.

[] Warning Lady Kei is important, but so is maintaining your cover. You'll take the train at 6PM after some comedy work.

[] Try to contact her. It's a terrible idea.

>>3265

>[✓] It is a matter of urgency. You have to take the first train tomorrow at 6AM.

Book it. Now. Staying to maintain cover might just get us caught.

If they check the house and see it's been "ransacked", they'd tighten security, if it hasn't been already since we left trails from our visits to the Basilicom, if we leave early enough we might be able to just slip by.

If the house was a set-up, the bills will be most likely marked, and we kept it with us, if we spend even one credit by accident, we're good as caught.

Besides, we're foreign looking, it would be as easy as making security check for any foreign looking person, about yay high, male, has this accent, etc.

>>3266

Dubs don't lie, let's blow this icicle stand

>>3265

>[✓] It is a matter of urgency. You have to take the first train tomorrow at 6AM.

Run run run

>>3265

[X] Warning Lady Kei is important, but so is maintaining your cover. You'll take the train at 6PM after some comedy work.

I don't think a B&E will cause a national incident, although it might cause security to go up round the capitol.

Also booking it right quick would looks suspicious and you might need to go back to Lowee. If you take it nice a slow like a smooth operator, things shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Still, there is a risk of getting caught due to the paper trail we left behind (more cautious action would have been helpful up until this point) if we do stay though. It would be handy to come up with a solid alibi though, and also stash the stolen chits somewhere secure.

Overall we haven't been real subtle up until this point, which I think will affect our final performance for this part.

>>3282

All good, just wish there's more people to answer the quest though

[✓] It is a matter of urgency. You have to take the first train tomorrow at 6AM.

You believed you did the right thing. You believed that rushing to Lastation directly was the best course of action, especially when the chatterbox girl from the Basilicom barged in the trainstation, followed by several Lowee soldiers, looking everywhere, probably for you.

Luckily, you were already departing. You're sure she never saw you.

And yet, as you stand in Lady Kei's office (she hasn't told you to take a seat) and report your findings, you feel like you panicked like some greenhorn. It doesn't help that Lady Kei is still reading the newspaper while you're talking, not paying you her undivided attention.

"I see." She says. "So despite me telling you to not leave any trace behind you, you allowed someone to help you in your search, stole money from a person who went missing, meaning the blame will probably be put on you, and you're researched by Lowee authority."

You don't find anything to answer.

"I cannot send you in Lowee anymore. Meaning your value just dropped significantly."

You can't look at her.

"And to add to this, take a look at this." She shows you the newspaper she was reading, pointing at an article in particular. "Read it out loud."

A man is suspected of abduction and possibly murder. Has a background in weapons and survival, considered armed and dangerous. Last seen leaving Lowee to Lastation.

"I believe the correct expression is burned. At least Lowee didn't got you alive, so they don't know who you work for."

She closes the newpaper, folding it properly, before finally looking at you.

"Pack your things. You're going to Planeptune. A corporation named ASIC recently bought a lot of abandoned factories located . Find some dirt on them, figure out who they are."

What about the impostor?

"She's already in prison. Caught trying to infiltrate Lady Noire's private research laboratory."

So you really panicked for nothing, Lady Kei already had the situation under control. Wait a minute, "she"?

"During the interrogation, she was discovered to be a woman pretending to be a man."

She must be a master at disguise, because you think you would have noticed when you met the caravanners a few days earlier.

"Enough. Go now."

You nod, turn around, and walk away.

"Oh, by the way, your sister is after you."

Which one?

"The one with the beaky power armour."

Oh shit.

You're going to Planeptune, the best town in the world (according to Planeptune's medias).

[] Take the sea. On a nice boat.

[] Go through the mountains, Hannibal-style. On foot.

[] Take the north road, but stay away from Lowee. Public transportation.

>>3299

[✓] Go through the mountains, Hannibal-style. On foot.

Fucking trek it. No one will find us like this.

Going on a boat, we might get caught, north road, might get caught even if we stay away from Lowee, especially in public transportation.

>>3317

Yeah, despite trekking mountains to get to Lastation would be badass, the boat sounds like the safer option

[X] Go through the mountains, Hannibal-style. On foot.

You're not a very good agent. In fact, thinking back about the whole thing, you're sure there are many other makers that would fare better than you did. Glass or Ion would've did better than, that's for sure. But there is one thing you're extremely proud of, and still unmatched in : your survival skills. Even through more and more survival Makers are popping up recently, your scavenging approach gives you a huge advantage over the others who need to settle down.

And you're very happy to notice that despite being used to deserts and arid places, you still managed to prepare your supplies for the mountain. The wind may be constantly blowing in your ears, being to loud that it deafens you to the sound of your own feet sinking in the deep snow, you're still protected enough to keep going on for hours. At least, if you screw this up again and get fired by Miss Kei, you'll be able to retire and live there. You're sure nobody will come bother you here.

A stronger gust of wind forces you to crouch for a few minutes, until the snow starts piling up on you. This is the mountain's reminder that you shouldn't get confident. Just one error is enough, and if you get hurt here, cleaning the wound and bandaging it will be impossible without dying to the cold. At least not until you find a shelter.

As you keep walking in the snow, facing the wind, you remember the resort station you briefly stopped by on the way out of Lastation. It was the first time you saw the sea, and it was majestic. The water was so blue and so tasteful compared to the bland water you're used to. A guide spotted you drinking the sea water and, after laughing for a while, explained that you weren't supposed to drink it. And while everyone was busy, you slipped away, returned to the shore, and went to the mountains. It's been several hours, and you're now thirsty.

Why are you so damn thirsty? There's frozen water all around you, and yet you're thirsty. Life would be easier if you could just drink water from skin contact. You turn around, showing your back to the wind, and take a quick sippy fresh from your main flask. Just a few more hours, and the pass will be behind you. At this moment, you will unofficially enter Planeptune's borders, and you'll be able to stand down, make a fire, and maybe sleep for the night.

And of course, standing in the middle of the pass, seemingly immune to the wind, the cold, hunger, dehydration and everything that would bother a lesser being, is the bane of your existence, the nemesis that made your life misery until the Guild finally fired you. Here stands a tall woman, wearing a power armour, with a gatling laser in her right hand and a mega power fist in her left hand. The mere fact that she can hold a gatling in just one hand is proof enough that she's not to be trifled with. And if that's not enough, you know she has enough stimpacks to survive a nuclear explosion.

She spots you, and turns around to face you.

You shiver.

This isn't the cold.

You're terrified.

Two hours remaining before the night falls. Find a way to survive the cold and the woman.

[] Greet her normally. Try to not melt from the terror.

[] Whatever she says or asks, bluff. If she doesn't say anything, try to walk around her.

[] Turn around and try to find another way through the mountains. Maybe there's a way underground.

For the reference, this is how the woman looks like.

I'd photoshop a snowy background and some blizzard on top of the picture but I kind of suck.

[✓] Whatever she says or asks, bluff. If she doesn't say anything, try to walk around her.

You grit your teeth. Usually, upon meeting her, you would just turn around and run away, but given there's a damn blizzard going on, and given you don't have enough supplies to survive more than two nights, you have to go through. Maybe if you found a cave, you could feed off cave mushrooms and find fresh water, maybe melt some snow, but right now, you don't have the luxury. Plus you're fairly certain she would just follow you if you were to go away, so you decide to accept your fate and walk toward her.

The wind is deafening, and only seems to calm down when you're in front of the armoured woman. Your logical mind would say she's protecting from the cold blizzard, but your terror tells you that she can just kills the wind just by being here. You briefly notice her feet being planted deeply in the snow. How long has she been waiting for you here? How did she ever knew where you would be going?

You wait for a bit, but she doesn't say anything, so you prepare to walk around her, but then she finally moves. Not saying anything, she puts her left hand in her pocket, and pulls out a cube. It takes you a while to identify it as an vox emitter.

You instantly recognize the voice that comes out of it. "Hey, hello, sir!"

You try to salute her. Then you lower your scarf, enough to expose your mouth, and you actually manage to greet her with something that doesn't sound like "Mmhmm mh".

"Well, you put me in a bit of a conumdrum, sir! I was to expect you, sir, to be a gentleman and keep me informed, but you defeated my expectations, and shown me you were no gentleman."

You ask what she might be referring to.

"Well, you see, sir, I was getting suspicious when you checked out that address, because that man was a friend's son! His mother, you know sir, worked at the basilicom, back then when Lowee was still a small nation."

You ask what's her problem with you is.

"The fact, sir, that you broke in my protege's house. My godson, if you prefer. You, sir, broke in his house, murdered him, and stole his money, and this is where you disappoint me."

A murder? Wait a minute, you only broke in because you were suspicious of how a man living in a caban had enough money to buy a warehouse and start a caravan business.

There's some silence, and when the voice comes back in, the tone is different. She no longer sounds like that bubbly chattermouth. "Mercenary. I can't hear him. How does his voice sound like?"

The woman's voice is distorded by her armour, but you can hear the scorn in her voice. "He's saying the truth."

"I see." There's another very brief silence, suddenly cut again by the blabbermouth. "All right then! Sir, I will ask the mercenary here to drag you to Planeptune! From there, you'll be deported to Lowee, and then we'll make sure you tell us everything!" Something in the way she spoke that last word scares you.

You decide to bluff as you originally planned. You explain that someone took her godson's place as leader of the caravan, and that you're following that person to Planeptune, as you were swindled by that person.

"But sir! It doesn't make sense! You had a lot of money back then in Lowee!"

You argue that "lot of money" is relative, and that you had even more before you met that person.

"You keep referring to her as 'that person', doesn't he have a have?"

You answer that all you know is that it's a woman, and that she went to Planeptune.

"Why not asking for official help?"

This is it. This is the make or break part. You answer that it's because you then would have to admit most of your businesses aren't legits, and that would cause a basilicom investigation.

"I understand, sir! I'll keep your secret with me! But why going alone then?"

Because then you would be vulnerable to blackmail, and you learned the hard way that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

There's another silence, so you pull up your scarf. Your lips have already began to freeze because of the cold.

"All right then! I believe you! Don't lie to me, okay? It would really break my heart if you did so!"

The woman shuts down the communicator and put it back in her pocket.

There's another really uncomfortable silence as she looks you down. You feel like a brahmin being stared down by a hungry deathclaw.

"Do not think for one second that this little lie of you deceived me, insect..

Without warning, the woman kicks you in the groin. You cup your groin and fall to the ground in pain.

She follows with a punch to the head from her mega power fist, inflicting an extra helping of damage, and crushing the temple. You see stars.

She then shoots you in the backwith her laser gatling as you're curled up in pain, knocking the air out of you, destroying your clothes, and heavily wounding your back.

She raises her knee to her face, and deliver a stomp on your right leg, breaking it and shattering the bone. The intense pain of having a leg broken, added to the other wounds, causes you to quit.

You hear the Chosen One, your big sister, saying something, but you pass out from the pain. This is why you're scared of her.

You wake up several hours later.

She's gone now. You're barely conscious, but alive. There's a blanket over you, who protected you from the exposure, keeping you alive, but you lost a lot of blood and you're in no shape to move. Also, the blood scent will sooner or later attracts snow dogs. And to make it worse, it's getting dark.

Find a way to stay alive.

[] Use flares and the radio. Hopefully someone will come.

[] You have some grenades. With some imagination, you can try to make an igloo out of snow. It won't be as solid as an ice igloo but it'll be better than nothing while you recover.

[] Use an Ejection Button and return to Planeptune. But you'd rather die here than admit to Lady Kei you couldn't even reach Planeptune.

[] Something else? (suggest another course of action)

>>3441

Did we literally not even pack any medical sort of supplies on us?

>[✓] You have some grenades. With some imagination, you can try to make an igloo out of snow. It won't be as solid as an ice igloo but it'll be better than nothing while you recover.

I'm out of ideas, fuck it, we're almost dying anyway so why not go out with a bang.

The flares might just attract the snow dogs faster.

I'm pretty sure Kei will just kill us if we return like this.