Late at night, in a military barracks somewhere, No. 11 returned to her dorm after finishing her training. Her training clothes, soaked with sweat, clung to her skin.
"No. 11, we have a day off tomorrow! Want to hang out?" a woman lying on her bed asked, waving a flyer in her hand as No. 11 was about to head for a shower.
If Wise had been there, he would have instantly recognized the flyer—it was for that damned Carnival.
"Hmm, hang out?"
As No. 11 considered it, an image of Wise surfaced in her mind. She briefly thought about inviting him along, thinking it would be a good chance for him to meet her teammates. However, she quickly dismissed the idea. It was already late, and he was probably asleep. Besides, a sudden invitation would leave him no time to prepare. It would be better to ask him next time.
With that thought, No. 11 accepted her teammate's invitation and stepped into the bathroom to shed her sweat-drenched clothes.
...
The next morning, Belle was groggily dragged out of bed by Wise, her mind still thick with sleep and a touch of annoyance.
"Big brother, I know we're going out, but why do we have to get up so early?" she mumbled, rubbing her drowsy eyes and letting out a yawn. Although Belle had gone to bed relatively early, her recently formed habit of sleeping in late left her feeling tired. To make matters worse, she had stayed up looking at online guides for the Carnival.
Are you kidding me? If we don't go early, we won't have time for everything! Wise thought to himself, but he replied to Belle with a gentle tone.
"The Carnival is going to be packed. If we don't get there early, we'll end up having to park miles away, just like last time."
Wise's reasoning was sound and successfully convinced Belle. As they got in the car and set off, her annoyance gradually gave way to excitement for the Carnival.
The grand "Operation: Date" had officially begun!
"Master, after you turn left and park, you can first take Assistant No. 2 to Area 1 of the Carnival. Then, using the excuse of buying breakfast, proceed to Area 3 to meet with Ms. Corin," Fairy instructed.
Wise nodded slightly and glanced at Belle beside him. "Belle, are you hungry? Should I go get us something to eat?"
"Yeah, that sounds good! I haven't eaten anything this morning, so I'm actually a little hungry. Should I come with you?"
Naturally, Wise rejected her offer. "It's fine, I'll go. Why don't you check out those stalls over there? It looks like the one selling videotapes has already drawn a crowd."
Hearing this, Belle dropped the idea of following him and walked towards the nearby stalls. Even though her family owned a video store, she figured she might stumble upon a rare collector's edition tape, which would be great for her own collection or for renting out.
Seeing her go, Wise breathed a sigh of relief, hoping the rest of his plan would unfold just as smoothly. He broke into a sprint, activating an ability he had acquired from the system.
Shadow Glide (A-Rank): When sprinting at high speed, your form becomes indistinct, increasing movement speed. Ordinary humans can only perceive a gust of wind. The cloaking effect diminishes based on the observer's perception and reaction speed.
This A-rank talent had cost him 5,000 Emotional Value, leaving him with only 11,700 points, but it was a worthy investment.
Boosted by the talent, Wise reached Area 3 in just one minute. He spotted Corin in the distance, dressed in casual clothes, waiting for him. He slowed his pace, steadied his breathing, and jogged over to her. She clearly noticed him at the same time and waved.
"Sorry, I'm late."
"Not at all! I was just a little early," Corin said with a cheerful, toothy grin.
In reality, she was probably more than just "a little" early. The girl who started her workdays at 5 AM was predictably punctual. Placing her second on his schedule had been the right call.
Unaware of Wise's thoughts, the girl shyly took his hand. "So, where are we going next?"
"Whatever you'd like. But if I had to guess, I'd say you want to see the construction machinery exhibition over there."
"Huh? How did you know?" Corin looked slightly surprised.
Wise acted as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because it's what you like, Corin."
The simple words, delivered with a smile, brought a fresh blush to Corin's cheeks.
Without another word, Wise led her towards the exhibition hall. Though he appeared calm and collected on the outside, his mind was racing against the clock. With so many dates scheduled, the time allotted for each person was tight. They had only managed to look at two model machines before his time was up.
"Hey, Corin, my stomach feels a little upset. Can you excuse me for a moment?"
"What's wrong? Did you eat something bad?" Corin looked at him with concern as he clutched his stomach. With his time running out, Wise couldn't afford any more delays.
"It's nothing serious. You go on and keep looking. I'll be right back!"
With that, Wise rushed off. Corin watched him, a mix of confusion and worry on her face. But after seeing him disappear into the exhibition hall's restroom, she turned her attention back to her phone, seemingly scrolling through something online.
Once out of Corin's sight, Wise slipped out through a window and headed straight for Area 4.
In Area 4, Nekomata stood by a patch of greenery, licking her paws to clean her face and glancing around from time to time. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her tail from behind, and then her eyes were covered. She let out a startled cry.
"Meow!"
But she quickly recognized the scent of the person behind her. Pushing their hands away and turning around, her suspicion was confirmed.
"I knew it was you! Playing pranks on me out here again. You scared me to death, meow!" Nekomata pouted with dissatisfaction.
Wise offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I just thought it would be a fun way to say hi. (I'll totally do it again next time). By the way, I brought you a gift."
He produced an item from behind his back, and Nekomata's eyes instantly lit up.
"Meow! Is this the limited-edition grilled fish jerky!"
Nekomata snatched the treat from his hand and began to munch on it happily, her face radiating pure bliss from the delicious taste. The jerky was actually a purchase from the system; there wouldn't have been time to buy it on the way. Thank goodness for its convenience.
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