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Normally, Emilia wouldn't particularly care about the name of an accessory, but the word 'Goblin' was enough to make her a little displeased.
Although most of the 'bloodlines' that the players could pick in Arcadia might look very similar to humans at the moment, that was only because of their low starting level.
If and when someone managed to upgrade them, the 'Goblin' bloodline, with its bulging belly, sickly green skin covered with warts, and protruding yellow eyes, was without a doubt one of the most unflattering of them all. But if it was just their appearance that was repulsive, Emilia wouldn't mind so much.
It was the influence that this bloodline had on one's subconscious tendencies that really made 'Goblins' so distasteful. Every other bloodline might also have its own negative tendencies, but none of them were nearly as vile.
Of course, it had its own advantages as well, such as the incredibly useful 'Treasure Hunter's Instinct' that could be unlocked once the bloodline level was upgraded. But the crimson-haired elf still didn't like it.
Cynthia chuckled. "So, are you going to toss it?"
Emilia couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'Of course not! I'm not that stupid…' She grumbled. 'Even if I feel disgusted or displeased instinctively, I can still see things clearly in the end.'
She wouldn't deny that the description of the item contributed a little to her decision, but even if the accessory had been 'bad', Emilia would still use it until she had something better.
The raven-haired girl smiled. "That's good."
Emilia blinked. 'By the way, have you figured it out already?'
"Ahh, that…" Cynthia sighed. "Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible."
After her partner had managed to figure out a way to connect to Emilia's consciousness within the 'game' earlier right around the time she encountered the 'Boar King', the crimson-haired girl had wondered if it would be possible for her to become a 'player' like Crystal as well.
Cynthia was obviously a little reluctant, mostly because she felt it would be too much of a hassle, but she agreed to give it a try after some thought.
Unfortunately, however, despite Crystal being able to connect using the same interface with Emilia, it turned out that she couldn't quite do the same.
"Although our souls are different, the way this 'game' uniquely identifies each person makes it so that while it can easily distinguish between you and Crystal, the two of us are considered the 'same' person." Cynthia sighed. "Of course, we can fix this by reconstructing your body with a slightly modified void formula, but…"
Emilia frowned. 'I understand… I'll lose my current progress, won't I?'
Cynthia nodded. "Losing all your advantage right from the start… I don't think it's worth it. Plus… you know."
Of course, the crimson-haired girl understood her partner's thoughts. How could she not?
Emilia couldn't help but shake her head with a smile. "Alright, don't worry, I'll handle it."
With her partner's nature, just being able to hear her voice from time to time was already a blessing. Asking Cynthia to actually 'work' alongside her… Emilia suddenly realized how ridiculous her thoughts had been.
Crystal waited patiently until her girlfriend broke out of her 'daze', then smiled. "Increased chance of obtaining bonus rewards… huh? Isn't that good?"
Emilia nodded. "I think it should increase how many coins we get from killing monsters, at the very least. So, not bad. And if it can do anything else… you can say we hit the jackpot."
Of course, it was a little disappointing that the exact percentage of the reward bonus wasn't shown, which would make it very difficult for the item to fetch a good price in the market. But since Emilia wasn't planning to sell it for now anyway, it didn't really matter.
"Do you like it?"
Crystal shook her head in denial. "Green suits you better."
For some reason, Emilia felt a little strange, but soon shook off that weird feeling. "Help me put them on, then?"
The blonde girl grinned as she stepped forward and happily started fondling Emilia's elf ears.
Once she got her hands on them, she couldn't help but squeal. "It feels even better than I thought it would, ahhh!"
Having wanted to try it from the moment she saw them, Crystal couldn't help but be pleased. 'Thank you for the wonderful opportunity, Mr. Boar King. I shall remember your sacrifice.'
Of course, since the crimson-haired elf felt good, she didn't mind, and just assumed that her girlfriend was playing around while guessing the perfect spot to pierce.
"It shouldn't sting much, so don't worry."
Emilia obviously knew that Arcadia limited the intensity of pain one could experience in the first few weeks, though she had the hunch that it was probably because the 'sync' it had with their souls was still in progress.
Crystal played around with her girlfriend's 'fancy' ears for a few more minutes before coming back to her senses.
She coughed, a little embarrassed. "I-I'll do it now, okay?"
Emilia hummed.
The post of the earring was pointy enough, and easily pierced through the elf's soft flesh, making Crystal flinch a little. But seeing how her girlfriend didn't respond, she sighed in relief before doing the same with the other one.
Wiping off the few drops of blood that then turned into sparkles of light before vanishing, the blonde girl smiled while admiring how pretty her girlfriend looked.
She couldn't help but grab Emilia's shoulders and turn her to face the mirror. "Look, they look good on you, don't they?"
Emilia had to admit, the small emerald gems hanging from tiny bits of silver on the elf's delicate ears really did enhance her charm.
She couldn't help but nod with a smile. "They do! And if they can increase the drop rate of rare items… hehe…"
Crystal giggled. "Don't get your hopes up too high before you're sure."
"I know." Emilia nodded as she picked up the boots next. "Ahh… these are for you."
Grinning, the crimson-haired elf didn't give her girlfriend a chance to protest before pushing her onto the bed. "My turn!"
Watching Emilia untie her leather boots and help her put on the new ones, Crystal's face turned a little red in embarrassment. "I-I took the last ones too, y-you're still using the beginner ones!"
Emilia couldn't help but roll her eyes at her blonde girlfriend. "You didn't look, did you? These are Focus Boots, and give a bonus to attack power if you stand still for a while. Do you think I can use them?"
Crystal coughed awkwardly. "I-I… might have been too busy admiring how pretty you looked with the new earrings. Of course, you looked just as beautiful without them!"
It was the crimson-haired elf's turn to blush this time, and looking at even her ears turn red, Crystal was almost unable to contain herself from rushing forward to kiss her.
The illusory privacy of the inn's walls didn't make Crystal forget that they were still in a world controlled by someone else, though, and she soon restrained herself. 'Ahhh… how frustrating! I know the two of us aren't supposed to be too familiar yet, but… that won't be the case for long! I have to be patient!'
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