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The world had clearly undergone a subtle change after 'Arcadia' was released, and the concentration of energy in the air was even higher than before. So Emilia didn't question Cynthia on why she couldn't summon Crystal out anymore when she'd obviously already done so earlier, before the game was released.
The two of them could always meet inside Arcadia, and it didn't even cost any 'summoning time', but what bothered her was not being able to talk to her blonde girlfriend about anything that she 'shouldn't' know.
Unlikely as it was, there was no way to be sure when they might be under scrutiny while within the game, and Emilia knew that they couldn't afford to take that risk.
With the world will's current strength, not to mention kicking her out, even exterminating her might not be impossible. And even if they were somehow able to escape, it definitely wouldn't be without paying a price.
Fortunately, Cynthia was able to figure out a way to let her communicate with Crystal without summoning her out. It did consume some of her summoning time, though, so Emilia tried to be quite brief and to the point.
There were quite a few secrets, features, and events in Arcadia that Emilia knew of, but not all of them were of use to Crystal, and most of them didn't need to be discussed in advance since she would be accompanying her anyway.
She told Crystal to continue investing in agility first, at least until she got to the point of diminishing return, and focus only on enhancing her light skills whenever she got the chance.
'Although it is possible to learn skills of other elements, the affinity you get in the real world depends a lot on how 'pure' your skill set is.'
Crystal hummed in understanding. 'So this is one of those things that are fine while inside the game, but end up costing a lot later, huh? It's a pity we can't let anyone else know.'
From what she understood, the hero was not only formidable himself, but he also had a terrifyingly strong team by his side. Competing with such a foe, even if the two of them did their best, it may not be enough.
'Don't worry, if they are willing to listen to me, I have my ways of making sure they don't diverge too much.' Emilia smiled. 'As for the hero's unique skills… well, there's nothing we can do about that.'
Of course, Emilia had already told Crystal about all three of the hero's 'unique' skills that she knew of, and she found each one more disgusting than the other.
With all of them combined… the blonde girl couldn't help but be worried.
Not to mention anything else, just the 'Hero's Instinct' alone allowed one to 'feel' the maximum extent of rewards one could get, which meant that the hero would always be able to tell when a certain character had some 'hidden' quests.
Moreover, this ability was not limited to 'people', meaning that no treasure or secret could ever escape his sight.
Of course, it had its limitations, and didn't actually tell the user 'how' to obtain those 'hidden' rewards. But in the hands of someone like Darryl, it was already terrifying enough.
Emilia hummed. 'If things go according to the previous timeline, he should also be able to find and complete that quest within three days… but that's fine.'
In fact, if not for all the trouble being thrown the hero's way by certain people 'worried' about Arcadia's future, it may not even have taken him that long.
But Emilia knew that even if things changed a little this time around, no one could stop the momentum of Arcadia, or even the hero.
The crimson-haired girl smiled. 'But even if I can't stop you from growing taller… can't I make you short by boosting my own growth?'
Cynthia found it a bit funny, considering how short and cute Emilia had been while starting off in this world.
Even if she'd boosted her height as much as she could 'realistically' in a short period of time, she was still practically a midget when compared to the relatively tall hero.
'If the two of them crossed paths, maybe he wouldn't even notice she was there?' Fortunately, the raven-haired girl managed to contain her giggles in time, or her partner's mood would definitely have been ruined.
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Since she'd already taken care of her affairs, Emilia returned to the 'office' of the Crimson Witches a little earlier than the scheduled time. And to her surprise, she found that Danielle was busy arguing with a few neatly-dressed middle-aged men.
Noticing her presence, they briefly paused, but after Danielle greeted her and they realized she wasn't 'anyone of concern', the argument resumed.
"What do you mean by 'it's too early to decide', Miss Danielle?"
"The game has already been cleared by the governments now, so there is no reason for you to not continue with our sponsorships, is there?"
"Don't forget, we supported you when no one else was willing to continue with your brand."
Even though Emilia had already walked out of the lobby area, the door wasn't closed, and she could clearly listen to their discussion.
The team 'Crimson Witches' was initially founded by Danielle with her own personal funds, and with most of the members being her close friends, their 'upkeep' wasn't particularly high.
Of course, as they grew older, their salary expectations grew, and just the prize money from some tournaments was no longer enough to continue supporting her dream.
The villainess wasn't too rich, and she knew that her inheritance couldn't support them forever, so she soon found a few sponsors.
Emilia couldn't help but sigh. 'Fortunately, she was smart enough to not just sell her team, and only signed with them on individual games.'
Danielle's reason for doing such a thing was mostly to retain her 'authority', even if it meant that they wouldn't have a reliable and stable source of funds, she was content as long as she could pay everyone their fair salary.
After all the scandals, most of the brands she had a deal with immediately broke their ties, though, and the situation became dire.
If not for Danielle depleting most of her own savings in a desperate attempt to continue her dream, perhaps the 'Crimson Witches' would already be a thing of the past.
Of course, there was one 'sponsor' that had stuck with them through thick and thin, making many wonder just how 'benevolent' they must be, but that was only how it seemed.
Most of the payments they were supposed to make were always 'delayed' indefinitely, and relying on the fact that no one would have the guts to abandon their 'last' sponsor, they took advantage of the 'free advertising' from this 'notorious' team every chance they got.
Now that this 'pushover' suddenly had the guts to not call them when starting a new game, however, they'd sent people to 'negotiate'.
Unfortunately, they vastly underestimated how 'stubborn' this pushover could be, and could only leave after threatening her a few more times.
"We're willing to make you this offer only out of consideration of our past relationship. Think carefully before making a decision, our goodwill is not endless!"
Danielle sneered as she watched the swagger out of her office arrogantly. "Do you really think it's enough to finally clear your past payments? Tsk."
It was obviously their contractual obligation in the first place, but they made it seem like they were doing her some personal favor.
Emilia grinned as she watched the villainess click her tongue in disdain, and couldn't help but trot over to ask the girl what she planned to do next.
"Obviously, if we want to continue paying our rent and bills in the future, we need a sponsor. But that doesn't mean we have to rely on them." She snorted. "I'll find someone better soon, don't worry."
The nature of 'Arcadia' made it a bit difficult to convince traditional corporations, but Danielle felt that it shouldn't be impossible as long as she made a good enough pitch.
Even if large-scale tournaments were out of the question, they could always stream or direct advertising clips. If Arcadia's popularity continued to grow, it definitely would be worth sponsoring its top players.
Emilia hummed thoughtfully. "Well, don't rush. I'm sure they'll be more 'receptive' to your offer once we're more famous."
Although they'd partially 'redeemed' their reputation of a 'washed out' team shortly before Arcadia was released, the stigma associated with their name was very much still there.
Under such circumstances, they were sure to face a lot of skepticism and ridicule while 'courting' various brands and sponsors.
Instead, it would be better to wait and focus on the game first, and only think about such things after they'd already made some achievements.
Danielle paused after listening to her words, then her furrowed brows loosened as she smiled. "… You're right. I was too anxious just now."
With just the two of them, the villainess didn't shy away from admitting her mistakes, and Emilia couldn't help but grin. 'She's a lot more understanding than the heroine, isn't she?'
Of course, much of Sylvia's 'stubbornness' stemmed from that 'rotten girl' Dolly, whom she still considered her friend, so the crimson-haired girl knew that it wouldn't last long.
'Maybe it's not impossible for them to get along in the future, after all.' Emilia nodded in satisfaction.
Watching her 'smug' smile, Danielle couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation and wave her away. "Alright, shoo, I need to do some thinking. Go play in the hall or something."
After the crimson-haired girl left, though, Danielle's annoyed expression soon turned back into a smile. 'I never thought I'd once again be able to think about our future with such confidence… maybe Nico is right, and she really is our lucky star.'
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