IF: Valentine's Day

(The contents of this chapter have no effect on the main story. It's an IF, after all.)

 

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Tria came to Alto to have a talk.

Their two Spirit-samas were currently logged out, so they were free to move around. She had something she wanted to discuss while she had the chance.

"Alto. I heard from Penpen-sama that there's something called 'Valentine's' in the Spirit-samas' world."

"Valentine's…? What kind of monster is that?"

"It's not a monster. Apparently, it's a day where you give, like, presents to people you like."

"… So it's a day for giving presents to our Spirit-samas!"

"Yes, presents. Tria wants to give our Spirit-samas something."

"What a splendid idea."

Alto nodded along.

"But in that case, shouldn't we discuss it with Miitei? And Nika too."

"Mm. It's so that just Tria and Alto can give the Spirit-samas presents and get one step ahead of the 'second characters.'"

"Oh? Nice. I like that answer. Let's prepare a present for the Spirit-samas, just the two of us."

Alto grinned, and Tria nodded. Exactly as she'd expected.

They were the 'first characters,' so naturally, they should be the Spirit-samas' favorites. It wasn't that they disliked the 'second characters.' Far from it. They were comrades who adored the same Spirit-samas, who had devoted body, heart, soul, and everything to them.

But.

But precisely because of that, they wanted to be liked even more. You could call it an instinct of the Spirit-Possessed, and you wouldn't be wrong.

After all, to them, the Spirit-samas were quite literally 'everything.'

They loved and revered them with all they had. In every sense, with everything they could muster.

The 'second characters' simply made for a convenient yardstick.

That aside. Tria pulled out a ribbon.

She'd gotten it from Penpen's Spirit-sama when she heard the story.

"Apparently saying something like 'The present is… me' is a good approach. I got a ribbon."

"Wait, Tria. We already belong to our Spirit-samas, so we can't really be presents, can we?"

"! True. That's right…!"

They had already offered up everything long before any gift-giving occasion. There was nothing left to give to the Spirit-samas. At the very least, they couldn't present 'themselves.'

"Even though I got a ribbon from Penpen-sama, I can't use it… Mmm."

"First, we need to figure out what the Spirit-samas even like… Otherwise, picking a present is going to be hard."

"… Logbo!"

"Hm?"

"I heard the Spirit-samas like something called 'logbo'! They can't help but collect them, apparently."

"Logbo… I don't know that item. But now that you mention it, I do remember the Spirit-samas talking about that among themselves."

If it was something you collected, it must exist in large quantities. In that case, maybe Tria and Alto could get their hands on some too.

… Logbo… exists in large quantities… something you just can't help happily collecting…

"So what exactly is 'logbo'…?"

"Hmm. I think it's a long stick."

"A long stick? Why?"

"Long-bō. 'Log-bō' for short. Besides, sticks are useful for all sorts of things."

"That's plausible."

But they'd never actually seen a Spirit-sama collecting sticks… No, wait.

"Alto. That guess is very close. What the Spirit-samas like is probably wooden sticks. 'Logbo' must mean tree branches. Branches that have fallen just right. Those you'd collect."

"Hmm. Come to think of it, a wooden house is apparently called a 'log house.' 'Log' must refer to wood. Your guess might not be far off either, Tria…"

"Yes, that has to be it. So we'll collect 'nice-looking tree branches'!"

Tria snorted with determination.

But Alto remembered something.

"Why did Penpen-sama give you that ribbon in the first place?"

"For the 'present is… me' thing?"

"Right, exactly. I know it's a bit odd for me to say this since I'm the one who brought it up, but actually, it means you, Tria, are on the table as a 'Valentine's' present."

"… Meaning?"

"'Logbo'… was us all along…!?"

In truth, logbo stood for 'login bonus'. It had absolutely nothing to do with Valentine's Day. The only connection was the thread of 'things they like,' but somewhere along the way, the two had gotten the topics completely tangled up.

"Your life. Offering your heart is the true present, don't you think?"

"I see. But Tria and Alto's hearts can't be offered. Those belong to our Spirit-samas, after all."

"Then let's go hunting. We can get plenty of monster hearts, and the magic stones are useful as materials too. Our Spirit-samas should be pleased."

"Ooh… That must be the 'logbo' the Spirit-samas love. It has to be."

And so the two set out to hunt monsters in pursuit of 'logbo.'

Grinding XP was one of the things the Spirit-samas had told them to 'handle during Auto Mode,' so it served double duty.

And thus, the table ended up piled high with monster hearts and magic stones.

It was a little… no, very much a horror show. Bad for the heart in an entirely different sense.

"Okay. Now, on here… Alto. Write the words. 'Valentine's logbo.'"

"Leave it to me."

 

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"Hey, Alto. I got a Valentine's login bonus."

"Got one too, yo. A mountain of monster hearts."

Valentine's Day. An event where you give heart-shaped chocolates, or so the legend goes.

Hearts, meaning… well, literal hearts.

The dried blood had turned them brown, making them look almost like chocolate… maybe… sort of…?

"… I see. Valentine's login bonus."

"Right, yo. Hahhh, doesn't bring back a single school memory, yo～"

"If a mountain of hearts DID bring back school memories, you'd be seriously messed up, y'know?"

True enough, Alto nodded. At any rate, they gratefully accepted the Valentine's login bonus.

 

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"… By the way, Valentine's Day was yesterday, right, yo?"

"If my memory serves, today's 2/15."