Chapter 43: Marissa’s Soliloquy (18+)
"Hiro... I’m not playing right now. This is important," Luna said as Hiro poked her cheek.
Hiro had chosen Parallel Thought as his level-up reward, allowing him to observe both Luna and Cecile simultaneously.
She was packing her things and studying the neighboring nation of Mutual. Hiro, however, had little interest in such matters. All he cared about was his hosts. National interests were completely out of his league. Still, one of his hosts was a princess, so he pretended to care.
"Do we really need to worry about them?" Hiro muttered to himself. Now that Litmus had him, the kingdom no longer depended on outside imports for essential resources. He could provide them with as much iron or other materials as they needed. Nevertheless, Rebecca’s homeland threatened war against Litmus, and many people were concerned.
Seeing that Luna didn’t want to play with him, Hiro shifted his consciousness to Marissa.
There, a tall beauty stood before her. She had ample curves, and her blonde hair cascaded down her back like a river. Her eyes carried a strong will, exuding confidence. She looked like a model.
Hiro immediately recoiled. She had the aura of a successful woman—someone completely out of his comfort zone. Her attitude reminded him of his mother back on Earth where waves of complaints came out of her mouth every time they met. A wave of PTSD hit him as memories resurfaced of being scolded by her during his NEET days.
"Greetings, Leafa," Marissa said, offering a polite smile.
Hiro didn’t sense any hostility from her, but there was a hint of nervousness in Marissa’s voice. That only made him more guarded.
"Greetings, Marissa. I see you’ve been climbing the ranks despite being level one," Leafa remarked.
"I’m hardly a warrior, Leafa. Even though I’m cured, I’m still a bit unsteady on my feet. So, I chose to become a mayor. This boring job suits me better," she said with a smile.