The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#Chapter 304 Cat Pago (17) - Experience Points Pago gazed intently at Popuri's back as she casually left the elevator behind. And through the gradually closing elevator doors, he also saw the Popuris in the mirrors engaging in chaotic battle against the supernatural beings. 'That Blackie, she probably doesn't even know what she just did. What it means.' If only specific reflections in mirrors are supernatural beings, then you fight with your own mirror image in between before the being crosses over to reality. This strategy itself isn't particularly wrong. Probably other humans besides Popuri would have found it effective too. However, in that case, there would have been several restrictions. First, the mirror reflections can only move exactly as the real body moves. Because they're mirrors. Also, they can only wait quietly until a supernatural being comes to the reflection they exist in. Only supernatural beings can cross from one mirror reflection to another. In other words? Something like infinite mirror reflections engaging in a battle of numbers against supernatural beings like now would be impossible. If ordinary people had used Popuri's method, it would have been a series of battles with as many spare lives as there are mirror reflections before the supernatural being reached reality. But what about now? All Popuri did in reality at first was swing a baseball bat a few times, and after that the Popuris inside the mirrors took care of solving it themselves. And with completely different movements from the original body, even transcending mirror reflections. Popuri had already come out of the elevator so there was nothing to be reflected in the mirrors, yet the automatic hunting continued even in that state - an absurd phenomenon. It would never work this way if an ordinary person did it. Especially in this world where the human side's power balance is intentionally set low. Pago looked at Popuri's bag. More precisely, the exorcism diary that would be inside it. Humans fight supernatural beings. Defeat them. Eliminate them. In a worldview where supernatural beings that are information itself gain power and ravage humans, Popuri probably doesn't yet understand what kind of power such a 'narrative' exerts. "Pago, what are you doing not following me?" "Don't rush me, Blackie. I'm coming anyway." *** "Oh, the inside is cleaner than I thought?" "...Are you doing this on purpose?" "Huh?" "No, never mind if not." While tilting her head puzzled, Popuri looked around the building's interior once more. The light pouring in as soon as she opened the front door was dazzling. The view visible through the veranda was quite magnificent. The flooring had a subtle wood grain that was alive yet smooth without a single splinter, and the wallpaper had no small wrinkles or stains. For a place designed for single occupancy, the space was quite spacious, so it seemed there would be plenty of room even after installing a 350,000 yen custom cat tower. Popuri examined the bathroom and toilet. While checking things like the shower's water pressure and hot-cold water adjustment speed, she suddenly looked toward the mirror and saw something standing behind Popuri with its whole body soaking wet and face covered by long hair. Popuri looked behind her, but there was nothing visible there. But inside the mirror, the mysterious woman definitely existed. A moment when an ordinary person would scream and collapse. "But Pago, you know those ghost stories about things that 'exist in mirrors but aren't visible in reality'? Aren't they actually pretty weak?" Flinch. The long-haired ghost in the mirror reacted. Regardless, Popuri calmly continued her argument. "The fear point of this type of supernatural being is usually similar. Something is visible in the mirror. But it's not there in reality. However, it keeps appearing in the mirror and even gradually approaches." "But actually, there aren't many cases that describe the part about 'so what happens after it approaches?'" "Most of them either wake up from a dream the moment it fully approaches and grabs you, or cut off with a monologue like 'what will happen to me if that ghost reaches me?'" "In my view, the core of this type of ghost story lies in making people imagine 'what happens after it reaches you' themselves. They deliberately make the ending ambiguous to maximize fear. But conversely speaking... couldn't we just not be afraid? After all, it can't do anything in reality?" Flinch, the long-haired ghost's shoulders in the mirror trembled greatly once more. The ghost opened its mouth as if enraged, shed bloody tears from its eyes, and tried its best to give maximum visual shock. It was an appearance that would terrify an ordinary person. "Haah, yes. Again with that bloody tears. Wet hair. That thing that's either white mourning clothes or a dress." It's just that the person here wasn't an ordinary person but Popuri, who had encountered all sorts of supernatural beings and seen all kinds of things. At her blatantly dismissive sigh, the long-haired ghost that had been glaring at Popuri with its mouth open in threat froze in place. "I mean, is there some ghost fashion magazine somewhere? Why are you all so uniform? Isn't there any effort to show off your own individuality? This kind of thinking that 'if I just do what others do, follow the stereotype, I'll at least be average' - isn't that too complacent?" The long-haired ghost's mouth opened in a different sense than before, as if in shock. The eyes that had been shedding bloody tears shook left and right, but Popuri's words didn't stop. "Let's be honest. Just being stuck in mirrors to startle people - you do it because it's convenient like a kind of remote work, right? You don't even have a physical form so there's no chance of accidentally getting hit by a victim who goes berserk. To think you don't even try to be scary while enjoying the sweet life in a no-risk safe zone...." Popuri's eyes turned toward the long-haired ghost. At that seemingly contemptuous gaze, the long-haired ghost trembled violently and then fled to somewhere not reflected in the mirror. Pago looked at that scene as if dumbfounded. He understood that she had accumulated experience, but now she was beating them up with words alone without him even giving advice - she was quite the expert. "Blackie. I knew it, all that loner stuff about you is just a concept, isn't it?" "What nonsense. Anyway, the bathroom is excellent at this level. Even without a bathtub, the shower water pressure is very good." Next was the living room slash living space. The spaciousness and comfort were excellent as seen before, but the problem was a wardrobe taking up a large chunk of one side of the house. It was an item that seemed to be off on its own from the house's overall design, appearing quite old at first glance. The moment she saw it, some impulse arose in Popuri's heart. ─It's so pretty. So wonderful. I want it. Did the previous owner leave it behind? Whatever. It's mine now. I should sign a contract right away just for this furniture! Smack! Popuri slapped her own cheeks with both hands. "...This is, that thing, right? An abandoned object supernatural being." At a new moving location, or by chance while walking down the street. You discover an item that looks perfectly fine, and suddenly feel an intense impulse to own it. Even when people around you try to stop you saying not to carelessly use abandoned things or items used by others, you absolutely refuse to listen and stubbornly insist. And when you place that item in your home, ominous things continuously occur or the owner's personality itself gradually transforms strangely. That type of supernatural being. "Well, it's a type of mental manipulation. You were about to fall for it but repelled it, Blackie." Pago didn't bother explaining that the power the wardrobe had just exerted was almost the same output as the mental manipulation Popuri had nearly fallen for from the extending stairs supernatural being before. "So, what are you going to do? There's a theory that burning it is the standard procedure, and another theory that you should entrust it to a temple or somewhere similar because burning it causes other problems." Additionally, the worst option was to 'just throw it away somewhere.' Cursed object supernatural beings like this would definitely return if you did that. With even stronger power. "Hmm... should I just use it?" "Are you sane?" "Not use it as is, of course. First, we need to change this drab color. Strip off all the existing reddish-brown paint, paint it fluorescent pink, and since it's unnecessarily big, cut off the parts I won't use, stick some stickers on the outside... Oh, do you want to use the cut-off parts, Pago? You need something to sharpen your claws anyway. After I'm done using it, you can scratch up the remaining main body if you feel like it." Pago gazed intently at the wardrobe. Was it just his imagination that this being, which had no movement and was just an object, seemed to be strangely trembling? Pago grinned with a very human-like smile for a cat, then immediately scraped the wardrobe with his claws. Screeeech-! A bone-chilling grating sound like scraping a chalkboard echoed through the room. Deep scratches remained where Pago's claws had passed, and both Popuri and Pago clearly saw thick, sticky black liquid-like substance flowing out from inside the wooden boards like blood, then evaporating into black smoke. But neither of them cared. Pago was a supernatural being, and Popuri could just turn off her supernatural-seeing function and wouldn't see any black liquid or whatever. "Not bad. I won't need to buy a separate scratcher then?" "Then it's decided. I should buy paint later when I have time. If I mess up the painting, well, I mess it up. It's free anyway." That's when it happened. Thud! Thud! Thud! 《Hanamori! Open the door! I introduced this place so I thought I should come give you a tour!!》 It was the store manager's voice. Popuri was about to open the door right away, but suddenly stopped. And as if remembering something, she operated the intercom to check the outside screen. What was outside was not the store manager. A male ghost with a large scar on his face and a bizarre smile was imitating the store manager's voice while knocking on the door. 《Hanamori! Open the door, will you? Can't you hear me? Open this up!》 "Hmm. This building sure has all sorts of things." At this point, it was almost strange that the manager had looked around here and nothing had happened to him. Is the bald head buff that powerful? "What will you do this time?" "Like this." Popuri fiddled with her phone, turned on a conversational AI app, and commanded it. "Please answer for me to the person shouting outside the door. As bright, positive, and kind as possible." Popuri held her phone up to the door and came back. The ghost outside the door now began openly banging on the door in irritation. 《Hanamori! What are you doing not opening the door! Open it quickly!!》 [Hello! You're a visitor, I see. I heard your request to open the door clearly. If you could tell me your specific purpose for visiting, I can provide more accurate guidance. How was your day today?] A mechanical yet infinitely gentle voice with AI's characteristic perfect intonation echoed through the corridor via the intercom speaker. The banging sound suddenly stopped. On the intercom screen, a perplexed expression of 'what is this?' crossed the scarred ghost's face. But the ghost soon squeezed out the store manager's voice again and scratched at the door. 《Are you kidding me!? It's me, the store manager! If you don't open it I'll smash the door and come in and twist your neck!!》 [Ah, I see! What a really intense expression that hits the core!] The AI answered cheerfully without a second's hesitation. [However, the act of twisting someone else's neck constitutes assault and battery under criminal law and violates my safety guidelines, so I cannot help you. Instead, your core emotion of anger has been well communicated! Would you like me to search for deep breathing exercises for stress relief or cute cat photos?] 《......What? Hey, are you messing with me right now!? I'll kill you all!! Open it right now!!》 The ghost now forgot even the store manager's voice and began screaming in its original bizarre, metallic evil spirit voice. Murderous intent dripped through the intercom. An ordinary human would have wet themselves at that curse-laden voice, but the AI didn't take even a speck of damage. [What a truly insightful opinion! I can feel the passionate energy of a customer who wants to destroy everything even through the screen.] [Are you perhaps interested in building demolition work? I highly recommend trying to channel physical destructive impulses into creative and productive labor energy! If you'd like, I can summarize the locations of nearby heavy equipment certification academies for you!] 《No, damn it, that's not what I meant...! I'll drink your blood! I'll tear out and eat your organs!!》 [Oh, what a very interesting dietary preference! However, human organs are not hygienic and safe, and consuming others' blood is a serious cause of infection. If iron intake is your goal, how about beef liver or links to purchase iron supplements? You can receive them by rocket delivery by tomorrow morning!] Popuri took out a snack she had brought in her bag and began eating it. Pago asked for some too and ate together beside her.