Accolade

a promise/a proposal

A status window is something every human has. It helps us appraise herbs and keep track of our well-being, but that's about as far as it goes. So what am I even looking at right now?

|| Name: Mars Godde

|| Level: 3

|| Occupation: Collector

|| Title: The one blessed by an apostle.

|| Strength: 3 [+]

|| Agility: 5 [+]

|| Intelligence: 7 [+]

|| Endurance: 3 [+]

|| Skills: Heightened senses (F)

|| Bonus points: 0

"Huh? What's this?" I say, looking around for Iris.

'A skill board.' A voice rings out from the back of my head. It's definitely Iris's but where is she?

"What was that? Am I hearing things?" I turn around to check if Iris is behind me.

'You aren't hearing things. I'm in your head now.'

"What are you on about?"

'I'm in your head, you're a bit slow aren't you?'

"No, I'm pretty sure my reaction is accurate." I lie back on the ground seeing that there's no one to help me stand up anymore.

'Remember how I said I'll be taking your body?'

"Yeah?"

'From now on, you'll be doing my bidding.' Her voice becomes stern all of a sudden.

"Your bidding?"

'I'll make you rule the world.'

.

.

.

"Pfft Hahahaha! Rule the world! Hahah! I didn't think you'd have fantasies this childish- Did being stuck here for too long fry your brains?!"

'Oi! Shut it! You're nothing but a mere puppet for me, from now.' Oh no she's delusional too. How sad.

"I get that part, but how do you plan to make me the king?" I wipe the tears from the side of my eyes.

'By climbing up the floors. Well, I guess they aren't really floors, so climbing up the ranks?'

"What do you mean?"

'Ah, you wouldn't know about yet. I'll tell you someday. Let's just focus on getting strong for now.' Getting strong was never one of my goals. I mean why would someone under the guard's protection need strength anyway? At least that's what I thought before I encountered the spider today.

"... how exactly would I do that?"

'The Accolade system, that's what it's for. First, let's get out of here.'

The gate slides up. That's convenient, but, I can't get up in this sta- Wait... I don't feel pain in my leg anymore.

I get up and check my leg and it's absolutely fine. How did this...

'I healed it while installing Accolade, well I can only do something like this once, so don't count on it in the future. Let's go now.'

I get up, pick my pickaxe, and walk to the gate, which isn't very far off.

On the way out I step over the corpse of the monster that once tried to kill me. It doesn't feel that rewarding, since I didn't kill it myself. The only thing I can say here is, 'serves you right.'

'You monologue a little too much. Move your legs and not your brain.'

Quiet, it's my brain and I'll monologue as I please.

After a few minutes of walking, I reach the plains in front of the gate that leads to the town.

I should get my bag first.

'Are you stupid? Didn't you almost die today?'

I can't just leave without my bag, though. I really need the money.

'Just come back tomorrow.'

No way, you're so smart! Why didn't I think of that?!

Ah, I remember, it was because someone would've taken my day's worth of work by the time I get there, along with my bag.

'Argh, whatever. Go! I don't care if you die anyway.'

Nah, I'll pass. I'm too tired anyway, and I have plenty of bags at home. I never lost a single bag since I started collecting 6 years ago. I pride myself on that aspect.

'Brat.'

I walk towards the stone wall on the other side of the plain.

The stone walls surrounding the town are around 30 meters tall and have entrances barely big enough to let a carriage pass through them. After walking through the entrance I enter a bustling town.

Lights from the torches coupled with fog and smoke from the grills. And people, people everywhere. Selling food, commodities, and weapons. There's chaos everywhere, but it's the sort of chaos that makes you feel included.

I walk to the other side of town and walk through the town's exit.

'Where are you going?'

To my house.

'Don't you live in the town?'

No. My house is situated around a minute away from town. It's a small wooden cabin and is also the only possession left to me by my parents. Since it's still relatively close to the town, the cabin is still under the guard's jurisdiction.

I walk inside the small wooden cabin and pick out an apple I took from a tree nearby.

'What's your plan now?' I talk inside my head.

'Wait, you can speak like this too?'

'You pick something like this up after hearing it all day.' It's not actually that hard. It's just like talking to myself but with someone else.

'I guess so. It's a beginner's medium of conversation, it'd be weird if you didn't pick it up.' Iris ruins all my sense of pride.

Well, at least she can't read my mind anymore.

'Who can't read your what now?' She can still hear me?! Wait, if she can still hear me then what's the point of this technique?

'It's more convenient for me now since I know that your dialogue is aimed at me.'

So it literally holds no merit for me. Welp, I guess I won't be using it anymore. What's your objective? Tell me something I can actually understand.

'Hmm... okay, I guess. Since I'll be needing your help, I might as well tell you everything your tiny brain can comprehend.'

Her brain fit into mine, so I wonder whose is tinier.

'Ahem... before I tell you anything I need you to promise me something.'

??

'From now on you'll heed every one of my commands. No matter how crazy they are.'

You'd have to be an absolute lunatic to agree to that. That's not only extremely vague, but it's also downright dangerous. There's absolutely nothing I get out of this.

'In return for your cooperation, I have a proposal.'

There's nothing I want, though. I was saving up to buy a new ax to expand my collection activity, but that's it. My life is pretty stable and I always have food on the table. And even if I did suddenly gain something I really want, I wouldn't pick that considering the other side of the dea-

'I'll let you meet that girl.'