Rose and Rapier

Bestie!!

"-and when I'm here, my name is Serene Dunfield."

Spencer told me that, she too, just played this game a few days before.

"Why don't you told me?! I want to play it too!"

I pouted as Spencer already played this game first without telling me. 

"I don't know that you were interested in this kind of game, so I didn't call you."

Spencer, as always, did not show any emotions.

I did not know like, is she mad or is she felt guilty, but nobody knew it as she kept making the same face all the time.

Contradict to Harith though!

"So, what is the game? And why is there no combat in this game?!"

We were hanging out in the House's cafe which located in the garden beside it. 

It is like a regular online cafe, but with the touch of medieval's art.

Spencer looked at me, cautiously while drinking her cup of tea.

"They actually have the 'Combat' feature. Try to slide your 'Profile' to the left."

I nodded and followed her instruction. I opened my 'Profile' and tried to slide to the left, but the screen would not budge.

"I can't!"

Spencer then sent me a Friend Request, which later I accepted it. She then looked at my stats, and then she sighed.

"To activate your 'Combat' feature, you need to at least get all your skills and traits to level 5."

As soon as I heard that, my eyes went wide.

What kind of game is this?

Spencer looked at me and then she sighed, as she can read my mind.

"This is not like ordinary RPG games that we used to play though. This time, it is different."

Listening to Spencer, who is getting serious, I decided to move closer to her. Spencer then warned me to not put my hands on the table, as it looked rude. She then whispered slowly to me.

"Don't put your hands on the table. It will consider rude, and always keep your back straight."

I quickly did as she told as I noticed some of the players there started to look at me. As I maintained my poise, Spencer continued.

"Well, are you familiar with the Royal Kiss game?"

I raised my eyebrow.

"You mean that lame game, on how the girl should be skilful in sewing, cooking, manners, etiquettes and music and don't forget the literature. And don't forget that they had to learn that stuff just to impress their possible suitor? Ugh! The worst game ever!"

Spencer kept quiet as she listened to my complaints. 

"Like every day, I have to wake up every morning, just to impress a guy to marry me, for the sake of my family's name? That game sucks! I rather won the game bleeding rather than seducing some random character."

Spencer then looked at me, and somehow, I can see that her eyes, telling me that I will not love what she was about to say later.

"Claire, the truth is, this game is just like that, except, they added some combat feature, of course."

"What?!"

Spencer put her index finger closer to her lips, asking me to behave as I noticed that most of the people there now stared at me, as a predator waits for its prey.

"Keep it down."

Spencer remained her calm, although both of us knew that we hate this type of game so much!

"How come you played this game, Spencer?"

Spencer drank from her cup of tea, again, and then I saw that she is staring at me from the tail of her eyes.

"No, this is not the type of game that you will play, Claire."

I gulped.

Has she caught me?

Is she knew something about me?

"Now, tell me, Claire, why do you play this game? I mean, with the size of your game's cabinet, I'm pretty sure you better games to play with."

I looked away from Spencer's eyes. She did not press for the answer. Yet, it felt like I was trapped in the interrogation room with her. 

"Claire..."

"Oh, fine! I just want to get away from something!"

Spencer narrowed her eyes.

"Which is...?"

I looked down. 

Remembering what Father and Mother had told me earlier suddenly made my heart ached back.

I heard Spencer sighed.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but since you're already here...come."

Spencer got up from her seat and started to walk into the House. I too, got up quickly, which almost looked clumsy in some people's eyes.

"Spencer, wait!"

Spencer stopped, but she did not turn around, rather than that, she whispered sharply.

"It's Serene, and maintain your back! Walk like a noble."

Listening to her, I quickly walked elegantly, like a lady, and tailed her, quick but classy. Apparently, Spencer had slowed her steps, making it easier for me to walk side by side with her.

"Serene, why are you suddenly wanted to get up? I'm enjoying the rest."

Spencer did not turn to me, but she remained to walk like a noble lady.

"Since you've decided to play this game, then I shall tell you about it, with my limited knowledge about the system of the game."

I copied Spencer's way of walk, and turned out, some of the people there started to pay attention to us.

Or maybe just me!

Suddenly, my profile screen popped up.

Condition:

Red Carpet

Everything noble that you do now will have the chance to increase your Reputation double.

My eyes moved to look at Spencer without having to turn my head. I peeked at Spencer, as she smiled.

"Interesting, isn't it?"

Spencer whispered. 

I nodded.

After a few walks, Spencer led me to enter the big hall, which looks like a room where a ball usually occurred. Then, we finally stopped in front of large billboards, which looks like a scoreboard.

House of Zahradne

Name

Reputation

1. Mirage Hennington

158

2. Orphelia Green

150

3. Adam Regent

147

4. Luke Stuart

109

5. Liliac Burell

92

.

.

.

I watched the scoreboard and noticed that Reputation did play an important role.

"This is a scoreboard for this House. Apparently, though this game only released like 2 weeks ago, some of the players are already making this much progress."

Spencer explained. I looked at the board again to look for Spencer's score.

79. Serene Dunfield

    49

"Wait, Serene, how long since you had played this game?"

Spencer turned at me, with her blank expression.

"One week ago."

She only progressed that much?!

Then, I decided to look for my name.

84. Clara Courteney    30

I narrowed my eyes to Spencer back when I looked at my score and hers.

"Serene, we are not that far in the numbers. The gap is quite small..."

Serene looked at me without any expression, neither embarrassed nor mad. She remained her resting-blank face and continued to explain.

"Basically, this game is all about making alliances, spreading rumours and navigating the cutthroat court life of Renaissance-era. The purpose of this game remained unclear as well as the way to increase your Reputation."

Spencer then looked severe, as she was thinking something serious.

"So, that's why I'm still stuck on that number, as I can only increase it with the lower amount of number."

Spencer turned to me and looked at me, sceptically.

I raised my eyebrow when she looked at me like that.

"What?"

Spencer then explained.

"Reputation to me, in this game, is much more similar to experience which we called Level in the normal RPG games."

I still did not get Spencer's point.

"Usually, to get experiences in RPG games, we had to fight some monsters, correct? And the greater the level of the monsters, the more the Exp or experiences that we got, right?"

I nodded.

Spencer continued. I listened to her.

"Similar to this game, Reputation serves its purposes as Level, yet the method to increase it somehow seems vague."

I did get the glimpse of what she was trying to say. I figured she has a question in her mind, as she was narrowing her eyes.

"Which leads me to this question, how do you get that much reputation with only under twelve hours?"

Spencer then turned to the board again.

"I did study this board and the hypothesis that I can conclude a few days ago. Which is that some players only managed to get one to two reputations only per hour. That's why the progress of this board to change the players' ranking is not that much."

Spencer then pointed to the top players' name.

"Except for those five."

I looked at them too.

"Do you know them?"

Spencer shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I don't. I did ask some friendly people here, but they too didn't know much about them."

My eyes sparkled when Spencer mentioned about people around here. I thought that maybe having some new friends here might make me forget about the real world for a moment.

"Do you make any new friends, Serene?"

Spencer turned to me, and then she smiled.

"Claire, which part of spreading rumours that you didn't understand?"

I looked puzzled.

Spencer then changed her expression to the severe one.

"Never trust anyone in this game, that's all I got to say."

I surprised when she told me that. Though, one question did appear in my mind for a moment.

"Serene, how do you know that it is me when you first meet me?"

Spencer returned the question.

"Well then, how do you it is me?"

I laughed.

"Of course, I know it is you. It is obvious, duh! The way you look at people!"

Spencer chuckled.

"Are you really sure that it is me, your real friend in reality?"

Somehow, when Spencer talked like that, with that cunning tone, it did make me wonder. I gulped, as I thought that I let my guard down. Spencer laughed.

"Sorry, yeah, it actually me. And I did know you because of your beauty mark under your eyes and at your neck. I pretty sure that only you have that kind of mark."

I tried to trick her, but she continued.

"Plus, only you called me Spency. So, it is obvious."

We both laughed, but as soon other players entered the hall, we remain our posture. Spencer then brought me out from that hall and led me to another salon.

I looked perplexed. As I entered the hall, it consists of many doors which led to different rooms.

"What is this, Serene?"

Spencer smiled as she turned to me. On that time, I realized that Spencer revealed her battle gear, underneath her forest green, lavish gown. 

I was amazed.

"Serene, that is so cool!"

Spencer, in her shining armour, which in fern colour. Almost looks like a knight mail, with a deer's emblem on its chest. An Arquebus was neatly put on her belt at her waist.

She looks like a Medieval Knight!

Spencer chuckled, but then she looked at me.

"Do you remember when I told you that this game has a combat element in it?"

I nodded.

Spencer proceeded.

"And remember that I told you that you need to increase your skills and traits level?"

I nodded again.

Spencer walked to one of those rooms and smiled as she stood beside the door.

"Well, now, we shall begin your first training."

What?!