Part 13: Chapter 3-5: Sue's Choice

Part 3-5: Sue’s Choice

I know what to do!


Sue’s Decision

Thanks, Lucia, but no thanks!

Very well. I just hope you don’t regret that decision.

You know what? I don’t think I will!


Music: Forest in Turmoil -Suelle-

There’s another down… and another… and another…



This really is a hassle. But I made this decision, and I’m sticking to it!



Even if I have to draw more of this freezing Holy Water!



Lucia sounds confident. What do you think, Sue?

I’m just going to take it slow and steady. I feel we’ll just get in more trouble for not taking this seriously.

We’ll see about that! I’m going to break this curse and be out of here before you know it!



Ohohoho! I can feel the curse breaking already!



Oh… wait! No! No! Gyaaaaah!
I highly recommend you watch the video just to hear her scream, if nothing else

Uwah! It looks like Lucia is having a bit of a rough time?

Just let her be. She earned every minute of it. Now let’s get back to it.

After they finally finish…

Phew, that should be all of them.



Haha, looks like you paid dearly for your crimes. Ready to take things seriously now?

It’s bad enough that ghost came to curse me even harder, but now I have to listen to you rubbing it in to boot?



The writing on the sign has changed. What does it say?

Mathias…

Okay, fine! I’ll read it! “Thank you for spreading the holy water. The curse on you has now been lifted. Thank you very much for playing our little game with us. We’ve prepared a little gift for you. Please accept it.

-All the denizens of the Spooky Forest.

P.S. We hope you won’t try to cut any corners again in the future.”

You hear that, Lucia?

I know, I know! I certainly don’t want to ever be terrified like that again!





I think they’re meant as a gift for you two, anyway. Go ahead and keep them.

What? You don’t want them, Lucia? But they’re so pretty!

Hehe. I’m older than both of you, after all. No need for me to get greedy.

Hehe! In which case, thank you very much!

Wild Cotton and Golden Threads obtained.

Leaf Pattern Fragments obtained.

Right then, you three. I think it’s time to leave. You must all be tired, right? I know I am!

Sounds like a plan. Come on, twins. We’re leaving. I just want to get home and have a shower.

Sue has acquired the skill “Queen of Mischief”.

Queen of Mischief - increases Speed.


Reward Loops and Pride

It was a lot of fun! There were ghosts, talking trees, all sorts of things!

We got cursed, and it was pretty scary, and now I’m totally exhausted, but still…

C-Cursed? I know you just got back, but will you tell me more about the world in there?

Of course! It was pretty nightmarish as we were trying to lift the curse, but honestly, it doesn’t feel so bad now that it’s over.

There were ghosts and bats! And lots of monsters I don’t think you could see in the outside world! These weird little doll soldiers, and weird black paint monsters! One was like a Puni, but also a pot of weird liquid. And there was also a black paint scythe monster that nearly hacked Lucia to pieces…

Hah!

There were also rare materials I don’t think you can find in the outside world either! And lots of stuff like ores and crystals and gems that would be hard to find in the countryside. And all of these materials are more than usable even though we found them in someone’s fantasy world!

Speaking of someone’s fantasy world… it felt like we were dancing on someone’s strings the entire time we were in there! We got cursed almost as soon as we got in, and we had to do as some freak talking trees wanted us to do, and then we had to sprinkle holy water across an entire graveyard.

It’s like the world inside the painting reflected the whims and will of whoever made it.

That’s all very interesting. I have a much better understanding of “The Spooky Forest” now. Can I ask the three of you to keep on helping with the paintings?

What? We have to go back in again?

I’d really rather not!

We’ve no idea what can happen in there. Those with some experience seem best suited to helping us. So once we obtain a new painting, I’d like to ask for your help with it too. What do you say?

So there are other Mysterious Paintings? We’d love to help you, of course!

Me too. I can’t afford to let this pair get any more ahead of me…

Thank you! Which means I need to hurry up and find some new Mysterious Paintings!

Say, Sis. How about they work on their atelier ranking while you look for more paintings?



Hey, that’s one of your better ideas! Let’s do that. Unless you three don’t want to?

No, that sounds fine to me. Do you both agree?

Sure thing! Heheh, that means we need to work to improve our rank again!

That settles it. Now, I think I’ve kept you here for long enough already. You can take back anything you found in the painting, and use it as you like. See you soon!

Hey, Sue…

What is it, Mathias?



Hyah! D-Don’t make fun of me, Mathias! You dummy!

Hahahaha!

That evening…



Just what am I doing? I can’t believe it’s come to this. I’m the owner of Atelier Borthayre, and…