Tedium (before battle)

As our voyage on the Great Lake extends, the list of things to keep the Sinners entertained grows ever-smaller.

In a way, it sounds like a serious problem, but...

Guys~ Anybody got any fun -

- stories to tell? No, for the thirtieth time. I suppose repeating the exact same phrase that many times is a talent, if it could even be called that. If you're having trouble recalling what you said moments ago...

She has repeated that phrase twenty-eight times, to be precise. At thirty, I was planning to verify if she had suffered any damages to her occipital region.

I get it, I get it. I'm just that bored, 'kay?

There's nothing to do anymore~ I'm tired of playing the same game of Backgammon again and again.

Good. I've got a job for you, then. How about you start feeding the seagull on time for once? Somehow it became my responsibility after all of you got tired of taking care of it.

Yeah... We're going to have to let the seagull go once we're out of the Great Lake anyway. Why'd you even let yourself get attached to it?

Just... look at her. The way she looks at you... Those woeful eyes...

What, your average seagull eyes?

<......>

It was abundantly clear that the Sinners were starting to slowly expire from sheer boredom.

Well... it's not really a problem that has a solution. And I had zero interesting stories to tell, considering that I'm an amnesiac. So...

All I could do was sit here and watch the Sinners suffer.

Putting them through the daily trials of the Mirror Dungeons wasn't the most exciting activity, either...

…….

Speaking of which... Heathcliff appears to be the one least affected by this mess.

Well, not that he was all calm and aloof, that is.

... Khm. Hmm.

I'd say he's anxious.

... Uh, ahem. Oi, Ver -

Vergilius.

.

..

...

...?

A frosty silence descended upon the Sinners.

And the source of that frost... was the inexplicable event that played out before their eyes.

... Huh.

Oh... Heathcliff! Have you gone insane? Did you finally snap?

This must be the side effect of the 'consultations'! Maybe we can call this 'Sense of Self-Preservation Loss Syndrome' or something like that.

<H-Heathcliff...>

Shut your traps! I ain't mad. And my sense of self-preservation is just fine.

... Impressive, Heathcliff.

I rarely found myself surprised in this series of misadventures so far. ... But this is one of those rare occasions.

Speak. What is your business?

It's the, uh.

Our next destination is T Corp., innit?

... Do you really need me to answer that?

You... know. You know what I'm talking about.

... Hm.

Patience, Heathcliff. Though that seems to be a virtue that most of you lack...

If everything goes according to the flow, you'll make it to your 'appointment' on time.

Since I had no context for any of that, all I could do was sit here and watch as Heathcliff scratched the back of his head.

I'm still out of the loop, but... Heathcliff must be really anxious about something if he's willing to talk to Vergilius first. And after all that...

That's not... What else could possibly be more important than the appoin - wait.

Heathcliff turned around to face us.

Oi. Any of you...

... got any history with T Corp.? Show of hands, now.

.......

Mm... I have, in a way. I resided in that place once.

Right. But we already did you, didn't we?

Mmm.

... Then... Yeah, soon it'll be...

But we're still in the middle of this mad Lake...

Oi, Clockhead! What's today's date?

<How would I know...?>

Huh? Can't you tell the date?! You've a clock for a head! Haah...

<But Clocks and calendars are completely different things...>

Haah...

Eugh, Heath! That was your thirtieth sigh today! Keep doing that, and you just might huff and puff our boat to pieces.

... Tell us, Heathcliff. Your turn's coming up, isn't it?

And whatever it is that awaits you there... you're going to have to prepare yourself for it.

.......

Haah... Yeah, I suppose... there's no use hiding it anymore.

After some time...

Right, so to summarize...

Heathcliff's starting to feel like his turn's coming up, now that Ishmael's had her time in the wringer.

And he's got good reason to believe that, because Vergilius handed him 'something' in their last consultation that affirmed his suspicions.

And according to that 'something', he'll need some fancy clothes and whatnot to refine his looks before we get to T Corp...

... But since we're still so far from escaping the Lake, you're starting to feel restless. Is that right?

Right on! So...

Yeah, so... there's not much you can do about that before we hit solid ground, is there?

Uh...

Aw, come on, Heath! That's it? Don'tcha worry, I can definitely help ya with that as soon as we find land. 'Kay~?

We don't even know how far away from land we are...!

Dante, we have reached the end of the scheduled work period for the Sinners.

<Huh? O-oh, yeah...>

<I hereby confirm today's close of business for the Sinners...>

I reflexively said my usual, routine piece as the light alarm played...

Man, that wasn't even a big deal, then~ Yawn.

I was hoping to see an act of dramatic bloodshed for once. Tsk.

Well, at least he wasn't trying to stir up trouble for once.

The Sinners each got up from their seats, yawned and stretched, and one by one disappeared into the Backdoor.

<......>

Oi, Clockhead... didn't know they knocked your wits off along with your head...

<S-sorry...>

<But Gregor isn't completely wrong, is he...?>

Can't you even mince words at this point?! Augh...

Vergilius and Charon also walked into the Backdoor, mocking grins on their faces...

... and I was left alone in the ship's cabin, standing awkwardly next to a severely crestfallen Heathcliff.

Keh-hem!

Wait.

There was another.

Sir Heathcliff!

Huh? What are you doing out here, girl? Run along, you. Go gush about the high-and-mighty Fixers of T Corp. or something.

Ahm, ahm. I shall have plenty of time for that later. Yet... thou shall do well to treat me well, Sir Heathcliff!

What, you little -

HOOOOOOLD! Allow me to finish! Manager Esquire. Sir Heathcliff. Come hither. Hush, hush!

Don Quixote wore a confident smile. She slowly, gingerly walked over to presently-and-temporarily-vacant Charon's seat...

... and whispered ever-so-silently to us.

Forsooth, I have devised a splendid plan for thee.