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But you're here. You made your choice. Shouldn't you at least try to understand it instead of shackling yourself to the common sense of your past?

The common sense of my past...

I'm not trying to be preachy. I'm definitely not qualified to preach. But wouldn't the 'fashion guru' of Rhodes Island understand that?

Even you know about that, huh?

I've talked to quite a few senior operators. I've heard a lot of interesting stories.

And you're getting in good with them?

I get in good with anyone, as long as they understand my language. This is my special power as the Devil of the Eastern Night.

Right.

So you know perfectly well that the people who ask you to design their outfits and give fashion tips are ordinary people like us, don't you?

By the way, Spot. You asked me why I knew how to fight when I was just an 'escort.'

Huh? Ah, oh yeah, I forgot.

You wound me. This is a bit of a story, so let's take it to the cafeteria. My treat.

Sounds like a pain in the ass. Can I pass? I don't really care.

Heh heh. I'm afraid not.

Damn. I blew it. I should've slipped out halfway through.

I said it was my treat, but you could still show a little decorum...

Do we have to?

Mmmmm..... It's so good! Why aren't you eating, Orchid?

I never eat after dinner.

That's the mark of a modern woman.

Ahem, right, back to business then.

First of all, if I may be so bold as to ask, Orchid, how did you contract Oripathy? If that's too personal a question, you don't have to answer.

........It's not a great story. Just one day I suddenly noticed a little crystalline growth on my body.

The doctors said I must have been exposed to some Originium without even knowing. I still don't know exactly how I got it.

That's it.

Ah, I see. No wonder you're having this little crisis.

So, let me tell you my experience.

There was a younger man working in my club.

He was my polar opposite: bright, sunny disposition, straightforward. Instantly likeable.

Of course, no one who works in my industry could be called naive. But if I'm the type to make malicious assumptions about people, he's the type to trust them.

Sounds like the type I would hate.

Is that your way of saying you like me, Spot?

Orchid, is there really no cure for narcissism?

I'll ask Medical later. Maybe there's hope.

Heh heh. As I said before, I treat all my clients equally. Meaning I don't change my approach based on one's status or identity.

I make an active effort towards that goal. But for him, it was second nature.

From my position atop the industry, I could see that he would be the one to surpass me.

So that person surpassed Midnight?

........It can't be that simple.

Huh?

........Yeah, it would be nice if that was the whole story.

Now that I think about it, I actually did him a disservice. He didn't come from a good family. He needed the money. To him, I must've looked like the king of the world.

If I was out of his way, he would have been able to make it in that world.

I should have taught him much earlier how to situate himself, how to handle money, and how to be what people needed him to be.

Had I done that, maybe we wouldn't have ended up at each other's throats.

He was jealous of you? And you didn't notice?

........He hid it well. Or rather, he didn't even notice it himself.

It wasn't until he almost killed me the first time that I realized this flaw in my understanding of human nature.

I think it's got nothing to do with human nature. You're just too nice.

Right? I never thought of you as the type to mentor a newbie.

But Midnight is a really good man! I always knew!

Thank you, Popukar.

But you said 'first time,' which means there was a second time.

Right.

He did almost kill me the first time. Almost. I'm confident, had that been his second attempt to kill a man, I wouldn't be sitting here.

But I am.

I bet five Lungmen dollars you bitched out.

No. I didn't. It's just... I couldn't have expected what happened next.

At the time, I saw the world as Orchid does. I never thought of it as a place of malice and bloodshed.

I muscled him out of the industry and learned how to handle a sword. I thought that would be enough. I really did.

Until one day, I discovered a health problem.

Your Oripathy....

He paid my agent to infect me somehow.

The second time he came looking for me, he was Infected himself. And he brought his 'friends' with him.

I had seen a lot of hate in my work. I thought I understood it. But when it was actually directed at me, I felt it burning in a way I hadn't ever before imagined.

But you won.

I did. Even if I can't go toe to toe with you, I can fight off a dozen thugs and walk away with my life.

It was then, with my own hands, I took his...

Waaaaaaahhhhhh!

What's wrong, Popukar?

Poor Midniiiiiiight! Waaaaahhh...

Don't cry, Popukar.

Honestly, I should thank him for showing me how immature I was.

After that, I learned about a place called Rhodes Island and made up my mind to leave the industry and come all the way here after registering with the office in Higashi.

Along the way, I saw a lot, and thought a lot more. I came to Rhodes Island with a deep understanding of this one thing.

What are you looking at?

Let me share my thoughts with you, Orchid.

I'm not trying to say that because we've seen the cruel reality of the world here, we need to accept it.

From our point of view, it's only natural to think that most of Rhodes Island's operators have been through unnecessary pain.

We shouldn't feel inferior for having grown up in our relative safety, but it isn't an excuse for us to fight it either.

Life is the same everywhere.

Where we used to live, the only way to get what we wanted was to work hard and earn money. It's actually the same here.

We could have chosen to join the logistics department and put in the same effort there. But I chose the path of war.

........Aren't you afraid to die?

I think we're all afraid to die.

But as you've learned in your time here, Orchid, sooner or later you have to fight to defend something.

This would be a fine time to say 'I'm training hard so I can be strong to defend you, Orchid,' but I'd like you to think about something instead——

What kind of life do you want to lead at Rhodes Island?

........I understand.

Um... but I don't...

Good. This is something you'll never have to worry about. Why not eat up instead? Here, you can have mine.

Wow, thanks Spot!

Hehe. He's right. You don't have to worry about this stuff, Popukar.

And forgive me for dumping all this on you, Orchid, but the question you asked me is one I've been asking myself a lot since I came to Rhodes Island. So I had a lot to say about it.

.......Well, thanks for that.

Oh, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles! The blessed savior Orchid has finally shown me gratitude! Brother Spot, Sister Popukar, such luck you have brought me!

You're a dead man. Popukar, we need to get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.

Oh, we're done?

We're done.

Okay.... Good night, Spot. Good night, Midnight.