"You look good everywhere! With such gorgeous reds and yellows, you are the most beautiful one in this dark wilderness!"
"It's almost the most conspicuous target..."
"Oops! Are these weapons just decorations? Wouldn't it be nice to destroy the enemy before others hit you?"
"But I still don't want to..."
"There's nothing you don't want to think about! The reality is not a question of whether you want it or not, but whether you can! Now that it's out, you have to put your temper away, young lady. No one in the wilderness will treat you well!"
"You're just... okay with me..."
"I'm me, I'm different from other people! Anyway, I installed the weapon for you and spent a lot of money on it. It's up to you! Oh~ I should have listened to the salesman and bought insurance, but we
Just use it this time, you will lose money if you buy it or not~~~Forget it, since it has come out, you have to spend money, how can you go out to play without spending money, right? That’s it!”
"..."
"Don't be gloomy. Look, the way those people look at you is different now."
"Why?"
Raeder took a closer look and found that the expressions of passers-by had really changed. Before when she was walking on the street, everyone's eyes were filled with suspicion and gossip, but now they were filled with vigilance and fear.
"I didn't lie to you, did I?"
"Why is this happening?"
Raeder was puzzled, but at the same time she felt a little relieved. There was no need for passers-by to join forces and act for her, so now they were really in awe of themselves, which was great!
"Because appearance is very important."
"Ah? Why do you say this suddenly?"
"Humans are not gods. They cannot see the soul through the body. For strangers whom they don't know at all, the only information that can be used to make judgments is the other person's words and deeds. Just like me, my petite body looks very weak.
But I am actually very strong, but others don’t know it, so they despise me. Although you are weak, as long as you put on exaggerated armor, ferocious weapons, and dazzling paint, others will think
You are very strong, and I will subconsciously treat you as a strong person."
"Really? But I've never bluffed like this before. Why are others still in awe of me?"
"Because you had another kind of armor at that time, which was your status as the eldest lady. People around you knew that you were the eldest lady, and what they were afraid of was not you, but your family."
"..."
"But here, no one knows who you are, and even if they know, they are not necessarily afraid. Your identity has no deterrent effect in the wild, and may even be used as a means to make money. Part of it is fun for me to dress you up like this, and the other is
Part of it is for your safety. The next road will be more dangerous, and I may be separated from you, so you must have the ability to protect yourself. Even if you can't fight, you must at least be able to scare others. Now that you have come out, you must
Try to adapt to different environments, unless you have the ability to change the environment, now can you?"
"cannot……"
"Isn't that the end?"
"...Miss Wu, I still have a question~"
"what is the problem?"
"Why are you so interested in me? I don't seem to have anything to do with you, right?"
"Oh, the relationship is not important, just meeting the eyes is enough."
"ah?"
"I think you are pleasing to the eye~ People in this world have distorted aesthetics. How happy I am to finally meet a beautiful girl like you~ My favorite thing is beautiful girls, didn't I say that?"
"But... but my appearance is made up. I have even forgotten my true appearance..."
"Oh, it doesn't matter! Your true appearance has long since ceased to exist, so it means nothing to me. Isn't it okay to look at you now? It doesn't matter whether you are really powerful or not, but others think you are
If I am strong, I won’t provoke you. Don’t you still understand this?”
"I understand, but...it's nothing. You're right, I haven't adapted to the current environment. I'm used to being used and protected by others, and I'm used to paying the corresponding price when I get anything. Like you
I have never encountered such a situation of unconditional devotion to me."
"I don't pay for you unconditionally~"
"Hmm? Then what do you want from me? Let me state in advance that although my father values me very much, he will still..." when it really harms the interests of the consortium..."
"Friendship! I'm not interested in that consortium of yours. I'm only interested in you!"
"Friendship? What kind of friendship do you want?"
"What the hell? Are there types of friendship? Aren't there just degrees?"
"Of course there are~such as business partners, alliances of interests, holders of shared secrets, enemies who have put aside disputes for the time being..."
"Go, go, go~ What is all this? Don't you have the concept of normal friends in your mind?"
"Isn't it a relationship where friends use each other?"
"Is this how your family taught you?"
"It's not just our family, it's written like this in the book~ The so-called friendship is an informal cooperative relationship. It is not stable because it is not bound by a contract, and it also involves certain risks. So before making friends, you must be as careful as possible
Make a comprehensive risk assessment for the other party, and then..."
"Okay, okay, stop talking. This world has really distorted these concepts. Let me tell you, generally speaking, friends use each other, but this kind of use should actually be called mutual aid.
Mutual assistance is an active and spontaneous act, not forced by any contract or transaction principle."
"I don't quite understand..."
"Oh! For example, between the two of us, I am much stronger than you, right?"
"Yes~"
"Then I can't get any actual benefit from you at all. It's a loss-making behavior for me to be nice to you, right?"
"It looks like this..."
"But I don't care! I will still be nice to you! As long as you can stay with me and don't take the initiative to cause me too much loss, I will continue to be used by you voluntarily. This is called 'I want to be with you'
To make friends'!"
"Then...how do you make friends?"
"It's very simple~ When you start to care about my contribution to you, don't want to continue to benefit unilaterally, and want to repay me... ah, no, you want to repay me and bring us closer.
Relationship, and you feel happy because of this relationship, that is when you become friends. The establishment of friendship is often unequal at the beginning. There is always one party who has to pay more, and may even continue to pay more. This kind of contribution is certainly not unasked for
Repay, but the repayment does not necessarily need to be of equal value, but requires initiative and sincerity. Just like I have been showing kindness to you now, you can pretend to accept me, continue to use false behaviors to continue to gain benefits, and occasionally give a little something
To show my own value. But as long as I am not stupid, I will always find that I am only being used unilaterally and do not get the expected return from you, then I will know that you are not my friend."
"But...as long as I make equal contributions based on your efforts, won't this relationship be able to continue? Even if I don't treat you as a friend at all, won't you treat me as a friend?"
"Well said, reciprocal contribution can certainly show sincerity, but you have ignored another condition, which is taking the initiative."
"You mean, even if you can't get feedback in time, you still have to take the initiative to give?"
"That's right! As I said just now, it is impossible to be completely reciprocal in a friendship relationship like in a business transaction. One party will always suffer. But even if you suffer a loss, you are willing to continue the relationship. That is the role of friendship.
.”
"Why? What are the benefits of doing this?"
"This can help you get rid of loneliness. Are you afraid of loneliness?"
"I'm not lonely, am I? I used to have many servants and upper-class friends... Ah, not the kind of friends you mentioned, the kind that I don't want to deal with at all. I'm almost bored to death. How can I be lonely?"
"Oh~ It seems like you kid doesn't even have the concept of loneliness."
"I really don't feel lonely~ It's so nice to be alone. You can do whatever you want without being judged."
"What if someone not only doesn't make irresponsible remarks, but also helps you do what you want to do with you, and even helps you do things that you can't do alone?"
"This... of course it's good."
"If there is someone you can trust who will not trick you, who can help you frequently go in and out of the paradise area, help you hide your traces from your father, go on adventures in the outside world with you, be happy and sad together, and talk about topics that both of you like,
What do you think of this experience?"
"Is it like this with you..."
"No, you are forced to follow me now. You are not happy enough. The kind I am talking about is the kind where you are in love with me and want to be with each other from the bottom of your heart."