Dreamland

Finally alone!

Geral grinned, walking the streets in Silver Town. The girls were cool, and he was happy with them, but... everybody needs their time alone, isn't it?

As Noviel and Awa had decided to use the free day to hone their skills, and Anabella was still busy with Zera, he had used the opportunity to go for a walk. Alone.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere was a bit depressing. He raised his eyes and looked at the sky: if at least the suns would come out from time to time, but both were continuously hidden by a layer of clouds. He sighed.

Well, what can a lone man do in a town like this to raise his mood? Visit the tavern!

He went for the tavern and, to his disbelief, was blocked from entering. His eyes bulged in his head when the huge warrior blocked the way and asked him:

“Your id!”

Geral hesitated. What does the crazy guy want? There was no id in Mephisto?

Annoyingly the warrior pushed him back to send him gently on a different trajectory. As if he were an NPC.

“This place is restricted. There is another tavern on the main street open for all; go there.”

Geral felt his blood boiling in his veins. The desire to visit this particular tavern had suddenly shot up in the stratosphere! Since when do they do dirty tricks here? Restricted? He will not let some... level thirty NPC tell him who the boss is... or... maybe there was a way to work this out?

“I have my adventurer's card? Is this enough for an id?” - said Geral pulling it out from the inventory box. If this place was restricted, then he absolutely wanted to see why.

The warrior looked at it and nodded, somehow disappointed:

“Ah. OK, you may get in.”

Interesting. Why would they restrict entry to adventurers? He knew of no NPC with an adventurer card. Oh, yes, Noviel, but she was some kind of an exception to the rule. Another reason to be interested in the girl.

As the warrior had completely lost interest in him, he put the card back into his inventory and entered.

It was darker inside, and his eyes needed to get used to that. He stood at the entry for a moment, trying to see.

There were few people inside, only the innkeeper, a barmaid and five or six customers. He nodded at the innkeeper and turned his attention to the customers.

Three were gathered around a table, and then he recognized Dalia sitting at another table with the orc drinking something.

First, he wanted to sit alone at a table, but he saw her waving his way.

As he approached their table hesitatingly, she smiled and nodded:

"Geral, do you join us for a drink? Where are your girls?"

He shrugged:

"Exercising..."

Olomuc grinned:

“The mysterious father joins us. I haven't introduced myself last time: Olomuc!”

“Geral”

As he took a seat, Olomuc watched him slantwise:

“How comes you are pater familias? You are a player, isn't it?”

He nodded.

“Yes. Adopted. My wife's children!”

“Oh!” - exclaimed Dalia - “That makes sense. That the two are sisters is obvious, and they even look a bit like you. We were wondering how you did do that. How is life with NPC's as wife and daughters?”

Geral sighed.

“I'll appreciate it if you wouldn't call them like this!”

“Noted.” - said Dalia with a shrug.

Olomuc laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

“I like you. That's my theory, too: this world is real, and we are stranded here. All players are isekaied in a real killing world.”

Dalia rolled her eyes.

“There are other theories” - Olomuc shrugged and pointed at the other group - “They think like our Dalia that we are in a high-level computer simulation and somebody takes care of our bodies in a giant experiment.”

Olomuc grinned. Geral shook his head.

“No. It is too big, and everything is too perfect to be a simulation. It cannot be.”

Dalia harumphed:

“But we were playing in this simulation Geral!... Until recently, at least. Why would it suddenly be no longer possible?”

Geral stayed silent for a while after taking a deep breath.

“Good question. Is it still virtual if we cannot discern the virtual from the real? But the problem, as I see it, is that the requirements are rising exponentially. It is one thing to make a perfect environment for one person. We all know that such stretches at the limits of our computer power, so how come we have here perfect imagery for everybody? For each and everyone, including NPCs? Don't forget about them! They see the world as we do; they feel it as we do. Ask them.

It is perfect in any detail; it doesn't matter how you look at it. I even looked at things with a magnifying glass. You know something? We should invent the microscope! I bet that we'll see microorganisms.”

“Hah. Good idea!” - said Dalia - “Who knows what we'll see? I'll follow up on it. I have all kinds of crystals and even the technology to polish them. I might be able to build one.”

Geral grinned:

"You'll be the Leeuwenhoek of this world!"

Olomuc shrugged, unimpressed.

“What would that prove?”

“The simulation story would be invalidated. At least that would be my take away.” - said Geral - “The computer power needed to control things at that level everywhere in this world is above all our poor little planet can muster.”

“Hm. Maybe it is something scalable? Maybe the microorganisms appear only when you look at them; else, they are treated only at a statistical level?”

Geral shrugged:

“Yeah, you can say the same for any reality. What is real, then? Why is real more real than this?”

“So, how's your life then? You treat the girls as real persons?” - asked Olomuc

Geral sighed and looked him in the eyes:

“Sure. Haven't you done the same?”

Olomuc laughed and nodded:

“Yes. Your little one is funny, but the older one is stupid. Typically NF.”

Dalia rolled her eyes, exasperated:

“Olo! Please? Can't you behave at least once?” - she turned to Geral - “Sometimes I wonder if he is an orc in real life too.”

“Noviel is just too impulsive and very protective.” - said Geral and shrugged - “NF?”

“I'm an orc!” - Olomuc answered laughingly, then turned to Geral with a nasty smile - “You'll figure that one alone. The same goes for boys, too; they need the first fuck to be able to think of something else. By the way, how is it to do it with an undead? I must acknowledge that I do not have that experience! Can you imagine that?”

“Undead?” - wondered Geral, then sighed - “Oh, you've seen that...”

“Oh, come on, anybody over level forty had seen it. She is hiding it pretty well, but you don't trick higher levels. So how is it?”

Geral shrugged. What could he say?

“OK?”

“You don't sound convinced. You should come and visit the Satin Touch one of these evenings.”

“Satin Touch? What's that?”

Dalia laughed.

Olomuc shrugged:

“Yeah, it is a brothel. The only one here. You too, Dalia, you should come and visit. I have to handle you a personal invitation; Petal has bought two slaves just for you!”

Dalia rolled her eyes and then looked slantwise at him.

“Are you involved financially in the brothel?”

Geral had to ask:

“Petal?”

Olomuc laughed at Dalia's question and winked at Geral:

“I convinced her to move to this city. She's a dark elf, but don't tell the others; they all think she is an innocent elf. She is level forty-five. I worked with her in the empire, and she broke some laws there when she raised a couple of undead; they wanted to execute her. I freed her, and she followed me here. She is a brave girl, and she now has seven new girls in her establishment. You should visit her. Just for fun. Or does your wife not allow it?”

Geral swallowed.

“Oh sure, good idea. I did not know there was a brothel here.”

Dalia shook her head.

Dalia sighed: “Men... ”

Olomuc tsked.

“And orcs! Don't forget us orcs!”

“You're a man.” - countered Dalia

Olomuc shrugged:

“You're invited, too!”

Dalia rolled her eyes.