Rin sat in her chair, as she observed her surroundings while she rested her head against the knuckles of her fists. All while scowling at the people staring down at the floor of the cave in fear of her gaze.

            

Well, as best as I could, anyways.

                 

She reached with a finger to feel at the patch of leather strapped by a band, with the hand that she had her head propped up on.

She could feel, even over the leather patch covering her eye; or lack there of, was indeed missing.

“…I’m never going to get used to this…” Rin murmured.

                 

“P-P-Pardon me, m-miss? What was it that you s-said?” Asked the weaselly like character, with an even more weaselly like voice from her blind spot.

                 

Rin lifts her head to turn and look at the man standing next to her chair.

                

The man flinches back at the look on his scowling leader’s face.

Her one golden colored eye stared at his face, which made him uncomfortable, to say the least. Along with her fiery pink hair and incredibly muscularly toned physique.

She was already intimidating on any good day: being the leader and ruler of the Komori mountain range, and the paths that wound around them.

She was often described as the: “Pink Flamed Mane Mountain Lioness.”

 

Sneed swallows down at the dry and uncomfortable feeling in his throat, as his leader continued to stare at him with a look of contempt.

                

I’m dead! He thought to himself. This is the day she’s finally going to kill me!

                  

                          

    

I'm dead... Rin thought to herself.

Rin on the other hand. Rin was staring at Sneed, with much of the same sort of thoughts.

How did this happen? How did I end up this side character,- No - Rin corrects herself. This less than a side character.

             

She sits up slightly to look down at her other hand, which she was using to strum her fingers against the armrest of her chair, with rhythmical impetuous and irritation.

           

She stopped her repeated strumming to lift her hand to inspect it closer.

How had this happened? Rin thought to herself. Did I die? Am I dead back on earth? Don't tell me I died like all those damn cliches and got reincarnated as something stupid, did I?

      

And of all thing?!

        

Why the side boss? Why the throwaway villain?!

        

Rin wasn't a stranger or even confused about where she was, or even, who, she was currently. As she had seen this character a hundred,- or maybe even a thousand times by this point.

             

I played that damn Otome Game so much, I pretty much have all the dialog memorized. She thought with a quip.

         

But... I just don't get it? She thought curiously. If I died... How did that happen? I remember everything that happened the other day. I got off work... went home. Started my computer and played a little bit of Records of Ellemoryss.
Got super tired and then laid down to sleep in my bed... And?........ Then what?...

Next thing I know,-...

     

She let her gaze shift back up. Only to watch as everyone of the men in the room who were lined up on either side of the room, stiffen in their places they were in as her gaze landed on them, like a procession of guards lining the path towards a throne.

      

Which, I'll grant them. Rin thought as she looked down at her now incredibly toned and muscular legs that sat on the chair she was sitting in.

     

Yeah... this is defiantly some sort of throne...

Ava really thought highly of herself... Rin thought.

         

Which brought back to the reminder of the headache she was having. Her fingers reached back up, towards the eye socket of her- Ava's - missing eye.

She touched the fur padded leather eye-patch that covered her face and the eye she was clearly missing.

           

Why Ava?! Rin complained within her mind. Why not one of the MC's love rivals or the villainess? Why not one of the 500 plus male love interests?! Why not Josephiene?! The one sole tragic female love interest?!

Hell! I would have settled on the MC, even though she is technically straight in the game. Which was most of the reason why the Josephine route ended in tragedy. As even though, you could respond to and flirt to get to know Josephine; who is the crown prince's guard captain and is secretly a closeted lesbian.

Even though, at Josephine confession; you can't select a positive response to accept her advances... I mean, come on author! What the hell?!

Why cucks Josephine and lesbians like that?!

             

Rin let out a huff of frustration at the thought. Which caused Ava's "Guards" to jump in place at her sudden outburst.

          

Jittery fellows, huh?...

        

And it's not like the author was against the LGTB... She had gay character's in the game... Just none that the MC could romance seriously.

      

At least, none that anyone had found.

 

It was not an exaggeration earlier when Rin had thought of the number of love interests in the game, nor was it a hyperbole.

No one knows how or why there were so many romancable characters in the game, as even data-miners were stumped as to how it was possible.

But even though the game had a much as 15 main routes and characters, that the Main Character could follow and fall in love with. As more and more people started playing the game, they only found more. And more. AND MORE!

No one knew how this was possible. Nor did anyone know how just one person had done all this work to create this wonderful game world.

           

Some people suspected that the program was using some sort of advanced random character generator feature, that allowed the game to continue to make and create characters for the player to fine and romance.

Along with a list of preset preferences and attributes for it to attribute to the characters.

 

But that theory had been blow out of the water pretty early, after the discovery of the fact that people were sharing routes with each other on how to find and how to meet certain characters.

       

The reason that theory hadn't completely died out. Was that there was also unique encounters that only a few people could get or find.

            

Which only added to the mystery and appeal of the game to players.

The art, story, and bedroom scenes were also a plus. Rin thought wax poetically to herself.

      

Again, it's only a shame that the author seemed to heavily focus the heterosexual routes. And that there was no love for lesbians in this game.

      

If it wasn't for the main tragic route of Josephine making headway and a path for lesbians. Most who have assumed that this was your typical game; aside from the fact that it seemed to keep creating love interest indefinitely.

And while there was no actual way to play as a male in this game, it was still popular amongst the gay community as well. As if you dug deep enough into the game. You can end up in a route where you end up helping a gay couple with having a child, and sort of become a trouple... sort of...

        

Which makes the fact that there was no intent for love interest to be added for the lesbian side for people all the more apparent.

   

Again, I ask: Why author?! WHY?!

    

Rin let out yet another contemptuous sigh of frustration.

         

              

*CRACK*

                    

          

The sharp creaking snap and crack of wood, makes everyone in the room jump in place, including Rin.

           

She looks down and sees that her fidgeting hand that she had been strumming her fingers with, had clenched onto the front part of the arm of the chair. splintering it to pieces.

     

..........................

             

...............................................................

       

The silence in the cavernous room Rin and Ava's minions were in was deafening after she had just crushed her chair's arm.

 

"......God damn....." Rin murmurs in wonder and surprise. "...I knew Ava was swole. But fuck me, she's strong!..." Rin comments as she inspects her hand and notices that not a single piece of wood had even splintered into her hand nor penetrated her skin.

              

Which brought Rin's thoughts back on her dilemma. And it made her reach up to rub at her eye-patch again.

How do I go about not dying and getting killed by the male leads? She thought to herself.

From my understanding and memory of the game. They mostly attack me to save the female lead... well... except for Aaron... She categorized in her thoughts. He was solely here to fight and defeat Ava, because of the incredible bounty on her head. Saving the MC is mostly due to plot armor for the MC and stuff.

Rin stops rubbing her eye-patch to tap the side of her head with her two forefingers while she thought on this problem.

As for prince Eric who finds and rescues the MC. I just have to not attack the carriage they're in and they should just pass on by. As for Eldwin, the rogue elf. He is much of the same; as long as I don't bother him, he won't be a problem for me.

             

"So?... How do I go about getting this bounty off of my head?..." Rin murmurs aloud.

        

"W-What's that? Is that what has been troublin' you, miss?" The man standing near Rin chair asks her.

Rin turns her head to look at the man. Who flinches away as soon as she does.

"S-Sorry! W-W-What I meant to say was. W-Why are you letting it bother you to much b-boss? N-No one has ever messed with you before."

        

Rin shot Sneed a questioning look that clearly asked. “Are you stupid?”

“Are you seriously saying something so stupid to me right now?”

 Sneed flinched back at his boss’s accusation.

“W-What?! What did I say?” Sneed asked, wondering how he had upset the young miss this time.

Rin let out a lamenting sigh while pinching the bridge of her nose.

“You said that no one has messed with me before.”

“Y-Yeah! Of course they haven’t!” Sneed agreed boisterously. “Who would be so stupid as to try to take on the Pink Maned Lioness?”

Rin let out a small chortle of a laugh, both out of frustration at Sneed’s stupidity, and the fact the she, in some strange way, liked having Ava’s chunibyo title.

Which, I guess was mine now. She mulls over.

             

“That’s just it,” She said to Sneed while standing up to stretch out her muscles. “Anyone who believes or thinks they’re stronger than me; Are more than likely going to come challenge me for the bounty on my head someday.”

Sneed's eyes opened wide in surprise at what he was hearing, he didn't think he would live to hear this day.

"D-D-Does..." Sneed hesitated to say, lest he get smack or beat for his words if they angered miss Ava. "Does that mean y-you're already considering retirement?"

This made Rin pause upon hearing Sneed's question.

                     

        

Retirement?

                      

                 

Rin hadn't even thought about just straight up retiring as the bandit lord that Ava currently was. She didn't, or hadn't considered it an option, now that she was Ava herself.

I thought I might have to play her role in some capacity or that I would some how be stuck in this position no matter what I do...

"...Retirement?..." Rin murmured thoughtfully to herself.

        

"C-Come on, miss! S-Stop playing around." (And getting my hopes up.) "Are you seriously thinking about retiring this early?" Sneed questioned with barely contain excitement raising in his voice. "I mean! You've just taken this territory for yourself last year from Naverrin, the previous bandit lord of the Komori mountain range; one of the three great bandit lords of the Solaris region: You're the new buck of the mountain, you can't quit now!" He says to her with hopes that she will dismiss his words and choose to do the opposite of his encouragement, just out of defiance of what he was saying or encouraging.

        

But once again, Sneed's words bring Rin up short.

      

"Three?..." She repeats his words before looking back at Sneed with a look of confusion.

"H-Huh?"

"There are three bandit lords in the region we're in?" Rin questions.     

                

I hadn't gotten this kinda information in the game before.

                      

"Oh umm, yeah... But you knew that... didn't you?" Sneed questions if Ava sound of mind.

"Oh umm!... Yeah! ...I just forgot... I guess, I don't even think of those two as bandit lords... cause they're so weak!" Rin decides to boast and bluff her way through on the conversation, and whomever that Sneed was talking about.

I can't imagine that they're anymore or less of a threat than Ava was. Since they never got any screen time in game.

                

"Y-Yeah, that's fair, I suppose." Sneed agrees reluctantly while scratching the back of his head in memory of what happened recently. "You did give Conrad, quite a good thrashing last week." Sneed mentions

Rin decided to sit back down and stretch out on Ava's throne, while maintaining a face of satisfaction.

"That's true. I nearly forgotten about that... Didn't he run away crying while saying something cliche like, "This isn't that last you've heard of me!" Rin threw out as a bait for information.

          

"Ha-Hahaha! Y-Yeah! That's right!" Sneed affirms. "I think it was more of the lines like: "I'll get you next time!" Or something! Hahaha!"

Rin could start to feel the tension in the room evaporate a little as Sneed started chuckling at the memories of their recent encounter with this supposed bandit lord Conrad.

She could even hear faint snickering coming from some of the others in the room as well.        

       

Hmm... how do I use this information.        

                  

"That reminds me..." Rin says before sitting up to look over back at Sneed. "Where do our boarders meet up with those two?" She asked as she started to formulate a plan that might save her life.

"O-Our boarders, miss?" Sneed asks her, not exactly sure what she was implying.

"Uh, yeah? Our borders; You know? The edge of the territories we control? Where do the intersect and meet?"

Sneed opened his mouth to respond. But then closed it and thought about it before answering.

"In all honesty, I'm not sure..." He answered.

"What?" Rin question in shock. "We don't have a sort of area we control and lord over individually?"

"W-Well... We do! But also, not exactly... Umm here!" Sneed turns and looks at another bandit. "Hey! Bring the boss and I, a map of the Solaris region!" He barked in a commanding tone towards the others.

"Y-Yes sir!"

Rin had to raise her eyebrow at how efficient Sneed was, and how he actually had a commanding voice and presence.

       

When he wasn't standing there in terror of Ava, that is.

           

After about a minute, the other bandit henchmen returned with a rolled up piece of parchment.

Sneed then looked over toward another set of bandits and nodded at them before voicing his direction.

"Bring that table over, so that the boss and I can spread the map out!"

She watched amused as the two he nodded at, grumbled and complained as the moved the heavy log piece of furniture over towards and in front of Ava's throne.

"Thanks," Rin said gratefully in an offhanded manner.

                  

But this had actually been a mistake and Rin realized it. Because both the two henchmen and Sneed flinched in place and slowly turned to look at her with a questioning gaze; bordering on concern and suspicion.

          

"A-Are you okay, miss?" Sneed questioned with a raising hope.

Rin's eye widens, when she realizes what she had done, by the expressions on their faces and Sneed's question; but to her relief, his question had been an unexpected boon for this situation she put herself in.

"Actually? Yes," She said to them with a slow creeping smile. "Besides a minor headache." She told them honestly, to salt the lie with a truth. "I am in a very good mood today: A VERY good mood." She finished as her grin reached a wicked smile.

This made not only the four men directly in front of her shudder in fear, but also the rest of the room as well.

Uh?... Maybe I have a nack for this whole bandit leader thing. She thought amused at how natural she took to the role she found herself inexplicably in.

"W-Why's that, miss?" Sneed asked again.

She said nothing about it, but just smiled subtly at the man.

"I'll tell you..... After you show me where we control, verses where the other bandit lords control."

               

Sneed's eyes widened as he realized he was counting on her in a serious matter of hers.

"O-Of course!" He replied. "Right away."

He then moved around the table to lay out the map of the region their territory was currently residing inside.

"Here," Sneed pointed towards a mountainous region up at the top left of the map. "These mountains and the pathway through them; are the area you could construe as our territory." He explained with confidence.

Rin nodded absentmindedly, as she looked at the region he was pointing out. All while getting distracted by the information she was processing through her head of what he was saying, verses what she knew from the game.

As Sneed continued to talk about their operation and where they currently were, in relation with the map. Rin couldn't help herself in getting lost at looking at the map itself.

             

This is the norther most region of the Osmori; before the path to the western past the mountains that Ava's crew were raiding from, reached all the way to the edge of the Qulari Desert and the Osmori coastline; Where the last bit of civilization could be found and the last bit of green also. Where it transformed into what people referred to as, Ellemoryss's Back.

A stupid name; but one that had a significant meaning: All that lived there, or that were banished there; were those Ellemoryss had decided to "Turn her back on." Again, stupid... but meaningful.

But that wasn't the thing that had Rin's attention. From down the mountains towards and the path that lead to the coast. Held a lustrous forest, within the cradle of the mountains and the coastline.

Rin absentmindedly trailed a finger down from where Sneed was pointing the exact location of their base, towards the wooded area.

                  

                  

                      

She'll show up right about here, I think. Rin thought, as she pictured the approximate location of the MC's starting location.

                             

                    

                         

 

"Boss?"

                  

Sneed's calling of Rin, brought her out of her reverie.

     

She looked over at him blinking her eye as she drew herself back to reality: Her new reality.

"Y-Yes, Sorry. I was lost in thought..." Rin used as an excuse.

"M-Mind sharing?" Sneed asked hesitantly.

"Huh?"

Sneed then pointed at where Rin's finger was pointing to on the map.

"What's in the Deadgrove woods that has you so interested?!" Sneed questioned in shock. "T-That place is filled with high tier monsters and creatures! Only some of the strongest r-rank adventurers go t-there!"

             

Rank?...

           

Rin decided to put the question she had forming in her mind to the side for now.

I need to focus on one thing at a time; one bite at a time.

"...Nothing at the moment..." Rin answered him. "Just... plans for the future." She then trailed her finger over towards an area that was at the other end of the map. So these slopes with the different mines and farms scattered throughout is called, Westbrook, correct?" She asked for confirmation.

Sneed nodded his head in affirmation, with a proud smile on his face.

"T-That's right." He told her. "It's also home of one of the fiercest bandit lord, Krokg, the orc lord."

"Orc huh?" She subtly questioned, even while inside her mind, she was freaking out at this info. 

              

ORCS?!

                                   

"Yeah... He was a banished Orc from his homeland, and thus made his way here. Then just ended up taking over the Westend Gang."

     

"*Ahck* Lame."

         

"H-H-Huh?" Sneed questioned what he just heard.

"Oh, nothing." Rin shrugged. "Just thought the name of that group was stupid."

"A-Ah, is that so..."

Rin decided to move the conversation along.

"So? Where is the next group, and... Who was it that you said their leader's name was again?" She asked to sound ignorant, or that bandit leader Conrad's name was insignificant to her.

"OH- oh yeah!" Sneed enthusiastically. "T-There more over in this direction." He pointed towards the east end. past the Westbrook Sloops. Their over here, in Evergrove forest."

"Hmm..."

            

As Rin studied and looked at the map. She noticed that the forest stretched and went past the confines of the map they were looking at.

"Is that all of the forest?" Knowing it probably wasn't.

With a shake of his head, Sneed answered her.

"A-A-Afraid not, M-My- Miss." He apologized. "That forest stretches to the edge of three different regions and territories."

"I see..." She murmured in thought. "I guess running in there and catching them would be hard then."

       

"W-W-W-Wait? R-R-Running in there? Catching them?!" Sneed stammers in shock and frightful disbelief.

Sneed couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Wasn't she just thinking about retiring?! Sneed thought in panic.

            

"Yeah..." Rin breaths out in an almost contented sigh as she stares at the map. "I think I have a plan and an idea: of how I'm going to kill three or seven birds in one fell swoop."

"B-But miss! you can't!" Sneed tried dissuading Ava. "I know you're ambitious and all, but going after you're competitors is suicide! Even for you!" Sneed argued.

"Why?" Rin stood up straight to look at Sneed with a look of confusion.

"W-Why?!" He repeated in disbelief.

Rin nodded her head.

"Yeah. Why? Why can't I just be the sole bandit lord of all three areas?... Are they stronger than me?"

       
"W-W-What?! O-Of course not! But still-"

"Then is it because they outnumber us?" Rin questions further.

"No- NO! That's not it e-either."

"Then why can't I?" She asks Sneed.

"B-Because you-.........." Sneed clamps his mouth shut.

          

She hates when I bring this subject up...... She told me to never mention it in her presence again...... Sneed laments to himself internally.

                    

"I-I-It won't make your bounty any smaller by doing thing!" He mentioned. "T-This will most certainly quintuple your bounty, assuredly!" Sneed warned.

Then Rin held up her hand with her finger raised.

"And I have a plan for, "That," as well." Rin informed Sneed.

"W-What plan?!" Sneed almost lost control of his emotions; his voice coming out as almost a frustrated growl.

       

But Rin waved a dismissive hand towards Sneed at his question with a smirk.

"Now's not the time for questions like that, Sneed; I need some more answers to things you've said, to really get my ideas off the ground."

"Wh-Wha-What I said?!" Sneed shouts while pointing at himself in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Rin tells him while smiling. "You reminding me of something I had forgotten about, and I want an answer if you can; if you don't know anything or if it sounds like nonsense. Then don't worry about it."

I had forgotten about the hidden stat future of the game. Rin thought excitedly.

                            

Sneed closes his eyes and takes a deep cleansing breath before answering his lady.

"And what, pray tell? Is it that this humble servant of you're can do for you?" He asked begrudgingly.

Rin smiled at his attitude in amusement before asking him.

"Does the word: Status; mean anything to-"

                       

<THIRD-EYE INITIALIZING>

                     

"...-You?"

                 

               

              

Pain then shot through Rin's head, as though she just had ice-picks or electrodes jammed into her brain; The headache she was feeling before from the stress of her situation, came back in full force. As the wave of pain nearly knocked her off her feet.

                  

It feels like my eyeball is on fire! But I know it's not! Because nothing is FUCKING THERE!

            

It was true. The eye socket with Rin's missing eye felt like someone had or was in the process of stabbing a red-hot-poker into the socket to blind her.

                                  

                  

MAKE IT STOP!

           

Rin's vision in front of her started to swim, as the edges pulled together and felt as if the darkness was eating away at the outside of her vision.

     

Am I dying? Tell me I'm dying! Please let me die and this be over!

                                                          

                                 

<THIRD-EYE INSTALLED>

                                  

                       

And miraculously, whatever had been happening. Was over just as quick as it had began.

The pain she was feeling just prior began fading away. Taking away with it not only the migraine and searing pain she felt before; but also the dull ache of her headache she had previously had also dissipated.

                   

She had realized, that at some point. She had gripped on to the arm of her throne.

                                

                                                     

And ripped it off completely.

                          

                          

All the men in the room were currently either shaking in fear, cowering at the ground, or had fled to safety behind some crates or barrels.

Rin also noticed that her breathing was labored and heavy.

Probably from the pain just now.

                                       

                        

What the-...........

                   

Fuck-.............

                   

Is this?...................

                          

                             

Rin questioned what it was that she was currently staring at with her vision. As it seemed that the world had suddenly become half polygonal lines and green.

                        

It's like I have one eye covered in a visor...

WAIT!

                      

Rin realized only just then the importance of what had happened with her vision.

              

My right eye!

                       

She reached up and touched her eye-patch. Only to be disappointed to feel the fur-lined padded leather strap clearly still in place.

            

And no eye restored beneath it.

                      

Then how the hell am I seeing with it right now? Rin questioned internally as she felt and inspected the socket her eye should be seeing from.

The things she saw from the eye seemed to be much like old wireframes polygonal constructs programmers use, to wrap their character's skin around and make them look like their drawn design; everything she saw through this vision on her right side was black and green.

Her hand in front of her face looked like it should. Just had a green and black tint to it and had a more emphasize lines around where her hand ended and other objects began.

       

Okay... This is trippy, and NOT in a good way! Rin concluded. I mean, I like having my full vision back. But does it need to look like I am looking through one-half of the lenses of a VR helmet?

                 

Rin then looked back up at Sneed and opened her eye wide at what she saw.

           

"A-Are you okay miss?!" He asked her with genuine concern for her well being. "Y-You just suddenly tore off the arm of your chair!... Was it something I s-said?!"

                     

Rin closed her eye and shook her head; one-half of her vision not fading as she closed her one eye.

                     

As she looked back up, the image she had seen was still in front of her.

                        

                   

On one half, Sneed; on the other half, a complete list of his character profile and the breakdown of everything there was that she could think of that was pertinent.

"Oh my God..." Rin murmured to herself as she stared at Sneed in disbelief at what she was looking at.

                  

"Oh your?... what?!"

           

Rin then smiled before letting the arm of the throne fall to the floor with a clack and a clatter.

"Nothing; Nothing at all. Just had a spike in my headache, Sneed. It's gone away now." Rin assured him, as her smile turned more and more into a grin of delight.

The sight of which horrified Sneed and frightened him more.

"O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OF c-cc-ccc--Course!"

            

                        

I'm so dead! He thought to himself once more.

                                                                   

                                                    

"What was it that you were saying before?" Rin asked him. "I couldn't hear you over the ringing in my ear just now."

"I- *GULP* -I-I -I was just telling you: That i-i-if y-you're referring to status; then you must mean the Gilded Screen of Ellemoryss."

"*SCOFF* Is that what they call it?" Rin says belittling of the title given. She saw that Sneed was about to reprimand her, but she just waved him off. "How does one look at these said stats?" She asks.

"T-T-They- *GULP* -They- The crystal readers; can be found in most cities that support an adventurer's guild."

"Ah!..." Rin released how that might be difficult to obtain with their current situation and status as criminals. She then thought about it before speaking again. "Is there any other way for a person to look at or see stats? Like, say they speak up and say, "Status," and it pops up?"

Sneed was already shaking his head before she finished speaking.

"S-Some people carry a smaller crystal reader with them; adventurers mostly. But- But for the most part. They don't have to much of a use for everyday life." He answered her, before his face changed to a pensive apprehensive chagrin. "...D-D-Does any of this have to do with what you asked earlier? Or about you retiring early?"

            

Rin let out a chortle at what her newly acquired henchmen was saying to her.

              

"Oh, Sneed!" She said before tapping him on his shoulder with a wicked smile on her face and a squinting eye.

                     

"My reign has only just begun." She told him.

                      

                            

Sneed bit his lip as it quivered at her response.

                      

Yes... He thought to himself. I'm dead.