In the dream…

  Valiant swings gently on her hammock.

  “Ahhhh, it’s so good to relax after a job well done.”

  Whalescalibur, watching her nervously, ask's,

  “I’ve got a question Valiant-san...”

  The laid-back, necklace lady respond's.

  “HMMMM? Yes, what’s the matter?”

  “You know… after that story… You said you hated all advertisers. So why are you so nice to me??”

  Valiant, still swaying slowly, replied,

  “You can be properly educated and civil with the people you hate. But lucky for you, you’re an exception to my rule—thanks in part to Hero-kun and your heroic deed's.”

  Whalescalibur blinked. “I don’t get it… so you’re giving me a pass because I vanquished Tentacle-san?”

  Valiant grin's. “Ding ding! We have a winner! Here’s a free cookie.”

  She spawned a cookie with solid white oil flavoured chips.

  “Hooray!!!” Whalescalibur scarfs it down with joy.

  Satisfied, she skip's away, heading toward her castle to crash on her new couch.

  Valiant sigh's and mumble's,

  “I’m so lucky the tribute worked. She’s a more dangerous existence than she normally appears…”

  She glanced toward the holy sword with a concerned gaze.

  “Legendary items are so finicky, this one seems dumb.”

  Lowering her straw hat, she resume's her swinging.

  Caladblock stared at the cocoon, then approach's Valiant.

  “Ara ara, Miss Valiant-san… you've made yourself at home already.”

  It was Caladblock’s awkward attempt at sounding composed—she probably knew she flunked her first impression with the newcomer. Still, she was still trying to make her first legit female friend.

  Sad? Maybe it is, but can you blame her? Living in an ad-infested hellscape with no female friend who shares her sentiment is obviously hard....

  Valiant replied,

  “Yes. It’s been rather hectic for a first mover.”

  She look's at the cocoon with an annoyed face.

  “The host hasn’t even properly welcomed me to this abode, and trouble keeps chasing him like a damned curse.”

  Caladblock complaining,

  “Honestly, it’s pretty rare for us to have any downtime at all.”

  She look's at Hajime-kun’s cocoon with an aggrieved stare.

  “Araaa… I just wish he would settle down somewhere—away from all the bad influences that harm his precious's life.”

  She projected a dark image: a silhouette of a baba elf and a majestic blocky princess knight.

  Valiant asks,

  “Are they the ones who arrived at the last moment and saved our hero?”

  Caladblock nod's.

  “Indeed they are. They selfishly stick to Hajime-kun like chewed ad on a boot… and something telling me… to beware the wandering eye.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  She stared at Hajime’s cocoon with empty, hollowed out eyes.

  Suddenly, Whalescalibur appeared out of nowhere.

  “Btw! I’ve got an announcement!!!”

  Caladblock shriek's

  “Kyaaa!”—in a girly scream most unbecoming of her.

  Valiant fell from her hammock with a thud.

  “Ahhh! My ass! Do you know how hard it is to get sand out of that place?!!”

  Whalescalibur, not caring, said:

  “I saw the princess’s face!!!”

  Caladblock: “......”

  Valiant: “.........”

  Caladblock finally asked,

  “Is that all? I don’t see the urgency.”

  Valiant, on the other hand, grinned, clearly enjoying the gossip.

  “Ooohhh, can you tell us?”

  Whalescalibur struck a serious pose, like preparing for battle.

  “You both would lose Hajime to her if he ever saw her.”

  Caladblock, fuming with hatred:

  “How dare you say that! He’s not one to fall for premium subscriptions!”

  Valiant muttered,

  “He almost premiumed my nemesis…”

  Caladblock coughed,

  “We maintained his purity! But that’s beside the point—I’d never let him!”

  Whalescalibur wave's cheerfully.

  “Peace out! And thanks for the cookie—it was delicious!”

  Valiant responded,

  “No problemo! I’ll be baking more later!”

  Whalescalibur left for her home.

  Caladblock, seething, went to her outdoor table set and spawned more tea to calm herself down.

  Valiant muttered,

  “Cunning little sword, that one is definitely annoying…”

  Inside the cocoon:

  “Hajime-kun is metamorphosing. The re-assimilation process from his ‘Bazonka Conquest’ experience has left him in a dormant state. His nature is changing—his hatred now transmuting into strength, all of this to better prepare him for the challenges to come.”

  Outside World – Melissa-san:

  Melissa-san was back in her room—exhausted, but extremely happy.

  Finally, her dreams were turning into reality. Things were clicking to place.

  Her orb start to ring a popular tune from an idol past her prime. The caller ID says: Director-san: "@@#$@!@-san".

  She pick's the orb up like her life depends on it.

  “Yeeessssssss, Director-san! I’m sick, but feeling better! Thank you so much for the benefits you added to last quarter’s renewal contract—I feel alive again!!”

  She announces her greeting with on the nose flattery, as is accustomed to do.

  “Huh? You’re sending me a new trainee? Sure, no problem!”

  Our office worker is used to last-minute assignments—its really not a big deal for her.

  “The name of the intern is Haruka-san?… a human female… she must show promise. She already scammed five unruly demons into fraudulent contracts?!! Whoa, what amazing talent she has!”

  A few more “Yes,” “uh-huh,” and “good” responses later…

  The final blow:

  “One more thing… Nocture-san is headed to check on you. GL.”

  Click.

  Melissa freezes.

  She begins trembling like a leaf, her face is pale with fear.

  She wouldn’t sleep a wink that night, that's for sure.

  Sometime later, aboard Nocture-san’s ship:

  The pay pigs sang in a harmonious chorus:

  ??

  “Row, row, row your pig

  Harshly on the sea~

  Lashing, lashing, lash lash lash

  Life is just a dream!

  Row, row, row your pig

  Harshly on the sea—

  If you see Nocture’s lash

  Don’t forget to scream!”

  ??

  A whip cracked from the speakers—faster!

  Some of them drooled in bliss, dreaming of the “reward” waiting at the end.

  Narrator-kun: “It’s not happening, you and me know this.”

  Nocture-san, on an orb call:

  “Yes, yes—the Hero is confirmed in Adlantis. Excellent work. Here’s your destined reward.”

  Like a true entertainer, she sent what the informant craved:

  An image of a half-down kneesocks, its not even hers btw.

  She smirk's.

  “I knew it. We’ll finally meet at my terms, Hero-kun… I can deal with the worm later...

  Fufufufufufu~”

  Like a proper procrastinator—she left her work most pressing work for later.