Stage 290: Clearing the Second Side

Stage 2 is notably more conventional than Stage 1, offering a steady stream of standard quests.

First, there's Task A; to clear it, you must complete Task B; to clear that, you must complete Task C. You progress through them one by one, unraveling them like untangling a knot—classic RPG gameplay at its finest.

Yellow Pig: "By the way, did you tell me about the time that slutty prostitute clung to me while crying?"

White Pig: "Hehehe. Do tell us, please~"

Blue Pig: "…………………"

Red Pig: "Damn it………… damn it……………"

Still, the path of these four hostile pigs wouldn't be an easy one.

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Town Elder: "To meet Princess Suzaku, who was taken by the southern fortress, first you must obtain the 'Proof of the Hero' from the northern cave."

Yellow Pig: "Huh? Where’s the 'Proof of the Hero'?"

Red Pig: "……How would I know? You're the one who had it, aren’t you?"

White Pig: "It seems we may have lost it somewhere along the way."

Blue Pig: "……So we have to go back into the cave again..."

Town Elder: "By showing the proof to the town’s tool merchant, you can purchase the 'Magic Key'."

Red Pig: "That key they sold us earlier was junk."

Blue Pig: "No way… that shopkeeper… I’m gonna kill him..."

Yellow Pig: "Who was in charge of buying the key?"

White Pig: "Oh, that was me... There shouldn't have been anything strange about it."

Town Elder: "If you have the 'Magic Key,' you should be able to open the gate leading to the southeastern marshland. There, you can seek advice from the sage Camembert."

Red Pig: "Gyaa! H-he's dead... Camembert's dead!?"

Blue Pig: "No way... Who could have done such a thing...?"

Pork: "No, you're the one. Shining all shiny."

Yellow Porpoise: "What do we do about this...?"

Old man on the street: "Just be careful. That area is under the control of the wicked witch, Gorgon-Zola."

Yellow Porpoise: 'This was a completely pointless detour.'

Blue Dolphin: 'Hehehehehe...'

Pork: "In the end, what was the point of that Camembert's help?"

Pig: "Probably something like, 'Just solve everything with violence,' or whatever."

Street Old Man: 'The weakness of Gorgon Zola seems to be "Mozzarella Grass," sold in the village of Daisan.'

Blue Pig: 'Hey! Eat up! This is your favorite, right? Here!'

Yellow Pig: 'Savor it well—chew it slowly!'

White Pig: 'Aww, look, he's crying.'

Red Pig: 'Honestly, the most fun is bullying helpless trash all by yourself!'

Street Old Man: 'Ah, right. If you pick up some Sakeru cheese along the way, it'll make a nice snack.'

Yellow Pig: 'Cheese is good.'

Blue Pig: 'Good.'

White Pig: 'Mm, good.'

Red Pig: 'Good.'

▼

I've heard that in astronaut training, there's something called a Green Card.

The Green Card refers to a method where, for example, one trainee is secretly instructed to oppose everything said by a designated leader—say, "○○"—in order to test the team's overall stress tolerance and ability to handle crises.

This game reminded me a bit of astronaut training.

The game itself seems designed to impose some kind of mental strain on the players.

The four who defeated the mid-boss, Gorgon-Zola, were granted permission to head toward the southern fortress through an arbitrary and convenient twist of plot.

The subsequent flow is hardly different from that of 'STAGE 1.' Hide from enemies, advance cautiously, defeat the boss enemy, and rescue the princess. That’s all.

Incidentally, this time’s MVP was secured as planned by Aizuki Miharu-chan.

That’s because I had given her instructions in a private chat beforehand.

While I kept the party occupied, I told her to extract information from the sage Camembert and then eliminate him.

“C-crap… not again…”

The reason the “Gambler” lost is likely because he was playing too much like a regular game—overconfident and careless.

"Porkman's Quest" is heavily skewed toward game balance, making exclusive access to information beforehand the optimal strategy.

Therefore, unlike typical RPGs, the key to success lies not in leveling up piglets or acquiring powerful gear, but in securing information ahead of others.

Incidentally, the princess held captive at the southern fortress is a striking redhead, clearly well-versed in both martial and scholarly pursuits.

Suzaku: "Hello, mighty one. I've been watching your exploits closely. The way you effortlessly defeat one villain after another is truly admirable. So, if you're willing... would you consider becoming my husband? (Pfft.)"

This girl's probably going to be easily taken advantage of... gulp.

And then, the announcement: "Stage 2 has ended."

At that moment, — the "Gambler" suddenly announced a break for everyone.

"We've worked hard enough; let's take a short rest."

"Aw, but it was getting interesting now~"

"Concentration starts to fade, and your banter loses its spark. We've already been talking nonstop for six hours."

"EH?"

I instinctively glance at the clock.

Apparently, the "Gambler" was right — somehow, that much time had passed without me noticing.

It was already dark outside, and my throat was parched.

"I haven't made this much noise since I was a kid, playing maricar at my grandfather's house."

"Then it's good."

Funny how quickly enjoyable moments slip away.

I don't know what the "Gamblers" are thinking, but as the ones quietly pulling the strings, we're having quite a delightful time—hohoho.

Let's all eat dinner, take a shower, and then pick up again from there.