Exiled Villainess: They Threw Me Out, Now Every Beastman Wants Me novel Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Terms & Conditions

Tera didn’t respond immediately.

Something had been nagging at her about this system for a while, and it wasn’t just the tasks.

She thought back to what the system had said when Xavi reached full favourability. How it had proudly announced that no Host had ever achieved that milestone this early. As if it was a grand accomplishment.

But the way it had framed it had left Tera with uncomfortable questions.

If she was the first Host to do this, what about the other Hosts that had come before her?

Either the system was new to this job, or it had a very poor track record of botching its responsibilities. Neither option was comforting, and Tera didn’t want to fuck around and find out.

She thought about the way it withheld information until she pried it out, the way it dropped tasks at the worst possible moments, and the way it sometimes seemed more interested in entertaining itself than actually helping.

This system could be incompetent or just a pure sadist.

It did act like a sadist many times.

But Tera wondered if the thing might not even genuinely know how to do its job. And while she wasn’t going to pry about management—that would get her nowhere—she needed to fix this behaviour going forward.

’I’m not going to ask about management. I already know that’s off limits.’

[( ╹ -╹)?]

’But I need us to work together. I am sure you have some sort of quotas you need to meet, or whatever it is you’re supposed to do. But you keep things from me a lot. Important things. Then you act surprised when I’m blindsided by things you literally hid from me. Maybe they may not have seemed necessary to you at the time, but does that not make your job difficult too? Especially if I don’t complete tasks?’

Regardless of her penalty, the system was bound to have a problem too if she didn’t complete tasks.

And the constant mention of management meant the system wasn’t just here to selflessly guide Tera through her life in this world.

[...]

Tera did not like the silence.

’You aren’t prohibited from giving me everything at your disposal to help me through each task, are you?’

[( •̯́ ^ •̯̀)]

[Not... entirely]

Tera wanted to scream at it not to act cute with her.

’Not entirely, or yes or no?’

[No]

’You see?! OMG! The fuck was that cryptic response for earlier?!’

[(𓁹 𓁹)]

’Why not just lay everything on the table to help me? As long as it isn’t prohibited, I should know about it.’

’You tease me plenty enough either way, using other means if that’s what you’re after.’

[This system... did not consider that some withheld information would cause Host genuine harm]

[(◞‸◟)]

’Hey! It’s not about harm!’

[Certain details were deemed unnecessary at the time of—]

’It’s not up to you to decide what’s unnecessary for me. Especially if it’s something that could help with whatever task I need to do.’

’Well, including things outside each task too.’

[꒰՞ °ᗝ°՞꒱.ᐟ.ᐟ]

[But this system isn’t your slave to make your whole life easier!]

[And I do try my best—]

’And I am grateful for that, but things outside tasks do affect circumstances and relationships. They’re important too, right?’

Tera could not believe she was schooling something that was likely even older than her, but she tried not to dwell on it.

[This system understands]

[(ᵕ ó ᴗ ò)]

[Host is correct]

[Going forward, this system will provide all available information that is not restricted by management protocols]

[This system... apologises]

The screen dimmed slightly, and the emoji it displayed looked genuinely chastened, like a child who had been scolded and was only now realising why.

[( ˶ó‸ò )]

Tera found this very shocking but tried not to let it show.

That went smoother than she had expected.

’Thank you. I mean it. I want us to work together properly. Not this thing where you spring surprises on me and I scream at you, and we repeat the cycle every few weeks.’

[This system does not enjoy being screamed at]

[(っ◞‸◟ c)]

’Then stop giving me reasons to scream.’

[...]

[(｡ᵕ °ㅁ° ).ᐟ.ᐟ.ᐟ]

[Hold on!]

[This system should be the one in control, not Host!]

Tera laughed lightly.

This system was so silly.

Though still very much a sadist!

’...Thank you for the gifts.’

’Don’t push it.’

’Omg, I must have looked crazy staring into space like that.’

’Not now.’

’Well, technically...’

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