Only once he exited the building did Dante think of checking a map for his current location. As it turned out, the hotel where he had spent the night was on the road adjacent to the Golden Hummingbird. He still had to walk around the block to reach the entrance of the alley leading to it, however.
The streets were already abuzz with movements as people went about their lives, unbothered by the chilly air of the early morning. The sky was as cloudy as ever, creating a weather that made one want to crawl back into their bed. That went twice for Dante who, on top of having a severe hangover, was still utterly exhausted after the previous night.
Soon enough, Dante reached the corner where the bar was hidden. The wooden sign was nowhere to be seen, showing that Thomas had likely closed the shop at some point. The Raven was still in the same spot where he had left it, fortunately. Putting on his helmet, he twisted the ignition and took off.
[Dante, do you intend to go to work right away?]
’You don’t have to whisper anymore...’
[Did your headache recede?]
It will be a while before he has completely recovered, but his condition has improved enough for him to go about his day.
[According to a quick research I performed just now, it seems safe to assume you are suffering from a set of symptoms humans refer to as a hangover.]
[Yes. Apparently, one of the best ways to deal with it is to drink water and get proper rest.]
He still had a couple more hours until his shift at the hotel started, but there wasn’t much he could do with that time. Going home was out of the question so the best he could do was get a short nap in the break room.
Listening to the faint hum of the Raven, Dante kept his mind clear, trying not to think of anything. Thinking was bad. Thinking was only going to make things worse for him. Sadly, with someone being capable of speaking directly into his mind, having a clear head was out of the question.
[Dante, there is something I would like to report.]
[I have obtained an SSS grade character in Dungeon Crashers.]
’... another one of your games?’
Such reports were frequent, so Dante didn’t understand how he failed to see them coming each time.
’Well, congratulations, I guess.’
[Thank you.] Volcan replied. [She is currently the most popular character in the game, and exceptionally rare, too. Her design seems to have inspired a lot of artists as well and so she became the subject of a lot of... art.]
Lingering for a few moments, Dante gave a mental sigh and said
’Alright, out with it already.’
He could tell what kind of art the AI was referring to, which means that opening was leading to that particular topic.
[As I am not a human, I do not understand the attraction you feel toward other people. However, after analyzing certain human behaviors, I became capable of recognizing some patterns.]
Noticing that the traffic light ahead of him was about to change, Dante slowed down to a stop.
[The character I obtained is considered to be a very attractive female.] Volcan said, his voice even. [Despite being fictional, it seems that a lot of people want to engage in what is defined as sexual acts with her, which leads me to one conclusion: human males desire such interactions with real, attractive female humans as well.]
’That’s... a really weird way of putting it...’
Turns out his resident AI discovered a very basic fact in quite a nonconventional way.
’You are right.’ Dante answered as he stepped on the gas pedal. ’Guys like hot chicks. That’s just nature.’
Volcan didn’t reply right away, as if preparing to drop quite the heavy question.
[What about you, Dante?]
[According to my analysis, Ms. Violet Rose can be considered an exceptionally attractive female human.] Said the AI. [Yet despite having engaged in sexual acts with her, you do not seem particularly pleased.]
[Yes. I would have attributed that to the negative after effects of consuming a large amount of alcoholic beverages, but that does not seem to be the case.]
If he had to be honest, Dante wasn’t in the mood to discuss the topic. At the same time, telling the AI to cut it out felt like too much of a chore for some reason. Dante didn’t want to talk, nor did he want to think. That is why he barely paid any attention to the questions of his resident AI, at least until the topic started to get on his nerves.
[It is quite paradoxical in my opinion.] Volcan went on. [According to my analysis, you have been very proactive during last night’s engagement. You seem to have taken steps to prolong it as well. I had assumed those were signs of you enjoying the act, but-
’Volcan.’ Dante said, interrupting him. ’From now on, if it ever appears like I’m about to do those things, you are to cut your access to my NIM and OAM.’
He hadn’t given it much thought before, but his AI watching the entire time was nothing short of creepy, even if he was nothing more than a computer program.
Volcan remained silent for a while, making Dante think that was it. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
[Dante, do you not intend to answer my previous question?]
As annoyed as it was, the question made Dante think. It wasn’t that he didn’t already know the answer. He just went through them once more, as if to reaffirm the conclusions he had previously arrived at.
’You know how a lot of something good can be a bad thing, right?’ He said after a brief silence.
[Yes.] Volcan replied. [It means that even things that are beneficial or enjoyable in moderation can become harmful or undesirable if overindulged in. It’s often used as a gentle warning about excess.]
’Exactly.’ Dante said. ’That goes twice for women. If you let them, they can become too much of a distraction. That’s why it’s better to avoid them altogether.’
There was a lot more to it than just that, but there was no need to go into detail about the reasons behind his foul mood.
[I see.] Volcan went silent for a couple of seconds, but then he followed with a statement that almost caused Dante to lose his balance and crash. [In conclusion, you have enjoyed the act to such an extent that there was a risk of it becoming detrimental to your goals?]
Dante did not confirm or deny that claim.