Editing Marius' Sweet Chapter 02-03

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|gameMode=Character Stories
|stageType=Story
|name={{PAGENAME}}
|previousStage=Marius' Sweet Chapter 02-02
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===Script===
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Board of Directors' Bet I: Pax Lobby
|characterLinks=You!Main Character,Marius!Marius von Hagen,Don Edison!Don Edison,Nathan Coleman!Nathan Coleman,Sheldon Harrison!Sheldon Harrison
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=|location=Pax Group|image=Pax Group - Corridor.png}}}}
''Accompany Marius to the board meeting.''

As soon as you enter Pax, you feel many eyes staring at you and Marius.

{{SL|Secretary|Mr. von Hagen, the directors are waiting for you in the conference room.}}
{{SL|Marius|Thank you.}}
Marius just nods expressionlessly, silently exuding an aura of authority.

Without stopping, he leads you straight to the conference room.

{{Float|{{Background location|name=Pax Conference Room|location=Pax Group|image=Misc Location - Conference Room.png}}}}
As you step into the conference room, the directors, who were still whispering, immediately go silent.

{{SL|Don Edison|Mr. Marius, what is this?}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Are you trying to impress your girlfriend? What kind of farce is this?}}
The one who spoke is Don Edison. Marius once thought he was neutral, but later realized he had hidden motives.

Now, it seems he's not even going to bother pretending anymore.

{{SL|You|Director Edison, I'm Mr. von Hagen's lawyer.}}
{{SL|You|I'm here today because Mr. von Hagen informed me that this board meeting may require some legal support.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|This is an internal management meeting. Why does this concern the law?}}
{{SL|You|Whether this meeting concerns the law is not up to you to decide.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Hmph! You little...}}
Lost for words, Edison rolls up his sleeves and sits down. Harrison looks at you and Marius.

{{SL|Sheldon Harrison|Come on, please take a seat first, Mr. von Hagen, Miss [Player].}}
Marius nods and pulls out a chair for you before seating himself.

{{SL|Nathan Coleman|Let's get down to business. How do you plan to solve this problem, Mr. Marius?}}
Nathan Coleman, who remained silent until now, calmly speaks up.

{{SL|Nathan Coleman|Now that bionic prostheses are gaining momentum, if we follow the original plan and release the "Xbone Alloy" technology tomorrow...}}
{{SL|Nathan Coleman|Even if our product is technologically superior, in the eyes of the public, it will always be worse than Crimson's.}}
{{SL|Nathan Coleman|In my opinion, our best course of action is to cut our losses as soon as possible.}}
{{SL|Nathan Coleman|We can contact Crimson to jointly research this technology together. Although our gains will be reduced, it is still better than nothing.}}
Many directors nod approvingly as soon as Coleman speaks. It seems his proposal is indeed feasible.

You subconsciously glance at Marius. Your intuition tells you that he won't agree to this.

{{SL|Marius|Director Coleman is right. Crimson's move is obviously targeted at us.}}
{{SL|Marius|But I'm sure that, since everyone here has been working with my father for many years, you would all know that there is no such thing as coincidence in the business world.}}
{{SL|Marius|Our "Xbone Alloy" technology is on the verge of being announced.}}
{{SL|Marius|And Crimson chose to hold a press conference on this very day. It begs the question... Has insider information been leaked?}}
Marius then looks around casually at everyone with inquisitive eyes.

The directors all react differently. Coleman frowns, seemingly thinking about Marius' words.

{{SL|Marius|"Xbone Alloy" technology can greatly reduce the weight of the prosthesis, improving fit and flexibility.}}
{{SL|Marius|According to the information released by Crimson, our technology is considerably more advanced than theirs.}}
{{SL|Marius|Which means that Crimson chose to announce their bionic prosthetics first, even though they knew full well that our technology has already been successfully developed.}}
{{SL|Marius|If Director Coleman could come up with that idea, then I'm sure they could too.}}
{{SL|Marius|In other words, Crimson is simply baiting us to actively cooperate with them.}}
{{SL|Marius|If we surrendered without a fight, do you think that will give us an advantage in the negotiations?}}
{{SL|Marius|So, is Crimson really just trying to take a larger share of the prosthesis market?}}
He stands up with his hands planted firmly on the conference table. His forefinger taps lightly against the table.

The tapping is light, but it seems to knock on everyone's hearts, sending chills down their spines.

{{SL|Marius|What they want is to take the "Xbone Alloy" technology for themselves. I don't need to tell you how much that's worth.}}
Marius' voice is not loud, but it carries volumes.

{{SL|You|(Marius is right. Crimson wants much more than just the market share. If that's the case, then Pax is in a much worse situation than I thought...)}}
{{SL|Marius|If we negotiate with Crimson now, then we'll be at their mercy, like a lamb to the slaughter.}}
Marius looks at Coleman and slows his speech. Coleman's expression twists into an unsightly one despite obviously agreeing with Marius' theory.

{{SL|Don Edison|Hmph!}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Even if Crimson has such sinister motives, do you have a better solution to our current predicament?}}
{{SL|Don Edison|You're the one who pushed for the development of "Xbone Alloy," and we've invested countless resources into it.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Do you know how much this will cost the company if you refuse to cooperate with them because of your personal pride?}}
Marius looks at Don Edison calmly.

{{SL|Marius|If I have the guts to bring this up, of course, I have a better solution.}}
{{SL|You|!!!}}
{{SL|Don Edison|!!!}}
{{SL|Nathan Coleman|!!!}}
Marius' words cause the stagnant atmosphere in the conference room to erupt into excited discussion.

{{SL|Don Edison|What... What's your solution?}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Are you... Are you going to ask your dad or your brother for help?}}
Giann has always been a touchy subject for Marius. Even if Edison is trying to place blame on Marius, this is too harsh.

Sheldon Harrison seems to have noticed that Edison has crossed a line, but Marius stops him just as he's about to speak.

{{SL|Marius|Mr. Edison, do you doubt my ability to handle this incident?}}
He looks at Edison with a hint of mockery in his smile.

{{SL|Don Edison|Of course, all your previous mishaps are just minor events compared to this incident.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Due to the announcement of their bionic prosthetics, Crimson's stock price has increased significantly.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Pax has not been affected yet...}}
{{SL|Don Edison|But over time, investors are likely to lose confidence in us and turn to Crimson.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|What's more, Pax is going to bear the brunt of the impact bionic prosthetics will have on the entire medical market.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Shall I go on? Or are you still too young to imagine the consequences, Mr. Marius?}}
Edison delivers his accusations rapidly, targeted toward Marius like sharp blades.

{{SL|Board Member A|Director Edison, don't be rude. After all, Mr. Marius is young. It's perfectly normal that he doesn't have the necessary knowledge and experience to understand such things.}}
A director next to Edison speaks up, seeming to defend Marius, but in fact, he is accusing him of being inexperienced.

As if prearranged, Edison takes the opportunity to regain his composure and softens his tone.

{{SL|Don Edison|There are many implications involved in this matter, and it must be handled correctly. There is no need to take on this burden yourself. This time, it would be prudent to listen to your elders.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|We would never do anything to harm you or Pax. Although, of course, it is you who will be held accountable in the end...}}
Marius remains silent, slightly raising his eyebrows.

{{SL|Marius|Held accountable? What do you mean by that, Director Edison?}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Well, of course, you will have to leave Pax temporarily, study hard, and wait until you're more mature...}}
{{SL|Marius|Oh, so that's why you said all those terrible things.}}
{{SL|Marius|Did you want to force me out of Pax?}}
{{SL|Don Edison|Oh, we're not forcing you, are we? I'm simply saying that someone has to take responsibility for this.}}
{{SL|Marius|But I clearly stated that I have a solution.}}
{{SL|Marius|It seems that Director Edison is skeptical. Well, if that's the case, why don't we bet on it?}}
{{SL|Don Edison|You want to bet on it?}}
{{SL|Marius|That's right... If I fail to resolve this problem smoothly, I will take the blame and resign.}}
{{SL|You|!!!}}
{{SL|You|(Marius, that's...)}}
{{SL|Nathan Coleman|Mr. von Hagen, this is a company policy, not a joke.}}
Before Edison can say anything, Coleman speaks up beside him with a serious look on his face.

Marius retracts his smile and slowly approaches Edison with a daring expression.

{{SL|Marius|And if I resolve the problem successfully, you will leave the board of directors, unconditionally.}}
{{SL|Marius|Director Edison, do you have the guts to wager with me?}}
With a cocky expression on his face, it's hard to tell if he's bluffing or if he really has a plan.

{{SL|Sheldon Harrison|Mr. von Hagen, the change of personnel in the Board of Directors is a serious matter. How could we make such an important decision so recklessly?}}
{{SL|Sheldon Harrison|Moreover...}}
Edison raises his hand to interrupt Harrison.

{{SL|Don Edison|Well, Mr. Marius, you're finally showing some of your father's flair.}}
{{SL|Don Edison|I shall accept your wager.}}
{{SL|Nathan Coleman|Director Edison!}}
{{SL|Sheldon Harrison|Director Edison!}}
Coleman and Harrison speak up at almost the same time, while Marius looks at you.

{{SL|Marius|Although it is a gentleman's agreement, it is appropriate to have a third party witness it in order to prevent anyone from backing out of the wager.}}
{{SL|Marius|Otherwise, it would be your word against mine.}}
{{SL|You|(Is this... the kind of help he was talking about in the studio?)}}
{{SL|You|(Did Marius plan for this situation in advance?)}}
The directors who were dissatisfied with your presence have all fallen silent.

Marius' words and actions seemed unpredictable, but he still succeeded in guiding the situation in the direction he wanted.

Thinking about it in this way, not only will it make these people reconsider Marius' methods, but it will also make them more confident about his solution.

{{SL|Marius|Could you be our witness, Miss [Player]?}}
Edison seems to realize that he has fallen into Marius' trap, but his expression only changes slightly, and he smiles at you.

{{SL|Don Edison|Miss [Player], you wouldn't allow your judgment to be clouded by personal feelings, would you?}}
{{SL|You|Of course, as a witness, both Themis and I will remain absolutely neutral.}}
Edison nods and is about to leave when Marius stops him.

{{SL|Marius|This meeting is not over yet. Don't leave.}}
Everyone looks at Marius, but he maintains his smile, seemingly unconcerned by their stares.

{{SL|Marius|As I mentioned earlier, Crimson's announcement about their bionic prosthetics today is clearly not a simple coincidence.}}
{{SL|Marius|In other words, for Crimson to hold that conference today, they must have known something.}}
{{SL|Marius|Moreover, they must have found out about it not long ago, otherwise, we would have heard something about today's press conference.}}
{{SL|Marius|This means Crimson only learned about the successful development of the "Xbone Alloy" technology recently.}}
{{SL|Marius|And they quickly devised a plan according to this information.}}
{{SL|Marius|Since I was the one who promoted the "Xbone Alloy" project, information about it was kept highly confidential.}}
{{SL|Marius|Even the project technicians didn't know the scheduled date of the press conference.}}
{{SL|Marius|If my memory serves right, it was during the last board of directors meeting that we decided to hold the press conference tomorrow.}}
Marius is not speaking particularly quickly, but the amount of information he discloses is astonishing.

{{SL|Nathan Coleman|Mr. von Hagen, do you mean to say that someone on the board of directors leaked the information to Crimson?}}
{{SL|Nathan Coleman|Nonsense. We are all Pax shareholders here. How could leaking the information to Crimson be of any benefit to us?}}
Coleman frowns. Although he does not agree with Marius' conjecture, his attitude towards him has significantly improved.

{{SL|Marius|I will also investigate whether this disaster is "natural" or "man-made."}}
{{SL|Marius|Well then, the meeting is adjourned. Thank you for coming.}}
Marius stands up without waiting for anyone to respond.

You follow him out of the meeting room. As you turn around, you take one last look at the directors in the room.

Coleman raises his head at the same time and looks directly at you. There is a dark and incomprehensible look in his eyes.
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=Board of Directors' Bet II: President's Office
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=|location=Pax Group|image=Pax Group - President's Office (Day).png}}}}
''Talk with Marius.''

In the president's office, Marius remains silent, and his face is not as relaxed as it was in the conference room earlier.

{{SL|You|(Although Marius seemed to be scheming when he was in the conference room...)}}
{{SL|You|(In reality, he must have been under tremendous pressure...)}}
{{SL|You|(But there's nothing I can do.)}}
As Harrison once said, you really can't help Marius in situations like this.

For a moment, you can't help feeling a little at a loss.

{{SL|You|(No, Marius must be feeling very stressed right now. This is not the time to doubt myself.)}}
Watching him from the side as he is deep in thought, you walk over and gently take his hand.

Just as you thought, his hand isn't as warm as usual.

{{SL|You|Why don't I go downstairs and get you a hot drink? You wait for me here.}}
Marius looks at you with tender eyes and nods.

{{SL|Marius|All right.}}
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=The Public Opinion of Pax I: Pax Lounge Area
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=Pax Leisure Area|location=Pax Group|image=Stellis - Pax Leisure RPG map.png}}}}
''Go get something hot for Marius to drink.''

{{SL|Staff|Hello, Miss. What would you like to drink?}}
{{SL|You|Hmm... two hot coffees, please.}}
{{SL|Staff|Sure, please wait a moment.}}
You nod and walk over to one side with the small receipt in your hand.
{{Clear}}
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=The Public Opinion of Pax II: Pax Lounge Area
|script=
''Wander around while waiting for the hot drink.''

{{SC
|choice1=Woman at counter
|script1=
{{SL|Female Employee|So much has been happening recently... I'm so tired. Can I have an Americano, please?}}
{{SL|Female Employee|I'm actually still on vacation, but I came back right away as soon as I saw the Crimson press conference.}}
{{SL|Staff|Oh, you poor thing.}}
{{SL|Female Employee|Oh, you have no idea! At times like this, the public relations department is particularly important.}}
{{SL|Female Employee|It was hard work dealing with those anonymous emails before. Now, this...}}
{{SL|Staff|They should give you a raise!}}
{{SL|Female Employee|That's right. Do you think Mr. Marius is cursed or something? That last incident was already a disaster to deal with.}}
{{SL|Female Employee|And now Crimson is making such a public campaign for bionic prosthetics. He must be under a lot of pressure...}}
{{SL|Staff|I wonder if someone is jealous of Mr. Marius and started these ridiculous rumors about him.}}
{{SL|You|(Most of the public sees the anonymous email incident as a rumor. Looks like Marius has done a good job managing the public's opinion of Pax...)}}
{{SL|Female Employee|If even Kenji isn't saying anything, then what gives them the right to spread rumors about Mr. Marius?}}
{{SL|Female Employee|Although the work has been quite hard recently, and I've been doing a lot of overtime, I still support Mr. Marius!}}
{{SL|Staff|Geez, why are you so loyal all of a sudden?}}
{{SL|Female Employee|Well, you didn't see Mr. Marius at the board of directors meeting today. He played those old directors like a fiddle.}}
{{SL|Female Employee|He handled it admirably. I would have been scared witless if I were placed in such a tough situation.}}
{{SL|Staff|Yeah, yeah, yeah...}}
The barista at the bar nods in response, then smiles in embarrassment when she suddenly notices you watching.

{{SL|Staff|Miss [Player], your hot drinks are almost ready. Please wait a moment.}}
{{SL|You|Sure, thanks.}}
{{SL|You|(The anonymous email incident doesn't seem to have caused too many problems after all...)}}
{{SL|You|(Still... who is this "Kenji" person they were talking about?)}}
Your questions only increase by the minute. You walk over to the side, hoping to clear your mind.

|choice2=Pair by table
|script2=
{{SL|Young Female Employee|Look at these comments on the internet. There's no way they're not written by Crimson's writers.}}
{{SL|Young Male Employee|Yeah, it's just bionic prosthesis technology — it's not saving the universe. What's the big deal?}}
{{SL|Young Female Employee|Geez, so many people are talking about us in the comments too...}}
{{SL|Young Female Employee|I wish I could tell people to stop posting unofficial announcements.}}
{{SL|Young Male Employee|Just look at this comment section. It's enough to make you think we're going bankrupt tomorrow!}}
{{SL|You|(That's a bit of an exaggeration...)}}
{{SL|Young Female Employee|Totally. But Crimson really did overwhelm us this time...}}
{{SL|Young Male Employee|Don't say that. You're damaging our team morale.}}
{{SL|Young Female Employee|But those bionic prosthetics really are quite impressive. Crimson's reputation must be going through the roof.}}
{{SL|Young Male Employee|Well, that's true. I wonder if we have any countermeasures...}}
{{SL|Young Female Employee|Come on, let's go. This is a battle between Gods. I just hope we mere mortals don't suffer from it.}}
{{SL|You|(This matter is already having a great impact. Even Pax's employees are losing confidence in the firm...)}}
{{SL|You|(Marius said he has a solution. What exactly is he planning to do?)}}

|choice3=Southwest man
|script3=
{{SL|Middle-aged Man|Yeah, I heard about the board meeting.}}
{{SL|You|(This person seems to be on the phone?)}}
{{SL|You|(Wait, why does he look so familiar?)}}
{{SL|Middle-aged Man|What do I think about it?}}
{{SL|Middle-aged Man|How do I know? It's just a game between the big shots. We just have to mind our own business.}}
{{SL|You|(He's talking about the bet between Marius and Director Edison. How did word get out so quickly?)}}
{{SL|Middle-aged Man|Hey, don't we need to investigate the anonymous emails anymore?}}
{{SL|You|(Investigating anonymous emails...? Oh, I saw this man speaking on the phone the last time I came to Pax...)}}
{{SL|You|(That's too much of a coincidence...)}}
{{SL|Middle-aged Man|Are you sure? Didn't Mr. Marius say he would investigate this matter thoroughly?}}
{{SL|Middle-aged Man|All right, I'll come to see you now. Let's talk face-to-face.}}
{{SL|You|(Don't need to investigate the anonymous emails?)}}
{{SL|You|(Is it because Marius can't take care of both issues at once due to this issue?)}}
}}
}}
{{Script
|scriptHeader=The Public Opinion of Pax III: Pax Lounge Area
|script=
{{Float|{{Background location|name=|location=Pax Group|image=Misc Location - Store.png}}}}
''The hot drink is ready. Go get it.''

After wandering aimlessly for ten minutes, you receive a message on your phone that your drinks are ready.

{{SL|You|(Finally...)}}
At the bar, you are just about to speak when the barista looks behind you.

{{SL|Staff|Secretary Kenji, your card!}}
The man turns around and quickly walks over to take the card.

{{SL|You|Hmm...}}
{{SL|You|(Have I met him somewhere before?)}}
{{SL|Staff|Miss [Player], Miss [Player]...}}
{{SL|You|Oh, sorry. Thank you.}}
You take the two cups of hot coffee and contemplate for a while before deciding to ask the question in your mind.

{{SL|You|Who was that gentleman just now? I heard you call him Secretary Kenji...}}
{{SL|Staff|Oh... you mean Kenji? He's President von Hagen's secretary.}}
{{SL|You|Isn't President von Hagen's secretary Vin...}}
Before you finish the sentence, you suddenly realize that the "President von Hagen" the staff was referring to is Giann.

{{SL|Staff|See? Even you misunderstood, let alone the others...}}
{{SL|Staff|When President von Hagen went abroad before, he didn't take Secretary Kenji with him, and they haven't been in contact all these years.}}
{{SL|Staff|So, some people in the company are saying that it was Secretary Kenji, who had been underperforming at work and lost the favor of President von Hagen.}}
{{SL|Staff|Well, thanks to that, Secretary Kenji is now in a very awkward position in our company.}}
While listening to her talk about Kenji's awkward situation in the company, you try to remember some details about the man you just met.

He wore a black jacket and looked to be about the same age as Giann von Hagen. His face was stern and intimidating.

{{SL|You|(I don't recognize his face, but why does he feel oddly familiar?)}}
{{SL|You|(I can't remember... Oh well, nevermind. It must be my imagination.)}}
Unable to think of an answer, you nod to the barista and turn to leave.
}}
|summary=
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