"So that's how it is!"
Hearing Toad's explanation, the two Mushroom guards finally relaxed and allowed the duo to enter the city. The Mushroom Kingdom had recently suffered an attack from the Bowser Kingdom, so they could hardly be blamed for being overly cautious and suspicious of everything.
As they stepped into the capital, Cyan received a notification from her Survival Brand.
[Survival Mission 1: Assist the Mario Brothers in rescuing Prince Peach from the Bowser Queen's castle to restore peace to the Mushroom Kingdom.]
"I am truly sorry. Because Prince Peach was captured by the Bowser Queen, the capital has been placed on high alert. That's why they are so wary of outsiders. It wasn't like this before—the Mushroom Kingdom is usually very welcoming to guests!" Toad explained frantically, desperate to ensure that Cyan and Nishi didn't leave with a bad impression of his homeland.
"Toad, thank you... for earlier."
Nishi looked at Toad with a hint of guilt, remembering that she had stolen from him not too long ago. If he hadn't helped them at the front gates, getting into the city would have required a massive amount of effort.
"Oh, I didn't really do anything! You guys are good people!" Toad smiled, scratching his mushroom head.
Cyan looked down at Toad and said, "Toad, we will accompany you to see the Chancellor."
"Eh? You want to see the Chancellor too?" Toad's mouth fell open in surprise.
"I told you before that we had business in the capital. My companion and I came here specifically to aid the Mushroom Kingdom in rescuing the captured Prince Peach from the Bowser Kingdom. We need to see the Chancellor to gather information regarding their territory," Cyan stated, laying out her reason for the meeting.
The Mario Brothers... they should be the ones heading to the Bowser Kingdom to save Prince Peach, right?
This world was called Super Mario Bros., meaning those two brothers were the protagonists. Having them along would make rescuing the prince a lot simpler. Cyan intended to use Toad to secure an audience with the Chancellor, ask about the Mario brothers, and gather intelligence on the Bowser Kingdom. Stepping blindly into enemy territory without sufficient information was nothing short of foolish.
With Prince Peach abducted, it was impossible for the kingdom to do nothing. Any ordinary person with a functional brain understood the importance of intelligence, let alone a kingdom's chancellor.
"You really are wonderful people! Come, follow me to see the Chancellor!" Hearing Cyan's words, Toad looked at them with pleasant surprise.
Inside the royal castle, under Toad's recommendation, Cyan and Nishi were granted an audience with the Chancellor, an elderly Mushroom citizen with a long white beard who leaned heavily on a walking cane.
"Are you two truly willing to help us rescue Prince Peach from the evil clutches of the Bowser Queen?"
The Chancellor tottered over to Cyan and Nishi, his clouded eyes narrowing as he scrutinized them, a faint trace of wariness and doubt still lingering in his gaze. With the kingdom facing such a catastrophe, he had to remain cautious. At a critical juncture like this, mysterious outsiders were inherently suspicious.
"We are globe-trotting bounty hunters, and the Mushroom Kingdom happens to need our aid~! Of course, our assistance does require a fee~!" Nishi placed her hands on her hips, looking down at the much shorter Chancellor.
As soon as she spoke, Nishi noticed the suspicion in the Chancellor's eyes dissolve considerably, replaced by a look of understanding.
Thank goodness Master and I agreed on our cover story beforehand... Otherwise, we'd be treated like schemers with ulterior motives.
This identity was something Cyan and Nishi had settled on during their journey, and it was the most practical choice. After all, if two random strangers showed up out of nowhere claiming they wanted to rescue a foreign prince, anyone with half a brain would find it fishy—even with Toad's endorsement. The bounty hunter angle perfectly explained their unsolicited, self-recommended arrival.
With a financial transaction binding them, the Chancellor wouldn't suspect them of having hidden agendas. Instead, he would readily believe they were genuinely here to rescue the prince—for the right price, of course!
Ah, so they're bounty hunters! No wonder they're so strong! Toad thought, a look of sudden realization washing over his face.
"May I ask what fee you require?" The wrinkles on the Chancellor's face creased together, forming a smile that looked like a blooming chrysanthemum.
"We require intelligence on the Bowser Kingdom, as well as any warriors from your kingdom who will be acting alongside us. The final fee will depend on the difficulty," Cyan spoke up. Her sunglasses combined with her perennially frozen expression gave her a detached, unapproachable aura. Her concise, professional phrasing made her sound exactly like a veteran hunter who had been in the business for years.
"Bring the gathered intelligence here," the Chancellor commanded, and an attendant promptly hurried forward with a stack of documents.
"This is the intelligence gathered by the seven warriors I previously dispatched. Unfortunately, their disguises were seen through, and they have been imprisoned somewhere unknown."
As the Chancellor spoke, his eyes grew moist, and a slight tremor entered his aged voice. Clenching his fists, he wept, "Their current fate remains a mystery... All this old man can do is pray for their safety, and hope they haven't been executed by the demons of the wretched Bowser Kingdom!"
[The Chancellor has issued a Hidden Mission: Rescue the seven residents of the Mushroom Kingdom imprisoned by the Bowser Kingdom.]
[Will you accept?]
[Yes / No]
Cyan considered it for a moment and accepted the mission.
"If we catch wind of their location on our way to rescue Prince Peach, we will consider breaking them out. The fee for that will be calculated separately," Cyan said, flipping through the documents on the Bowser Kingdom, perfectly staying in character.
Slap!
Cyan placed the files back onto the table. "The difficulty is exceptionally high. While the two of us are capable of rescuing Prince Peach, we will be facing immense danger..."
"Ahem! We'll definitely go rescue Prince Peach, but regarding the compensation..." Nishi chimed in, flashing a brilliant, radiant smile that practically gave off a pristine ding sound.
The subtext was clear: she was reminding the Chancellor to prepare for his treasury to take a massive hit.
"Please wait a moment, you two. I have already sent a guard to summon our kingdom's two most valiant heroes!" The Chancellor broke out into a cold sweat upon hearing her words.
Why aren't Mario and Luigi here yet? What is taking the guard so long?!
"Chancellor! Chancellor! Terrible news!"
The Mushroom guard sent to summon Mario and Luigi suddenly burst through the doors, panting in sheer panic. "Chancellor! Something awful has happened to Mario and Luigi..."
"What happened to them?!" The Chancellor's heart skipped a beat. He bolted upright, suddenly filled with an unknown strength as he threw his cane aside and sprinted over to the guard.
"Mario and Luigi ate the pastries sent over by Prince Peach! They are suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhea, and have been rushed to the hospital! Right now, they're undergoing emergency treatment in the ICU!"
Thud!
The Chancellor's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor. "How could this be... Could the pastries the Prince gave them have been switched by a spy from the Bowser Kingdom?"
This was incredibly bad news. It looked like they couldn't count on the Mario brothers.
Cyan had assumed that with the two protagonists of this world around, the mission would be significantly easier. She never expected them to end up in the ICU over a box of pastries.
It was highly unusual. Cyan felt that something was off—the Mario brothers were perfectly fine before their arrival, yet they conveniently fell ill the moment she and Nishi entered the capital. She couldn't help but suspect that this seemingly accidental incident hid a deeper conspiracy.
The Mario brothers were the absolute protagonists of this world, yet they were hospitalized over food poisoning... Although Cyan didn't want to overcomplicate things, she felt this wasn't a simple case of random poisoning; it felt calculated.
If Nishi and I hadn't come, they would have been the ones going to save Prince Peach...
Cyan and Nishi accompanied the frantic Chancellor to the hospital. Standing beside the hospital beds, they looked at the rather ordinary-looking Mario brothers. Cyan couldn't discern anything extraordinary about these middle-aged, large-nosed brothers. Was their strength simply so immense that it threw off her perception?
"Master, what should we do?" Nishi whispered, leaning close to Cyan's ear.
"We can't afford to wait for them to recover. Prepare for the worst-case scenario," Cyan replied, her voice grave as she looked at the pale, unconscious brothers.
After consulting the doctor, the Chancellor learned that it would take at least four to five days for the brothers to fully recover.
"You two... regarding the reward for rescuing Prince Peach, can we negotiate the terms?"
Upon returning to the castle, the Chancellor looked at Cyan and Nishi with a pleading, subservient smile. With the Mario brothers temporarily out of commission, his only hope lay with these two bounty hunters.
"Treasures. Gold."
Behind her sunglasses, Cyan's silver-white eyes flashed with a sharp light as she delivered her brief, unyielding demand.
Half an hour later, Cyan and Nishi left the castle. Nishi carried a large backpack stuffed with enough provisions to last them for the journey ahead.
[Fire Flower]
[Type: Consumable Item]
[Function: When used while in a Super Mushroom state, allows the user to shoot fireballs. If used while not in a Super Mushroom state, it grants the same effects as a Super Mushroom. The effect vanishes upon taking damage once.]
[Note: Do not attempt to spit fireballs from your mouth!]
[Constraint: This item is exclusive to the Super Mario Bros. world and cannot be taken out of this world.]
[Super Star]
[Type: Consumable Item]
[Function: Grants absolute invincibility for 10 seconds.]
[Note: Enjoy the ultimate cheat code!]
[Constraint: This item is exclusive to the Super Mario Bros. world and cannot be taken out of this world.]
[Mushroom Coin]
[Type: Currency]
[Note: The official currency of the Mushroom Kingdom within the Super Mario Bros. world. 1 Mushroom Coin can be exchanged for 1 Survival Point.]
A Fire Flower, a Super Star, and 2,000 Mushroom Coins—this was the advance payment provided by the Chancellor. The remaining 3,000 Mushroom Coins would be paid upon Prince Peach's safe return.
Cyan handed the Fire Flower to Nishi, as it could be combined perfectly with the Super Mushroom already in her possession, while keeping the Super Star for herself.
"Master, do you want this badge?" Nishi asked, pulling out a golden badge engraved with a mushroom motif, which the Chancellor had given her before they departed.
Cyan cast a glance at the item and replied indifferently, "You keep it."
Leaving the capital behind, the two consulted their map and began making their way toward the territory of the Bowser Kingdom.
When they reached the main gates of the outer wall, they were halted by two guards who bore a striking resemblance to Toad. Holding their weapons tightly, they glared at the duo with immense tension.
"They're not bad guys! They're the ones who protected me on the way here!" Toad ran up from behind, quickly explaining the situation to the guards.