A Diligent Man

## Dialogue

* **H.B.**
*"Cross? What are you doing here?!"*
(Oh, lovely.) *"Damn it all! I can't believe you've discovered my secret training regimen!"*
*"I worked so hard to conceal it from my rivals..."*
*"But I suppose there's nothing to be done about it now. So go ahead! Make it your own! Steal all of my ideas! I will find a new and better way to stay ahead of you."*
*"Er, but while we're on the subject, what do you consider to be the secret to success?"*
* **Cross**
	+ *Luck*: *Say that luck is the key factor.*
		- **H.B.**
		*"Luck, you say? I see."*
		*"Well, I cannot deny the value of such a thing."*
		*"Certainly, some of those in high places achieved their positions through the capricious whims of Lady Fortune, despite a clear lack of ability."*
		*"Er, I am not speaking of you, of course."*
		*"But I fear I must disagree, for I do not consider luck to be the key factor in success."*
		*"It is ability, above all else, that determines success. One must always prioritize increasing their abilities, even if the effort is great and the result small."*
	+ *Ability*: *Say that one's ability is the key factor.* ♥
		- **H.B.**
		*"FOr one, you and I are of the same mind."*
		*"Luck may bring victory, but only a fleeting one."*
		*"Ability, at sufficient levels, brings not only the possibility of success, but the near certainty of it."*
		*"Success comes unbidden to the skilled; it is acquiring and increasing those skills that poses the challenge."*
	+ *Spirit*: *Say that an indomitable spirit is the key factor.*
		- **H.B.**
		*"How charmingly naïve."*
		*"Oh, certainly, such spirit can be a virtue."*
		*"But do you truly consider mindlessly throwing yourself at the same insurmountable challenge over and over again to be a true path to success?"*
		*"Let us be realistic, you and I—honing one's skills is the way to increase the odds of success, not some kind of intangible...pluck, or grit, or what have you."*
* **H.B.**
*"And that is why I developed my training regimen."*
*"I do not see NLA as a place for rest and relaxation, but rather as a forge upon which to temper my skills."*
*"After all, it seems that my rival is honing his own skills at an alarming rate."*
*"Therefore, I must work all the harder to compensate."*
*"And now that I have spilled forth my secret, tell me—what is yours?"*
* **Cross**
	+ *Be Evasive*: *Say that stuff just...happens. It's nothing special.*
		- **H.B.**
		*"Hmph. Fine. Keep your secrets close."*
		*"So it's to be scorched-earth warfare, then? You would deny your rival even the dignity of an honest answer?"*
		*"Very well. I shall succeed through my own strength, and never again turn to you for succor!"*
		(END)
	+ *Be Humble*: *Say that the credit belongs to Elma.*
		- **H.B.**
		*"How very like you to say that."*
		*"It's true, you are certainly lucky to have a skilled commander such as Elma."*
		*"But she sees you as a trusted comrade as well."*
		*"No reasonable person would waste effort propping up a comrade who failed to pull his own weight."*
		*"I cannot believe I'm saying this to my rival, but... You are who you are because of your own strength and ability. Not hers."*
		*"Although, perhaps your humility IS your secret? Or a part of it, at least?"*
		*"I will study it, then, in hopes that it will lead me to emulate your success. Farewell for now."*
		(END)
	+ *Be Honest*: *Claim that your success comes from finishing a great number of missions.* ♥
		- **H.B.**
		*"I see."*
		*"By completing a wide variety of assignments, you've gathered valuable experience."*
		*"I certainly haven't forgotten how effortlessly you completed the mission that I pushed onto you when we first met."*
		*"Perhaps I merely need more experience to bring out the strength that lies within me."*
		*"Your advice is appreciated."*
		*"It seems I have outgrown my special training regimen. From now on, I will accept more missions in order to keep pace with my rival."*
		*"I will begin by engaging in 10 assignments simultaneously, then work my way up from there."*
		*"Farewell for now."*
		(END)