Equipment that was giving off a samurai-like vibe, and there was also something really familiar in a way that person was talking to us…… Yeah, the name color was not right as well. So I look at that player with a rather confused look on my face.
No good, there really is no way for me to actually remember a particular player just because of their stats and equipment can change without much trouble. However, there was one more thing that made me open my eyes in surprise. An element that made me remember who exactly that player was. And element that normal human characters should not have.
「You finally noticed, huh? Fufu, talk about a little bit ridiculous conversation, huh?」
Conversation? What in the actual hell is this person even about? I don’t get it. I don’t get it in the slightest. However, conversation? I feel like I have seen that word somewhere, or at the very least the kanji that compose that word. But when? And where?
「Truth to be told my aptitude for magic has diminished greatly, however the increase in physical stats is just so good that it makes it all worth the trouble. If I knew about that before, I would have become a Beastman much sooner.」
「Hmm…… So, is that the reason why you cannot change you class simply by going into the avatar customization?」
「That kind of thing does not really suit her, but if you were to tell her this you’d be cut on the spot…… At least that’s the feeling I’m getting.」
Looking at a pair of fluffy Japanese-styled animal ears and the way they move, I can certainly agree that I’m getting the same kind of impression. Also, when the girl was glancing at Pencilgton she was writhing in place like a vampire kicked out right into the sunlight.
I’d say that she must be an acquaintance of Pencilgton, or at least someone like that. Normally I would ask her to introduce herself, but since apparently this was not our first meeting, it would be extremely rude. Also, regarding the name, it was displayed right above her head. However, I was having a hard time believing what my eyes were seeing.
「Kyogoku?」
「Haven’t I already told you this before? It’s not “Kyogoku”! It’s Kyo Ultimate! Be sure to remember that!」
「That’s too long. How about a shorter one? Kyo Timate? So, Kyo Timate-san, are you here today just to be rubbernecker or what?」
「K-Kyo Timate!?」
While wearing a rather complicated expression on her face, the gaze of the animal-eared swordswoman turn somewhere else. It was as if something else have caught her attention. She looked towards a corner from where a terrifying aura could be felt.
「………」
「………」
It surely must have been about the name “Saiga”. Since it is not hard to put together that “Saiga-0” and “Saiga-100” must be related to one another in some way. For now, the two just continue to glare at one another in silence.
It could tell right away: there would be no peace between the two. Rather, the only thing that we could hop would be felt between those two women, would be hostility. Ice-cold one at that.
「Uwah, why do I get the feeling that I want to have absolutely nothing to do with this?」
「It’s a nice and refreshing thing to say coming from you, but are you sure you’re allowed to say that? Even though you’re the main reason for this situation to occur?」
「Excuse me?」
Why would my name be brought up in this context all of a sudden?
「Well, I mean, you are the reason why the top most powerful Guilds missed their chance of glory after defeating a Unique Monster. And it happened not once, but twice at that! And when the same name pops up during the subjugation announcement for both Unique Monsters…… Do you really think that people wouldn’t get mad? Or that they would not be able to add the facts together?」
「Eeehhh……」
However, listening to Kyogoku’s words, I am able to understand a thing or two. Mainly the fact that she’s a walking stereotype. The one where a new character is being introduced in the middle of the story and is inherently distrustful and antagonistic towards the main character. It’s a really common trope, so it’s not her fault, there is nothing she could have done about it.
We all know what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about a character that appears at the very end of the boss battle with the previous enemy. The same enemy that was giving the protagonists so much trouble. That new character defeats the boss with ease and has the audacity to ask: someone as weak as that was giving you trouble?” A cheeky line like that.
And since you do not know anything about that new character at all, the only way for you to make an opinion about them is through the first impressions.
In other words, what Kyogoku means by that is that the guild “Black Wolves” and all the others think about me as someone who just happened to happily waltz onto the stage in the middle of their grand moment and steal the kill and all the benefits that come with it for myself just like that. A total jerk that hogs all Unique Monsters for himself.
「…… No, but I mean, why Saiga-100 of all people? It’s not like we have ever met personally or nothing like that.」
「Hmm…… These two are supposed to be sisters in real life, right? So maybe it has something to do with real life as well?」
No, come on now! We’ve never even met in real life! So I see no reason for why Saiga-100 would want to come here to me of all people and places.
Rust, Mold and Akitsu Akane seemed to be genuinely worried about the two Saigas right about now, but Pencilgton of all people seemed to be pretty much chill about it. Or maybe she was just pretending to be chill.
Whatever it was, Pencilgton just casually walked towards the two Saigas and broke in between them , separating them apart.
「Alright, alright now, kids. I don’t know what your deal is, but if it is a family dispute you want, then do it somewhere else. Preferably as far away from here as possible. Like, your Guild’s base.」
「…… Towa…… You bitch, is this also your doing?」
「It’s Arthur Pencilgton here, my dear “Saiga Momo”-chan. You’d do best to remember that, otherwise I’ll have to teach you a thing or two about net code.」
The way the two of them addressed one another sounded really dangerous, most probably because the two women must have known each other in real life. But it was good that Pencilgton stood up here, since maybe she’ll be able to take some heat off of my back.
「No, this time around it was all Sanraku-kun’s doing. I only learned about this from the GM announcement, like everyone else.」
「Oi, are you trying to help me? Or get me killed? Please make up your fucking mind!」
Saiga-100’s gaze turned towards me one more. Oh great, looks like I won’t really be able to get myself out of this one, so how should I take of that business here?
Hey, Pencilgton, whatever should I do to get out of this? There is no way that she’s going to leave on her own, and running away is out of the question. In that case, just how much info I can disclose here?
Does that mean…… I’ll have to share some of the information contained within the World’s Truth Book? No, that wouldn’t be good…… The information contained within those files are worth more than the info that I managed to defeat a Unique Monster.
I may not be as clever as Pencilgton, but even I understand that the World’s Truth Book are the most precious information they are there.
「Ah…… For starter, please allow me to apologize for borrowing Rei-san for seven days straight. I really could not have done it without her help.」
Time to use the trump card of the Japanese people: sincere apology!
「It’s good that you understand, even if the flattery will get you nowhere. But let me ask you one thing straight…… Is it true that you’ve managed to unlock a Unique Quest related to “Nightprowler Luukan”?」
With the corner of my eyes I could see Rei bowing her head down frantically. So it was Rei that spilled the beans, huh? …… Oh well , the moment I undertook that quest with someone else than my closest friends, I kind of made my piece with the fact that it would be a secret that I would be unable to keep to myself.
「It was a really stupid boss. Took us whole night to beat it.」
「Whole night? We were unable to hold out for even a few minutes.」
Well, this is bad.
Self-deprecation is something one is able to do in two distinct cases: either you are able to do something with ease, or you are unable to do it at all.
If I don’t play this right, I might invoke the wrath of this person. Something to calm her down…… Something to calm her down……
「SF-Zoo managed to figure out the exact way that makes Luukan spawn for sure.」
「Hoo, well that is certainly an interesting news.」
Throw her a bone, but she does not know that this bone is actually nothing but a decoy.
「…… Well, you see, I do not mind giving you the exact information on how to beat it…… But I’d have to get the permission of my boss, the Guild Master of “Wolfgang”! That gal over there!」
And I hit the killer pass with a baseball bat! Now, how are you going to handle this set of dynamite, huh?
However, soon it all went to sh*t. My brilliant pass of responsibility, Pencilgton’s cunning tactics, and Kyogoku’s smile. It was all wiped out by one sentence uttered by a single player.
「Before that, there is actually something that I would like to talk to you about, Ane-sa…… I mean, Guild Master.」
「…… Alright, let’s hear it then.」
「I would like to leave the guild “Black Wolves”…… and become a member of your guild, the “Travelling Wolves”.
For some bizarre reason, Pencilgton started to violently hit me after she heard those words. I wonder why?