Chapter 1: Everyday Life of Shiroe
Part 1
God created the world in 6 days and on the 7th day he rested. This meant that even God needed a
vacation. Shiroe thought humans should follow God in this respect.
Taking a break after work.
Otherwise humans would have problems.
This was common sense.
There was no need to break away from this truth just because they were Adventurers, or because of the
Catastrophe.
Shiroe was sulking because he had been too busy lately.
It was not that his guildmates in Log Horizon were bullying him. In fact, Nyanta, Naotsugu, Akatsuki, and
even the new members Minori, Tohya, Isuzu, and Rundelhous all wanted to help Shiroe. But the amount of
work from the Round Table Council was just too much.
(No, this way of thinking is despicable.)
These tasks were not the result of insidious harassment or abuse of authority.
Probably.
But the answer lies within Shiroe himself.
Shiroe was seen by the Round Table Council as the 'battle tactician with incredible foresight', and he
admitted that it was a proper description. But even if Shiroe acknowledged this, it was not as if he had a
genius-level intellect or extraordinary talents. Shiroe gauged that he was only average in terms of
abilities.
Shiroe saw himself as a typical preparation-type. He thought his talent lay in collecting information
before events, analyzing and making observations, and then writing a proper scenario by taking into
account any changes during its execution.
These types were not rare. Roughly all players who checked a game's walkthrough before starting
belonged to this type. This was just a timid way of doing things, but Shiroe had a unique characteristic.
He was not content with reading a game walkthrough——he had to write one himself. This characteristic
should be driven more by curiosity than timidity.
Because he's not confident, he would put in effort to prepare. If someone requested something from him,
he would make further preparations. Shiroe was the type who got chosen for important positions
unwittingly, even though he didn't like helping others.
Timidity was often seen as a weakness, but that was not the case for Shiroe. When he played a battle
tactician, being cautious to the extreme was not a weakness, but a strength.
Although, that only held true when they had enough manpower. Right now, Shiroe, who was struggling
alone, was unable to breathe due to the pressure of his workload.
This alternate world was an over-sized research subject for Shiroe.
It was better to have more information, and the range of information he wanted to gather was very wide.
The amount of walkthrough information the world of Elder Tales had accumulated over twenty years was
enormous. And there was ten times more after changing into this alternate world. Moreover, this was not a
stationary world, but it was a world that evolved every second as things interacted with each other.
Shiroe tried to prioritize and investigate the necessary data. He lacked manpower and finances, but he
could garner public information through the Round Table Council. He even had a set budget. His
efficiency in gathering intelligence was much better now than right after the Catastrophe.
Even so, the data he wanted or needed was too colossal, he was unable to shake off his feeling of unease.
Shiroe did not start collating data of this world purely out of his own curiosity. Whether to go back to the
original world or to give up, he would still need to live on in this world first. This was the consensus of
all the Adventurers in Akiba.
Information could be a lifeline in many situations.
Just as one would need a map to navigate the oceans, the Round Table Council needed information about
this world. If you were not clear with what was happening, you wouldn't be able to make the correct
decision.
Hence, Shiroe considered gathering and analyzing data to be official business.
As one of the 11 guildmasters in the Round Table Council, he needed to spend a lot of time just doing
daily communications and tasks. Reviewing documents also took a lot of time. If it were a major guild
like D.D.D or Oceanic Systems, there would be a lot of talented personnel to assist and support the
guildmaster.
In a sense, this was the same as having a team of secretaries supporting Michitaka or Krusty in their
administrative duties. Even if it were not at the level of secretary, having reliable companions to help you
review and give feedback would be invaluable.
But Log Horizon had only eight members, including the two new members, so Shiroe didn't expect to have
someone around at all times to assist him in his administrative duties. The most proficient person at
administrative matters apart from Shiroe was Minori, but Minori was still in training. If she helped
Shiroe, her level gap with Tohya, Isuzu, and Rundelhous would get wider, so he couldn't ask for her help
too often.
So the end result was Shiroe being crushed by mountains of administrative forms and documents.
"Woo wah, there is no way I can finish this!"
Shiroe sighed at the paper peaks. It might be in his nature to bear responsibility for everything, but that
didn't mean he doesn't get discouraged. Staying indoors all this time had made him depressed.
Shiroe looked out the window.
This window was just a square opening in the wall a few days ago, but window frames and canvas
curtains had now been installed.
The time was noon, and it was raining outside.
The autumn rain that descended on the city was as fine as silver threads. Falling on every leaf of the
ancient trees of Akiba, it was directly wetting the ground and making a peaceful sound.
This scene was serene, gentle and beautiful.
When Elder Tales was just a game, the weather in different zones would change randomly according to
the game mechanics. It was very pretty compared to other games, but juxtaposed to the shiny silver
threads now falling in Akiba, it was merely pretty in gaming standards.
Shiroe felt the scenes in this world were better than old Japan's in all aspects.
Although they were all rain, they each had their own style, such as the lightning rains in the summer
afternoons, or the mist-like rain in autumn.
Living in Japan, with its developed transportation system where all delivery services could show off their
speeds, Shiroe could only see such seasonal scenery from the NHK. So to him, just the weather alone was
like an epic drama series that had finished airing.
He opened the canvas curtain and saw the city that seemed to be covered with white lines that went
unbroken all the way from the ground to the sky. It was October, so it was not too cold yet but the chill
would slowly start to set in. He could see people all over the city ignoring the rain and Adventurers who
were using this chance to clean their buildings.
It had been two months since the War of Sand Leaf, but the mopping up campaign was progressing slowly.
No, the clean up stage had already passed. They should now consider how to reinforce their relationship
with the League of Freedom Towns Eastal, an organization made up of the People of the Land. This had
been confirmed in reports Shiroe received. According to the intelligence, the number of minor skirmishes
had decreased and issues related to resource transportation and trade were gradually increasing. At this
stage, it should fall under the jurisdiction of the merchant guilds.
The grand preparations for the Libra Festival was the evidence.
Shiroe finally felt the burden on his shoulders when he thought about this.
... But that was only one of his burdens.
What worried Shiroe now was the news from other regions. He did not have energy to spare just dealing
with Akiba, so he had been ignoring them deliberately for a while, but they were reaching a stage where
he couldn't ignore them any longer. The data from his sources was collated and countermeasures executed.
But after gathering further information, he realized that there had been major changes. No, it could be said
that the changes were too extreme.
(I thought this might happen, but it just had to turn out this way, the other areas are really...)
Shiroe relaxed and leaned against his wicker chair while gazing at the ceiling.
Maps, figures and reports flashed through his mind.
The Japan that had been recreated at half of its original size using the Half-Gaia project... This place
known as the Crescent Archipelago, Yamato, contained five player cities. Akiba, which Shiroe and the
others resided in, Shibuya, Minami, Susukino, and Nakasu were known as the 5 major cities and were the
base cities for players in Elder Tales.
When Elder Tales was still an MMO game, these cities were connected by devices called the intercity
transport gates that allowed instantaneous travel between the cities. This made it feel like the cities were
close to one another, but as the gates weren't currently operational, the time needed to travel between
cities had increased. In this world where monsters roamed free, traveling had become risky, resulting in a
decline in the interactions between cities.
It had been 5 months since the Catastrophe.
Akiba, where Shiroe and the others resided, had undergone major changes. It looked the same from the
outside, but the Adventurers' way of life, and relationships with others, had both undergone a decisive
makeover. With their interactions with the People of the Land as well as the League of Freedom Towns
Eastal, there should be no one left who thought that this was just a game.
Everyone in this world have had the equal chance of experiencing these 5 months of time, so Shiroe
thought that the other places would have changed just like Akiba did.
But the change in Akiba was influenced by Shiroe. Shiroe was aware of the efforts needed to change this
city. If that were the case, other cities could have also been influenced by the will of 'someone' as well,
right? Shiroe felt his heart getting heavy as he thought about this 'will'.
Shibuya changed the least.
Shibuya held a special place among the 5 player cities.
To put it simply, Shibuya was the newest city to be set up. It was added to disperse the massive number of
players in Akiba. Shibuya, which was made with this purpose in mind, was dependent on the intercity
transport gate. With the gate not functioning, the city was all but paralyzed.
Hence, almost all Adventurers based in Shibuya had moved to Akiba. Shibuya was used by very few
players, akin to the villas of Akiba in the neighboring rural areas.
Susukino was evolving just as Shiroe expected. The city's security had been deteriorating since the
Catastrophe, to the point of no return. It had become a lawless city because of this. The Adventurers who
wanted to leave had mostly succeeded in these past few months.
Serara was a beginner Adventurer, but she still managed to hide her tracks and escape successfully. This
was thanks to Shiroe's rescue operation. Shortly after, the Round Table Council sent out several
expedition teams over a period of time to evacuate all those who wished to leave Susukino.
Susukino, which seemed set to fail as a player city, still had more than 200 Adventurers left. They were
not left behind by the expedition teams, but instead chose to stay in the dangerous environment of Susukino
by their own will. Not only this, Akiba and Minami also had a few Adventurers who willingly migrated
to Susukino.
In the Elder Tales world that had changed into reality, there seemed to be some demand for 'lawlessness'.
Susukino had evolved into a city where the minority Adventurers ruled over the majority People of the
Land...
Shiroe did not sense any evil from this. No, to not feel any evil at all was wrong, it was just not obvious.
Shiroe sensed fear.
Shiroe championed the rights of the People of the Land at the Round Table Council for two reasons.
First, it was a problem of survival. The number of People of the Land was ten times that of the
Adventurers. Almost all consumables ingredients, the resources of this world, were made by the People
of the Land. If they governed the People of the Land with an iron fist, friction and conflict would arise
with the People of the Land. Whether they won or lost, they would have to bear a heavy price. Protecting
the rights of the People of the Land was a way of protecting their own rights. It was not based on the
ideals of human rights, but was built on the idea of benefits versus losses.
The second reason was fear.
Shiroe still remembered clearly the People of the Land at the village he visited on his way back from
Susukino. Shiroe had felt for the first time that the People of the Land were humans in that village. He
could feel their warmth, history, personality and intentions, and saw them as 'humans' for the first time.
To enslave an intelligent human was terrifying for Shiroe, who received a standard Japanese education.
This was too much of a taboo, overlooking the reasons for justice——evil and morality——and linked
directly to the emotion of fear. He feared becoming a slave himself, but the thought of owning slaves and
ordering them around was just repulsive.
The chill Shiroe felt from Susukino was cut of the same cloth.
But there were only a couple hundred Adventurers in Susukino, such small scale activities could still be
salvaged.
(But the problem lies over there instead...)
Minami's situation was...
Far beyond Shiroe's expectation and developing at an incredible speed.
Part 2
"Shi...roe...sama!"
Shiroe who was lost in thought heard a moving voice that seemed reproachful with a hint of gratitude.
"Please pull yourself together. Are you eating your meals right? What about sleep? Eh, seems like you
spent the whole day sitting again."
"I am eating right and sleeping well, I went to the dining room just 2 hours ago."
Shiroe replied casually as he stood up to take the box of files from Henrietta.
The strong physical abilities of Adventurers were based on the game stats, so there wasn't much of a
strength difference between the 2 genders. No, compared to Shiroe from the mage class, Henrietta from
the weapon-based class was probably twice as strong.
But seeing Henrietta wearing a secretary-style miniskirt and jacket with a corsage, Shiroe was unable to
bear seeing her carry so many stacks of boxes.
Shiroe turned around after leaving the box on his desk.
"There is no need to trouble you with this, I will come over if you contact me by telepathy."
"Eh... I guess you are right... But I heard Shiroe-sama has been working so hard, so I thought about
dropping by to visit... about that..."
"If you are looking for Akatsuki, she should be coming back soon."
"Ah, fu fu fu fu, it's not what you think."
Shiroe breathed a sigh of relief as Henrietta blushed.
The famed accountant that was the pride of Crescent Moon Alliance, Henrietta who was in charge of
finance visited Shiroe like this often. The guild master of Crescent Moon Alliance was Maryele, but the
operations were all handled by Henrietta, her administrative abilities were beyond praise. Instead of
Shiroe who wasted his time on research and curiosity, Henrietta's contribution to the Round Table
Council was much more significant.
"Eh, this is..."
"The Libra Festival."
Shiroe picked up a file as Henrietta explained from the side.
October. The air was becoming more chilly every time it rained, but the liveliness of Akiba remained
warm. With the normalization of the relations with League of Freedom Towns Eastal, there had been more
commercial exchanges stimulating the prosperity of the production guilds.
Food, clothes, machines, medicine, organic materials, and types of items were imported and exported at
an astonishing rate. Akiba was now a city that focused on re-exporting after processing materials.
Adventurers could gather basic items like food ingredients and minerals, but it was easier to get them in
bulk by purchasing them from the People of the Land.
People of the Land, especially nobles and merchants, had a strong demand for goods made by
Adventurers. They were very interested in finding out the secrets of their production and were very active
in all kinds of trade.
As the production guilds became more lively, the battle guilds also reaped its share of the benefits. The
'Fairy Ring Analysis Project' that started last month resulted in tons of quests being given out, increasing
the number of players going out of town for missions.
In this situation, the unexpected project that started was the Libra Festival. This event that the Adventurers
of Akiba were looking forward to was a festival celebrated by the entire city.
When Elder Tales was a game, apart from events set by the developers, there were also plenty of
unofficial activities organized by the players themselves.
There were all kinds of activities that spanned from an entire city to mega events that spanned the entire
server. Unfortunately, there had been no news of such activities after the Catastrophe as no one had the
energy to spare. But as life stabilized after 5 months, everyone should be anticipating this lively activity
and letting go of the feelings of uneasiness after a while. Shiroe understood this point.
But instead of preparing for the Libra Festival, Shiroe was swamped with all sorts of administrative
work, so he didn't know the details. He only took a glimpse through the memo that was sent to all the guild
masters and had a very rough idea.
This was a trading activity that would be held in Akiba a few days later, that was what he thought.
"How is the liaison committee?"
"Charasin-san is working hard, I really take my hat off to him, the preparations are going smoothly."
Henrietta, who was arranging the files with her back to Shiroe, replied.
"As expected of the advertisement agency."
This project was directed by the production guilds and the 'Production Guild Liaison Committee'.
With the formation of the Round Table Council, there was a slew of new inventions bringing a boom to
the economy of Akiba. The Round Table discussed issues regarding these new inventions but had finally
reached their limits. The Round Table Council was the governing organization that decided the general
direction Akiba should take, it couldn't keep handling trade disputes or complaints.
Practical problems related to items and delivery didn't need to be strictly handled by the 11 guild masters,
so they decided to set up a dedicated department.
That was the 'Production Guild Liaison Committee'.
The Production Guild Liaison Committee was situated 2 levels below the Round Table Council's
conference room in the guild building and operated 24/7. It was manned by Adventurers who had nothing
better to do and it was a laid back and kind committee. The liaison committee had the atmosphere
between a conference room and an office, anyone could visit any time.
With their policy of revitalizing the small guilds, this place became the hang out for guilds with small
guild halls. Michitaka from Oceanic Systems and Rodrick from The Rodrick Firm treated this place as the
training ground for future leaders.
A big notice board was full of all sort of requests such as buying resources, trading items or information
exchange. They could also source for new items and business partners, a noisy and lively urban
community center. It was just a liaison committee and lacked the seriousness of the Round Table Council.
The Production Guild Liaison Committee was the organizer of the Libra Festival.
Crescent Moon Alliance was one of the small guilds that was part of the Round Table Council and should
have plenty to work to do. Henrietta had had more work at the Production Guild Liaison Committee than
she had at the Round Table Council recently.
"Will Crescent Moon Alliance be participating?"
"Of course we are. Our blacksmith will be selling short swords at the flea market, Crescent☪Moon will
also be making a comeback. Serara is also working hard on this as the new kids didn't have a chance to
eat it. But the main event will be the fashion show."
"Fashion show?"
"Yes, you didn't know?"
"No, I did hear about it..."
The idea of the Libra Festival started out by someone suggesting 'Let's hold a merchandise exhibition
event alright?' at the Production Guild Liaison Committee.
The first thing the Adventurers who came to this alternate world desired was normal food and drinks.
With this settled, the next was the increase in demand for a better living environment and fashionable
clothes...
In the past when this was a game, your residence was just a place you used to log out. The furniture were
just toys to decorate your personal space that had wonderful variety but lacked functionality.
It was the same with dressing. Among the corporations that took part in Elder Tales development, F.O.E
(Fujimi Network Entertainment) was a development agency reputable in design (Suitable for Otaku
culture of Japan), but they did not consider functionality when they came up with their designs. They didn't
even include underwear as part of the items that could be crafted in the game by Adventurers.
But such inconvenience had been solved recently. The Adventurers had been creative and came up with
more inventions everyday.
But the citizens of Akiba might miss the information about unpopular items. The only way to get
information about new inventions was by chance, word of mouth or the periodic advertisement fliers.
The proposal to host a merchandise exhibition event was started this way, and after much discussion, they
would be holding a fashion show, underwear exhibition, food market, and an exhibition warehouse for
new inventions. There had been increasing demand to include more items for the exhibition.
Most guilds had at least one product they would say "We're the best at!" and recommend strongly and
wanted to exhibit to a wider audience.
'Since that's the case, let's hold a festival centered around exhibitions!' That was what they decided 2
weeks ago.
These discussions were held in the Production Guild Liaison Committee, but half the citizens of Akiba
belonged to production guilds so the news spread like wildfire all over the city.
The production guild members were all participants, so pure tourists belonged to the minority. To be
precise, only visitors from outside the city would meet this criteria.
And so, the exhibitors were also the customers, akin to a school cultural festival.
Shiroe had been focusing on using the Round Table Council as a way to gather information from the
outside and had been neglecting the news within the city. "Neglecting" was based on Shiroe's standard,
his knowledge of what was happening in the city was much higher than normal Akiba citizens'. Simply
put, the knowledge he had did not meet his tactician level of standards.
Shiroe knew the story of how the festival started out, and understood that the exhibition would energize
the economy (they just wanted to have fun under the pretext of work).
The organizer of the festival was not the Round Table Council, but the liaison committee working under
it. Charasin of the 8th District Shopping Center was the reliable director of this activity.
This was the reason Shiroe decided not to be involved directly and left them alone.
"Shiroe-sama."
"Hmm?"
Henrietta said as Shiroe arranged the files neatly.
"How is Isuzu-chan doing?"
"Ah ah, ermm.... I have been meaning to talk to her properly one of these days, but I have been busy and it
slipped my mind."
"Shiroe-sama is a good friend of Crescent Moon Alliance, so please don't hold back. But Serara has been
worried about how she is doing."
"Yeah, she is doing well and keeping up with her daily training. She got a tan in the summer, since the
only good thing about this place is that it's spacious."
The subject of the topic Isuzu was a young female Bard who transferred from Crescent Moon Alliance to
Log Horizon. This young girl with freckles joined Log Horizon together with Rundelhous.
The Sorcerer Rundelhous and the Bard Isuzu, they were the 2 newest additions to Log Horizon since
Tohya and Minori entered the guild. The transfer proceeded smoothly after a peaceful discussion between
the 2 guild masters. Isuzu was also a beginner confined by the nasty guild Hamelin just like Minori. Her
time in Crescent Moon Alliance was short and there wasn't much of a problem with the transfer.
Log Horizon and Crescent Moon Alliance had always acted like sister guilds, often holding beginner
training session or forming raiding parties together. Even though Serara worried about Isuzu, they had still
been meeting once every 3 days.
"Shiroe-sama hasn't gone out the entire summer."
Henrietta said reproachfully. This was the truth so Shiroe couldn't say anything to defend himself.
Henrietta was a core member of Crescent Moon Alliance, had similar roles as adviser like Shiroe and
was also handling the accounts for Crescent Moon Alliance. She must be busy, but Minori and the others
said that she would occasionally show her face during beginner training sessions and participate actively.
Henrietta's words were rather harsh to Shiroe's ears.
"... I am reflecting on that."
"Very well, please take a look at this."
Henrietta handed over something like a venue brochure. The copies of such printed materials could be
duplicated using Shiroe's Scribe subclass. The original must have been hand written, but it was easy to
make copies.
Shiroe browsed through it roughly, Akiba seemed to have several exhibition areas set up all over the city.
The content was mostly fashion and dining but there were also armor, weapons and furniture made from
steel or wood. The festival eve events started the day after tomorrow while the actual festival would last
for 2 days.
(The dinner party and the after-festival party...)
Shiroe confirmed the event dates and it overlapped with the return of the spy. The spy should be able to
sneak in easily with the crowd during the festival, but it would take some effort to secure their reports.
(We can't make any reckless movements during the festival, guess we have to wait...)
Even if he wanted to gather more data, the intelligence they could collate during the festival would not be
reliable.
"Really, why are you making such a face... Since Shiroe-sama is reflecting on his actions, you should say
something right?"
"Ah?"
"For instance, use this festival as a chance to deepen your relationships with your friends in Log Horizon"
Shiroe was stunned by her words for a moment, but she did have a point and it was a good idea. He
should be fine doing this once in a while.
"I will."
"Also..."
Henrietta shook her slender finger. Her actions together with her thin frame spectacles gave her an
alluring air of mischief akin to an elder sister.
"Log Horizon is one of the representatives of the Round Table Council, please do your part to make this
event lively."
"Ah... I will handle this appropriately."
"And that's a promise okay?"
Henrietta informed with a smile.
"Both Akatsuki-chan and Minori-chan are very cute, I am looking forward to it. Heavens, really... Just
imagining it can let me go on without food. As the saying goes, 'People can't go on with only bread, but
they can endure most hardships with bread and imagination'. My god..."
Henrietta who was twisting her body with her hands on her cheeks looked horrifying. Shiroe could not
send his precious guild members to uncertain death, so he needed to find out the details of this 'promise'.
"What can they do to help?"
"It's very simple, they just need to help with the sales of winter clothes exhibition."
Being a salesgirl should have nothing to do with being very cute correct?
Shiroe saw through the blueprints of Henrietta's future plan and apologized to his guild members in his
heart, thinking of how he could make it up for them.
Part 3
Raynesia was wearing comfortable casual clothes and sitting on the couch, enjoying her small lunchbox
with pretty designs. This was a common take away lunchbox in Akiba.
(It's delicious...)
The vacation she was looking forward to.
Even as Raynesia immersed herself in this feeling of sweetness, her supple feminine body still trembled
when she recollected her recent crushing work load. Raynesia sighed heavily and drooped her shoulders.
Yes, she had been conned. Conned by Krusty.
She was baited by the sweet talk of '3 meals provided with afternoon nap included'. She was remorseful
of her rash actions.
It was obvious if you thought about it.
The Adventurers were the key to influencing the world. The nobles of the League of Freedom Towns
Eastal' which her grandfather chaired also knew this, and was attempting to recruit and use them in
political and military terms. The reason Raynesia gave her speech in the nobles conference was because
she could not stand their attitude and behavior.
Back then, she worked so hard as she wanted to protect her homeland and not force the Adventurers to
accept their willful and rude demands at the same time.
In a sense, Raynesia's effort had borne fruits. With the kindness of the Round Table Council and the sense
of justice of the Adventurers, her homeland Maihama and the League of Freedom Towns Eastal was
saved.
After the war in Sand Leaf ended, the situation reverted back to the way it was. No, with the Adventurers
showing their might to the aristocrats, the development that follows was much more concrete.
Adventurers didn't only show their military prowess, but also their advanced technology, economy, and
unity as well. With their display of force, no nobles held any ambition of conquering Akiba and worked
towards deepening their relationship with the Adventurers in order to increase their gain through taxes.
Raynesia had seen so many examples this month that it irritated her.
Raynesia took on the role of ambassador in Akiba under her grandfather's orders... her position was
something between confinement and martial arts training. She was also the first residential ambassador
from the League of Freedom Towns Eastal to coordinate relationships between the two groups.
She often received invitations from the Round Table Council to attend events like ceremonies, and would
also participate in balls as a noblewoman. Thanks to her perfect lady education, these gatherings were
nothing to her (even though they were troublesome), but the problems lay elsewhere.
For example, clans who focused on business, which the Adventurers called 'production guilds', would
visit her and ask her opinion on business matters. On the other hand, the merchants and nobles from the
League of Freedom Towns Eastal would also ask her to introduce influential people in Akiba to them.
She needed to investigate the details thoroughly before handling such requests, or there would be trouble
if she lost her reputation.
There would be no failures if she declined them all, but there were some request she could not reject in
the social world. Even if she came from the most influential Dukedom in northeast Yamato, she was not
the head of the family, just a granddaughter, so not everything went the way she wanted.
At the same time, she was amazed at the lack of schemes in the actions of the Adventurers. In their eyes,
Raynesia was a direct descendant of one of the two Dukedoms in Yamato. Even if they were curious and
treated her with respect, they didn't think they had to grovel at her feet.
They approached Raynesia as a Person of the Land to understand how a People of the Land might
understand or feel about things, not to take advantage of her position for their own benefit.
They probably saw themselves as powerful Adventurers, and even if Raynesia was a noblewoman, she
was just a Person of the Land in the end. That was what Raynesia felt.
From Raynesia's angle, this made her sad.
She was happy that the crowd didn't treat her like an aristocrat and saw her as another human being, but
this joy and the pain were both sides of the same coin.
She was happy to be a common Person of the Land, but it pained her that she was a powerless noble.
(But, let's ignore this for now...)
This type of emotion was like a trap.
To fulfill the request, dignity and restriction of the nobles, she needed to learn more about the Adventurers
and Akiba. Not only her, the People of the Land as a whole did not know much about the Adventurers,
even the nobles. They assumed they understood each other because they shared a common language, but
their lifestyle and culture had a major gap. In the process of trading or helping, there would be conflicts if
they didn't have the minimum amount of knowledge, which had happened numerous time.
If she didn't advise the aristocrats and merchants this way and only help with introducing Adventurers and
production guilds to them, it would cause major problems one day.
On the flip side, the problems with the Adventurers made Raynesia feel gloomy. Adventurers were very
practical and wanted practical information. All the Adventurers were intelligent and educated, talking to
them made her feel she and her country were ignorant of so much.
(Because I am not with the military, because I am not a bureaucrat, because I am not a man...)
Raynesia had not come into contact with the diplomatic issues facing her Dukedom clan for various
reasons, and she thought this was obvious. But her conversations with the Adventurers made her realize
she didn't even know what the citizens on the street or the farmers were eating, where they were living.
What would interest them, what made them happy or sad.
It was acceptable if she didn't know about the Adventurers, but she didn't know the lives and hearts of her
citizens either, making Raynesia realize what a shameful excuse of a noble she was.
In order to seriously deal with the requests of the nobles and the Adventurers, she would need to amass a
wealth of knowledge and investigate them thoroughly. This made her so busy that the words '3 meals
provided with afternoon nap included' had disappeared without a trace.
"Woo wah... This is never ending."
The worse fact was there were no limits to this type of knowledge. Even if thinking of a brilliant plan,
advice or coordination, there was no guarantee that it was the best way.
If she considered it, or investigated it even more, there might be an even better idea. Or if planned more
carefully, she might be able to avoid the worse outcome. These doubts lingered on in the corner of her
mind 24 hours a day, even Raynesia who admitted she was lazy by nature was unable to cut corners.
Elissa lectured her when she collapsed with a fever after studying the books too hard. She did not
remember the content of her preachings, but it was nice to have 3 days to recuperate.
"That's it, I'm not going to do anything!"
Raynesia enjoyed her lunch elegantly with her petite mouth.
Stewed vegetables, cold dishes and the brown object known as mini hamburger steak. This was a lunch
that mixed western and Japanese styles.
From the perspective of aristocrats, the dishes packed inside the small box were vulgar and shabby, but
Raynesia liked it a lot. Even if the dining table was full of roasted meat, stew meat and fried meat, she
couldn't finish them and preferred her bread and fruits as she smiled. Her appearance, like this, had been
described as delicate and ethereal which gave her a headache.
Comparatively, this small takeaway lunch box was a calming meal for her. The dishes after the revolution
could not be compared to before, she couldn't remember her pre-revolution diet anymore.
Pickles and the rice, which Adventurers liked to eat, intrigued her, and the sweet omelette she loved were
amazing. Raynesia carefully replaced the cover on the box after finishing and placed the fork on top. She
was still trying to learn how to use the utensil chopsticks.
"May I have some tea Elissa?"
The room was cool and quiet.
Staying in this room like a bird in a nest and enjoying a meal without anyone disturbing, what more
extravagant things could she ask for? Raynesia felt that there was nothing that could match this.
Maybe Raynesia thought she was enjoying a depraved moment. Having been trained from youth, even
though she was not wearing a 2-piece velvet dress, she still could wear her clothes beautifully with a
feeling of class and grace. She might think she was showing the lazy side of herself, but her casual dress
made with linen and chiffon was still suitable for going out in the eyes of the Adventurers.
Her beautiful looks, reputed as the winter rose of Eastal, were the same as usual. Her casual clothes and
her drowsy smile, as she ate, looked cute and fit her age.
A certain naggy maid might say 'your dress and attitude are outrageous', but Raynesia was determined not
to let this 3 day recuperating period go to waste.
She must do her best to be lazy, to make up for the lazing around she had not done recently.
This was all the fault of the brain eating monster Krusty. She ended up like this because the lying knight
with slits for eyes conned her.
Raynesia picked up the tea placed in front of her table and felt the steam with her face, thinking about how
busy she had been. All her joints were numbed from comfort, a deep sense of fulfillment from eating and
sleeping all she wanted.
Her sleep time had dropped recently and could only be described as cruel torture.
"Really, I have been so busy all because of that mischievous monster... I need to let him realize the
difference in our power relationship some day."
Just as Raynesia sighed happily after enjoying the fragrance of her tea, a voice that shouldn't be there
sounded out.
"I am very aware of this relationship, so there is no need to trouble the princess to teach me."
Krusty who was seated on the couch to Raynesia's right replied without missing a beat.
His tunic that was dyed in layers of brown just like the autumn leaves matched his black edged coat. His
dressing was suitable for taking a stroll with the feeling of autumn giving Krusty a refreshing image.
The burly knight with a broad and strong upper body akin to a giant warrior, his strong limbs were long
and well proportion. So if he walked on the streets in casual clothes, it wouldn't give off the impression
of a giant, the contours of his face had the academic look of a scholar or researcher. His appearance
maintained a feeling of neatness and cleanliness with absolutely no weak points to speak of. You couldn't
find any even if you tried.
The ominous atmosphere he gave off in the battle field made him look like a giant warrior, but he looked
so gentle and quiet on the streets, this was definitely foul play.
Krusty appearing at an impossible timing made Raynesia repeatedly open and close her mouth in
objection.
"Ah, ah, ahah!"
"It's fine if you want to scream or fidget around, but you probably should put this down."
Krusty said calmly as he took the ceramic tea cup from Raynesia's hands. His calm attitude made
Raynesia's blood rush to her head and her unable to think properly.
"Why.... why!"
She was unable to collect her thoughts. (Why are you here? Who gave you permission? Isn't barging into a
lady's personal room (this was an office, so this description was a bit wrong) outrageous?) The questions
that came along with her anger rose and disappeared repeatedly.
Raynesia escaped by crawling to the edge of her couch. She moved at most a meter away. Considering the
length of Krusty's arms, this was not enough, but she would fall off if she went any further.
"What... What is the..."
"If you are asking about the time, it should be 10 soon."
"How did..."
"Elissa-san let me in without saying a word."
"Why, why, why did..."
"I heard you were recuperating, so I came here to harass you."
Raynesia was speechless.
(He said harass. This monster said he came here to harass me with a straight face!)
"... ah."
"You say this is a prank?"
"Forgive my insolence. There were no other nobles around, so I bit my tongue by mistake. I am here to
visit princess Raynesia, who is busy with work, and cheer you on."
Krusty was enjoying tea, from a similar teacup just like Raynesia's, as he replied in a leisurely and calm
way. These words seemed to be decorated with lies and could not be trusted.
Raynesia maintained a defensive posture as she trembled (psychologically) at the corner of the couch. She
could hear Elissa warning her in her mind, 'The princess of Maihama that is the pride of Eastal cannot act
so indecently', but even if Elissa said that to her face now, she wouldn't know what to do.
"Anyway, the joke ends here."
"Eh..."
"... How is the Libra Festival?"
Krusty casually asked and Raynesia realized this was the real topic for today.
Libra Festival was a festival that involved the whole Akiba city. Raynesia knew this was a celebration of
peace and prosperity for the city. They would be displaying all kinds of items in the event to trade or sell.
There wouldn't be any religious rites for the spirits or gods. No matter how you looked at it, it was just a
normal city fair, much different from the festival Raynesia knew about. But the common thing would be
people congregating together to have fun, at least that was what the report said.
The Libra Festival, where many Adventurers gathered to do business, should attract a lot of People of the
Land businessmen to visit. Raynesia had already received such letters requesting Raynesia to introduce
Adventurers to them.
"Yes, it is fine."
"So busy, so exhausting, so much responsibility."
He read minds again. Raynesia was scared, but was gradually getting used to it. She plead in her heart
'please don't do that' which was definitely conveyed to him, but he didn't show any mercy.
But despite the feeling of fear, she enjoyed her time conversing with Krusty. He was able to see through
things that Raynesia found hard to say or wished he would notice.
"I am... doing my work properly"
"Yes, probably."
Raynesia retaliated slightly, but he just brushed it off with a sentence.
Seemed like the mind reading monster could not tell how much effort Raynesia put in and how difficult it
was.
"..."
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
Raynesia turned her head away and adopted an ignoring attitude, disregarding the gentleman with a look
of boredom on her face. (This is an act of attack. I will not be tempted by Krusty's sweet talk.) Raynesia
steeled herself as she averted her sideway gaze at Krusty away in a hurry. Snorting was too rude, so she
would not do that (she didn't remember ever doing that).
"The preparation for the dinner party is going smoothly. Don't worry, I am doing it properly."
Raynesia's words surprised Krusty. Seemed like he thought Raynesia was useless. (If you think that, don't
throw work at me okay?) Raynesia thought.
"... Ahah, you mean the dinner party hosted by the princess?"
Seemed like he just forgot about it.
This monster was infuriating.
The dinner party on the 2nd night was organized by Raynesia. The 'organize' here meant being the
figurehead, Raynesia was unable to help in terms of preparation work and cooking duties.
Raynesia's duty was to attend this dinner party as the host and entertain the guests, running the place as the
host. Even this level of dinner party in Akiba was simpler and less formal than many of the dinner parties
Raynesia attended before.
Adventurers disliked hypocritical etiquette.
This understanding had slowly changed in the month Raynesia had spent in Akiba.
They didn't really dislike the etiquette, they just couldn't see the point in them. Since there was no point
they were unwilling to learn, so they didn't have the knowledge of complicated etiquette.
Adventurers seriously lacked knowledge about this world and the People of the Land society. Raynesia
felt they were like babies in this aspect.
(But the feeling must be mutual...)
Raynesia thought.
Raynesia worked closer with the Adventurers than other People of the Land, but when discussing among
themselves, Raynesia was unable to keep up with half of their topics. Firstly, she didn't understand their
technical terms so she didn't understand half of what they were saying. The part she did understand
baffled her as to why they had such outrageous thoughts.
Adventurers did not even know the concept of nobles and peasants.
From the above example you could tell that both sides still had a long way to go.
But they would be able to close this gap in the future.
At least Raynesia thought so.
The reason why it was a dinner party and not a banquet was based on the same reason.
For banquets, the invited guests would be seated according to their status for dinner. The host Raynesia
would be in charge of all the activities including dishes to welcome her guests.
The dinner party took a form that was unheard of by the People of the Land, it looked like a banquet but
was a different form of dining. There would be all kinds of dishes that would be served to the table and
replenished periodically. There was no fixed seating for the guests and they would stand and dine like a
dance party.
The Round Table Council was the governing body and was very important, but in order to be accepted by
the Adventurers as friends, it was important to interact with all sorts of people. Since the Adventurers did
not like to differentiate between nobles and peasants, she would need to treat them all like nobles.
Raynesia requested the Round Table Council for help bearing this thought in mind to organize this grand
scale dinner party.
This was her way to show her sincerity, gratitude and appreciation for the War of Sand Leaf.
The War of Sand Leaf 2 months ago still had lingering effects in this world, but the mop up operation had
finally concluded. Raynesia welcomed the Libra Festival with this feeling in her heart.
Krusty was probably going to dump more work on her using some excuse, but she would not be conned
this time. Raynesia steeled herself as she turned her head away.
She had finally been given some time of peace (as well as the delicious food in Akiba), no matter what
she wanted to avoid working or getting involved in troublesome affairs.
But unexpectedly, Krusty did not mention any work (which always seemed easy at a glance) or
troublesome issues after a long time and just sipped his tea quietly.
Time passed leisurely in the room.
(What is this monster thinking about...)
As Raynesia worried, the time continued to pass slowly.
The air that seemed to have a yawn mixed in came along with sleepiness. The sound of the festival
preparation was like the sound of the tides from far away. The monotonous sound of the clock seemed like
some evil magic luring her to sleep.
Raynesia had planned on spending the whole day dazing so this was not a problem. The couch was so soft
and comfortable, she wanted to spend half the day just like this. This part was going as planned, but the
problem was Krusty.
Even if Raynesia was a noble with an adventurous heart, she could not keep on dazing beside a man.
Raynesia peeked quietly and carefully at Krusty, he had placed the teacup on the table and was looking
out the window at the street that seemed to be melting in the autumn sunlight.
Such a handsome profile. The current Krusty didn't have the vicious and murderous air he had while
battling the goblins.
(Now that I think about it, he is a monster so he can see through all your thoughts.)
Raynesia felt relaxed as if she had just exorcised a demon possessing her heart.
Just a little.
About the distance of 2 palms.
Raynesia moved herself closer to the center of the couch.
The distance between the 2 closed just a little, but it was still enough for 2 Raynesias to sit between them.
Krusty shrugged without saying a word and continued to enjoy his tea on the couch for a long time.
Part 4
"I finished stacking them!"
"Yeah, same here."
Cheerful voices sounded out, informing the merchant group they had finished the preparation.
"Are you ready Rudy?"
"Roger Miss Isuzu."
Blond hair, blue eyes and a charming face, the handsome youth Rundelhous replied to Isuzu as he tucked
the map and small items into his backpack.
Isuzu had already finished arranging her stuff, she just needed to stand up and brush off the dust on her
waist and she'd be done.
In this alternate world, outdoor activities really referred to the great outdoors. 'Just a trip to the
convenience shop'... such feelings didn't exist. Even the inside of Akiba city was full of ruins and debris,
it was a zone where the ancient trees flourished so much that it was practically a forest. Even more so
when you left the city, the untamed nature and the circle of human civilization came together in both
conflict and fusion.
The fashion of the Adventurers was usually flashy and elegant, but this was only under the premise of
their superhuman stamina and their special ability of automatic cleaning.[1]
Isuzu thought that neat freaks... like the girls who invested lots of effect in fingernail painting, would have
a very hard time here.
Fortunately Isuzu was not obsessed with cleanliness to that extent, she was the type who didn't mind
getting a bit dirty doing work.
Transporting music instruments was tough work, a long period of performance took a lot of stamina. The
wind instrument, which Isuzu was not proficient in, needed a certain level of lung capacity to play, the
contrabass that Isuzu concentrated on was over 10kg in weight.
The brass band was a cultural organization, but it was more like a sports group.
(On top of that, I was a country girl.)
She shrugged as she finished her monologue in her heart. There would be toads croaking in the farm
surrounding her school when spring arrived.
Isuzu was a Bard with freckles on her face and had a pair of bright eyes. She wore light leather armor and
tied her long hair in a braid. She carried a 2 handed spear that was not suitable for Bards on her back, that
was her fighting style.
It had been 3 months since she left the guild Hamelin that oppressed beginners. She had grown
accustomed to life as an Adventurer and was living everyday peacefully.
So she did not feel any pressure even while resting in the forest like this. She was fine with sitting on the
tree trunk directly and would not fret about dirtying her buttocks, she thought she was not that type of 'girl'.
Even so, Isuzu's partner still treated her like a 'girl'.
"Miss Isuzu? Here."
Just as Isuzu was about to mount the horse, Rundelhous offered to give a hand and help push Isuzu up the
horse. He then mounted his horse agilely with a hearty attitude that was not annoying at all.
"What is it Miss Isuzu?"
The young man turning to look at Isuzu with a surprised expression was Rundelhous Code.
He was a Person of the Land Adventurer. It sounded contradicting, but it made him a special and unique
person in this world.
Blond hair, blue eyes with classy facial features, just like the prince that appeared in shoujo manga. With
a hint of naive nature unique to the sons of rich families, his eyes were full of pride and strength.
But he was overly classy which made Isuzu see him as 'a puppy youth that looks like a golden retriever'.
This youth had a lovable temperament.
"Is this really fine sir and lady Adventurers?"
"Yes, of course it's fine."
Isuzu replied.
The one asking was a Person of the Land leading a merchant caravan towards Akiba. If they left now, they
should arrive in the evening.
Isuzu and Rundelhous, who met this merchant caravan while going out in the morning to train and farm
monsters, were now escorting them to Akiba.
They were currently at 8 River Channels' High Coast, corresponding to Keihin port near Tamagawa river
on earth.
This zone could be reached in 2.5 hours using horses unique to the Adventurers, a place Isuzu and
Rundelhous loved to visit, although their reasons differed.
Rundelhous who was uncompromising in training would practice by himself on top of raiding with the
members of his guild. Any place was fine if it was meditation or practicing new spells repeatedly. But to
increase his control and accuracy, the most suitable sparring partner... were monsters.
Being close to Akiba and having monsters that you could solo made this zone a perfect training ground.
For Rundelhous, 8 River Channels' High Coast was a convenient place to do self training.
For Isuzu, she liked this strolling route.
She and her brave dog... Rundelhous would choose all kinds of routes when they went for their walk. But
the route for 8 River Channels' High Coast was along the coast line, it had beautiful scenery and you
could even see the ocean from here, a truly extravagant venue.
A one-way trip of 2 hours was rather far for a strolling route, but in this period where everyone was busy
preparing for the festival and battle training was on hiatus, this was a good place to kill time.
... Isuzu did not forget their goal was to train the battle power of Rundelhous and herself. The best defense
in this dangerous world was to level up.
You not only learned new skills when leveling up, your HP and all sort of defenses would also increase.
The damage you took from a monster was not only based on their attack strength, but also affected by its
level difference with the player. Usually, the higher the level difference against the monster, the less
damage you would take. If you trained through battle and levelled up, it meant you were safer from harm.
Isuzu almost lost Rundelhous once.
She didn't want to experience that again.
So they went out early in the morning and started training (or strolling) for a few hours before meeting this
merchant caravan in the afternoon. It was a convoy of 5 horse carriages with 20 People of the Land. They
seemed to have come from Izu and were heading to Akiba. The merchant caravan claimed to have heard
news about the Libra Festival and were going there to sell their wares and purchase any goods that
interested them.
Isuzu and Rundelhous discussed for a while.
In the wild open zone, there was a principle to the monsters they encountered in different terrains. The
monsters in deep forest and hills were stronger than those outside, the closer you were to human
civilization, there were usually less powerful monsters as well. This zone that was close to Akiba city
was relatively safe.
But that was for Adventurers.
For the People of the Land, every journey was a series of dangerous events. Isuzu understood this. She
had listened to Rundelhous talk about the People of the Land and knew how helpless their lives were in
this world full of monsters.
After a short debate, they decided to escort this caravan to Akiba. The merchant caravan could make it to
Akiba even without their escort, but traveling merchants were always extra cautious.
This would only take half a day and they were just slowing their pace on the way back. They could
continue with their training while escorting the convoy by taking out any monsters they encountered. Isuzu
and Rundelhous offered to help after considering these points.
The People of the Land were hesitant at first but gladly accepted when they found out they just needed to
treat them to a meal as reward.
(So they are hesitant about this part.)
Isuzu felt a bit sad, but decided not to brood about it since it couldn't be helped.
In the eyes of the People of the Land, Adventurers were an existence that was so close yet so far away.
The People of the Land in Akiba were accustomed to living with Adventurers, but for those living in the
rural areas, Adventurers were like alien beings. Rundelhous reminded Isuzu of this point time and again.
The merchant caravan continued their advance along the gently undulating slopes under the bright autumn
sun. The noise the carriage made were unexpectedly loud. The wooden carriage lacked cushions or shock
absorbents and reflected the uneven surface of the ground with its rattling sound.
Just listening to this sound was enough to make you think it could fall apart anytime, but it seemed to be
ruggedly made. The carriage that had been reinforced with steel bracing at all its crucial points moved
slowly with its full load of cargo.
"Mr Merchant, may I ask what are you carrying in the carriage?"
Rundelhous asked peacefully on their leisure journey home. The leader sitting on the driver's seat was
conversing with a young man in the cargo compartment, but he looked out when he heard Rundelhous.
"Adventurer-san, our goods are mainly fruits such as oranges, kumquats, and olives. We also brought
some food seasoning and wine. We are hoping to purchase clothes and utensils for our journey back."
"That explains the fragrance!"
Isuzu nodded repeatedly after hearing the response.
A fresh and sweet fragrance filled the air around the carriage. There were less fresh fruit during this
season, so this must be the smell of candied fruits.
Adventurers were basically rich and generous compared to People of the Land, so they were great
customers for business.
"Correct, this is the glazed fruit we are proud of, I hope the people of Akiba will enjoy them."
Rundelhous nodded to acknowledge the leader's business smile.
"Speaking of which, I have seen a lot of merchants these few days."
"Of course, it is the autumn festival after all!"
Isuzu thought about it after retorting to Rundelhous. Rundelhous was a young man who was obsessed with
improving himself and had been working hard in battle magic training like an obligation. They made this
long trip today for training as well, but things could go wrong if Rundelhous kept going on like this... Isuzu
was worried. As the guardian of this silly, stubborn, and straightforward young man, stopping his reckless
ways was Isuzu's duty.
(Rudy should have a bit of fun too!)
Since this was decided, the rest was simple.
Isuzu listed out some place she wanted to visit. Festival meant music, music meant celebration. There
were so many things she wanted to see and so many things she wanted to eat. She wanted to attend the
campfire concert even if she had to drag Rundelhous there with a leash on his neck. She heard that the
concert also welcomed Bards to join in onsite.
"Do any merchants travel by sea?"
"Yeah there are. Like the merchants of Ninetails recently."
"... Ah ah."
"Their situation has calmed down so it is safe to travel by ship. I heard the merchants from the west this
time will be coming via sea. With the invention of the fairy ship, their speed is now much faster. But
common traders like us have nothing to do with these."
Isuzu concentrated on planning the schedule for the evening and didn't notice the pained expression on
Rundelhous' face. But she was not at fault since Rundelhous showed the restraint of adolescence and
wiped this expression away in a blink of the eye, even the merchant talking to him didn't feel anything out
of place.
The scene of a grand explosion collapsing structures and leaving debris described the south of Akiba
perfectly. They would be able to see the greenery of the ancient trees after passing through.
They were still several hours away from Akiba but they could see other caravans or a lone businessman
walking with goods strapped to his horse. Everyone seemed to be rushing to Akiba.
Akiba was holding an autumn festival.
The 2 escorts remained alert as the caravan headed towards their home city.
Part 5
"I have brought your laundry my lord."
The one pushing the door open with her back was Akatsuki.
(I still don't get our lord-ninja relationship.)
Shiroe thought as he helped her place the pile beside a table. Shiroe's room was a spacious 20 tatami[2]
wide area. The only good thing about the guild house of Log Horizon was its vast amount of space. After
remodeling several times, a third of the space on the east side of the 2nd floor was used by Shiroe.
A computer or even a flash drive amount of information in the old world was equivalent to several
cabinets of files in this world. No matter how you organized them it was still inefficient to search for the
data you wanted, but this was the only way to collate information.
"You seem to be not well?"
Akatsuki gazed up from below surprising Shiroe. This petite and beautiful girl was unaware of her own
charms. She was always looking straight ahead, so when Shiroe saw her big, black, and shiny eyes and
lips that sparkled alluringly like pudding face to face, his heart would race and his emotions got
awkward.
(And recently...)
There had even been signs before, but Akatsuki was getting better at sneaking up on him. Maybe it was
her small stature or her Tracker and Assassin abilities, she was always appearing in surprising places
when Shiroe was distracted.
Without even stretching his hands, he could already feel her body warmth just by bending a little. This
distance made Shiroe uncomfortable, but Akatsuki didn't seem to mind as she showed her concern for
Shiroe like some small animal.
"Not really."
"Is that so."
Akatsuki did not continue after responding and started folding the laundry on the sofa. These were casual
wear clothing that had dried after airing them on the floor above.
The armors and robes that Adventurers equipped has a set durability. It became dirty and worn out as it
suffered damage, but it became as good as new after repair by people with the corresponding subclass, so
there was no need to wash them.
But Adventurers and the People of the Land had recently started to manually craft items by hand. These
could become dirty and damaged but could not be repaired using the game menu, so it needed to be
washed manually.
White shirts fluttering on the laundry line was not a bad sight. Doing laundry was one of the more popular
chores among Log Horizon members.
There were very few clothes.
They finished folding a short while later with them working together. Akatsuki poured black rose tea into
a glass and took out her snack of the day, seemed like red bean bun. Bread was a staple food in Yamato
since wheat was grown everywhere. There was rice in Yamato as well, but bread lasted longer without
going bad after baking. With the advent of cooking research, all kinds of bread started to appear in the
market.
The new products were expensive at first, but the prices gradually dropped after mass production kicked
in. Since the consumers' habits didn't change, this business phenomenon remained the same in this world.
The price of this plain looking red bean bread had fallen a lot, but it was still expensive for a snack.
Holding a bun with her left hand, Akatsuki handed the plate with the remaining bun over to Shiroe.
"Is it fine?"
"My treat, I hope my lord will appreciate it."
Akatsuki replied curtly, Shiroe was not sure how to react to her invitation.
Shiroe hadn't been out to the field lately as he was busy with administrative work for the Round Table
Council. Akatsuki who had been training with Minori and the other beginners out in the field had money to
spare, so Shiroe wasn't worried about the cost. But as a guild master and a young man, letting a little girl
(appearance wise) treat him felt awkward.
Shiroe also felt this was a childish pride, but it was an emotional problem so it couldn't be helped that he
showed some hesitation. But it would look bad if he declined out of pride so Shiroe accepted the bun with
gratitude.
Akatsuki started eating her share as Shiroe took the plate. The 2 of them sat side-by-side on the sofa
relaxing their feet and enjoying the sweet red bean paste.
"..."
"What is it Akatsuki?"
"Eh, that..."
Akatsuki eyes wandered around the room as she thought about how to say this.
"My lord, do you..."
"?"
"Have any plans for the festival?"
"Ah?"
Shiroe didn't know how to react to her question.
Henrietta did ask him to help with some things. And his guild members might forget his face if he stayed
in his office all the time.
"I will be helping Henrietta-san with some events. I heard it is a fashion show... seems like she needs to
visit several places."
"I see... I am not asking about that."
"?"
"Shiroe-san!"
Minori barged into the room, holding a brown paper bag carefully with both hands. When she discovered
Akatsuki was present, she braked and stopped immediately.
The stammering Minori was wearing her favorite blouse with a big bow and her knee length denim skirt.
The girl wearing fashionable clothes found commonly in the streets, answered Shiroe's questioning gaze
after hesitating a moment.
"Shiroe-san, that, regarding the Libra Festival tomorrow, do you want to go out together?"
"Go out?"
"Wrong, I mean do you want to eat together?"
Minori handed him a flyer with bright words "All you can eat cakes" printed on it. Shiroe didn't get it and
turned to Akatsuki for an explanation. Akatsuki gave a serious expression as she held an identical flyer in
front of her chest.
"Do you hate sweet things Shiroe-san?"
"No I don't."
"I can tell from the way you ate the red bean bun."
Shiroe preferred food with just the right amount of sweetness.
"Let's participate my lord, there is no charge for mixed gender pairs that participate."
"Want to join this Shiroe-san? It's free okay? Free!"
According to the flyer, the rules for participating was 1 male and 1 female... meaning mixed gender pairs,
time limit was 45 minutes, it was free of charge if you finished 8th place, and the top 2 couples could
advance to the official match.
(So 4 for 1 person...)
This amount should be a piece of cake, but Shiroe felt the 2 of them were abnormally passionate about
this. He must be imagining things, but there seemed to be a bit of hostility between the 2 of them. Shiroe
was concerned about this, but for some reasons, he hesitated about asking them directly.
(Ah, now that I think of it, in the past...)
Correct, it was the same in the past.
He recollected that it was the same in the Debauchery Tea Party. It was always the female players who
made willful demands with 'her' being the biggest culprit. Shiroe sighed in his heart when he thought about
this. If all the women had the same nature (and that was highly possible), it would not be wise to decline
them.
"How about it Shiroe-san..."
"My lord, my lord!"
Shiroe could only raise his white flag and surrender when pressured by these 2 young girls.
Name: Isaac
Level: 90
Race: Human
Class:
Guardian
HP: 14009
MP: 6768
Equipment
Sword of Painblack
Phantasmal-class weapon which dropped from
what was known as the world's fastest
Phantasmal-class drop from the
"Rhadamanthys' Throne" raid. Holds an ability
coveted by Guardians where a fixed ratio of
damage received is reflected as Hate.
Named Guild Tags
Dog tags made in the shape of the Black
Sword by craftsmen in Akiba after the
Catastrophe. Members who weren't logged in
had one made too, Isaac holds on to these.
Armor of Divine Flame
Phantasmal-class armor that requires both
"Fantasy Crimson Metal" and "Tatara Realm's
God" quests to be cleared. Has high flame and
cold resistance, and sets various basic
abilities to a higher level.
Chapter 2: Swallow and Starling
Part 1
Minori was at a loss in front of the wooden chest that stored her clothes.
This wouldn't do, that wasn't right either. She held each piece to her body to look, but her frantic heart felt
none of them would do. She didn't throw the clothes aside but folded them neatly instead; this was just
Minori's style. Her mental state, however, was utter exhaustion.
Minori could participate in the cake-eating contest since Shiroe agreed, but her aim wasn't the free cakes.
This was all for Shiroe and Log Horizon.
(This one feels a bit childish, this one matches with Tohya.. that one is... too plain... I'm not looking for
working clothes!)
Minori folded the green overalls carefully.
This was her private room.
Having been forced to share a common room with many others during her times in Hamelin, it still
seemed too extravagant for her.
When she joined Log Horizon, she wanted to share a room with Tohya since she didn't want to trouble the
others. But Shiroe and Naotsugu said: "The building is big so there is no need to hold back" and prepared
this private room for her.
It would be rude to compare her room in Hamelin to this room. The breezes that flowed through the
window were one of Minori's joys.
The decorations of the room were not luxurious. It was 10 tatami large even though it was a private room
and the floors and walls were made of wood. There were few furniture items in this big room; only a few
boxes, a bed, and a coffee table.[3]
Since the guild acknowledged this to be her room, Minori could decorate it in anyway she wanted. If she
requested it, everyone would definitely help her move her furniture and might craft something for her too.
But Minori was thrifty and humble by nature, so she was hesitating on buying anything expensive.
Her income was quite luxurious for a mid-level player.
The reason for this was her living here and going out periodically to hunt monsters. The main purpose of
hunting was to train the teamwork of Minori, Tohya, Rundelhous and Isuzu. Even if it was training, they
still received loot from defeating monsters.
Animal-type monsters leave meat or skins behind and intellectual-type monsters drop equipment and
valuable items. There were many rewards from winning battles. These items were known collectively as
'drop items'; most of them could be exchanged for gold or used as crafting ingredients.
For Log Horizon, ingredients that either Nyanta and Shiroe could use as Chef or Scribe would be stored,
the rest would be sold for money.
They deposited large amounts of their earnings secretly to the guild account. They didn't do this because
someone suggested it, it was a habit the youth group (the name the low-level members called themselves)
learned unconsciously as a way to show their appreciation.
But they couldn't do that when Naotsugu and Nyanta were leading them. The money was split evenly to
everyone. According to Nyanta, 'Receiving the appropriate reward is how you develop professionalism
nya~'. Minori understood what he meant but she was unable to accept it.
It was the same with her comrades; they felt indebted to Shiroe and Log Horizon.
This guild also had Nyanta the Chef.
The biggest expenditure in Akiba currently was food.
Utility bills consisted of lamp oil and half the players could replace it with their magic. Accommodation
expenses, either the hotel room fee or the guild hall rental fee, was surprisingly cheap. If one really
needed to, there were countless ruins for one to camp in.
So in Akiba, the bulk of the living expenses lay in eating, so the Engel's Coefficient of the Adventurers
was miserable.[4]
Most Adventurers spent half their income on food; the ratio was comparable to housing in the old world.
But thanks to Nyanta cooking the meals, Log Horizon members could avoid the money sink for the most
part.
Even if Minori and the others deposited money into the guild account, it didn't mean that they had no
savings. Minori had accumulated quite a sum of money.
So there was still room for further expenditure.
Furnishing her room was easy... but she needed to restrain herself too.
This world was originally a game, so there was a huge variety of items. Take beds for instance. From
simple wooden frames to beds carved from ivory or obsidian, or a princess bed with a canopy like a
piece of art, there was a wide assortment of designs. Beds were crafted by production subclass
Carpenters, but as they increased their levels, they would continue to create higher-level and more
difficult to make beds that they could sell for a higher price. So while the same bed had different
varieties, the price might differ by a hundred-fold.
Very expensive items existed, but if you chose the cheaper variety, furniture was not really expensive.
This was something that was available when Elder Tales was still a game, so it could be made in 10
seconds using the game menu. The factor affecting price was the difficulty in getting materials and the
level of the craftsman. Time was not an issue.
Beds and wardrobes crafted using cedar or oak trees could be purchased with gold equivalent to 1 meal.
But Minori only bought a few wooden chests for storage, a simple but comfortable bed, a coffee table
similar to a kotatsu, a futon set and some cushions.
This room was very plain.
Minori's nature was not suitable for splurging.
And that was why Minori's dresses were all tailored, well-fitted, strong and durable, and gave a clean
and neat feeling when you walked by her in the streets. It was not shabby or shameful to wear but... it was
not eye-catching enough.
(This won't do...)
Minori placed a light blue dress onto her body but it felt too childish. She felt this dressing would not
match well with Shiroe.
(I need to buy better dresses...)
Minori made up her mind and opened her small purse. The traditional style purse belonged to Minori.
When this world was still a game, money was weightless and could only be seen on the character's
screen. Now, they had to be carried in wallets, which had become unexpectedly popular items.
Minori's goal was to restore Shiroe's reputation.
Instead of restoring his reputation, it was more like making public appearances and propagating his
image.
To be honest, Shiroe's reputation was really bad in Akiba. Shiroe was one of the eleven guild masters of
the Round Table Council, so he was more famous now.
The Round Table Council was set up according to Shiroe's plan. Those who were well-informed in
Akiba knew about this. The problem was not about fame, but rather why he was famous.
Shiroe was a tactician-type character and everyone agreed with this. After gaining the nickname 'Black
Heart Glasses', however, the scheming and merciless image had spread all over the city.
The crucial blow seemed to be Raynesia's speech.
Shiroe had looked like he was bullying Raynesia in that speech. Shiroe's image had evolved into 'A
competent but cold and merciless tactician'.
This made Minori sad.
Shiroe was a hero in Minori's eyes.
Nobody knew about the kind and gentle Shiroe. Minori believed there were very few players who were
as gentle as Shiroe.
Wasn't Shiroe the only one who tried to help the beginners confined by Hamelin? No one but Shiroe was
willing to step up and face the situation that everyone else ignored.
Shiroe was a hero in Minori's heart.
Minori was sad that so many people misunderstood Shiroe. Logically, this would also definitely leave a
shadow on the future operation of the guild. Log Horizon was one of the many small guilds in Akiba and
there was no telling what damage this negative image might cause.
At the very least, Minori knew Shiroe was kind and gentle. She liked everyone in Log Horizon and this
was now her home, so she wished to dispel any bad rumors.
This festival was the chance.
Shiroe had to take some responsibility for the outside world's strange view of him.
Shiroe who did planning and research work did not attend professional gatherings like the production
guild leaders. He also had no chance to interact with other players like the battle guilds and go raiding.
Guild masters of major guilds treated advertising and recruitment as an official guild activity, at least that
was what Minori heard. Even players who didn't like to interact with others would socialize without
hesitation at public events. The guild masters were usually friendly and serious players.
Comparatively, Shiroe didn't mind crowds but he rarely attended such activities. He had been buried in
his work recently and had been staying indoors all the time.
So the source of the problem was that Shiroe didn't go out enough which could be solved by introducing
Shiroe to Akiba. Take the cake-eating contest for example; if they won in the contest, they would be
invited to the large scale dinner party on the last night of the festival. She heard Akikuro (Akiba news)
would also be present, if everything went well...
Minori fantasized for a while but pulled herself back into reality.
(But, but, we will be eating cake together, so it will be a problem if I dressed too plainly...)
Usually, the city would not change its perception of Shiroe unless he solved a major problem or gave a
moving speech. But Minori remained optimistic.
(Shiroe-san is handsome so that is not an issue.)
She conveniently forgot that this was just her personal opinion. The handsome Shiroe might just be the
delusion of a young girl.
At this point, no one thought the truth behind Minori's feelings was a problem.
No one could tell if this emotion was from the trust of a guardian or a faint sense of longing, or something
even more concrete.
Minori herself didn't give a name to this feeling in her heart.
Part 2
Akatsuki was aware of her symptoms.
She returned to her room like Minori and sat on the tatami silently like an ornament, but her heart was in
chaos.
Akatsuki looked very cute sitting properly on her cushion. Her long black and lustrous hair that flowed
behind her along with her petite body gave the impression of a small, prestigious animal. [5]
No matter how small she was, she was still a college student. Her knowledge definitely won over a
middle-schooler. But being unable to say she had more 'experience' made Akatsuki sad. She was aware of
her lack of experience which made her panic even more.
(Why must I feel pressure from a middle-schooler...)
Akatsuki writhed(?) in depression as she hugged her knees.
With her lack of experience in love and her unnecessary inferiority complex, she was unable to keep calm
in this situation. Her restraint had not improved with age.
In the end, the culprit was her height.
Akatsuki sighed and recollected about the past while touching her hair fringe.
Grade school was fine, she had looked her age.
Next, she became a middle-school girl that still looked like a grade-school girl.
When she moved on to high school, she became a highschool girl that still looked like a grade-school girl.
When she had become a college student, she was finally mistaken for a middle-school girl, but she had
lost all her strength and will to joke about it.
Akatsuki thought her looks were fine but she didn't have experience with love. Men who approached her
misunderstood something and harbored a certain special interest. She had no expectations to date
normally under such an environment.
Someone confessed to her before.
(But that is...)
Akatsuki drooped her shoulders dishearteningly.
The year she was accepted into college, a middle-school boy who lived in the neighborhood confessed to
her, thinking she was a middle-school girl from another zone. Of course, Akatsuki rejected him, but the
impact was so great that she collapsed from illness; it still left an ache in her heart.
Even then, it was not necessary for Akatsuki to get into a relationship. She was interested in boy-girl
relationships at her age, of course, but she had not yet reached the point of 'Anyone will do, I want to try
being in a relationship'. She also felt foolish to hold such expectations without anyone specific in mind.
Akatsuki wished for a more sensible relationship based on ability instead of appearance. Akatsuki was
treated more like a mascot wherever she went because of her cute appearance and small stature. Even her
younger sister treated her like a junior sibling at home.
So she longed for a relationships of partners, comrades, or colleagues. Being a subordinate or henchman
was fine too; she longed for a relationship that acknowledged each others’ strengths and made up for each
others' weaknesses.
Because no one had ever treated her this way.
She was hardworking by nature and would focus tirelessly and sincerely on whatever goal she set. But
her efforts did not get the proper recognition because of her cute appearance. That was the reason why she
role-played as a silent Assassin in Elder Tales.
(But that was only until the Catastrophe.)
That terrible incident made everything change.
The only good thing that happened in that hellish and confusing event was meeting Shiroe. After Shiroe,
there was Naotsugu and Nyanta, as well as a guild she now called home... Log Horizon.
Akatsuki made true friends for the first time in the Elder Tales that became an alternate world. These
were relationships that wouldn't ridicule or spoil Akatsuki because of her height.
But she was still being treated like a mascot.
Her appearance was a part of her and wouldn't change in the future. This could not be helped and she had
accepted it now. Because she understood strength, ability could be confirmed through 'sight' just like
appearance.
Just by simply checking the status screen, one could see strength clearly... 'level' was Akatsuki's gospel.
You could earn the respect of everyone simply by sincerely doing your part in the team. There might be
many horrifying or painful things in this world, but Akatsuki thought this point was great.
Shiroe gifted her an Appearance Reset Potion not long after the Catastrophe happened so she addressed
Shiroe as 'my lord' to express her gratitude. She wanted her strength to be recognized and was willing to
take on the role of subordinate to prove herself.
She would not accept any thoughts of 'I will help you for free since you are a little girl'.
But Shiroe was a 'lord' greater than she had realized. Shiroe was generous, tactically brilliant, had
foresight beyond her ability, and had the strong will to choose the future. Akatsuki was very glad to be
'partners' with Shiroe.
And if Shiroe had a weakness, it was his battle prowess.
Shiroe's attack was generally too weak to end battles. Akatsuki was able to assist Shiroe on this point and
Shiroe seemed to acknowledge her pro-level performance.
As a person living in the modern world, Akatsuki was afraid of fighting monsters to the death, but she had
learned Kendo when she was young, so this was an obstacle that she could tackle. Being acknowledged
for the ability to fight well was better than the shameful feeling of not getting acknowledgement anywhere.
She might look like a fiercely loyal shinobi to others, but Akatsuki thought there was a good reason and it
matched her goal... But hiding her bashfulness played a big part in it too.
It didn't take long for her feelings to grow deeper along with her trust. What instigated it, when did it start,
Akatsuki didn't know. She just felt a ticklish and comfortable space in her heart when she was by Shiroe's
side.
(So it started when we rode the griffon?)
Her expression relaxed as she recalled the feeling of riding the griffon.
The feeling of acceleration like you were in free-fall and the thrill that she felt in the strong wind. Her
feelings when she clung onto Shiroe's back or stayed in his arms brought her immense excitement and
comfort.
This might be the Suspension-Bridge Effect, but that was not important. Akatsuki felt attracted to him.
She would feel happy just by staying by Shiroe's side, she was so obsessed that she was seriously
practicing hiding and walking silently.
Akatsuki found it hard to express this feeling in words; it was too embarrassing to say it even in her heart.
Simply put, she liked him. Akatsuki was aware that their genders played a part in liking him.
From the way Akatsuki saw it, it would be fine even if she was not aware.
The 'partner' Akatsuki was searching for was someone who respected her and would accept her as a
companion. Even though she liked him, she didn't need him to reciprocate the same way. More
importantly, Akatsuki found this comfortable feeling recently.
Like the flower she was nursing in her heart, like music without sound(?), Akatsuki lived everyday filled
with happiness as long as she held on to this feeling.
But Minori appeared at this moment.
Akatsuki held nothing against Minori personally. Minori was serious, kind, smart, and hardworking; there
was nothing for her to pick on. Akatsuki treated her like a good comrade and a cute junior. Akatsuki's
depression came from her own bad luck.
... Or rather good luck.
She got away from the prejudice of being treated like a middle-school girl and met a nice group of
companions who saw her as one of them. These companions moved her heart. This was a good and
fortunate thing. Akatsuki could feel that these companions did not dislike her. This was a joyful
experience.
But her love rival that appeared was a real middle-school girl and it made her wonder what were the
causes and effects that led up to this.
(Woo... Am I really the standard-bearer for lolis...)
Akatsuki was tempted to throw her cushion out and use Assassinate.
"Now that I think about it, this is not too bad... probably."
Akatsuki had an inferiority complex about her appearance. She was cute, but that was the cuteness of a
mascot, not as an object of love, correct? Akatsuki was unable to wipe away her doubts. That was why it
was fortunate that Minori was her love rival. She was a real middle-school girl so Akatsuki wouldn't lose
in body figure. But still she seemed to be bound to the middle-school girl category.
Akatsuki raised her head as she thought of this.
Akatsuki took out a similar flyer because she was provoked and her competitive nature stirred. But that
meant she needed to go on a date, right? She needed to be totally prepared for this.
Akatsuki panicked suddenly and fidgeted distractedly on the cushion.
Since it was a date, she would need to dress up for it right? Impossible! Akatsuki shook her head. It was
really impossible in her situation, she only had clothes that were as black as ink. She had some feminine
dresses for social events back on earth, but she only had dark colored costumes used by Assassins in this
Elder Tales world.
She had no need to improve her wardrobe seeing as she could perform her duties as a ninja serving her
lord, Shiroe, with no problems.
But it would be bad to go on a date in these clothes.
(Wait, how about the setting of a shinobi accompanying her lord on a mission?)
Akatsuki nodded her head. Shiroe was eating free cakes and she was tagging along officially as his
bodyguard, this setting would work. Akatsuki shook her head just as she was starting to relax. This setting
was too unreasonable no matter how you put it. And the one who proposed this out of her competitive
nature when Shiroe was in trouble was Akatsuki herself.
If she changed her stance tomorrow and said, 'Do you want to eat my lord? I am your bodyguard', Shiroe
would look at her with pitiful eyes. Shiroe might even be disheartened and give up on her.
(Well then, I will need Henrietta's help...)
Akatsuki thought about that but was reluctant to do so. Even if she ignored Henrietta's doting actions, the
problem was her taste in clothes trended towards young girls' fashion. It might be useful in other cases,
but she wouldn't stand a chance in winning against a real middle-school girl this way.
In the end, it would be best to pick her own dress.
Akatsuki sprang up from the tatami as she thought of this.
The gentle rain covered Akiba like a mist, but the afternoon sun still shone brightly.
There must be many fashionable handmade dresses she could buy in the central square.
Part 3
An impetuous noisy atmosphere shrouded Akiba.
The Adventurers were rushing to complete the setup of their stalls for the festival, but they were not the
only ones who were busy.
Just like Akatsuki and Minori, people would want to do something when there was a festival. Since this
was a major event that encompassed the whole of Akiba, not only the production guild players, but all the
Adventurers living in the city were involved. Wrong, even the People of the Land were also helping with
the preparations.
For example, Chefs who wanted to cook special food that day would need to gather resources, those
organizing a banquet would need to buy ingredients or fruits. With resources running low, visiting
merchants had become popular in the city. There was a significant increase in Adventurers farming
monsters for drop items while female Adventurers worried about buying fashionable dresses just like
Akatsuki.
The clearing of debris to widen the space in the city square was also ongoing in concert with the festival
preparation in Akiba, albeit less passionately. The notice boards were updated with new official quests
announced by the Round Table Council everyday. The guilds would want to revamp the outside of their
building to welcome the festival with a refreshing look, as expected of Japanese culture.
The specialized jobs of Carpenters and furniture craftsmen increased as well and the workshop would
continue to be lively for the next few days.
The busiest group in Akiba was the Production Guild Liaison Committee and its central figure was
Charasin, guild master of 8th District Shopping Center.
Charasin cursed and swore: 'It's like I have been cursed from everywhere'. But he continued to use
telepathy to coordinate all the necessary tasks.
He enjoyed chatting and had many friends, but he did not expect the telepathy calls to flood in like this.
The endless enquirers bound him to the room with no reprieve. This was all the fault of that glasses
wearing young man with nasty eyes.
Adventurers revered 8th District Shopping Center as one of the 3 major production guilds, but the truth
was a bit different.
8th District Shopping Center was not a production guild.
It was a chatting guild.
As seen from its name, it was a guild used for chatting. When the world was still a game, some of the
players played this game in order to chat with others. They still went on adventures, collected and crafted
items, but these were just topics they used for conversations, chatting was their main form of enjoyment in
this game.
The period with the biggest crowd in Elder Tales was from 8pm to midnight after dinner. Many players
logged in during this time to chat leisurely with their friends.
These chatty players were totally the opposite of gaming fan players who enjoyed challenging raids.
The guild formed by these chatty players was 8th District Shopping Center. Doing business was just a
channel to talk about things, 8th District Shopping Center started trading because it was interesting to
interact with customers.
Compared to The Rodrick Firm that collected phantasmal ingredients to craft rare equipment, or the
production guild Oceanic Systems that was formed to deal with the Adventurers' need for ingredients,
they had a fundamental difference.
The position of the guild master also differed from Rodrick of The Rodrick Firm and Michitaka of
Oceanic Systems. Charasin was the head of a congregation of merchants in 8th District Shopping Center,
not a ruler holding great authority. He might be the representative, the face dealing with the outside, but
although the members respected him, they didn't swear their fealty to him.
But as the head and central figure of a chatting guild, his friend list had 980 names, barely safe from the
system limit.
Charasin utilized this network to receive reports continuously.
"Yes, understood! I will inform Zhuge Liang-kun."
"Hmm? Ahah, that is too expensive right?"
"Wrong... You cannot... do... that. The Liaison Committee must not be biased towards anyone, the position
of the stalls will be decided by drawing lots, we need to be firm about this."
Charasin changed his telepathy calls continuously as he made all sorts of notes on the paper in front of
him.
There was an enormous pile of planning reports and application forms, the mess was larger than in
Shiroe's room.
"Yo."
"Ah, Michitaka-san."
The burly man entering the room was Michitaka. Michitaka dropped the scrolls of documents he was
holding under his armpits on the table and looked around the room.
"Hey hey hey, are you doing this alone?"
Charasin replied to Michitaka with a smile.
"This is expected, my organization that is akin to a gathering of individual merchants will be interested in
doing business in a festival of this scale, I want to take part myself too."
"Aye, you are right."
Michitaka had a burning smell on him. He was a Blacksmith who came directly from his workshop.
Oceanic Systems might be the biggest production guild in Akiba, but their leader seemed to prefer crafting
items personally.
"For my side, it is like a shared workspace with the main focus of making good items for sale, we are not
proficient in trading and bargaining. I will leave this part to you, but you should enjoy this exhibition like
visiting a festival as well."
There were several types of players who focused on production in MMORPG. Players similar to
Charasin who enjoyed chatting; players like Michitaka who mass produced items in the workshop and
enjoyed the game like a crafting simulator; or collectors similar to Rodrick who gathered unique and rare
items.
The Libra Festival was closely related to all sorts of production players.
"Putting that aside, everything going well?"
"Nope, I have no clue. I can't do anything about the lack of manpower."
Charasin gestured behind him with an annoyed face.
There was an assortment of items stuffed into wooden boxes. There were dozens of boxes and the stuff
was piled up to the ceiling. These were all sample items for the participants of the Libra Festival.
Charasin wanted to screen out any dangerous items by asking for samples, but it ended in failure. The
participants submitted tons of diverse samples impossible for Charasin to screen through... Even 10
people might not be able to do it in time.
"Ahah, looks like..."
"Impossible right?"
"Impossible."
Charasin and Michitaka nodded in agreement.
The burden was too heavy.
"Seems like this idea has to be scrapped. Can we leave it alone?"
"Guess that will have to do. Heavens, tomorrow will be hell on earth."
The brooding Charasin replied cheerfully. It had reached such a level at this point of time, and this level
was a sign of things to come. The Libra Festival was expanding in a scale further than Charasin and
Michitaka could ever imagine.
Charasin and Michitaka could feel this obvious atmosphere.
The guild masters of the Round Table Council should be feeling it to some extent. But the rate of growth
was faster than anyone could expect.
Charasin who was at the heart of the Libra Festival... Production Guild Liaison Committee office, felt a
sense of danger the night before the festival.
But at this point of time, even Charasin was unable to detect the malicious intent bearing concrete goals.
Part 4
Shiroe's battle record should be very impressive to others.
For instance, he provided tactical insight to a group of players that did not form a guild, the Debauchery
Tea Party, to be the fastest in the Japanese server to complete the raid 'Fields of Dead Spirits'. For
players who were in the know, this record was highly regarded.
In famous raids like 'Rhadamanthys' Throne' or 'The Nine Great Prisons of the Heilos', being the first to
complete a raid with their small organization made the Debauchery Tea Party a legend in a way.
Also, well informed people knew that the series of events that led to the formation of the Round Table
Council must be credited to Shiroe's effort. His actions during crucial moments of large scale battles
made the battle record of tactician Shiroe even more splendid.
But that was what outsiders saw. For Shiroe himself, this was just a part of countless battles. Shiroe had
experienced battles that were small in scale and pointless to recce in advance. If you included all these
battles as well, he didn't think his success rate was very high.
Shiroe didn't think highly of his tactician abilities.
(My success rate will probably drop today too.)
Shiroe had been feeling uneasy while trying to avoid attracting any attention.
"Please don't daze off my lord."
"That's right Shiroe-san, it will be a pity since you are so handsome."
"Eh..."
"Hmmm. Should be... Very handsome right?"
"My lord is my lord, it doesn't matter if he is handsome."
But the reality was cruel.
The two young girls on both sides wouldn't allow Shiroe to maintain a low profile.
On his right was a bright and cheerful young girl with a slender body that was acting her age. She was
Minori, a Kannagi in Log Horizon.
She looked more feminine today, wearing a long denim skirt, white blouse, and an apricot pink cardigan.
She gave the image of a daughter from a rich family, very suitable for Minori who liked to take care of
people. Her black hair that turned dark brown in the sunlight was tied with a black lace ribbon which also
looked cute.
Sitting to his left was an old friend of Shiroe. A self proclaimed ninja with an uncanny sense of loyalty,
Akatsuki. Akatsuki let her black hair, which looked even more lustrous today, down behind her back, but
gazed at Shiroe in her usual serious manner.
Her dress was different from her usual pure black color. She was wearing a light purple kimono
complemented by a blue hakama on the bottom. The young cat-like beauty Akatsuki suited this school-girl
style dress exceedingly well.
If you asked 100 people, all of them would agree that Akatsuki was a beautiful young girl; Minori was
also a girl that made you bright and happy like a daughter. This was a double blessing.
But Shiroe sandwiched in between looked troubled.
He was unable to explain what happened or point out a clear reason, but he felt as though he was sitting
on pins and needles.
This was the center of Akiba, a cafe set up on a major junction. Shiroe was sitting here by the invitation of
these 2 girls.
Shiroe was guided by his cautious nature to find out more about this cake eating contest in advance. There
would be several rounds of preliminaries, so he could participate with Akatsuki and Minori separately by
entering at different times.
But Shiroe was not interested in challenging this free contest twice. Even if this was a festival, this action
would be akin to a kid who ate all the food in the sampling area correct? Shiroe came up with a plan
while holding this thought in mind.
Since Akatsuki and Minori both liked cake, it would be fine if all 3 of them participated together. The rule
was 8 pices for 2 people, so the 3 of them should be fine with 12 pieces.
Fortunately the Round Table Council had met with the guild hosting this cake contest, Danceteria, several
times before. He remembered she was on good terms with Henrietta and had the temperament of an
artisan.
The guild master Kanako welcomed Shiroe warmly when he went to apply. The reason she was receiving
him with a smile was because Shiroe was a member of the Round Table Council, that made things easier
so Shiroe made his request directly.
'There are 2 girls in my guild who want to join with me, can we change the challenge to 12?' Something
like this. Kanako was surprised at the beginning and asked for the details with squinted eyes. It was not
something he should spread around, but there was no point in hiding it at this point. Shiroe thought Log
Horizon was a very open guild.
After explaining himself, the kind guild master agreed to the 3 of them entering the contest. But her smile
seemed to hold some hidden intention that made Shiroe think something was not right. But since he got his
way, he could ignore such doubts. And thus Shiroe obtained the permission to participate in the cake
eating contest as a trio.
And so the 3 of them waited for the cakes to be served in the open-air cafe, but Shiroe was feeling a slight
tummy ache since morning.
He hadn't eaten anything yet, so this was not caused by the cakes.
Minori and Akatsuki usually got along well, but there was some tension in the air around them. This
should be one of the reasons.
'We can eat this together, so don't worry!' When Shiroe reported via telepathy, leaving Minori aside,
Akatsuki responded in a weird tone. Shiroe thought it had something to do with shinobi loyalty, but he
was not sure of the actual reason.
On the other hand, Minori was all revved up. She had been chatting cheerfully with Shiroe from the start,
but her overly passionate and positive attitude surprised Shiroe. Minori who was always so hardworking
was looking towards the cake so much just like a middle school girl and Shiroe thought this was very
cute.
But Akatsuki was fidgeting with her hakama and peeking at Shiroe occasionally. She took out kunai and
other throwing weapons out of nowhere from time to time, so Shiroe had to keep an eye on her all the
time.
There were 20 couples seated around them chatting peacefully with smiles on their faces.
The breeze got colder in the evening of October, the open-air cafe looked so peaceful under the orange
street lights. There was a Bard somewhere performing a pop song that was a bit old, the music came with
the wind and the nostalgic melody filled their ears.
Almost all the couples seated around were lovers, Shiroe thought absentmindedly.
It had been 5 months since the Catastrophe. This was an alternate world, there was enough time for 2
strangers to meet and fall in love.
One side of Shiroe's mind played the straight man and said: "Hey hey hey, this has been a hectic 5 months,
it is impossible to find the time in this time of crisis!" but the opposition said: "No no no, it is because
this is an exciting and fantastic world, this is why the fire of love is burning bright in young couples,
right?"
Shiroe never had a girlfriend before or had been in a relationship.
So he was unable to judge whether 'this situation is being in love', but on the bright side, it was none of
his business. Since they were happy, there was no need to go too deeply into it. Shiroe made this
conclusion.
Couples were an existence that made you smile and Shiroe didn't hate them. He didn't like to talk about
love experiences or giving love consultations, but watching them from a distance gave him a warm feeling
in his heart. That was why Shiroe was looking at them distractedly.
"My lord, my lord!"
"Ah, eh, sorry. What is it Akatsuki?"
Shiroe turned to look at Akatsuki who was much more restless than usual. She told him: "Your blank
expression is not presentable.”
Minori also chipped in: "Absolutely right, you need to go all out!" Shiroe thought it was weird to go allout
in a cake-eating contest, but he swallowed his words when he looked at Minori's serious face.
Seemed like Minori was all fired up.
Her pose of clenching her fists in front of her chest was cute, like a certain comedy character. She said
'Let's do our best!' Her pretty face and serious expression made her look more like she’s acting mature
than actually trying to be an adult. Instead of being encouraged, Shiroe felt a warmth in his heart.
It's a mystery.
"That..."
"Ehh."
"Akatsuki-senpai's kimono is so pretty."
Minori said these words as Shiroe was thinking of what to say. She probably didn't meant to aid him, but
she was a great help for coming up with this conversation topic.
"It is very pretty. It's rare to see you in a kimono Akatsuki, did something good happen?"
"It doesn't suit me?"
Akatsuki seemed troubled and was putting on a brave face at the same time, causing both Minori and
Shiroe to say 'No such thing'. The kimono was light-purple adorned with bell flowers giving it a mature
design, and fit the petite Akatsuki so well it must be tailor-made. She was usually an enigmatic beautiful
young girl like some small animal, she looked more stunning dressed in a kimono.
"Akatsuki-senpai looks good in a kimono."
"This is like a gra..."
"The word graduation ceremony is banned."[6]
"Eh..."
Akatsuki struck preemptively, leaving Shiroe speechless. Akatsuki glared at Shiroe and whispered 'I will
use my knee even if it is my lord.' But after Minori and Shiroe repeatedly complimented her saying 'it
really suits you well', Akatsuki regained her calm mood and forgave Shiroe.
"Minori also looks good in this dress."
The middle-school girl blushed and smiled at Shiroe's compliment.
This get up seemed to be matched by Isuzu. Including where she bought the blouse and cardigan, how
much she spent and the advice Isuzu gave, Minori explained in detail happily. Akatsuki who was tense all
the while was also getting interested and listened to her while holding Shiroe's sleeve.
Shiroe finally loosened up a bit at this scene.
(If women are involved, all preparations and tactics are unreliable.)
It was the same during his time in the Debauchery Tea Party. For instance with Nazuna or Saki, any
incident related to female Adventurers didn't end well no matter how much homework or planning you did
in advance.
But if it didn't cause too much commotion, the problem would resolve itself like nothing ever happened.
This was an incomprehensible and unavoidable result from a tactician's view.
(But 'she' was different.)
Shiroe recollected.
'She' was the founder of the Debauchery Tea Party, sort of like the guild master. Because the Debauchery
Tea Party was a gathering of free players and took care of themselves, it was not a guild and 'she' was not
an official guild master.
As Nyanta said 'Everyone knows what to do to build a comfortable home', so in a sense there was no need
for a guild master.
She was the unofficial leader because she was the most willful person in the Debauchery Tea Party. In a
sense, the Debauchery Tea Party was dragged all over the place by her.
(This lady can say something stunning with a straight face such as wanting to see the midnight sun in
Iceland...)
'Her' willfulness was at the international level, causing Shiroe's battle record to worsen. The result didn't
flatten out or end up with nothing conclusive, they usually ended up dead or on the edge of death. She once
led a volunteer group on an overseas server expedition, but lost a key item preventing them from entering
the Aurora zone, a really exhausting experience. This was the start of Shiroe's life of hardships.
In contrast, Akatsuki's and Minori's request was much cuter. He could fulfill their wishes if things went
well. Shiroe thought.
Part 5
"Wah, it looks so delicious!"
The cakes were being served in front of Minori's wide eyes. They hadn't reached Shiroe's table yet, but
cute strawberry shortcakes had been placed on several tables, the strawberries were bright and pretty.
The members of Danceteria humbly apologized their work was not up to the standard of the dessert shops
from the original world, but it didn't feel this way at all. Both the appearance and the fragrance piqued
their appetite.
"My lord my lord, I am looking forward to it."
"So pretty, I am so excited!"
Shiroe who was stuck between the young girls was starting to feel a bit better. This might be a hectic day,
but he should be able to eat 4 slices easily if they were this size. It should be the same for Minori and
Akatsuki, the 3 of them had no doubt they could finish easily.
The waitress served the cake to the tables, placing a variety of cakes before each couple. It was finally
time for Shiroe's table, the guild master personally delivered the cakes on a silver tray with a big smile.
On the platter were 12 whole cakes. Strawberry, apricot, chocolate, cheese, yogurt, black current, apple
pie, and chestnut that was a little early for the season.
12 cakes.
It was not in slices but whole cakes.
"?"
Minori made a surprised face while Akatsuki's expression was starting to cramp up.
"This is..."
Shiroe asked with his gaze, the guild master of Danceteria replied with a big smile.
"This is special service from our guild."
"Wait, this is a bit much..."
"This is our hearty service."
The guild master pushed down the doubts with her smile as she carefully placed the cakes on the table.
The first one was an apple pie. A People of the Land waitress said 'Let me cut this into portions' and
started to slice it. The round pie was divided into 8 familiar triangle pieces, the perfect sizing size.
The small table in the cafe couldn't hold all these cakes, a dining trolley has been set up beside the table
to hold the other cakes. 8 of them were the same as the other contestants, but the other 4 were specially
made for them decorated with a candy figurines of a male between 2 females.
"Shiroe-san..."
"My lord..."
The 2 young girls looked at the slices of apple pie with a cramped expression. The apple pie looked tasty
and Shiroe was confident of eating 4 of them. If the girls acted like normal girls and shouted 'I can't eat
anymore', Shiroe was mentally prepared to eat one for each of them, a total of 6 slices.
Shiroe knew from experience women who claimed to have a small appetite were lying, but 'she' had
educated him strictly that he had an obligation to take it like a man.
But his limit was 5 or 6 slices. But being served the whole cake meant 8 times the amount. And the
stunning number of cakes before him was a psychological attack far worse than mere numbers.
"Anyway, let's start with 1 slice?"
Shiroe had no other intention other than to buy time when he said this, and the 3 of them started to eat the
apple pie. Delicious. The large amount of apples used gave it a refreshing sweetness, the faint taste of
cinnamon soothed both mind and body. He finished one slice unceremoniously as he immersed in the
moistness and tenderness of the apples.
(I might be able to finish this...) As Shiroe was holding this sweet optimism, the rest of the apple pie
appeared right in front of him.
Akatsuki placed it there.
"Why?"
"This is my lord's portion."
"You said portion, but this is the whole thing!"
"Ah, I am sorry, I will cut it into slices!"
That's not the point. When Shiroe was stopping Akatsuki, Minori had already stood up and was slicing the
cake deftly with a knife. As Minori cut with a serious expression, her hair with a black ribbon shook near
Shiroe's ears giving off a nice aroma.
(Ah ah, middle-school students are also girls...) As Shiroe thought about this, murmurs of 'Kill yourself',
'Unforgivable lolicon', 'Die', 'Break your glasses' could be heard from all over the cafe.
Akatsuki looked stunned. Shiroe shifted his gaze to her side and saw the cakes were decorated with
twisted words that seemed to be written with the left hand. 'How sly to bring 2 girls', 'Die lolicon ❤',
'Two-timer' and other such words were on the cakes.
(Ah...)
Shiroe finally understood the situation he was in.
Minefield.
The moment he understood, this phrase flashed across his mind. The 3 of them were in a minefield set up
by outsiders called 'misunderstanding'. Shiroe's reputation was already bad, but he didn't want his 2
precious guild mates to be discriminated against too.
(No good, this might affect the 2 of them. It is a shame to call me a tactician like this... We need to stay
low profile, quiet, and keep the damage to a minimum. Retreat from the cafe and reorganize...)
Shiroe's mind was running at high speed trying to search of ways to remedy the situation.
He didn't know how bad the misunderstanding was, how it came about and what was their current status.
In this state, even if he grasped the situation he wouldn't be able to control it. Shiroe was unable to use his
'Full Control Encounter' because of this. Akatsuki placed her fork in front of him.
"My lord, here."
On the fork was a cute bite-size portion of apple pie.
"For me?"
Akatsuki nodded. Shiroe almost burst out 'You want to push the rest to me right!'. But under the stare of
Akatsuki's black eyes, he was unable to speak. Usually, Akatsuki didn't dress up, but she was wearing a
bell flower hair ornament today, making it even harder for Shiroe to talk.
Shiroe pouted to restrain his awkward mood. Akatsuki tilted her head with a perplexed face as her right
hand with the fork moved closer.
"Please eat, my lord."
Akatsuki fed him food this way, but it was a big problem for Shiroe.
Feeding someone with a fork was what was known in the world as 'Ah... nh' action. He could tell from
Akatsuki's serious face that she was doing this with malicious intent, but the outsiders wouldn't be able to
tell.
If this went on, he would gain the reputation of a lolicon.
If he stepped on this mine, not only would his leg be broken, his lower body would be blown away. The
stares from the surroundings were stabbing at him painfully. This was an open-air cafe and the highlight of
the 1st day of the festival, even the pedestrians would glance here from time to time.
"Quick, or it will drop."
But this piece of pie had been forced in front of him, Shiroe could only accept it. The giggles that erupted
in the background and the pointing fingers of the crowd appeared in Shiroe's mind. He just wanted to find
a hole and hide inside.
"Shiroe-san!"
He turned around to see Minori with sparkling eyes also feeding him a piece of golden apple pie. Facing
the pure and anticipating eyes of a girl 9 years his junior, even Shiroe didn't have the heart to turn her
down.
(Aren't they a bit too dense for failing to read the situation? Now is the time to retreat, this is becoming a
public execution right?)
"Is it good?"
"It's delicious right, my lord?"
"Hold on, it is tasty... But now is not the time to discuss this."
Shiroe tried replying this way, but the other couples around him were repeatedly doing the 'Ah... nh'
action. Shiroe already had a faint feeling about this, but he was devastated when he saw the truth.
Seemed like love was in the air of Akiba, more than he imagined.
The clear sounds of laughter was not directed at Shiroe, but the loving whispers of infatuated couples.
There was still room to redeem himself if he explained it this way... Shiroe consoled himself, but this
didn't resolve the issue.
Reality was moving forward with the accumulation of each tiny step. It was symbolized by the cakes piled
high in front of him.
Part 6
Reality was not something you could overcome just because you had the courage to challenge it. This was
shown by the failure of Shiroe's table in the contest. There was still a chance if the trio took on 12 slices
of cake. But 12 whole cakes was outrageous, it couldn't be done unless your stomach was a Bag of
Holding.
The 3 of them did their best, but their limit was 18 pieces, 2 cakes and a quarter. Shiroe ate 9 of them, and
he was feeling so bad he didn't want to move.
The 3 who lost in the all-you-can-eat battle headed back to their guild house depressed. It was not free
since they did not finish, so Shiroe had to pay for all 12 cakes.
The time was about 8pm.
Shiroe was resting on the 3rd floor balcony of their guild house. To be precise, his tummy was so full he
didn't want to move.
He planned to kill time by strolling around the festival after the contest, but setting Minori and Akatsuki
aside, Shiroe felt like the weight of the cakes was pressing directly on his organs. Shiroe was tired and
not in any condition to walk around, so he could only return to the guild house.
According to the message on the dining hall blackboard, Nyanta and Naotsugu went sightseeing in the
festival, Isuzu and Rundelhous wrote 'Walking the dog', they must be out on a date.
Shiroe took a glimpse at the board and walked to the balcony to rest on the cedar wood bench.
It could also be described as sinking.
The world would keep spinning at its own pace, it had been an unlucky day for Shiroe.
(This is why doing my homework in advance is useless.)
Now that he thought about it, that was why the Danceteria guild master was smiling so mysteriously. She
had planned to attack with the whole cakes from the start. Shiroe did show up with 2 girls, but they were
not in this sort of relationship, so there was no need for this level of jealousy.
(How did they calculate 12 whole cakes for the 3 of us... Ah, that's right.)
Shiroe had an inspiration and opened his telepathy, he was going to recommend the cake contest to
Soujirou. The open-air cafe would also be running the free cake contest tomorrow, so Soujirou with his
harem constitution would be able to enjoy it to the fullest.
Soujirou on the other end of the call seemed to be participating in the festival with his guild members to
kill time. Shiroe could hear the faint female voices when conversing with Soujirou, but he couldn't make
out what they were saying. Shiroe was used to it, but Soujirou was surrounded by ladies right now.
Soujirou thanked Shiroe repeatedly for his recommendation. Shiroe didn't feel any guilt despite Soujirou's
straightforward attitude. Shiroe who brought 2 members to the contest out of kindness was mistaken for
being a two-timer and was bombarded with cakes. So a real harem should receive the appropriate
treatment they deserved, Shiroe convinced himself that way.
Shiroe ended the call and felt better having vented some of his frustration. He leaned on the back of the
bench relaxing his whole body and looked up at the night sky.
The unique feature of Log Horizon's guild house was the tree that punched through the floors and through
the ceilings. The ancient tree spread its branches over the whole building covering Shiroe's living space
in its shade.
It was the same for the balcony Shiroe was resting in, the branches swayed gently in the wind like an
extension of the roof.
It was probably because of the festival, the streets had more lights than usual. The sun had set, but the
orange glow from the shop lamps and the streetlights shone on the pavement full of moss and the branches
decorated with ribbons, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
Log Horizon's guild house was modest in its decoration, but they still hung up some green banners and
orange ribbons as ornaments. This was probably Minori and Tohya's style of making the place more
festive.
(I have been neglecting my own guild recently...)
Shiroe thought about this after ending the call with Soujirou.
Usually, the most important duty of a guild master was running the guild itself. Being on top of things,
providing assistance to members doing activities, planning and leading teams in operations, these were
all part of managing a guild.
But Log Horizon was different from other guilds.
First was their numbers. Log Horizon had 8 people, Elder Tales' standard party size was 6, so they
needed to leave 2 behind if they wanted to form a team.
Also, the level gap between the Log Horizon members was big, and divided into 2 groups. Shiroe,
Naotsugu, Nyanta, and Akatsuki were the senior level 90 team. Minori, Tohya, Rundelhous, and Isuzu
were the junior party around level 40.
It was hard to form a party with their level difference.
For normal guilds, they would divide themselves by level and operate separately, this was the natural
course of action.
But Log Horizon was full of veterans who liked to take care of others. Thankfully, Naotsugu and the
others didn't mind using the mentoring system to match the junior party and fill up the party roster.
From the perspective of training, they were a talented bunch.
Nyanta was the ideal adult that was humorous and patient when guiding the low level players. Protecting
the low level players during their adventures was the duty a guild master should take the lead in, but
Nyanta had done it on his behalf splendidly and was enjoying himself as well.
Naotsugu was also very suitable. He was not as refined as Nyanta, suitable for leading a bigger group.
When Crescent Moon Alliance brought their beginners along to form 3 party expeditions, Naotsugu was
the most popular mentor for the other guild.
It was the same with Akatsuki, she was shy and not good with words, but she didn't think of leading the
beginners for training as a difficult chore. When the beginners hunted monsters and returned triumphantly,
they would not see Akatsuki the entire time. But Akatsuki was protecting them from the dark, stopping
high-level monsters from ambushing them... She was enjoying leading the party in her own way.
While other guilds needed the guild master to lead and plan the tasks and operations of the group, Log
Horizon members were able to do so in lieu of their guild master. That was why Shiroe could deal with
his Round Table Council work.
Leaving the duties of guild master to others was harmless in terms of daily operations, but it would affect
the personal connections among guild members.
Shiroe was the high-level member who spent the least amount of time with the junior group. For example,
he would make time to eat dinner with everyone in the guild house to improve relations, but Shiroe could
feel the questioning looks from Rundelhous and Isuzu that said 'Is our guild master a lazy bum who stays
indoors all day?', and thought this needed to change.
(In terms of the prestige of a guild master, I am not as good as Naotsugu or Chief Nyanta... Even Soujirou
is in control of his harem... correction, his guild's operation.)
Shiroe felt a bit down. He did not think it was possible to live up to everyone's expectations in
performing his duties, even though this was the result of everyone pitching in to help, but he still felt the
need to spend more time with his Log Horizon guild mates.
Shiroe thought this was the reason why Akatsuki and Minori forced him to participate in this activity.
(This festival might be a good chance. For the Round Table Council... I can't leave it alone, but I should
take a break from it at a good stopping point. I need to make more time to spend with everyone.)
"My lord."
"!"
Shiroe who was thinking about all this jumped at Akatsuki's voice from close range.
"What is it Akatsuki?"
"Nothing, it's just that..."
Akatsuki was still wearing her glamorous clothes as she sat down quietly beside Shiroe. The gentle
breeze of October brushed across their faces gently, bringing with it the leisurely sound of string
instruments from the city.
"I can hear music"
"Ah ah, hmmm... should be the '7th Marching Band', they have a performance tonight."
"Is that so."
The petite Akatsuki sat on the bench and stretched her legs. Her legs hung in the air even when sitting on
this low bench. Her toes could be seen from the opening of her deep blue hakama as she swayed her feet
slightly. Shiroe asked.
"It's somewhat quiet here."
"I am always quiet."
"That is true."
In this world without electric speakers, the volume of the sound was dependent on the performers. The
music that came with the wind had the hint of a lively atmosphere, but it seemed so blurry and far away.
Shiroe glanced at Akatsuki.
In the chilly wind that gently touched her face, Akatsuki stared into the distance as usual with an
expression Shiroe could not see through.
"My lord."
"Hmmm?"
"My lord, that..."
"Hmmm."
Shiroe replied carefully to Akatsuki's every word. His petite friend might be silent but she worried about
various things. Shiroe understood her nature, so he didn't rush her.
"Does my lord dislike cakes?"
"..."
Dislike cakes? It sounded like 'You can't finish them because you dislike cake?', but Shiroe was not sure
how to respond as well. Shiroe ate 9 slices, which he thought was a commendable effort, did he
misunderstand her?
"Still unhappy?"
"No way. Forget about that, I'm sorry. I recall it was the finals? We didn't make it there."
"That is fine, I am not interested, Minori is."
"Is that so."
Shiroe was not sure why Minori was interested in an eating contest, but he felt that she took the initiative
to invite him because it was necessary. Minori was 14, but she was a responsible and thoughtful young
girl.
"But..."
"Hmmm?"
"Are you fine with just this amount of cake?"
Akatsuki turned and faced Shiroe, looking straight into his eyes. The dark eyes on Akatsuki's petite face
that left a deep impression were watery but had no warmth. Being stared at by a beautiful young girl like
her was pressurizing.
"Ah?"
"Nothing really, just that you worked hard for the cake eating contest right? Are you fine with just 3-4
slices?"
"I... I didn't enter the contest for the cakes."
"Is that so?"
"..."
"The conversation dries up whenever I am with my lord."
"Even if you say that... But Akatsuki, you don't talk much right?"
Akatsuki was not a chatty person.
Sometimes they ran out of things to say. Shiroe felt awkward about this in the beginning and would try to
talk about things, but he was now fine with the silent Akatsuki. Whenever Shiroe was handling
administrative work, Akatsuki would erase her presence and stay in his room under the pretext of being
his bodyguard. Shiroe was teasing Akatsuki because her tone was so cute, but the 2 of them only started
bickering like this recently.
"That isn't true, I have lots of conversation topics."
"Then please provide one."
"Hmmm?"
"Provide a topic for us to talk about."
Akatsuki pouted in silence.
Her eyes shifted from side to side hesitantly.
She must be at a loss. As Shiroe was thinking that it was a mistake, the hesitant Akatsuki spoke:
"I am happy with staying this way."
Akatsuki's mouth was trembling in a weird shape as her white and slender fingertips touched Shiroe's
forehead.
"You are happy with staying like this?"
Akatsuki nodded.
(Is this part of Akatsuki's shinobi-lord role play... I think I'm misunderstanding something. Wrong, I
wouldn't know since I don't watch period dramas.)
"Is that so."
A gust of wind shook the branches in the night with a sound akin to the rides.
The wind mixed with the silence in the green lushes. Shiroe raised his head and looked at Akatsuki
repeatedly poke at his head. Akatsuki pouted and focused on stroking his forehead. Shiroe didn't
understand the joy in this, but happiness was subjective, so he felt there was no point in asking.
"Are you fine with staying this way?"
"This is an important duty to my lord."
"Is that so?"
Shiroe had spent a long time with Akatsuki now.
The chaos after the Catastrophe; many fights and battles; founding of the Round Table Council; the
political drama in the ancient palace; conversation with Ri Gan; the battle of Choushi, and Rundelhous'
revival.
Akatsuki had experienced all this by Shiroe's side without complaints. Shiroe thought he only made it
through these fights because of Akatsuki's support.
Shiroe recalled all this as he continued to suffer the cute torture of the beautiful young girl in a kimono.
Part 7
Unable to breathe.
The night air seemed to solidify in her chest while her blood seemed to flow like mud noisily near her
ears.
'... I am happy with staying this way.'
'... You are happy with staying like this?'
The gentle conversation lingered in her heart.
The young girl with black hair desperately hid her embarrassment as she said tender words of love. The
voice of the guild master seemed puzzled but was still very gentle.
Minori's knees seemed to be disappearing like bubbles, as she endured these feelings on her way to the
kitchen. She was holding dandelion barley tea on a tray in her hands. She wanted to bring it to the balcony
for Shiroe, but she was now walking subconsciously.
She could not stay there. She could not look at that scene.
Thousand of noises seemed to be sounding out in her head, everything seemed so confusing to her. She
seemed to be driven by her ethics and had used up all her strength just leaving the scene.
The first was the sense of impact, the next was crushing confusion... Even though there were no concrete
problems, her heart was full of questions. She wanted to ask, but didn't know who or what to ask.
Her confused emotions and her desire to seek help filled her chest. It moved slowly to her abdomen
evolving into a heavy and uncomfortable feeling.
Minori returned to the kitchen subconsciously, placed the tray on the table, and sat down on a chair. She
didn't understand why she was so upset.
But she saw something between Shiroe and Akatsuki just now on the balcony of the 3rd floor. She could
see the special feelings Akatsuki had for Shiroe on her face.
It was not visible from her actions but it was obvious. When Minori noticed the love her senpai bore, it
felt like she touched an open flame accidentally and shrank back from the shock.
This shock made her run away to this refuge.
It was like a sandstorm went through her mind, blowing her thoughts into a mess and she was unable to
construct any specific questions as she sat.
Minori looked at the surface of the table not knowing what to do.
After a long while, the first thing that came to her mind was 'Akatsuki is in love with Shiroe'.
(That's right, Akatsuki-san likes Shiroe-san.)
This was a simple truth.
Today was a sunny day.
After summer came autumn.
The guild house was shrouded in greenery.
Just like these things, it was clear, without doubt, a natural fact.
Even if it were obvious, when she thought about it in her heart, the shock she felt just now returned, its
noise nearly obscuring her awareness. The facts constructed from these few short sentences broke down
into words and were chopped into pieces becoming a total mess. If you lost focus for a moment, the
thoughts and their meaning would fall apart.
Minori picked up the pieces of thoughts scattered on the floor and molded it into a ball as she took several
deep breaths.
From her chest to her abdomen, there was a feeling of discomfort, she found it hard to breathe. She felt as
though she had hypothermia, even her heart felt like it was being squeezed.
In this anxious mood where she had difficulty breathing and felt as though her chest was slowly being
pierced from the back, Minori finally faced another truth.
(I also... like Shiroe-san.)
The first time she acknowledged her feelings, it did not have the faint fragrance of lemons.
It had the taste of burning metal just like her gloom and depression from the start.
All of Minori's joints seemed to loosen as she trembled as if her bones were going to fly off as she faced
these unbearable emotions. The last time she felt this crippling sense of helplessness was the night Tohya
spent in the hospital's intensive care unit.
She just sat down, but she felt like running and crying, it was so uncomfortable restraining this impulse of
hers. Growing up with her twin brother and aiding him with his physical disabilities, Minori knew she
was calm, mature, and had a strong sense of responsibility.
But she didn't know about these strong feelings of hers that she couldn't hold back.
... like Shiroe-san.
Her heart was shredded into pieces just thinking like this. Being too fearless and not knowing her own
limits. This was a pain caused by her fear of her own arrogance.
But the fact was that there was a sweet feeling hidden in this pain.
This sweetness was not the blissful feeling when imagining about being a couple with Shiroe.
It was the temptation of touching your wounds to feel the warmth of your flowing blood even though you
knew it hurt. The temptation of the painful wound had a feeling of decadence and the sweet taste of the
agony of her first love.
... Minori couldn't think of any reason why Shiroe will choose her, but she could come up with dozens and
hundreds of reason why he wouldn't choose her.
So this sweetness was just an anesthetic for Minori.
The difference in age, difference in ability, difference in practical skills, difference in battle powers, her
immaturity, unreliability, and lack of potential. She looked plain compared to Akatsuki... Minori was
simply a common middle school girl you could find anywhere.
And for the first time, she realized the ugly side of herself.
When Akatsuki was touching Shiroe, a thought flashed in Minori's mind.
So crafty...
That place belongs to me.
This was not a reason, just a willful excuse. It was natural for Akatsuki to have the freedom to like
someone.
Even so, Minori still thought this was 'so crafty' because somewhere in her heart she thought Shiroe
belonged to her.
Shiroe who encouraged her when she was confined and suffering in the darkness of Hamelin; Shiroe who
freed her from her slavery; Shiroe who she wanted to emulate and his back she was chasing after. Minori
had determined Shiroe was 'mine' somewhere in her heart.
(I thought Shiroe-san was always going to be by my side... and be my teacher forever.)
This thinking was too arrogant.
The superficial nature of her ugliness made Minori feel as if her organs were full of mud. Like coal
burning her from inside her skin, this agony made Minori feel like rolling on the floor. But crying and
screaming would not ease the pain.
It was painful and annoying.
Minori was holding this feeling all this time, she felt dizzy just thinking about it.
Especially thinking of Shiroe as her own belonging, she wanted to kill that part of herself for thinking of
something like this. Most importantly was her failure to notice and discard these feelings, Minori was
disappointed at her arrogant subconscious self.
(I even thought that was crafty, I really... how...)
After a long while.
Minori endured this grinding psychological pain in the dark and kept breathing. The air was still sticky
and heavy, as uncomfortable as breathing sand.
Minori didn't know how many hours passed as she faced the suffering in her heart.
"Minori?"
Tohya came with a 'Bug Light Lamp' and it illuminated the kitchen. Minori didn't notice until her twin was
by her side, thinking it was an illusion as she gazed dimly at Tohya.
"What is it Minori, why are you making such a face?"
Tohya took a handkerchief from his bag and wiped Minori's face roughly. He pinched her nose with a
handkerchief and shook it side to side. Minori realized she was crying when she heard the sound of her
runny nose.
"Tohya..."
"What is it?"
"Tohya."
"Hmmm?"
Tohya sat on a chair beside Minori and loosened his belt strap. His armor and bag fell heavily to the
floor. Tohya was the usual brother Minori was proud of. Even though he was acting indifferently, she
could still feel his concern.
She just realized her arrogance a moment ago. Even though she had no right to bear this feeling, no matter
how much she cautioned herself, she was unable to suppress this feeling of jealousy. The usual profile of
her brother's face soothed this jealous emotion slightly.
"Tohya, that, I..."
"Yeah."
"I think... I like Shiroe-san."
"That's right."
"Ah?"
"That's right, you like him."
Tohya tied his armor with his belt and replied without facing Minori, as natural as talking about the
weather.
"Eh? Eh eh? Why is your reaction like this?"
"Minori has always liked Shiroe-sensei, you just didn't realize it."
"Didn't realize?"
She didn't realize. She probably didn't. So she didn't realize... Minori's feeling changed gears 3 times and
sank deeper. According to Tohya, this agony was also because she 'Didn't realize'. But even so, the
feeling of chewing sand had alleviated a bit with Tohya by her side.
"It's so troubling."
"Why?"
Minori's words made Tohya look her way for the first time. He looked more mature than usual, shrouded
in white light.
"You ask me why..."
"Don't you feel troubled Minori? It is not troubling, just painful right?"
Her heart jumped.
Those words stabbed into Minori's heart.
A feeling of being seen through.
Minori recalled Akatsuki extending her fingers gently.
She looked hesitant but unable to restrain herself as she touched Shiroe's forehead with her fingertips.
This made Minori aware of her jealousy.
It was an incorrect way of thinking but she was unable to suppress it, as these ugly emotions kept on
accumulating.
This bitterness and pain was unbearable.
But she could not leave it alone or throw it away. Minori realized her feelings for Shiroe for the first time
through this pain, these feelings bloomed with a sweetness in her heart.
"Is it... okay?"
"You can't help it right?"
(I can't help it?) Minori wondered.
She was not searching for an excuse, she was attempting to find something useful in the abyss of darkness
and pain. She was digging through the ugliness filled with mud, hunting for something that had not been
corrupted.
Minori imitated Shiroe's action and took a deep breath while listening to sounds from far away.
(Shiroe-san...)
Minori recalled everything about Shiroe.
Shiroe's words and his eyes behind his round-frame glasses.
His cautious use of words when answering questions, how he looked when explaining things with a map.
His slightly troubled face while adjusting his glasses.
His pout when he was putting on a brave face. His pale profile when he set his mind on something.
His steely voice when he said 'Leave it to me'.
As Minori was tortured by confusion and pain, in the deserted plains of her mind, only these memories
were bright and vivid.
In order to not lie to these memories, in order to not betray these memories. Minori was willing to give up
all the other grey noise in exchange.
From the kitchen, Minori and Tohya could hear the buzz from the city in the distance akin to its breathing.
After spending a long time in the swaying shine of the bug light lamp, Minori nodded her head.
"You are right, there are no troubling feelings, only pain. That is it... I did not lose anything or get anything
wrong, or did anything at all... Yeah, I haven't accomplished anything right?"
For the first time she realized her feelings were like a patel-colored candy.
In the darkness filled with crude signals and noise, the flames were spreading like bleeding blood, so
sharp that it cut you when you touched. Minori was holding feelings that contrasted so strongly in her
heart, but she still managed to squeeze a smile for her twin brother. The tears on her cheeks were still
wet, but she didn't want to deny their existence.
Minori thought it was useless to hold on to these worries without doing anything to remedy them. She gave
up on thinking it would not have an end if there was no beginning.
She was unable to repay Shiroe or catch up to him. The Minori like this would of course be suffering in
pain.
Minori spent the long night accompanied by Tohya.
This was the first night of tempering a strong blade, but Minori knew very well that it was not the last.
Name: Shiroe
Age: 23
Weapon:
Prudence
Speciality:
Making
Proposals
With Only One
Choice
Birthday:
November 23
Favorite
Food: Saba
Misoni
Equipment
Parka Jacket
A parka jacket made of cotton fabric. The
parka resembles Shiroe's regular everyday
wear in the real world. Its somewhat large
size gives off a slovenly feel.
Rainbow Glass Ink Bottle
A Production-class item, the color of ink
within the bottle can be changed. A limited
production rare item by the Painter guild
"Atelier Armadillo" in Akiba. The small guild
exists due to Shiroe's assistance.
Long Kotatsu
A furniture-type item with the magical power
to attract indoor gatherings. This large sixseater
is made-to-order. Recently, it seems to
be used regularly by the People of the Land.
Chapter 3: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Part 1
The chilly autumn air gave the sky a cool and refreshing feeling. Akiba's night sky was filled with
twinkling stars as far as the eye could see.
The stars were brighter and more numerous in the world of Elder Tales than in the original world.
Whether it was due to the clean air here or the game's aesthetic design, the nightscape of this alternate
world was aglow with stars.
On this night of the Libra Festival, Akiba was still buzzing with activity late into the evening.
As Akiba was the primary city of Adventurers, its functions were extremely specialized. Said functions
encompassed the portal system, banks, guild halls, cathedral, and the marketplace. When Elder Tales was
still a game, Adventurers only needed these five facilities to survive. In other words, Akiba had no
functions beyond these five. That was what it meant to be 'specialized.'
Before the Catastrophe, Akiba had lacked proper living quarters. While places such as taverns and inns
could be found within the city, they were mostly included for decorative purposes, to give players the
feeling of being in an alternate fantasy world — they were like stage props which were not truly usable.
But after the Catastrophe, Adventurers had set out to make the city truly livable. For this to be
accomplished, a number of facilities were required just so they could remain within the city. The thriving
restaurants were some of the earliest changes. After them, all sorts of stores, private shops, and services
had opened as well.
While some of these enterprises were run by Adventurers, most were either jointly run by Adventurers
and People of the Land or had been established by the People of the Land themselves.
There were several reasons for this, the biggest being the income gap. Compared to People of the Land,
Adventurers were capable of earning more money in a shorter period of time. Just by grinding mobs, even
a mid-level Adventurer could earn more in one day than a Person of the Land farmer could earn in a
month.
Although the disparity in production ability was not as drastic as combat ability, it was still significant. In
the eyes of Adventurers, even a Person of the Land hailed as a master of their craft would only be as
skilled as an Adventurer with a level sixty subclass.
Of course, regardless of whether you were a Chef or a Tailor, as long as you reached level twenty, the
product would be good enough for normal consumption. A Chef of this level was capable of making
fresh-baked breads, delicious soups, crispy fries, as well as chicken fried to a perfect golden-brown. A
Tailor of this level could make comfortable shirts, loose-fitting pants, coats dyed with bright colors, or
leather vests.
People of the Land could also create these kinds of 'generic products'. As a result, it was only natural that
Adventurers would focus on tasks that only Adventurers were capable of doing, leaving the more generic
and mundane tasks to the People of the Land.
After these changes, Akiba was incomparable to its limited 'in-game version,' and now hosted a great
multitude of shops and facilities. Naturally, the population of the People of the Land also multiplied,
increasing in a geometric manner. This resulted in shops which were run exclusively by People of the
Land opening up one after another.
There was another reason for the growth of the city's People of the Land population.
From the viewpoint of the Adventurers, this player city was just a stronghold for them. Nearly all the
Adventurers simply viewed this place as a convenient staging ground, a point of departure. But this place
held a different meaning to the People of the Land.
Adventurers were completely different beings compared to the People of the Land, having both superior
combat abilities and immortal bodies. From the viewpoint of the People of the Land, this player city was
the pioneer settlement for the Adventurers in this world.
Most of the People of the Land treated Adventurers with gratitude and respect. While the large number of
Adventurers who dealt with the various wild beasts and monsters in the land of Yamato were considered
a reliable military force in this world, their strength also created a strong sense of fear in the People of
the Land. This fear was also directed towards the city which housed their revival mechanism, the
cathedral. It was possible that they were more awed by this forbidding city than by the Adventurers
themselves.
The original People of the Land who lived in Akiba were a special type, descended from ancestors who
had lived in Akiba long ago. In a sense, they were like priests or priestesses who served gods in shrines.
These special People of the Land performed various duties, such as being merchants and operating banks.
However, the age of such fear had ended.
The Adventurers used their frightening strength to defeat goblins, beastmen, and even various powerful
monsters such as dragons, saving the People of the Land's lives numerous times. Meanwhile, Adventurers
seemed to adhere to the temporary role of 'quest takers'. It was commonly thought that Adventurers could
only form superficial relationships with People of the Land.
But recently, the Adventurers and the People of the Land had signed an agreement with each other.
The significance of the agreement signed between the League of Freedom Towns Eastal and the Round
Table Council was definitely not small.
It signified the declaration of the Adventurers to the People of the Land, that Adventurers were not just
'friendly passersby' but 'a part of this world'. It also showed that the People of the Land accepted the
Adventurers as such.
Raynesia was sent to Akiba as a symbol of this agreement.
Raynesia did not just represent the nobles, she was also a living example of a "People of the Land living
in the Adventurers' city" to the masses.
Because of this reason, the population of People of the Land in Akiba increased each day.
Originally, Akiba was a city strewn with the ruins of buildings. However, after the People of the Land
were included into Akiba's society, even this streetscape started to change. The rubble was gradually
cleared away, the spooky abandoned buildings were also cleaned up.
Nearly all the Adventurers living in Akiba were Japanese.
In both a good and a bad sense, when these meddlesome people noticed the People of the Land were busy
clearing up the streets, they decided to help out since they were bored and had nothing better to do. While
working together, they naturally started to converse, becoming familiar with each other.
In the current Akiba, the number of Adventurers who employed People of the Land increased greatly.
Similarly, the number of People of the Land doing business with Adventurers increased more than tenfold.
— The "Linguine", a tavern run by People of the Land.
This establishment, which normally had few customers, was packed to the brim on the night of the first
day of the Libra Festival.
"This is high quality tomato stew nya."
"It's delicious!"
Within this bustling establishment, two people were seated opposite each other at the innermost table of
the restaurant. They were consultants from Log Horizon, Chief Nyanta to be exact, and the Crescent Moon
Alliance novices' caretaker, Serara, who herself was a beginner.
The place was filled with customers to the point that it was nearly overflowing. Even though it was now
October and the night air was chilly, the interior of the store felt stifling even without the use of heaters.
Over the course of the past few days, many People of the Land came to visit this city for the sake of the
festival. All accommodations within the city had been fully booked, even the temporary ones specifically
set up for the festival by the Round Table Council.
It was the same for restaurants, all of them were overflowing with customers. Small eateries within the
alleys were filled with both Adventurers and People of the Land, toasting to the success of the upcoming
celebrations which would officially start the next day.
The new cooking method publicized by the Round Table Council spread like wildfire throughout Yamato.
Despite this, not many Adventurers or People of the Land could utilize it. Due to skill restrictions, less
than ten percent of the population could be considered good at cooking. Using limited ingredients, these
people came up with new dishes daily.
Adventurers tended to try recreating normal Japanese food. In contrast, the People of the Land, who had
no prior experience, combed through their existing repertoire of recipes, creating dishes which struck
their fancy. Although the method of preparation could be relatively simple, some stores were extremely
popular due to the rustic flavor of their dishes.
"Linguine" was one such place.
The dish known as Kanto-style Tomato-flavored Stew was the specialty of this store. Adding the fact that
it was currently happy hour, the tavern was filled with a vulgar din. While it was rather inappropriate for
young girls to visit this sort of place, Serara was extremely pleased that she was able to have a late dinner
together with her favorite Nyanta. Even though the place was packed, the thought that their knees were
nearly touching under the table made her both happy and flustered at the same time.
"Is Nyanta-san tired?"
"Not at all nyan."
Although Nyanta gave such a reply, it was as though he had a superhuman performance that day. Crescent
Moon Alliance had set up several booths for the Libra Festival. It was not just for the returning
Crescent☪Moon kiosk, their Tailors' sewing department would be selling clothes and providing fitting
services, their Blacksmiths would also be selling weapons with personalized engravings.
Crescent Moon Alliance was just a small guild, the size of its departments was not more than five people.
This time, Nyanta was acting as the assistant instructor for the fitting department.
"Have I... done well?"
"You did well, Serara-cchi."
"I can't wait for tomorrow!"
"That's right nya~"
Passing a busy day together with Nyanta in this manner, having to spend the whole day manning a booth
come daybreak, Serara was filled with anticipation and happiness as she thought about these. Given the
circumstances, it could be said that her anticipation came from "Being able to spend the whole day
manning a booth", or more accurately, "Being able to spend the entire day with Nyanta".
Honestly speaking, Serara was able to sympathize with Isuzu when she decided to leave Crescent Moon
Alliance. Serara adored Nyanta from the day she was rescued in Susukino. It would be a lie if she said
she had not considered doing the same to be with Nyanta.
However, Serara was in charge of looking after the beginners in Crescent Moon Alliance. Unlike Isuzu
who could start afresh after leaving Hamelin, Serara had comrades who relied on her.
Serara had already apologized to Nyanta, after declining his offer to join Log Horizon. She did not want
this resolution of hers, which she treasured, to be viewed as a hollow statement.
At that time, Nyanta only smiled and commented "Serara-cchi is an amazing child nya." Nyanta the mature
gentleman had always been a warm person, however, he became much warmer after that... even listening
attentively to everything Serara had to say. Hence Serara was extremely content despite her conflicting
interests.
The delicious stewed tomatoes with seafood and vegetables were refreshing yet faintly sweet. Like the
stew, the orange juice with added ice was very good. Chatting with Nyanta was also delightful. Serara
embraced these happy feelings as she had her meal.
Suddenly, the sharp noise of something breaking was heard, silencing the clamor of the store for a
moment. It seemed that a waitress had dropped a plate. The tavern's famous tomato stew was spilled onto
the floor, dyeing the stone with red geometric patterns.
A white plate lay shattered on the floor. This was a relatively common occurrence in the restaurant.
However, just as the clientele were about to resume their normal activity, they were interrupted by the
sound of violence.
Serara looked up from the table in time to witness the waitress falling to the ground. A man was towering
over her.
"Don't joke with me! How are you going to deal with this since it's been stained like this?"
The man roared indignantly.
Serara quickly checked their descriptions and noted that both of them were probably People of the Land
since their job descriptions did not match any of the Adventurer classes. In addition, the young man wore
expensive clothes. The man who seemed to be a noble chastened the waitress for her negligence in a
disgruntled manner, remarking that a lowly waitress like her could not possibly afford to compensate him.
The silence within the establishment seemed to encourage the man. He began to criticize the tavern in a
haughty manner, commenting on how small, dirty, and noisy the place was, how this establishment lacked
taste. He scoffed at how it didn't live up to its reputation even after he had bothered to go there himself.
He went on and on about the tavern's various shortcomings in a loud and garish manner.
Serara felt a sense of distaste.
She had been enjoying her meal.
The food here was delicious. While it was indeed rather noisy, this sort of ambiance was not a bad thing.
In truth, did it not seem that everybody here enjoyed themselves? This place was simply the way it was.
Whether you liked it or not, there was no reason to disturb the dining experience of other people, Serara
thought to herself.
"Is this guy an idiot?"
Somebody whispered.
This man was mistaken. This place was not this man's—most likely a noble—usual eating place nor a
restaurant exclusive to high society. Rather, it was an "alleyway restaurant" famous for its delicious pot of
tomato stew.
He was also mistaken about another fact. The clientele was not speechless because they were intimidated
by his status or authority. They were simply stunned by the sheer foolishness of his actions.
"Who is it! Who insulted me just now!"
In response to the man's shrill cries of indignation, three Adventurers rose from their seats. Feeling
threatened, a Person of the Land warrior who looked like the man's guard also stood up. This sudden
development caused the atmosphere within the establishment to be filled with tension.
"Nyanta-san..."
Serara cried out as she huddled in her seat.
It was not out of fear. Serara had taken part in the battle at Sand Leaf peninsula and had even been
involved in its worst part, the defense of Choushi. She was a qualified Adventurer who had also fought
against undead creatures and monsters. Hence, in terms of fighting, the level of danger at the present
moment was not frightening to her. However, the tension resulting from people's conflicting emotions and
the tension of the battlefield were two completely different things. Seeing her wish to get along with
everybody being trampled upon in this manner, Serara felt as though she was being swallowed by an
indescribable, oppressive atmosphere.
"No need to worry nya."
As Nyanta turned to leave, he grabbed the young nobleman by the scruff of his neck at the same time, in
the same manner as how one would grab hold of a cat. The young man was stupefied at being held in this
manner.
"Don't cause a commotion nya. This is a place for people to enjoy dining nya."
"Shut your mouth, commoner!"
"Yours truly is an Adventurer nya."
Nyanta's response caused the man to be at a loss for words. A flustered look appeared on his face.
Indeed, even if the number of People of the Land had increased in the city, this was still Akiba where
more than half the residents were Adventurers.
With great difficulty, the man made a neutral expression. He had probably forgotten this fact.
"This concerns you even less in that case!"
"Ooo~"
"This is a private matter amongst People of the Land. There are differences in social status among us
People of the Land. Since this matter does not concern you Adventurers, please don't butt in. I have no
wish to start a dispute with you people."
"Oh~ It doesn't seem that way to me."
"But you behaved in such an outrageous manner within this establishment which we frequent regularly
eh?"
The three people who had came forward from the depths of the tavern were indeed Adventurers. One of
them performed a healing spell on the young waitress.
The nobleman's guard appeared uneasy. He licked his lips nervously, looking around warily.
The disparity in strength between the two groups was evident just by glancing at their equipment. This
would not have been the case if he was a member of the Knights of Izumo or a knight serving a lord or
even another high-level Adventurer. However being a guard of such a trashy noble, he was only around
level ten or so.
As far as Serara could tell, this particular guard was only good for decoration.
"Young master, it would probably be better if you..."
"This is Akiba nyan. Akiba has its own rules and regulations nya, don't cause a commotion here nya. "
Nyanta walked towards the entrance, interrupting the guard. At first, it seemed as though the young
nobleman was going to throw a tantrum; however, the fact that the tall and slender Nyanta could
effortlessly carry him with one hand despite looking middle-aged caused him to open and close his mouth
wordlessly. When Nyanta reached the door, he swung the young man in front of him with ease.
"Don't worry about the bill nya! Consider it my treat this time nya. Since today's a celebration, it's better
to enjoy yourself instead of going around starting fights nya."
The guard shouted "young master, young master" repeatedly in a panicked voice as Nyanta proceeded to
throw the young nobleman out the door.
The city guard of Akiba would not react over this small an incident. It was common knowledge that as
long as there were no weapons drawn or any physical injury inflicted, the guards would not treat it
seriously.
"Nyanta-san..."
"Don't worry, don't worry, just continue to enjoy your meal nya~"
Serara sighed in relief after hearing these warm words from Nyanta.
Soon, the hustle and bustle of the tavern resumed as the tense atmosphere dissipated. The waitress went
about issuing apologies to the other customers. Receiving replies such as "No need to worry" and "It
couldn't be helped", the girl's face was flushed with embarrassment as she gave her thanks.
"That incident just now was certainly unexpected though."
"That's because the People of the Land have changed drastically nya. Furthermore, since today is a
festival, this city will be filled with people who are unfamiliar with it nya."
Nyanta took a finely cut piece of bread and ate it in one large bite after dipping it in tomato sauce.
"The People of the Land seem to have an aristocratic society nya, they would probably be shocked after
seeing how things are in Akiba nya."
(Why would they be shocked...) Serara was stumped.
Serara had almost never lived anywhere outside of Akiba. She had lived in Susukino for only a short
period of time and was unfamiliar with its urban atmosphere, as she had spent her time hiding in Nyanta's
residence. Therefore, she was completely ignorant of the culture and habits of People of the Land towns.
Serara felt that it would be tragic if the discrimination and abuse she saw were common practices among
their nobility.
However, People of the Land were a part of this world. They had the right to freely promote their own
culture and lifestyle. Nyanta had mentioned this to Serara before. At that time she had not understood the
true significance of those words.
"However, this city is ours nya. You need to follow its customs; good food should be eaten with a smile,
the fun and entertainment of festivals should be enjoyed nya... When it looks as though conflict is
inevitable, people just need to be careful and it should be fine nya."
Serara sighed in relief after Nyanta finished speaking, nodding her head in agreement.
While this festival was for Adventurers such as Serara, it was also the first time an activity had been
organized with the People of the Land in mind. While situations such as the one before might arise in the
future, there was no reason for them to turn back, this was a necessary transition. Serara came to this
conclusion by herself.
The hustle and bustle resumed and the tavern recovered its warm ambiance once again. While this small
storm might have left an impact on people, it did not dampen the hearts of the Adventurers. If such a small
incident affected them, they would be unable to survive in this alternate world.
Akiba's Adventurers had faced many trials and tribulations over the past five months.
Hence, there shouldn't be any problems. Serara relaxed and smiled at Nyanta.
Part 2
On the same night, at a different location, a different pair was working, wallowing in dejection from the
amount of work they had to finish.
They were the beautiful duo leading the Crescent Moon Alliance, Maryele and Henrietta. They were
constantly giving instructions in preparation for the temporary shop's opening and fashion show the next
day.
Crescent Moon Alliance presently had sixty five members. Although the Hamelin incident increased their
numbers, it was still moderately-sized and definitely did not have the manpower to set up stands in the
same manner as the three large-scale production guilds.
Then again, it was a little-known fact that this festival was the suggestion of the medium and small guilds.
New ideas did not just come from the large guilds. As long as an artisan with enough skill had inspiration,
he or she could come up with all sorts of new products. This was the current Akiba. If such emergent
products came from the large guilds, they would be publicized and spread by these large guilds. But if the
artisan came from one of the smaller guilds, it would be harder to do the same.
Such points were given much consideration and formed the basis of this Libra Festival.
In other words, by attracting participants and customers in the name of the Libra Festival, not only the
booths of the small and medium guilds, but even new products could get exposure and popularity from
both Adventurer and People of the Land merchants.
Crescent Moon Alliance had been hoping for such an outcome when they registered their booths.
However, what was truly motivating them was plain and simple enthusiasm. Both Maryele and Henrietta
worked long hours simply because they hoped to enjoy the cultural festival-like atmosphere. Even though
that was the case, they were not going to totally neglect the issue of profits while having fun.
Currently in Akiba, the small and medium guilds had an opportunity to make a fortune. The small-scale
guilds led by Crescent Moon Alliance were all looking forward to this.
Daybreak was just moments away.
The exhausted members of the Crescent Moon Alliance had probably collapsed around various parts of
the guild hall. In the center of the room which the duo were in, there was a table big enough to play pingpong
on with wooden crates piled to its side. Due to the ample space of the new guild hall, it was
possible to partition the workspace in such a manner.
After stuffing a shirt which had been dyed with plant dyes into a wooden crate, Maryele stretched and
took a deep breath, then began talking with Henrietta.
"I say, shall we finish up?"
"Agreed."
At the other end of the table, Henrietta was examining a modest number of documents. After recording
figures on the tally next to her, she attached them to crates.
"Let's end here."
After hearing these words, Maryele gave a long sigh.
The grand opening of the Libra Festival was scheduled for the next day.
In Akiba, there were two main roads which ran perpendicular to each other, dividing the city into four
quarters. The liaison committee allowed stores to set up shop along these streets based on ballot results.
Crescent Moon Alliance had managed to obtain one such store. It was a small booth located at the central
junction where they planned to revive Crescent☪Moon. Returning after a long absence, Crescent Burgers
would obviously be sold at a substantial discount this time around.
"At that time, the price was akin to robbery."
"It was robbery indeed."
The two who were exhausted from packing continued their dialogue with drained expressions.
Even though "the confident, beautiful and big breasted, Kansai-ben guild leader" Maryele and "the
bespectacled, confident onee-sama who you wished would scold you" Henrietta were the pride of the
Crescent Moon Alliance, they were lazing around the office as it was just the two of them. In this manner,
they were indistinguishable from any other female Adventurer.
Henrietta felt as though she would doze off if they continued like this. She shook her partner by the
shoulders shouting "Marie, pull yourself together." But Maryele was not a disciplined person by nature
and even though she nodded repeatedly in acknowledgement, she was totally wasted.
Henrietta gave up and assisted Maryele onto the sofa. Maryele looked as though she had taken root there.
"If you feel like sleeping, go sleep on your bed." However, she insisted on wanting to take a bath first,
stretching Henrietta's patience to its limit.
"If you feel like bathing, why don't you go ahead and do so?"
"I'll rest a bit~ my HP is critical."
"Your HP bar is completely within the green safe zone. Even if it weren't, can't you just heal yourself?"
The bodies of Adventurers had excellent physical characteristics. Even for Henrietta who was a Bard, the
exertion of packing for ten hours straight was no different from light exercise. She was still far from the
point of collapse.
Even though Maryele said and looked like she was physically exhausted, Henrietta suspected that it was
just mental fatigue.
"Lemme rest a while!"
Henrietta gave a deep sigh at her shameless friend and sat beside her.
"Marie, what's the matter?"
"Nothing."
"Don't try to lie to me."
Henrietta shrugged. Maryele was too cute, so she lost the motivation to make a witty comeback.
She could roughly guess the reason why Maryele was being so troublesome.
It probably had something to do with a certain topic of entertainment which had come up repeatedly over
the past month.
Henrietta accessed the in-game menu and cursor mentally.
"— Yes, it's me. Yes, that's correct... No, sorry for troubling you since it's already this late. Hence it's
been like this ever since, that's right."
Henrietta seemed to be talking to the empty air after calling someone through telepathy. As she was
receiving the other party's voice directly in her ear, it looked as though she was talking to herself.
Regardless of that, this form of magical communication could be used to communicate with faraway
friends.
Maryele was aware of this fact, so she was not worried about her friend's mental health. Instead, a look of
seriousness replaced her absentminded expression and she began to panic.
"Henrietta? Who is it? Who are you talking to?"
"Ahahaha. Indeed, indeed, it's as you say, I can't stand it, lazy to the point of being insufferable. Marie is
acting in a troublesome manner again and it's really cute--when she does that she even jiggles her
breasts!"
"Who is it! Who are you talking tooo~!"
"Marie, I'm talking using telepathy, can you quiet down a bit?"
"You're obviously talking about me, how do you expect me to be quiet!"
Maryele grabbed the smirking Henrietta by her shoulders and shook her. However, Henrietta was
experienced enough to deal with such a situation, having known her for such a long time. Using her pale
and slender fingers, Henrietta tickled her behind her ears, mercilessly pushing her away before pinning
her to the couch.
"Yeah, that's right. The merchandise is piling up, I hope that Naotsugu-san can help out— indeed, Marie
will also be happy."
The mention of "Naotsugu" caused Maryele's body to shrink. Henrietta continued her telepathic
conversation leisurely, completely ignoring Maryele.
"Sorry to trouble you. Okay, okay... see you some other time."
Henrietta had a bright smile on her face. She noticed Maryele pouting awkwardly.
"Why is Henrietta such a bully..."
"Bully? Marie must be mistaken."
When Maryele heard these words, a hesitant expression appeared on her pouting face. Set within the
contours of her smooth, oval face, her sparkling eyes, full of expression, were extremely bewitching.
However, Henrietta had no intention of spoiling her or letting Maryele off the hook. Henrietta's hobbies
included both teasing and encouraging her.
"Are you sure it's okay to continue being like this? Naotsugu-san should be here in roughly an hour to help
out."
"He's coming over to help out even though it's so late?"
"Indeed. Since it's hard to just rely on ladies to do all the moving."
Henrietta replied without changing her tone. Maryele stood up suddenly as though she had received an
electric shock, grabbing her cardigans which lay beside her before running off, most likely to go back to
her room to shower.
"I... I'm going out to pick some flowers!"
Uttering something which was obviously an excuse, Maryele left the room in a hurry. "Try your best,"
Henrietta waved at the departing figure and proceeded to sit down on the vacated sofa.
(Marie is still as cute as ever, it looks like I won't have to worry about this for a period of time. Seriously
— this might be for the best.)
Henrietta retrieved a document from her bag and looked through it.
The vague details about Shiroe that Naotsugu disclosed reminded her of something which bothered her.
The document contained records which had been collated by the liaison committee: the guilds, businesses,
groups and individuals who had applied to set up booths. The sheer scale of this festival exceeded
expectations.
This was mainly due to the People of the Land. It wasn't just the League of Freedom Towns Eastal;
merchants and nobles from the west also came to visit Akiba. Akiba's economic potential was far greater
than its population would suggest. The People of the Land were captivated by this fact and scrambled to
Akiba for profits, resulting in this grand exodus.
The members of the liaison committee led by Charasin had foreseen this. However, they realized that the
actual figures exceeded their estimates by a wide margin. Everyone would be in for a shock come the next
day's festival, especially the small and medium guilds.
The school festival-like booths that the Adventurers had set up would probably sell out their products in a
flash. The intentions of the People of the Land and the Adventurers could not be more different. While the
former came for the sake of "making bulk purchases", the latter bought singular items which caught their
fancy.
(However...)
Henrietta readjusted her glasses with her index finger.
The silver-rimmed glasses which were one of Henrietta's defining features shone on her face. There was
something amiss. While Henrietta did not have an extensive work history, she was still well-read and had
a fair amount of accounting experience; she felt as though something unexpected was going to happen.
Henrietta bit her lip. The fear of the unknown was disconcerting.
(If it was Shiroe-sama...)
She could not remember when she started being able to recall that young man's face with such clarity.
As she thought about this carefully, his profile appeared from the depths of her mind. While Henrietta
never had the opportunity to have a frank conversation with Shiroe, whenever that youth was dealing with
a crisis and putting up a brave front, she had always just been watching from the sidelines. In the
conference which led to the formation of the Round Table Council and the one in which Raynesia was
brought forth, Henrietta had observed his profile while staying by his side as only an assistant.
This keen and resolute youth might be able to uncover the reason for the uneasiness in Henrietta's heart.
With such thoughts in mind, Henrietta opened her contact list. However, in the end, she chose not to
contact him. It was a decision that she made after much consideration.
Shiroe was already bearing the burden of multiple responsibilities from the Round Table Council.
Shiroe should be spared from chores related to the festival if possible. This was something that both
Charasin and Henrietta had agreed on. While it was not something that either of them had openly voiced
out, both agreed that the Round Table Council had piled too much work onto Shiroe.
Besides, Shiroe currently had Akatsuki and Minori.
From Henrietta's point of view, these two young ladies possessed incomparable charm.
The sparrow-like Akatsuki was an elegant and beautiful young girl. Her long, flowing black hair was like
a traditional doll's.
The pure and flawless Minori was delicate yet strong. She looked like someone that needed to be doted
upon, yet her sense of responsibility made her distinct to other girls her age.
Knowing how they felt about Shiroe, Henrietta felt that she had no place among them.
Henrietta had always believed that she lacked appeal.
She had difficulty understanding the primal emotion of love. She felt she had no chance at intimate
relationships like Maryele's. She had the desire to doll up Akatsuki, but Henrietta understood that those
kinds of feelings were nothing like the romantic ones that couples shared.
While she did pay special attention to Shiroe, even thinking "Could it be...?" at one point, her feelings
were not truly romantic in nature. She did not feel a need to be wed to him or even crave for his presence.
There was a lack of such burning desires.
"The most outstanding amongst men."
Henrietta had given Shiroe such as assessment.
While she was still far from certain, she had at least verified that it was "those" sorts of feelings.
(In other words, my personality is too plain...)
This fact did not cause her to feel forlorn. She felt happy that thoughts of him came to her mind so often.
Even though she felt that it wouldn't become anything more serious, she was content with the way things
were.
To Henrietta, Akatsuki was a cute friend whom she wished to cherish, while the newcomer Minori was
someone whom she hoped to form a deep friendship with. She was thankful that she was not in the way of
either.
While she was unable to favor any side, she had already resolved to congratulate the one Shiroe chose.
She hoped that Shiroe—
That the lonely, overly-serious trickster would find happiness.
Perhaps Shiroe was the type who could spread happiness to the people around him once he himself was
happy?
Henrietta certainly believed so.
(Although I do wish the three of them would speed things up.)
Henrietta sighed.
In regards to such matters, the two girls and Shiroe were all extremely dense. It was highly probable that
they would encounter difficulty even under smooth-sailing circumstances. This was rather tantalizing
since nothing could be done, even though it was hard not to feel concerned for them.
As Henrietta contemplated the love issues faced by the members of the sister guild, she had all but
forgotten the sense of unease that she felt just moments ago. There was just too much work to be done in
Akiba and too many things to consider.
Part 3
The sky was stained with a shade of gray.
A refreshing October breeze enveloped Akiba early in the morning. The sun had not started its proper
ascent yet; the atmosphere was laden with moisture and tranquility.
Both the Akiba of this world and the Akiba of the old world were similar in topography and geographical
layout. However, they obviously had their differences as well.
The city was covered with ancient trees, the roads and plaza were enveloped in greenery; various parts
had become moss patches or grass fields.
Concealed throughout the city were deciduous trees, as well as plants which bore gem-like fruit. Akiba's
ruined buildings were fused together with nature, turning the city into an intriguing scene.
The autumn dew dripped gently throughout the green streets.
Minori could feel the dew on the tips of her toes as she hurried towards the guild building.
It was the morning of the second day of the Libra Festival.
Today was the second day. Unlike the first day, where there had been a gradual build up in anticipation
for the night's festivities, today would be marked by a series of standard activities.
The activities from the second day onwards included various conventions, a dinner party hosted by
Raynesia, and the "Akiba Fair" that would run continuously from this night till the third day. These were
the highlights of the Libra Festival. Indeed, the festival's main events would start today.
Most likely due to such anticipation, the streets which were normally deserted in the early morning were
filled with a flurry of activity. People were moving packages around, obviously to stock their booths or in
certain cases to restock goods which had been sold out.
Arriving at the entrance of the guild building, it was clear that the level of activity present was even
greater. Many Adventurers could be seen passing through the doorway, both entering and leaving. Giving
greetings full of energy and spirit, Minori entered this obsidian-black building.
Log Horizon was one of the eleven guilds that comprised the Round Table Council. Furthermore, Minori
came here frequently in order to help Shiroe. Including the People of the Land lady who manned the front
counter, many of the Adventurers who worked here were familiar with Minori.
Minori headed to the floor where the reference room and office of the Round Table Council were located,
heading for the Production Guild Liaison Committee. Shiroe had asked her to retrieve documents from
there once, so she knew its location.
This place had been filled with a panicky, disorganized atmosphere since early morning. There was an
ungodly number of wooden boxes. They spilled out through the wide open door and into the corridor.
The Production Guild Liaison Committee played a central role in the festival. Hence it was already busy,
even at this hour. Things that sounded like curses could be heard from within and people could be seen
moving goods and frantically running in and out the door.
Minori entered the room quietly, greeting an Adventurer who she knew. She remembered he was a
Blacksmith from 8th District Shopping Center.
"What's the matter Minori-chan?"
"Eh, um— may I know if Charasin-san is around?"
Minori felt out of place. The correct description would be the feeling that she had 'Carelessly stepped into
someone else's territory'.
The smith, noticing Minori's anxious appearance, smiled and said, "Ah, he's inside, why don't you come
in? Please excuse the mess!" He said this rather loudly, as he was probably delirious from pulling an allnighter.
Minori timidly stepped into the depths of the office.
At such an early hour, Minori had come to this place for a certain reason.
After Minori witnessed the private scene between Akatsuki and Shiroe last night, she had become
depressed at her own shallowness. However, there was something she wished to accomplish during this
Libra Festival: that was to rectify Shiroe's negative image.
Her initial plan was to have Shiroe attract attention by making him participate in the cake-eating
competition. There would subsequently be an opportunity to get him an invitation to the Grand Dinner
Party. Then by having him mingle with the other participants at the dinner party, she had hoped to make
Shiroe more favorable to the public. That had been her original strategy.
(In the end, though, it failed...)
Minori felt that finishing twelve whole cakes was an insurmountable task.
Even though she felt that way, nothing could be done—it was aggravating.
However, a failure was still a failure. Since giving up was not an option, she had to find an alternative
way to accomplish her goal. The plan that Minori had conceived within the unfamiliar portions of her
mind was to get the Production Guild Liaison Committee to help out directly.
It was fortunate that she knew the guild master of 8th District Shopping Center, Charasin, personally. If
Charasin had spare invitation cards to the Grand Dinner Party, was it possible to obtain one from him?
Having this thought in mind, Minori headed for the Production Guild Liaison Committee.
However, it seemed that Charasin might be too busy for such matters. Minori had arrived at the central
office (or was it the meeting room?) of the Production Guild Liaison Committee. Within this big room
was a wall of documents.
Minori was accustomed to such a scene. Shiroe's study was also strewn with large amounts of documents.
In this world without computers, it was easy for documents to pile up. However, the mess in Shiroe's
study paled in comparison to that of this room. At least in Shiroe's study, it was evident that effort was
taken to tidy or minimize the mess. The only thing evident within this room was chaos and disorder.
At one corner of the office table in the center of the room, Charasin and his young assistant were trying
their best to defend the borders of a territory known as "work space". However their efforts were in vain.
Due to the encroaching barbarians— which were the mess of reports, they were at the edge of defeat.
Minori was hesitant to disturb Charasin due to the situation he was in. At this moment, behind Minori, a
young man entered the room and reported energetically.
"Charasin-san! Here are the southern district's inventories and ledgers! I'll leave things to you~!"
The youth simply added these to the stack of documents and left. However, that simple action triggered a
massive change in the battlefield that was the table. The scene likened to a horde of barbarians charging
forward at full speed while blasting their battlehorns. The unstable pile of documents promptly collapsed
like dominoes.
"Arrggh!" "Eek!"
Charasin and his assistant screamed aloud, their faces went pale with despair. After swearing
simultaneously, the two of them proceeded to restack the fallen documents. Minori decided that it was a
good time to help, and timidly raised her voice.
"Do you need help?"
"This is screwed up. Eh? Aren't you..."
"You're someone from Shiroe-san's side. If I recall, Minori-chan?"
"That's right. Let me give you a hand."
Minori rolled up the long sleeves of her outfit. She could not bring herself to leave this messy mountain of
documents alone. Furthermore, if she helped out now, Charasin might develop a good impression of her
and might be more willing to grant her 'request'. Minori had these considerations in mind.
"Yeah, that would be great, thanks... Taro, make me a cup of tea, make it a strong one please."
"Yes, right away!"
The youth who had been working non-stop for an unknown length of time left the room unsteadily. After
watching him leave, Minori and Charasin started gathering the sheets paper strewn around the place. Most
of them looked like booth application forms. There were also trade-related applications, letters of
inquiry, letters of instruction, tax forms and various other documents. All of these had been lumped
together under the rationale that "the contents are roughly the same anyway", forming the mountain of
documents.
"Charasin-san... um, these are all different types of documents."
"I know they're all different, but we lost track of their organization. Moreover there was no proper format
or standard to begin with. Even documents of the same type have completely different contents."
Charasin sighed dejectedly.
"I never knew it would be so troublesome. Seriously, People of the Land can be so hard to deal with. I
wonder if we should tax them as well..."
"People of the Land? What about them?"
"It's nothing, really. In business, it's normal to add on or even to change your merchandise at the last
minute. But I never expected such a large number of people. Or the fact that the documents would be
written in such a haphazard manner. This is probably due to a difference in culture I guess. If it were our
own guild, it wouldn't be much of an issue. But the Round Table Council wanted this festival to be
properly documented."
'You can see the rest, I'm sure?' Charasin indicated with a shrug. The mess in front of them was rather
intimidating. Even though they understood the importance of an efficient filing system, the influx of
various inquiries and tasks made it almost impossible to organize the documents properly.
Charasin was someone who Shiroe held in high esteem. He had an excellent ability to think critically and,
when needed, could come to a decision quickly. The people under him, too, seemed very diligent.
Despite the lack of organization, they were able to set aside the problem and continue their operations due
to his sound judgment. The current situation was still manageable, but Charasin was becoming desperate.
There were delays in the processing of documents, regardless of whether they were old or new.
"I'll stay here and help out today."
"Are you sure? Isn't Log Horizon also busy today?"
Minori gave a moment's consideration before offering to help. The plan involving the cake-eating contest
had been discontinued, hence she truly had time to spare.
"I'm quite free right now."
"In that case, even though it's rather embarrassing, we'll be relying on you... To be honest, I don't have
time to sort out these documents. Henrietta also seems rather busy today."
Minori nodded in response to what Charasin had just said. Shiroe had mentioned to her that Henrietta was
also involved in the business of the liaison committee. Perhaps the current mess was due to her absence,
having gone to one of the conventions.
"I guess I'll just have to sort them out one at a time."
Minori shifted the documents next to her onto the floor. Reaching into her bag, she retrieved a piece of
parchment and ink. Although her level was not high, she had crafted these herself.
Using her unsheathed knife as a paperweight, she started to go through the pile of documents, starting from
the top. There was no need to rush, however speed was essential— this one was a warehouse receipt.
Minori nodded to herself, placing it within an area which had been partially cleared. That made one
receipt. This here was a report made by patrol officers regarding the discovery of a security breach. That
made one report.
This was just the start and it was only the first step. Even if it was a small step, it wasn't cause to be
discouraged. The results would obviously be small in the beginning. The important thing was to remain
focused and consistent while moving forward.
(After all, I haven't done anything yet.)
Even though she worshipped Shiroe—and even had feelings for him—she had not taken any steps. The
searing pain that Minori had felt when she had discovered this truth was still burning within her heart.
Since it was like this, she needed do something about it.
Since she had feelings for Shiroe, she wanted to do something for him.
She was just an ordinary middle-schooler. But in order to meet these feelings of love head-on, Minori
hoped that she would be able to offer something to Shiroe.
This was the resolution that Minori had made after she overcame the agony that had seared in her heart on
that particular night.
Before, she just blindly worshipped him and chased after him, seeking to reach his level without any other
consideration. But now, her heart held a new objective.
Had she only wanted to follow in Shiroe's footsteps, wanted to see the same scenery that he saw, then
reaching his level would have been fine. But if she wanted to help him, she would have to acquire other
abilities. Walking down his path but seeking to acquire a different set of abilities would definitely be
hard, however the current Minori wished to move forward on such a path.
The physical abilities of the Adventurers, such as their sight and reflexes, had been greatly enhanced.
Minori used these abilities to separate the documents with astonishing speed. Skimming through their
contents, documents that she thought took priority were placed in a wooden box to the side. These were
documents which needed to be checked by Charasin immediately. Other documents were sorted into
appropriate categories.
The subclass which Minori now had was Apprentice. Minori hated the Tailor subclass and wished to
switch out of it as soon as she was able. However, she had found it difficult to decide on a new subclass.
While she was deliberating, Shiroe suggested that she choose the Apprentice subclass in the meantime.
The Apprentice was one of the 'subclasses'; however, it was quite different from the others. It was similar
to role-playing subclasses like Accountant or Fortune Teller, but was even more special.
An Apprentice could register another player as a "teacher" and receive abilities based on that player's
subclass, "copying" over a few low-level skills. Minori could craft parchment and ink because she had
registered Shiroe as her teacher— that was to say, those skills were copied over from Shiroe.
Apprentices received experience bonuses, so it was not hard to level up. Furthermore, the fact that skills
were copied over from the teacher made it even more easy. However, because an Apprentice could only
copy skills that were mid-level and below and the subclass lacked its own "unique set of skills", it was
not very popular.
An Apprentice's true defining feature was only evident after maturity. Apart from some special subclasses
that had specific requirements, an Apprentice could switch to any subclass, and the skills pertaining to the
new subclass would carry over along with all their current subclass experience.
For example, when a level 30 Apprentice switched subclasses to a Chef, he or she would become a level
30 Chef with the same level of experience as an Adventurer who had been a Chef since level one.
It was perfectly fine to start out as an Apprentice if you wanted to be a Blacksmith, which was quite
tedious to train. However, a teacher was required and the list of items you could make would not increase
as you leveled up so you would have to resort to other methods to increase your repertoire, which was
one of the problems.
Minori was not concerned with such issues.
She had chosen this subclass to follow Shiroe, so those limitations were not really an obstacle. Having
access to Shiroe's Scribe abilities was a great help in tackling this mess of documents in the current
situation.
Minori roughly [formatted] the inexpensive parchment. Taking a sales application form, she listed down
its items one by one. After she verified them, she made a "duplicate" and placed the original into a
wooden box. Extracting desired information from documents was a task which Minori was very familiar
with as it was something she had learned while assisting Shiroe with his work.
Minori looked at the mountain of documents.
Most likely this particular battlefield contained "something" that Shiroe had already acquired, that one
was not able to obtain from the fights in Elder Tales. Minori currently was unable to grasp or understand
what this "something" was.
The knowledge which Shiroe had imparted to her held many clues. The "Teachings of Shiroe" that Minori
listened to contained many battle strategies from the time when Elder Tales was still a game. But it did
not contain just that.
How to run a guild, records of past battles, the emotions experienced when playing online games—
happiness, sadness, injustice, forgiveness—the conflicts beyond the game itself, and the situations that
would arise when different interests clashed. The secret of "that" was probably hidden within the things
Shiroe had taught her.
However, Minori was inexperienced. She had to rely on such information like a crutch.
— That was why she wished to stay here and help out.
So as to not become a burden, Minori decided to stay here. She resolved to keep on fighting. This had
once been Shiroe's battlefield, but it was now the target of her objective.
"Minori-chan has such a neat technique."
"That's because I'm Shiroe-san's disciple."
Minori replied with a smile on her face. She had a steadfast expression which was not present the night
before.
Part 4
"Thanks—!"
"Acknowledged, there's five left~"
"Hey, I'm out! Bring some more here!"
On the morning of the second day of the festival, the city was filled with the clamor of activity.
Such a festival was unprecedented. No one was able to grasp the overall situation; not even Charasin, the
head of the Production Guild Liaison Committee which oversaw the festival. After all, this festival had
been initiated at the behest of the small and medium guilds who had wanted an opportunity to publicize
their new products.
Due to the large scale of the festival, the Production Guild Liaison Committee had its hands full. It was
easy to assume that the city was in a similar state of chaos.
However, the reality was rather different. This was because the city's Adventurers were filled with spirit
and vitality.
In this alternate world, many of the Adventurers did not know what to do with their enhanced capabilities.
Or rather, they were just bored. There were two ways they could go about their boredom: fall into
depression or, in a case like the festival, help out and work. Because the latter was the default choice, the
festival received a large amount of assistance.
Located on "The Bridge of All-Ages", a main road in Akiba, there was a large tent set up beside the
parking space for carriages. Although this structure was called a tent, it was open on all sides, simply
consisting of a roof supported by heavy metal struts at its four corners. It served as a simple field HQ.
Members of the Black Sword Knights could be seen constantly coming and going and the person sitting on
a folding chair planted in the middle of the tent, sticking out like a sore thumb, was their guild master,
"Black Sword" Isaac.
"Give me a drink!"
"There aren't enough Summoners, dispatch some more!"
"There are no more Summoners available, so if you need more manpower, you'll just have to make do
with what's available—if you need hot water or ice, go find yourself a Sorcerer."
"We're not just replacements for Summoners, you bastards! Ah, the ice is ready, go on and take it."
In a manner similar to the city's current bustle, the tent was also filled with incessant activity.
Akiba had a handful of combat guilds and Black Sword Knights was one of them. It was famed as the
guild exclusive to 'Adventurers of the highest caliber who have been specially selected'. It was also
known as a guild which specialized in completing challenging, high level quests. Most of its members
were obviously hardcore gamers and the guild possessed a steadfast unity. This was the impression given
to outsiders. However in truth, they were just a rowdy bunch.
"Hey, you guys are damn noisy!"
A loud coarse voice silenced the warriors' racket. It was the guild master, a Guardian named Isaac, who
was famous throughout Akiba. He had a head full of blood-red hair and a confident, contemptuous smile
on his face.
"You're really naggy, commander."
"You should just stay in your seat, boss."
"Chief is an idiot, his manner lacks consideration."
The comments made by the people who surrounded him caused Isaac to laugh heartily, as though he had
been complimented. This was the way things were in Black Sword Knights. Isaac, who was given
reproachful looks by his surrounding subordinates, yelled things such as "Ha! You guys seem rather
energetic as usual!".
"The third sector's patrol team had returned."
"Great, thanks for your hard work."
Isaac greeted the three-man team which had just returned to the city. 'Ain't I a great guy, who shows
concern? Greeting my men immediately shows that I have the mark of a true leader.' This was the internal
monologue that played out in Isaac's mind. Regardless, Isaac did indeed have the appearance of a leader.
"So how did it go? Hm, did anything happen?"
"Indeed. We rescued a carriage which was stuck in a ditch, appeased a few brokers who were quarreling
with each other, settled a payment dispute... things like that?"
"Good, that's the way!"
Isaac nodded like a boss, responding to his guild members' report.
Indeed, Black Sword Knights had taken the initiative to patrol the downtown area.
The small and medium guilds were unable to handle the unprecedented number of People of the Land
nobles and merchants who had heard of the Libra Festival. Many merchants and businessmen had come in
order to sell their wares. There was a need to deploy personnel to handle them and settle the disputes
which broke out.
The Production Guild Liaison Committee was extremely hardworking; however, they were just an
organization which coordinated the interests of the guilds. Furthermore, their main duty was related to
matters regarding the booths, so they had no capacity to handle the disputes in the downtown area.
Given these circumstances, Isaac had formed a patrol force responsible for policing the People of the
Land.
This place was the "Bridge of All Ages", erected over the Kanda Canal, south of the downtown area.
Travelers coming from Izu or from areas further west would have to cross the bridge to enter Akiba. The
"policing" duty was actually rather simple. They would note down the merchants' names, the number of
personnel in the group, the number of carriages as well as their contents—and that was it.
Compared to an immigration checkpoint in the old world, the checks were rather lax.
Isaac believed that the only requirement for this job was an intimidating appearance.
That was to say, you just had to be bold and resolute.
Black Sword Knights intentionally wore imposing armor suited for travelling. This was a preemptive
tactic. Their striking appearance put "the fear of the law" into the hearts of those who came to visit the
city, sending them a clear message: "if you try anything funny, someone is going to get hurt." Everything
was handled using a combination of intimidation and prudence.
"Someone looks really free."
"Don't bother me for nothing. How are things at your side?"
Isaac appraised the approaching figure with a keen gaze. This well-built man who wore glasses was
Isaac's peer, one of the eleven members of the Round Table Council and the leader of D.D.D.
He was someone whom Isaac did not wish to trifle with. Whether as a guild master or as a Guardian, he
was the only one in the server who could match Isaac.
"There are no problems on my side as well."
Krusty raised the corners of his mouth slightly. Isaac judged this was how this bespectacled man smiled.
They had known each other since the days when this was a game. Though they belonged to different
guilds, they were both highly ranked and competed for the Yamato server's top position. They had also
spoken to each other quite a number of times. It would be completely wrong to say that they did not give a
damn about each other's existence—they were rivals.
Large combat guilds such as the Black Sword Knights and D.D.D were extremely concerned with being
the best at raids. The new raids which were included in every new expansion provided new challenges.
These fresh battlefields were like virgin snow, untouched by the intrusion of anyone.
Their difficulty was obviously high.
Since these raids were designed to challenge skilled players accustomed to completing both individual
and group objectives, the difficulty was extreme. The difficulty was designed with skilled players in
mind. In order to beat them, players had to train to the highest level, have the best equipment and possess
the strongest resolve. In other words, they had to be insanely hardcore players.
These new raids were an amalgamation of five to seven separate types of dungeons, the difficulty of these
dungeons normally varied. It was a rule that the first ones to attempt these raids would end up completely
wiped out, even if they had started from the easiest dungeons.
In those days, Isaac and his comrades did not fear such dungeons. Instead, they licked their lips fearlessly.
"This is going to be an enjoyable feast." This was the meaning behind that gesture.
Repeated battles, accumulated experience, beating the powerful final boss, these were accomplishments
that couldn't be described with plain words. As a bonus reward, they earned Phantasmal-class items with
potentially powerful abilities, resulting in an increase in their comrades' battle-strength. Using the item
drops to increase their battle strength, they would then take on an even more difficult dungeon. They
constantly repeated that process over and over again.
This race did not just involve the Black Sword Knights. Yamato server's strongest, D.D.D, competed with
them as well. Who would be the first to defeat this boss? Who would be the first to clear that dungeon?
The large scale guilds were competing for such bragging rights.
A guild which fought for the sake of reputation.
This was how Isaac envisioned a large-scale combat guild.
Obtaining Phantasmal-class items was just a bonus.
In Isaac's opinion, greedy gamers who played just for the sake of getting rare items were not considered
warriors. Black Sword Knights denied such players from joining its ranks.
"Yeah. But..."
Isaac eyed the man in front of him as he sat in his chair.
"This calmness is making me lethargic. Won't it be better if something happened, to spice things up a bit?"
"That's hard to say."
"Can't the People of the Land start a dispute with us?"
This well-built, expressionless and indifferent man was also similar in nature to Isaac. Rank, ability,
equipment and gold were all means to an end. He was a true player, one who had aimed to make his guild
the top one in the Yamato server. Because of this, he was also willing to involve himself in mundane tasks
like patrols. Because he could increase his reputation in this manner, but above all, because it gave him
something to spend his time on.
"The difference in military strength is so great... the chances of this happening is roughly fifty percent I
guess."
"Ha! What an assessment."
Isaac had learned to expect certain things from this bespectacled youth. If he said something, then it was
likely to be true. Isaac personally felt that his statement was accurate as well.
"Hey."
"What's up?"
"That fellow. What's with 'Black Heart'?"
"What do you mean?"
Krusty returned Isaac's question with another question in his infuriating manner. Isaac glared at him,
however it did not seem as though Krusty was trying to act dumb. Isaac shrugged and continued with the
topic at hand.
"I can't really say if 'Black Heart' is smart or stupid."
"It's not impossible for him to be both?"
"I offered 'Black Heart' an invitation to join my guild once."
It was not known if the aforementioned person remembered this event.
Isaac had decided to play along during the formation of the Round Table Council. However, he
remembered a certain incident with clarity. That was a few months after the Debauchery Tea Party had
suddenly disbanded. People had speculated that it would eventually reform itself in the form of a guild,
however that had not been the case. The Tea Party vanished, its members either left the game completely
or resumed their solo player styles.
Shiroe was one of the rare players who had maintained his frequency of gameplay.
"After the Tea Party broke up, that 'Black Heart' participated in various raids as a mercenary. I invited
him when he came here to form a party. And I invited him 'cause of his playing style, not 'cause he was
associated with the Tea Party."
"What happened in the end?"
Krusty asked. Isaac cracked his neck causally and replied.
"He rejected it, with something like 'Sorry, I'm unable to meet the expectations such an invitation implies'.
In the end, I wasn't bothered by it. Of course I'd want such a monstrous sonuva bitch like him in my guild,
but I had no need for a player who had lost his resolve."
Isaac had indeed given up on inviting Shiroe.
But he had been unable to foresee the extent of Shiroe's growth, as well as the fact that he would cause
such a scene in Akiba. Could it be that his initial evaluation had been a mistake? Isaac was bothered by
this matter.
If he were asked whether he wanted to side with Shiroe, the answer would be a resounding YES.
Battling alongside that eccentric, bespectacled fellow would probably prove to be an interesting
experience. It was likely that he would use methods as twisted as his visage to alter the outcome of the
battlefield to the limits of what was possible. That had been the case when Isaac had partied with him.
Where he was present, in situations wherein people were normally running out of MP, they found that at
least ten of them could leisurely recover— it was mind-boggling.
"Is he a schemer or a gambler... someone who will burn out or someone whose ability improves over
time?"
"Shiroe-kun— is probably the sort who performs the best in a situation where 'Anything goes'."
"Anything goes, huh..."
"I wouldn't consider him a schemer. He's reckless, unscrupulous, and doesn't care about the rewards; he
just wants to accomplish his goals. In a situation with no limits, his strength is incomparable. It's akin to a
demonic blade."
Up to this point, Isaac had been unable to follow the things which Krusty said. But upon hearing it said in
this manner, he experienced an epiphany.
What Isaac had observed of the past Shiroe was just his shell.
The imposing man they had seen at the conference that led to the formation of the Round Table Council
was Shiroe's true form. Isaac was exhilarated at this thought; he laughed out loud while facing the big man
standing next to him.
"So that's why the demonic blade is currently groaning under the pile of work we buried him in. In that
case, when will you unsheathe it again? Since that fellow has his uses. Well then... I think I'll go around
and take a look at the festival. Hey Krusty, join me will you!"
After Isaac gave an earful to a reporting subordinate, he invited Krusty to come along. They left together
in the direction of their city, filled with both Adventurers and People of the Land.
Part 5
Going a short while back in time. On another corner street, the ladies of Crescent Moon Alliance were
preparing for the winter fashion show.
The location was at a place known as the "Shirogane Hall". It had been renovated to create this exhibition
space.
In the old world, the building which contained the exhibition hall faced a large electronics store.
However, in this alternate world's Akiba, these had been replaced with ruins.
The current Shirogane Hall was the result of 2 months' worth of time-consuming renovations. Although it
was in ruins, only the upper floors had their access cut off. Other than that, it was more or less intact. The
high ceilings of the place, similar to a hotel lobby's, made it even easier to renovate.
Pouring cement into a frame made with wooden planks, then using plaster to shape the exterior. With the
successful implementation of such a method, the renovation work had been made much easier. This
method was invented after the formation of the Round Table Council. Because Adventurers had the ability
to craft items quickly, the work could be carried out swiftly. Another assisting factor was the fact that the
labor force was headed by elves.
Shirogane Hall had been partitioned into various areas for respective events and other purposes. The
place set aside for the main activity of the autumn festival was the largest hall in the building. Many guilds
had set up booths within this space and were busy with last minute preparations.
Crescent Moon Alliance's clothing retail team was just one team among many others from different guilds.
They were currently sprucing up their own booth.
The booth's area was five square meters. This was all taken up by the table which contained the cash
register and the boxes which stored their merchandise. They set up the display cases, which had been
converted from cupboards, arranging their signature products within—shirts colored with plant-based
dyes.
Apart from Maryele, there were others who were manning the booth as well, acting as sales assistants.
Akatsuki, who had been dragged here early this morning, was at one corner of the store, being dressed up
by a fanatic Henrietta.
"Akatsuki-chan is really cute! Seriously! I think I might faint!"
"This outfit is fine, I guess..."
Akatsuki protested in this manner while raising her gaze, causing Henrietta to swoon in adoration. ❤s
were popping out from her body. When Akatsuki tried to escape, Henrietta grabbed her by her wrist. "It's
not over yet," she declared mercilessly.
Akatsuki was wearing the booth's merchandise. She wore a waistcoat colored with plant dyes
complementing a black top worn underneath, and an asymmetrical cotton skirt. The tassels on the hem of
the skirt and the wooden-bead necklace created an ethnic feel. It was very cute.
"Why don't you apply some makeup since you rarely have the opportunity."
"Such a thing... uu, I'm not really used to it."
"It's not a problem—Relax."
Henrietta kneeled down so that she was eye to eye with Akatsuki. Akatsuki looked extremely uneasy and
was planning to escape, however Henrietta gave a 'no' gesture with the eyeliner in her hand. She blocked
Akatsuki, sealing off all her escape routes.
Women had much better complexions in this alternate world. In Akatsuki's opinion, there was no need for
makeup at all.
However, makeup was not something which was applied because it was "needed". "You look great".
Girls were not satisfied with just achieving this level—this was part of their nature.
Akatsuki was not averse to makeup herself. In the old world, she applied makeup, albeit sparingly. (A
fact she hid out of embarrassment).
Furthermore, in this alternate world, it made one feel vain to appraise one's own face in a mirror.
In their original world, applying makeup was something done without a second thought. However, when
you considered it carefully, it may have actually been a symbolic action. Wasn't it equivalent to changing
skin textures in game terms? In a sense, it was similar to changing one's identity.
While Akatsuki had used makeup in the original world, her experience was limited to the application of
lip gloss. She had never painted her lips or used mascara before.
"Guu~"
"Akatsuki-chan is the image of Japanese beauty."
"?"
While Akatsuki was busy reminiscing on her personal experience with makeup, Henrietta had been
swiftly applying it on her. Akatsuki was helpless and sat stiffly as Henrietta used a fine lipstick to define
the lines of her lips.
"Relax, I've only applied a light layer of makeup. Though, it still looks natural enough to fool those stupid
men who can't tell the difference anyways— Furthermore, Akatsuki-chan fits the image of a Japanese
beauty, so if you wear this sort of ethnic-themed outfit or an outfit that is too casual, the effect would be
rather clashing. Hence we need to intensify the colors a bit. We'll also fix up your hair with a hairpin."
Akatsuki could only nod her head in response.
Indeed, as Akatsuki looked downwards, she noted that this sort of dress which was ethnic-themed or
village-themed did not match her black hair.
Following Henrietta's directions, Akatsuki used a few pieces of blotting paper, removing most of the oil
on her face. Henrietta exclaimed "Hu hu! So cute~". She grabbed Akatsuki and hugged her with a “XD”
expression on her face.
Until recently, Akatsuki would have felt offended at being treated as a mascot. However, for some strange
reason, she could tolerate such treatment in this world of Elder Tales.
(Is it because I don't feel like I'm being looked down on?)
While that might have been the case, Akatsuki still resisted slightly. Noticing this, Henrietta released her
after tidying up her hair with a hairpin. The hairstyle which she saw in the mirror consisted of her normal
straight long hair, however as it had been affixed with the hairpin, it gave her the feel of an oneesan.
Akatsuki used to think that such a hairstyle did not go well with her short stature, so she had avoided it.
However, that did not seem to be the case once she actually saw it. Akatsuki relaxed her expression
involuntarily.
(The feel of an oneesan... I like the sound of that!)
"How is it?"
"Well... ah."
Akatsuki was speechless. She felt delighted inside, but to actually admit that would make her
uncomfortable. She didn't want to look like she was showing off. At the same time, though, it would be
ungrateful of her to deny her feelings after Henrietta had spent so much time on her.
Her clothes and makeup were all products featured in this exhibition.
"Do you not like it? Shiroe-sama, it's cute isn't it?"
"Uh, eh?"
Akatsuki's hesitation was erased by Henrietta's words. It was as though she had been petrified by
Medusa's gaze. A chill ran down her back. (It couldn't be?) she thought uneasily.
"Mm, I think it suits her."
A deep calm voice appeared from behind her—a voice which always sounded a bit troubled. It came
from Akatsuki's lord, Shiroe.
"When did you—"
"I just arrived. After all, I've been asked to help out as well."
Shiroe shrugged while he continued. Akatsuki was unable to meet his gaze. Akatsuki's mouth was
trembling in a weird shape, it was as though it was not her part of her body.
Unaware of the hidden feelings that were present, Henrietta asked, "How is this current getup?" pushing
the reluctant Akatsuki (who felt like hiding) forward.
Akatsuki frantically tried to hide behind Shiroe's back, however Henrietta gently grabbed hold of her and
held her tight. While Akatsuki could easily push Henrietta away and escape, that was too extreme a
course of action.
In the end, Akatsuki had to put up with her current appearance, she looked accusingly at both Henrietta
and Shiroe. What she thought to be an obvious expression of her hatred looked like puppy eyes to the
other two. It was simply gorgeous.
"Relax Akatsuki, that look suits you."
Shiroe placed his hand on top of Akatsuki's head. Whenever Shiroe did that, her temperature would rise
easily. Akatsuki hated that part of herself. Shiroe might have replied out of reflex or courtesy, but
Akatsuki was delighted nonetheless. This caused her some conflict.
(Agh! I don't have the right to be considered a shinobi!)
Akatsuki frantically tried to restore her original expression. However, she lacked her usual confidence
today.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Shiroe-sama, please wear these clothes."
Shiroe gave a dejected expression when he looked through the clothes that Henrietta had given him. While
they appeared comfortable, Shiroe did not seem to like them. Akatsuki felt a tiny bit of happiness with
regard to this fact.
(My lord, this is your punishment for humiliating me.)
Since Shiroe was always seen wearing fancy clothes, Akatsuki wished to see how he looked like in
casual clothes. Just as Akatsuki was about to open her mouth to say something, she was interrupted by a
clear ringing sound that came from outside.
There was a brief moment of silence. Then it was broken by what sounded like cheering, and clapping
also started from an unknown source.
Maryele, who had appeared in front of the three of them, was also clapping her hands happily.
— It had begun. This was the first festival organized by the Adventurers in this alternate world. At this
exhibition which was one of the main events of the festival, the large hall was filled with all sorts of
clothing and accessories.
"Alright, who's coming today? I hope business will be great... though making a 100 pieces might have
been too much, just try your best everybody!"
"The show's about to start. Shiroe-sama, Akatsuki-chan... please help out for this half of the day. The two
of you are the models for our booth, try hard to achieve good results!"
Shiroe and Akatsuki lost to the bright smiles on the faces of those two. They could only nod repeatedly in
response.
It was the second day of the Libra Festival. The curtains were rising. The highlight of this exhibition was
about to begin.
Name: Minori
Age: 14
Weapon:
Diligence
Specialty: Full
Battle Control
(Simplified
Version)
Birthday: 18
September
Favorite
Food:
Cauliflower
Equipment
Plain Denim Skirt
A regular long skirt without any special
abilities, made from from denim cloth.
However, it is so well-sewn that you can feel
the sincerity in the workmanship. It was
actually made by a People of the Land artisan
who was inspired by the designs of
Adventurer outfits. Minori bought it without
knowing about this fact.
Freshwater Pearl Scrunchie
A scrunchie made from small freshwater
pearls. When Minori became Shiroe's
assistant, the opportunities to tie up her hair
increased, hence Henrietta passed her
personal scrunchie to her. It can also be worn
as a bracelet.
White Bespectacled Bear Doll
A doll that Minori made. It was made as one
of the items to be traded in the city originally.
However, she liked the doll so much that she
kept it. Its eyes are too sharp no matter how
you look at it, but its owner likes this part
about it.
Chapter 4: Confusion
Part 1
The entire floor was jam-packed right from the start.
There were teams of Adventurers representing their guilds, girls shopping for the lowest prices, traders
queuing to buy the works of renowned artisans, and noblemen merchants dressed in their splendor.
Although the crowd had been expected, few guilds had foreseen that it would be such a grand spectacle.
The scene was chaotic, with various stalls busy touting customers.
This large hall was the venue for the clothing expo.
Since the wares here were limited to "clothing", not all the production guilds had set up booths here. It
was a matter of course that the three big production guilds, who had at least 500 members each, had
various departments that catered to different industries and needs. However, the small or medium-sized
guilds would usually choose to specialize in a specific type of product.
For instance, Amenona was a weapons production guild that was known to all of Akiba's insiders. It
specialized in the production of Japanese swords. All of its members were high-level Blacksmiths. Their
dedication, which stemmed from their near-freakish obsession with quality, allowed them to rediscover
the techniques for manual forging in this post-Catastrophe world. Such a guild would obviously not have
Tailors, and would naturally not partake in the exhibition held within this building.
However, the entire Libra Festival was a big opportunity for all sorts of guilds and artisans.
This floor was a market which specialized in clothing and was indoors at the request of the female
Adventurers. However, a 'flea market' was also being held outside concurrently, centered along the main
streets. The open-air stalls there were selling all sorts of different wares.
The clothing market was held in the building's interior, but the market outside sold weapons, armor, and
even jewelry. To be honest, the heart of the festival was obviously the 'flea market' being held outside;
however, the clothing expo also received a significant amount of attention as well.
The clothing market's main event was the 'fashion show'. Basically, it was an event featuring the clothing
various guilds had designed with as much attention to detail as their ingenuity. Models would wear these
fashion items and parade on a runway. The models were Adventurers famous in Akiba for their popularity
or appearance. With so many of them gathered and appearing in the show, it wouldn't be surprising if a
good portion of the crowd were actually here as fans instead of shoppers.
The booths were split into two categories: large and small.
The large booths had more personnel and had a greater variety of wares on display. These were the
booths of the large-size guilds. They were situated against walls, making the transportation of goods an
easy task.
The area in the middle of the floor had been partitioned into semi-open spaces for the small booths. These
were used by the small and medium-size guilds.
Crescent Moon Alliance's booth was not situated in a good location. It was rather far from the center of
the floor, but it was not close to the walls either. With regards to the crowd's traffic, it was a rather
unfavorable location, it was also far from the fashion show's runway. Hence, it was expected that their
business would be a bitter struggle.
However, Crescent Moon Alliance was different from the pure production guilds. "Let's try anything as
long as it interests us!" That was the sort of guild it was. In fact, its booth was only set up by the members
who had expressed an interest in doing so. It was not a concerted effort by the entire guild.
Since the Crescent Moon Alliance was a friendly guild full of equally-friendly Adventurers, players, even
council members, were willing to lend them a hand if they asked. However, when compared to pure
production guilds, their experience in business was a little lacking. If, perchance, they got a good
location, rumors of them abusing their position in the Round Table Council were bound to come up. In this
sense, their location was very appropriate.
"Say, isn't this crowd a bit ridiculous?"
Henrietta grabbed hold of Maryele, who had lost her composure and was exclaiming "wuah~, wuah~".
She took this guild leader, who had such a voluptuous body that it incited hatred from others, dragged her
back to the counter, and sat her down on a stool.
"Marie, you are a guild master, how can you lose your cool like that? Do me a favor and sit here quietly."
"You're right. It's just that, how do I put it in words, I haven't seen so many people in quite a while..."
Maryele felt restless inside and was unable to settle down.
What she had said was indeed true. In the original world, taking a crowded train was a common routine.
In the heart of Tokyo Prefecture, it was a common sight to see thousands of pedestrians going about their
business in front of train stations or at crossroad junctions.
However, ever since they came to this world due to the Catastrophe, they never had the opportunity to see
such scenes anymore. Despite the fact that Akiba's central plaza was filled with activity, it never felt
crowded due to its spacious open area.
This place made people reminisce of the crowded conditions back in their original world. The crowd had
rushed in immediately after the opening, gathering around the myriad booths to shop.
The fact that they could still afford to quarrel despite this ongoing commotion proved that Crescent Moon
Alliance's booth was away from the main traffic of the crowd.
Like a waterfall splashing against the rocks below, the bulk of the crowd first swarmed the booths of the
large-scale guilds situated next to the walls. Subsequently, smaller streams of people made their way
towards the booths of the small and medium guilds which were located near the stage.
However, they were only able to afford the luxury of observing the crowd in such a detached manner for
roughly half an hour.
After the large guilds had attracted long queues, a significant number of people started to think in the
following manner: "Isn't it better if we looked at the smaller booths rather than line up now?"
Henrietta had initially planned to deploy Maryele (or rather her smile) on the frontline, with herself
serving as the cashier and accountant. However, current circumstances made this increasingly difficult to
do.
The number of People of the Land was greater than expected.
The members of Crescent Moon Alliance who were stationed at this stall were Maryele, Henrietta, and
two Tailors. Apart from this booth and the fashion show, the Crescent Moon Alliance had also set up an
al-fresco restaurant and a weapons shop at the flea market.
As Maryele was the guild master, it was expected of her to make an appearance at every one of their
booths. Henrietta had decided that it would be best to keep Maryele here only until this afternoon after the
fashion show. By doing so, only the two inexperienced guild members would be left to man the booth.
Henrietta snuck a look at the aforementioned two. They shook their heads in response.
The meaning behind it was clear. "No way, no way, we're not familiar with this!" The two of them were
expressing this through their gazes.
Henrietta was negotiating business and sighing internally at the same time.
If the other party was an Adventurer who simply wanted to buy outdoor clothes for daily use, there would
hardly be an issue. Since they were all from another world, they were all equally unfamiliar with
conducting such business. Thus what they were doing could be better described as merely "playing
business". But that was more than enough for Adventurers.
On the other hand, the People of the Land were mostly merchants and traders.
Furthermore, the purpose of their visit was not simply to pick out clothes that they liked. They were here
to gather information, make new contacts, and, if possible, to negotiate the establishment of a supply line.
Hence, they would make inquiries about the price, the materials, and even in depth details such as how
things were sewn.
(However, I have neither the experience nor the know-how for such a responsibility...)
With this thought in mind, Henrietta politely refused the inquiries of the middle-aged People of the Land
merchants with a smile on her face.
(During the formation of the Round Table Council, having put one over the three big production guilds—
could it be that I've developed a taste for this kind of situation?) Henrietta thought to herself.
Henrietta was currently in her 20s.
One could not regard her as experienced.
Although she was technically a 'professional', she knew a person in his or her 20s, like herself, was like a
newly hatched chick with its eggshell still stuck to its head. But she also knew that in order to graduate
from being a hatchling, one had to gain experience in the frontline. Henrietta understood this through
personal experience.
(I can't just leave this to my juniors... I have to at least take care of the troublesome merchants before I try
making sense of the situation.)
Her guild mates could probably sense Henrietta's concerns.
It might have been a result of their subconscious team spirit, but while Henrietta handled a People of the
Land merchant, the remaining three Crescent Moon Alliance members arranged themselves into formation
to handle an Adventurer.
The inexperienced pair packaged the wares while the smiling Maryele received the payment. The
transaction was then completed after the three bowed in appreciation.
Henrietta observed this scene from the corner of her eye as she handled the inquiries of the People of the
Land. Given the scale of the Crescent Moon Alliance, even an order of a 100 pieces a month was far too
large for them to handle. If it needed to be refused, it needed to be refused— this was something that
Henrietta had put her foot down on.
(If I agreed to such a contract, I have no idea what the consequences would be like. Since a man who has
such a pitch-black nature like Shiroe-sama exists, I truly cannot afford to let my guard down... eh?)
Henrietta examined her surroundings.
She had just realized that Shiroe had disappeared.
She remembered throwing him the clothes that he was meant to wear, but now, that overbearing man was
currently nowhere near the booth. There was no sign of a certain black-haired girl either.
"—Shiroe-sama?"
After checking that there were no troublesome customers coming or going, Henrietta straightened her back
and scanned the area. While Henrietta was taller than Maryele by a bit, the endless traffic in front of the
stall obscured her vision.
"Where is—"
"Yes, the items this time are experimental. Therefore, for the sake of getting as much feedback from as
many people as possible, every customer is restricted to two items."
"I've already made it clear that I'm willing to pay!"
"That's not the problem."
Henrietta, who had craned her neck to search, heard Shiroe's bland voice.
It sounded like he was dealing with somebody's complaint. Henrietta examined the endless streams of
people and finally spotted Shiroe's figure at a booth located opposite the passageway.
Shiroe was wearing a long sleeveless hooded vest. This, coupled together with a thin long-sleeved Tshirt
worn on the inside, made him look "presentable". He was holding his ground, with a steady
expression, in front of a merchant who looked impatient to the point of releasing steam from his head.
Wearing Crescent Moon's apparel, Shiroe looked more like a normal Japanese youth than a character
from medieval times. That appearance gave Henrietta a nagging feeling that she was getting a sneak peek
into Shiroe's private life back in the original world.
"Sorry, please let me through!"
Henrietta only managed to get a glimpse of him before losing him in the crowd again. She cut through the
mass of customers enjoying the expo and rushed towards the opposite booth.
That was the guild Cocoa Brown's booth.
Shiroe stood among the staff, facing a merchant who was shaking in frustration. Akatsuki was next to him,
but it seemed as though Shiroe was stopping her rather than protecting her.
Cocoa Brown's clothing stall seemed to specialize in small accessories, selling beautiful precious stones
of various colors as well as delicately-crafted necklaces and earrings.
Henrietta felt that the items on display were very classy. She had already seen them earlier, before the
expo's opening, when she was greeting the booths around theirs. Furthermore, the items were priced
shockingly low, to which the Cocoa Brown staff explained that 'This is in gratitude to the battle guilds that
have been taking care of small guilds like ourselves.'
"It's like I've been saying, right? If you sell them to me, your crafters will be known among the People of
the Land—"
"I'm sorry, please leave."
Shiroe continued to reject the merchant's offer.
By this point, the crowd nearby had noticed the commotion and naturally formed a semicircle around
Cocoa Brown.
This ill-mannered merchant was trying to buy Cocoa Brown's goods in bulk. It was okay to buy just one or
two items, but a bulk purchase would make the stall unable to continue its operation for the remainder of
the expo.
If their aim had been profit or to sellout, then Cocoa Brown would have sold everything by then. But that
was not the case. It was their heartfelt wish that their products would prove useful to Akiba's local
Adventurers. Thus, their policy of limiting the items sold per customer didn't sit well with businessmen.
Adventurers had superior physical and magical capabilities in comparison to the People of the Land.
Their subclass level could allow them to achieve crafting capabilities comparable to a master artisan's
skill.
However, haggling and negotiations did not depend on physical abilities. After all, the proficiency of
some skills depended entirely on one's personality and traits. Furthermore, the issue at hand had nothing to
do with physical capabilities and instead was about interpersonal skills.
This was why Shiroe had intervened.
He decided to lend a helping hand.
(This line of reasoning shouldn't be too far from the truth— ahhh, this Person of the Land-san is quite
unlucky.)
"Don't get so cocky, kid!"
Just as Henrietta managed to squeeze her way through the crowd to reach the area in front of Cocoa
Brown, the Person of the Land finally snapped and tried to punch Shiroe.
The onlookers that gasped were mainly People of the Land.
Some of them even averted their eyes.
However, the result was as Henrietta had expected.
Shiroe stopped the punch with his fingers.
Shiroe was an enchanter. Like the other magic classes, an enchanter's stamina and strength were lower
than the other classes— however, that only applied when compared to an Adventurer of a different class
and of similar level.
With a level difference of over 50, and up against a People of the Land no less, even as a magician, the
difference in agility and strength was overwhelming. In Shiroe's eyes, the haughty merchant's fist was
nothing more than a balloon.
Because Shiroe caught the People of the Land's punch, it was not judged as an "attack" and there was no
sign of the city guards appearing.
As he caught the punch from the middle-aged merchant with his left hand, Shiroe stopped Akatsuki with
his right, probably to keep her from drawing her dagger. Akatsuki gave Shiroe a displeased look.
"Have you had enough?"
Shiroe asked with a smile.
In spite of his smile, the bard Henrietta could clearly sense a formless energy being focused in Shiroe.
Shiroe was gathering the mana in the air. Because both bards and enchanters were similar in that they
could provide mana to their party, Henrietta was keenly aware of what was happening.
The expressions on the faces of other Adventurers also changed as they became aware of Shiroe's actions.
Brandishing a friendly smile on his face, Shiroe gradually amplified the oppressing atmosphere. All
around them, a look of horror could be seen.
Shiroe was not casting any spell.
He was merely accumulating mana without casting one.
Therefore, it was not an act of combat and the city guards would not appear. Moreover, his expression
was kind and did not contain even a hint of aggression.
And even though the People of the Land weren't as sensitive to magic as Adventurers, at that point, they
too should have felt the enormous amount of mana emanating from Shiroe.
The middle-aged merchant's face rapidly grew white and withdrew his fist from Shiroe's hand.
"This is unpleasant, I'm leaving!"
He hastily muttered these words and fled the scene.
"There are a lot of hot-blooded people."
"My lord, didn't you also force him into a corner?"
"If you had dealt with him, wouldn't he have lost his head?"
"After breaking all of his limbs."
Shiroe appeased Akatsuki as she tilted her face up.
Shiroe shrugged helplessly as members of Cocoa Brown thanked him. The cute and round face of the
dwarf girl had tears of gratitude in them as she held his hands tightly.
"Shiroe-sama."
Henrietta was startled when she heard her own voice.
That was because it contained a somewhat displeased tone.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing, it's just that..."
"My lord, it must be time for us to go back to work."
"That's right."
Upon hearing Akatsuki's reply, Shiroe scratched his head, his previous aura having totally disappeared.
The crowd nearby had also begun dissipating as though satisfied with the ending.
"Henrietta-san?"
"Yes, Shiroe-sama?"
"— This expo is so chaotic."
Henrietta instantly set aside her musings on "Why am I feeling unhappy?" and considered the meaning
behind Shiroe's statement.
A chaotic expo.
The disturbance in this incidence should be referring to the People of the Land incident just now. Thinking
back, she had also just handled a business transaction that nearly turned into a fight. It was because on one
side, there was a People of the Land, while on the other, it was an Adventurer that was lacking in
experience... that was what Henrietta suspected. Did Shiroe think differently?
(Shiroe-sama saw something? If that's the case...)
Henrietta was in doubt. She couldn't decide whether or not to inform him of her bad premonition from
earlier.
"Erm, Shiroe-sama..."
"Indeed, the actions of the People of the Land are suspicious, but given that we don't know enough, we
simply cannot make anything out of this situation."
She understood the things which Shiroe had just whispered. In other words, he too had felt some sort of
unknown machination.
Akatsuki looked at him worriedly.
Henrietta wanted to talk to him so that perhaps, with his insight, he could shed new light on her doubts.
However, Shiroe had already begun to act. Speaking softly, he definitely was not talking to himself, but
was contacting others through telepathy.
He focused on his secret conversation.
Finally, he nodded and turned towards Henrietta and stated his deduction clearly.
"It seems as though someone is attacking Akiba."
Part 2
Today, Raynesia had been in a rush since the break of dawn.
Of course, this was not of her own volition.
She had believed that she could let her hair down while the festival's preparations were taking place— at
least eventually.
She had planned to become "plant-like", to be a lazy-bum, to act like a "spoiled child" to her heart's
content.
However, dealing with a near constant stream of invitations and guests made her unable to make time for
an afternoon nap. Elissa was bustling around the room like a bee, taking out dresses and accessories from
everywhere and considering how to pair them with each other.
The reason why Elissa was behaving in this manner was not because she was one of those airheaded girls
who enjoyed dressing up.
In the nobles' society, an event such as a dinner party or a formal meeting was an important gathering
which was used as a show of prestige. A mere trinket could convey multiple meanings and messages to
other parties according to its value, its color, and what gemstones it contained. This was how nobles
socialized: with subtlety and allusion.
For instance, Raynesia was the second daughter of a duke. However, because the eldest daughter had
already married out of the family, she was considered the oldest daughter in the family line. Also, while
the reason for her deployment to the city was publicly announced as "a sincere and personal apology to
the Adventurers", in reality, she was there as the representative of both the members of the League of
Freedom Towns Eastal and the Corwen clan. This was a rather evident fact.
Therefore, in situations like a formal reception, she had to make absolutely certain that Eastal's most
prestigious noble family— Clan Corwen— would not be shamed. On the other hand, using her status as a
representative as a shield, she could then leave subtle hints under the table. When meeting with merchants,
she had to don jewelry of the appropriate value so as not to be despised, and when she was meeting with
nobility, accessories that stressed her family's lineage and status were in order. If both parties knew each
others' family situations, one could choose to avoid a fashion faux pas by wearing something that clashed
with the other party's, or one could even intentionally dress to compliment their attire. In the end, it was a
game of complex psychological warfare.
Given that such a task needed a meticulous eye for detail and it could not be performed by the
inexperienced maids who served as her helpers, the choice was left to Elissa to handle. It had to be
executed by someone who was familiar with the mannerisms of nobles, as well as the customs of the clan.
Such was Elissa.
It was obvious that she could not wear the same attire the entire day.
She had to change her clothes and accessories for each new guest, making her very busy.
Nobles were very particular about keeping appearances. For instance, among the nobility, it was
considered bad form to refuse the request of another party right on the spot. This was true even for cases
like a minor noble making a request to a higher-classed noble. Even if it were just for show, she had to
follow such customs to satisfy the demands of high society.
Thus when making requests, a lower noble would have to be more careful 'not make a request the other
party cannot agree to', and if you were the higher-classed noble to whom the request was made to, one had
to show subtle 'hints reminding the other party to know their place'. In this political dance, clothes, gossip
and gifts were the tools of the trade.
"Ah, really... What am I to do about the dinner party? I really have no idea what these Adventurers find
tasteful."
"Can't we just go with the usual?"
"And what is this 'usual' you speak of?"
"Um... light and airy?"
"Princess Raynesia, really?"
Even Elissa, it seemed, had not fully grasped the social etiquette Adventurers' adhered to.
In the League of Freedom Towns Eastal, how one could convey gratitude was common sense. But for the
nobility, who would give thanks by giving awards or by asking someone to kneel down to be knighted,
giving their thanks to Adventurers was a complete mystery. To know how to dress or how to act for
people you did not know was utterly impossible.
Since this was so, the dinner party was modeled to resemble what was popular as closely as possible.
The food too was done in this fashion as apart from the food the palace chefs that came from Maihama
made, half of the cuisine was from restaurants around Akiba. If such an event were held in Maihama
palace, scandals like "they are making fools of their guests!" were bound to come up. Fortunately, it
seemed that for Adventurers, such an event was alright.
Since the general direction of the party was plain to see, Raynesia saw no need to worry about anything
whatsoever. To her, it served no purpose to get frazzled over things that hadn't even started yet, so she
decided to laze about to pass the time. But it was an undeniable fact that Raynesia had such a disposition
because she lived a life of indolence while avoiding people as much as possible.
However, the situation changed.
"This should be on the list— next, coupled with a jade necklace, please wait. Remember last year, you
received a birthday gift in..."
Elissa's voice contained a hint of nervousness.
"You're right, I have to pay attention to status... right?"
It was all too sudden.
Raynesia received notice that the western merchant Lord Marvis was about to visit.
Lord Marvis was a merchant by trade, but was also an important member of Holy Empire Westelande's
nobility. Although her family's standing was not inferior to his, she still could not afford to be careless.
And judging from the timing of his visit, he was most definitely sent here by order of the palace.
(The rumors that the west had changed were certainly true.)
Raynesia bit her lip.
Of course, there was a good reason for her stress.
About 280 years ago, the Yamato archipelago was a single, unified country. Commonly called the ancient
dynasty, the Westelande Imperial Dynasty was ruled by a royal family which dominated the whole
archipelago by use of force.
But during the chaos incited by the Six Scrapped Princesses, the royal family came to ruin. Following its
annihilation, the unified Yamato split apart after the power that was keeping it together was lost.
However, Yamato's current nobility continued the system of 'dynastic succession' used in the ancient
dynasty. After the death of the royal family, being the core of the former social strata, Yamato's people
were then ruled by the feudal lords that served the former Westelande Imperial Dynasty.
To the League of Freedom Towns Eastal, this fact was also very significant.
The title 'Duke' of the Corwens, Raynesia's family and one of only two dukedoms found in Yamato, was
originally bestowed during the Westelande Imperial Dynasty. Likewise, the lords of the League of
Freedom Towns Eastal inherited their 'right to rule' the People of the Land from their ancestors.
Of the areas of Yamato that were once under the Westelande Imperial Dynasty, the two most influenced,
Holy Empire Westelande and the League of Freedom Towns Eastal, practically split the archipelago in
two.
The Holy Empire Westelande had recognized the Itsuki clan as the successors to the Westelande Imperial
Dynasty.
Even though Raynesia was not too familiar with history, she did know that the Itsuki clan was a "branch
family" of the ancient dynasty's royal family. The origins of the Itsuki clan came about from a political
sacrifice. As their clan had moved to Ise, they survived the destruction of the Westelande Imperial
Dynasty.
Naturally, the Itsuki clan was put forward to be leaders of the Holy Empire Westelande as their name
alone held a strong appeal to rulership, being the "legitimate successors" of the Westelande Imperial
Dynasty.
However, not all of Yamato's nobility recognized the Itsuki clan as royalty. In fact, both Akiba and the
League of Freedom Towns Eastal, to which Raynesia belonged to, did not acknowledge the Itsuki clan as
their rightful rulers.
In the end, the Itsuki clan was only a branch of the royal bloodline.
Once the clan split from the bloodline, its title could not be reinstated.
Besides, if it only were a question of having royal lineage, then even the Corwen clan had royal blood in
their veins through a number of political marriages as described by the records kept by the aristocracy.
With the way things were, the Corwen clan did not recognize the Itsuki clan as the successors to the royal
bloodline. Having said that, the fact that they were still a branch family of the royal bloodline could not
be taken lightly.
Under the hierarchical system of the previous Westelande Imperial Dynasty, the Itsuki clan outclassed the
Corwen clan. From this political standpoint, even though both the eastern League of Freedom Towns
Eastal and the western Holy Empire Westelande both branched out from the royal lineage, they always
had a tense relationship.
This Lord Marvis person, the man that was sent here by the Holy Empire Westelande this time, was a
highly ranked noble. Raynesia had once heard that he was the head of the merchant nobility and that he
was in charge of maritime trade.
Although this dinner party was intended to improve relations with Adventurers, if this person wanted to
drop by, they could not refuse him an invitation. He was not the kind of man that could be refused with a
"maybe later, when we've got time".
Raynesia shook her head to clear her dark thoughts.
After all, both Lord Marvis and Raynesia were People of the Land, and by the culture left behind by the
royal family in Yamato, they were both nobles.
Because of this, it could be said that they were of equal footing— meaning both needed to adhere to the
norms of etiquette and culture high society demanded.
(At least...)
What she could do right now was do her duty, that was what Raynesia was thinking.
As a daughter of the Corwen clan in Akiba— called "Princess Raynesia". She felt that doing her best here
was a way to repay Akiba for saving her home.
Raynesia stood up, with her snowy-white dress flowing with her.
Although she did not know the intentions of this noble from the west, she had decided to be the vanguard
in this battle.
Part 3
"Hmm..."
"This is an attack. As they are using propaganda or psychological warfare, this is really leaving a bad
taste in my mouth."
Shiroe sighed softly.
Aside from the taste, it was also incredibly bad mannered.
The intent of such actions was obvious.
This attack on Akiba by an unknown entity seemed to be an attempt to discredit the Round Table Council
and to weaken the unity of the city. However, this approach was too crude.
Was it because of the "enemy's" incompetence? Or...
"... Or arrogance?"
Akatsuki turned her head upon hearing Shiroe muttering to himself.
He waved his hands hastily upon seeing the situation.
"It's nothing, put away your dagger."
"But, my lord..."
"You will have no opportunity to use that this time."
Akatsuki unwillingly hid the ice-cold weapon under her skirt. Shiroe averted his eyes from her thighs and
looked at Henrietta.
"Akiba is under attack."
"Yes."
Henrietta gave a stiff, curt nod.
Seeing that Henrietta had already noticed, Shiroe decided it was best if he shared some information.
"Our enemies should be making use of the ruckus to spread rumors. They aim to undermine the authority of
the Round Table Council."
"... We have to counter this quickly, maybe even stop the festival if necessary."
"That might not be the best strategy."
Shiroe calmly replied to Henrietta, who was hastily trying to find a solution.
"If we halt the festival, the public will doubt the Round Table Council's ability to handle emergencies,
resulting in our loss of authority, and our enemies will have achieved their goal. Thus, the best thing we
can do at this time is to reduce the number of disruptions to a minimum and to resolve them as well. The
festival must continue."
"True... that makes sense."
Henrietta looked pale.
Being under the indirect attack of mysterious assailants had produced quite a bit of stress. And it was not
as if Shiroe wasn't under the same amount of stress, but rather as Shiroe had a better grasp of the situation,
he appeared calmer.
Shiroe's instincts told him that the People of the Land were behind this attack. There were numerous
reasons for such an assumption, but his primary basis was the "intent to weaken the authority of the ruling
organization".
Including Shiroe, Yamato's Adventurers were Japanese from the real world.
Not to sound boastful, but the Japanese saw no value in undermining the authority of its governing body. In
fact, they viewed those in politics or in the police force as people who provided world-class service. If
such organizations failed, it would only inconvenience them. So for most Japanese, they would rather
leave these organizations to their own devices. So such notions as 'the Japanese government being
incompetent is only natural' did not originate from the Japanese people themselves. In other words,
Akiba's Adventurers, who were also Japanese, would not think of 'undermining the authority of the ruling
organization'.
Furthermore, the unrefined manner of this attack provided another clue.
The People of the Land behind this would not expect this attack to physically harm Akiba's Adventurers.
That was to be expected, as it would at most cause the failure of the festival and worsen the security of
the city. It could only result in the criticism of the Round Table Council, but would not weaken the
Adventurers themselves.
This level of attack wouldn't achieve their goal, even if that were to 'undermine the authority of the Round
Table Council'. It should be viewed as merely a phase in their plan.
In that case, what was their real objective? And how would they benefit from it?
They probably wanted to use this chaos to get an advantage during negotiations with Akiba.
This should be the aim of the 'merchants from the west', as mentioned when Minori reported in via
telepathy. Since the Round Table Council and the League of Freedom Towns Eastal signed an agreement,
naturally the People of the Land from the west also wanted the same to prevent the benefits from being
monopolized. In order to achieve better terms and conditions, they conducted a preemptive strike.
If the mastermind were able to mobilize such a large number of merchants, then this person should be a
merchant or noble who possessed quite a bit of wealth.
The only person who could fit this criteria had already entered the city beforehand, a conclusion Shiroe
drew after confirming it with Isaac.
Shiroe could understand this.
According to the current situation, this attack was certainly effective.
However, Shiroe felt that if that were all there was, then it was too crude and inelegant.
They only gained a slight advantage in price negotiation through intimidation and gossiping after
mobilizing so many people. That was the extent of their capability.
"So it's the west, huh..."
"Please keep it a secret for the moment."
Shiroe requested this of Henrietta after explaining it to her back at Crescent Moon Alliance's booth.
"I don't mind, Shiroe-sama, but what should we do next?"
"Hmm..."
Shiroe paused again.
Shiroe was one of the eleven founding members of the Round Table Council. However, it was mostly an
autonomous organization that was trusted by Akiba's residents. If he acted alone, based on his own
judgement... Shiroe broke his own train of thought.
He was dead-set that "there would be no easy solution."
(Seems like there is no need for bloodshed this time... since the foe is causing trouble with such arbitrary
means, they should be prepared for our retaliation too.)
He also had this slightly reckless idea.
We might fight when beaten back, this was only right and proper. In this place, the cause and effect would
be more severe than back home. No, he had to take the defensive; defending oneself was a right that
needed no explanation.
"Of course we're going to fight back."
The out-of-place feeling Shiroe felt since yesterday's "chaos" cleared up after asking the Production Guild
Liaison Committee. The number of cases they needed to handle had increased.
The disputes in the city and the minor incidents that escalated to quarrels were merely the tip of the
iceberg. For example, they would split a request that normally took only one form into two, take up the
staff's time by making them go through unnecessary paperwork, not pay the exact amount in taxes, and
attempt to bribe the officials. When you looked at them separately, they were all trivial issues. But there
was someone pushing these minor issues to their limits as a means to attack Akiba.
It was difficult for Adventurers to determine if such actions were malicious. But these silly contacts
continued to accumulate, trying to bind the Production Guild Liaison Committee— and even the Round
Table Council.
The enemy would mercilessly exploit this vulnerability.
Where were the "enemies" focusing their attack?
At this stage, they should be targeting the Production Guild Liaison Committee's administrative
operations-related parts. City entrance, warehouse facilities, flea market inspections. Filing false or
repeated reports focused on these businesses would overwhelm the administrative powers of the liaison
committee.
The places where Adventurers or People of the Land were interacting were also targets. The enemy was
attempting to spoil the festive mood by disrupting these venues.
To resolve these situations, they would have to "increase the number of staff". The focus was to establish
an efficient and flexible organization.
The governing bodies headed by the Round Table Council were all formed by volunteers. Volunteers
displayed problem-solving abilities above their usual level when their number and morale were high. But
insufficient numbers would lead to fatigue, which in turn would deplete their morale. Without adequate
coordination and direction, they would lose their way.
— We must reorganize the command system and deploy more manpower.
In addition, that alone would not be enough to stop any "follow up" attacks. If Shiroe was in their shoes,
he would be ready to play his next card in hand to press the attack. Such a scheme would seriously
undermine the administrative ability of the Round Table Council.
Shiroe calmly examined the situation.
(The battlefield is vast. Each individual attack is but a prick, barely worth mentioning... but the field of
attack encompasses the entirety of Akiba. The sheer scope of things makes it impossible for me alone to
handle. Even the help of Log Horizon would be insufficient. However, if I were to mobilize the Round
Table Council, there are certain disadvantageous aspects. In fact, the enemy is probably waiting for this
very move, so they can take advantage of the various vendor disputes and disrupt our position.)
The priority at the moment was to contact the appropriate people for assistance, but this had to be kept
within the upper management of the Round Table Council. This prevented panicking the public, which
would then take more manpower to handle. The attack was directed towards the Round Table Council by
overwhelming the Production Guild Liaison Committee with saturation attacks; hastily raising the alert
level would make them fall into the enemy's trap.
(The best way, really, is to let this incident resolve itself...)
Shiroe started thinking of the possible outcomes.
He mentally created simulations of the deployment of combat power at hand. If one idea failed, he would
change the conditions of the simulation. Shiroe stopped breathing, moving away from the murmur
surrounding him, and the silence of the world enveloped him. He accelerated the simulation, trying to find
the balance that had to exist somewhere.
Even the worried Akatsuki watching Shiroe had disappeared from his eyes.
Shiroe was so immersed in his thoughts that light and sounded faded away from his senses.
However, there was nothing.
Shiroe was not good at dealing with an "enemy" that used such attacks.
The "enemy" seemed to lack a master strategy. The commander's purpose should be broadly understood
as a whole, but each attack was almost always a type of "live" action. The assault was not based around a
single point of careful strategy, but was rather about finding opportunities to make random attacks.
They could only know about the attack after the enemy had already finished preparations and initiated the
offensive. Shiroe, who used preparation as a weapon, was bad at countering such tactics.
(Well wow, I hate this kind of opponent.)
Even though Shiroe had requested Akatuski and the others to engage the enemy, the situation was in fact
much more complicated and frustrating than he had imagined. It was impossible to predict an enemy that
would randomly regroup and attack targets of opportunity. If the enemy had instead chosen to focus their
energy on a single point, their location could have been calculated, and defenders could gather to fortify
the position. It would have been possible for a small group of defenders to repel a much larger army. This
time, however, the enemy had chosen to simultaneously attack everywhere at once. Moreover, the enemy
"agents" didn't necessarily bear any malicious intent, and were merely pawns being utilized by the enemy.
Shiroe was thus unable to properly interpret and anticipate the various movements of the enemy groups.
(This time, there is no other way but to give up.)
Shiroe switched to another point of view.
He gave up on dealing with all the conditions.
(Some things simply cannot be done. With this in mind, we should focus instead on what we can do.)
It was now past noon, so there was not enough time to remedy the situation. If no countermeasures were
deployed within the next hour, the situation would deteriorate so much that it would become obvious to
the citizens.
In this situation, you had to find out what you could do to fight the "enemy"...
"Huh, isn't it Shiro-senpai? So you were at Crescent Moon's booth, that makes sense."
Shiroe turned to look and spotted his friend, West Wind Brigade's Soujirou, at the back of the crowd.
Today, Soujirou was wearing a deep blue floral hakama, with his hair tied into a short ponytail and
carrying two swords around his waist.
"It's been a while." "Afternoon!" "Greetings, this is the first time we've met." "Who's this?" "It's Log
Horizon's..." "Yaaay!"
A chorus of greetings, bright and melodious, rang forth from the girls accompanying Soujirou.
"I went to the cake store Senpai recommended. Their service was amazing! They brought out sixteen full
cakes for me. I couldn't quite finish, so I found a couple guild mates to assist me. As more of us arrived,
they kept bringing us more and more cakes! Such warmth and kindness... Ah, eh?"
Shiroe felt his legs go weak, almost causing him to collapse on the spot.
That wasn't service, that's just increasing the cake count to match the number of people per the
competition rules!
The retort almost made its way out of Shiroe's mouth, but was restrained at the last moment. Soujirou
remained completely oblivious.
"They ran out of stock after bringing out 30 cakes, but everyone enjoyed them. Oh, I like the orange
mousse cake, it has a great taste, tastes like summer on the finish."
(Ah ah, really, Soujirou, this guy...)
Even though Shiroe felt weak, Soujirou had "avenged" his humiliation, and he put a hand on Soujirou's
shoulder.
"Shiro-sempai? What's the matter?"
"I'm fine, Soujirou, come, there's something suitable for you to handle."
The enemy was fighting a secret war with saturation attacks, but was not following the usual rules and
regulations of saturation combat.
In this case, "unintentional", which was better than "lawless", would be the most suitable line of defense.
The best candidate to fight was right in front of Shiroe.
Part 4
Minori clenched her fist after ending her telepathy call.
Her fears had come true.
Akiba—Minori and her friends were under attack.
"You're certain of this?"
Minori nodded in response to Charasin, who was taken aback.
"Shiroe-san also shares this view."
Charasin bit his nails with a serious expression on his face while reviewing the document, and then
started thinking about it once again.
Minori had been in this office for nearly eight hours, almost never taking a break since morning from the
continuous process. Most of the mountain of documents had disappeared, now compressed into wooden
file boxes in the corner of the room.
They had started to get a hold of the situation.
The reports were dispersed to avoid detection, but the number of Western merchants exceeded 15% of the
total number of participants.
The quantity was not the issue. The problem was, that 15% was causing more than 60% of the storm.
This room served as the command center for the Libra Festival.
Gathered here were prior and subsequent intelligence reports.
Using "reports" was a mistake from the start. The multitude of different "reports" was overwhelming the
administrative process.
Of course, documents were very important.
Keeping records was the iron rule in administrative work, and in this world, it could only be done on
paper.
The Production Guild Liaison Committee, though, had an overwhelmingly inadequate processing power.
If they stuck to the level of detail they had originally planned, they would ultimately fail in consolidating
the reports. While they also lacked experience in doing this, the main culprit was the lack of manpower.
This became a window the other side could exploit.
Some examples included the simple survey of goods that were brought in, the permit to sell at the flea
market, the paperwork authorizing the sale of merchandise, the documents for renting the common
warehouse of the Round Table Council, the permit to withdraw goods on site. There was a shortage of
on-site staff everywhere.
Delays caused by pressure, the pressure caused a storm.
This jumble, caused by People of the Land, was much more than expected, leading to the inevitable— that
was the unintended result. In other words, they did not expect this clutter, which was also the
responsibility of the liaison committee. Charasin was reflecting on this.
But after organizing the reports, the actual situation was clear. Western merchants were deliberately
complicating the administrative procedure with repeated applications.
A person or a group was trying to increase the burden on the system.
Charasin confirmed that the guilds responsible for patrolling the city, D.D.D and the Black Sword
Knights, were at their limit dealing with the rapid increase of quarrels and disputes, while voices
criticizing the Round Table Council of incompetence began to rise.
With things having escalated to such a degree, Charasin told Minori to contact Shiroe so that there would
be no gaps in information, which would result in their disadvantage.
Minori's prediction was unfortunately supported by Shiroe's report.
"Minori-chan, will you go back to Shiroe-dono?"
She had expected Charasin to ask this question, and shook her head "no" as she planned.
"I am not going back to Shiroe-san."
"Ah?"
"I want to stay here."
Minori stressed this once again.
Charasin's look of dismay, too, was as expected.
When groups were under attack, they tended to gather at the leader's side. This was the defensive instinct
of both humans and animals, and even guilds too.
In these kinds of situations, members would gather next to the guild master to wait for instructions, this
was the general concept of coping. This was the rule of thumb for joining guilds. When being subjected
unilaterally by an unidentified social aggression, like right now, most guild masters, like Charasin, had
just issued instructions, and members had been summoned to the guild hall.
Moreover, since Minori was still young, Charasin believed that she should return to Shiroe's protective
wings.
But instead, Minori decided to stay here.
Her document-organizing capabilities were on the level of an administrative officer's. Of course, the 8th
District Shopping Center had several such members that worked in the background, but seeing how
Minori virtually "eradicated" the clutter in the office, he could not refuse her decision to stay.
Minori deliberately pretended not to see Charasin's worried look, and took a deep breath.
This here was her battleground.
From her perspective, these documents and this office seemed to be other things.
Information in her consciousness naturally switched to form a new image.
(In other words, use the same approach as before.)
The problem was "dealing with an insufficient processing capability".
It was the same idea as "having an insufficient healing capacity".
Minori could recollect the chilling, murderous, and suffocating tension. Slowly, she relaxed her clenched
hands, her body resuming the blood circulation. That's right, she could imagine this as a raid battle.
Looking back, her throat became dry, her body cooling down.
Use the same approach as in Ragranda, Choushi, and Sand Leaf. Imitate what Shiroe did, follow in his
footsteps.
"I'll stay here and deal with the warehouse work. Can all the warehouse documents be moved over here?"
"Huh? Ah, ah, oh, that is... if you're willing to help, I am of course very grateful."
Charasin gave instructions to the youth beside him, Taro.
This so-called warehouse was the Round Table Council's managed materials storage. Small-and mediumsized
guilds could rent the warehouse space for a small fee. This was established during the Round Table
Council's creation.
After the Catastrophe changed the world, material quality would affect the finished product's quality. So
for producers, identifying which materials were good or bad to purchase became very important.
Before, if the item name was 'tomato', regardless of what 'tomato' was used, the quality of the finished
dish was the same— but of course, it all just tasted like moist crackers. Now, if an inferior 'tomato' was
used, a tomato salad would be of poor-quality, and it would just become disgusting food. It was therefore
increasingly necessary to check the quality of items personally before a purchase.
This gave a need to improve the management system of large warehouses. Large guilds could use their
personal large-scale warehouses, but small-and medium-sized guilds couldn't. In response to this, the
Round Table Council set up several large warehouses and was responsible for their management.
During the Libra Festival, these warehouses were also open to the People of the Land.
For example, a People of the Land with over-laden carriages would need such services. Among their
products, much of it wouldn't be able to be placed in the hotel's warehouse, or were bulky items. Some
high-level items required special storage, like Tianjin Winter Clothes, which were made by elves and
needed a refrigerated warehouse, or else it would be nearly impossible to maintain its freshness.
But by opening their use to the People of the Land, the process itself had become complicated, and this
was a fact. All of the goods must be kept in a detailed list, or they could not be held responsible. In
addition to the usage of the warehouse, they had originally speculated that a fixed amount would be taken
out every morning, and in the evening the leftovers would be stored; they hadn't planned on letting
businesses withdraw goods whenever they clinched a deal.
Frankly speaking, such a burden far exceeded the processing capacity of the operational window— which
was how Akiba came under attack, the most illustrative example.
"Minori, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Ah, Tohya."
Tohya went into the office without a word, Minori nodded to acknowledge him.
Communication between these twins was unique. Because of their constant calls to reach each other, it
could be made subconsciously to each other, and was more like true telepathy that communicated through
thoughts alone.
"Charasin-san, I'm here to help, I'm her twin brother Tohya."
"Ah, ah, long time no see. Sorry to trouble you, thanks for helping."
"Got it. Then Minori, I'll be back."
After Tohya's simple greeting, he simply dropped the backpack and left the office. Minori didn't ask
where he was going.
Various warehouse goods were definitely kept on this floor somewhere. As he said to Charasin, Tohya
was going to get these custody orders.
The documents would soon be moved into the office at twice the speed. The flea market reports and
custody orders would also be brought here.
After cleaning up the current space in this office, they would have to deal with the parallel processing of
large amounts of documents.
This was the battlefield that Minori had chosen.
"Charasin-san, these are also for you."
As Minori was sorting the documents, the more important ones were passed to Charasin. Written in red on
the top right-hand corner of the file was "urgent". He was somewhat puzzled, but nodded his head quickly
after inspecting it.
Charasin himself was a guild master whose practical abilities were highly regarded by Shiroe. Even
keeping track of supplies, such as potatoes being "taken out multiple times", which Minori could not
handle, were easy for him by using short telepathy calls. This could calm the waters and compensate for
damages.
Minori was convinced of this.
At this moment, rushing back to Shiroe was not a good approach.
When the battlefront was in danger of collapsing, the rear guard needed to support the front line defense.
The healers had the obligation to trust the vanguards.
(Although I'm not sure if I can be of any help...)
But at this moment, this office lacked manpower; the only people present were Charasin and two 8th
District Shopping Center volunteers, plus Minori and Tohya.
—Even if it were the Libra Festival, the core staff only numbered at five people.
Shiroe had only instructed that she and Tohya "meet up".
Minori pondered over the hidden intentions behind these words.
Minori's initial feeling about Shiroe's message was that "Akiba is now faced with a situation that is not
directly causing physical harm". If it progressed into a dangerous situation, and Shiroe should order to
meet him against all odds, she would certainly go to him if necessary.
But after feeling at ease, she felt as though the message was giving her the permission to act freely.
It wasn't simply giving her permission to act freely. Akiba was being attacked. In effect, she was allowed
freedom of movement, which she interpreted as Shiroe looking to her to take action.
He was giving her a small expectation from afar.
Perhaps this was just a misunderstanding, but it was enough to make Minori get fired up.
(However, if this really is the case... even if it's only for a little bit, if I can't meet Shiroe-sama's
expectations, I...)
I would like to imitate Shiroe in this office.
Minori came to this decision.
Reproduce Shiroe's full battlefield control.
While having two Shiroes in the same place was meaningless, if there were no Shiroe here, then imitating
him might be of relevance.
The People of the Land counter staff were the vanguard tanks. Charasin, who was solving the problem
using the time they brought, was the healer in this case.
Prioritizing the issues at hand was of utmost importance, predicting how things will progress. Sorting the
intelligence allows things to move smoothly, this was what Minori was "giving her all" to achieve.
(I cannot become the vanguard or the healer.)
Despite the lofty ideals, she had only organized the documents, copying the content to other paper
collations. Minori herself felt a kind of fire burning inside her underlying the sense of helplessness and
irritability, but she tried freezing such sentiments.
She was a middle school student, and incompetence was a matter of course.[7]
In these cases, blaming oneself and self-abusive behavior was useless on the battlefield, which was
Shiroe's teachings. Minori did not want to go contrary to Shiroe's expectations.
'—Don't read the flow, but rather, 'become' the flow.'
Minori recollected Shiroe's gentle, half-joking voice.
(Be the flow...)
For the current Minori, the so-called fighting with the flow of files one after another, that was moved in a
series, as well as through a series of contact whispers waiting for instructions. She wanted to turn into
something like this.
No worrying.
No thinking.
Turning herself 'into' the document itself, turning herself 'into' a solution.
Minori chased after the vague feeling of contact as she focused on the task at hand.
Part 5
The venue for the dinner party was shrouded by a luxurious atmosphere.
This was where Raynesia resided, on the entire first floor of the "Water Maple Consulate". The "Water
Maple Consulate" was where Raynesia was posted when she came to Akiba, which was purchased by the
Cohen duke of Maihama and one of the many buildings that were redeveloped.
Originally, it was almost in ruins, with only the basic structure of the building remaining. Now, it had
been converted into a People of the Land aristocratic style mansion.
This was a Consulate in outer appearance only, as it offered accommodations for visitors, and was also
often used to conduct meetings or to examine local products and other practical work. So even though it
was Raynesia's private residence in name, it was of considerable size. It had three large halls, a total of
80 rooms, and more than 30 regular staff.
The Consulate would be holding the grandest of the events—the dinner party. The number of staff
increased, as the usual 30 people would be unable to cope. More chefs from Maihama had arrived, there
weren't enough bards or waiters, and there was urgent recruitment of kitchen staff from Akiba
professionals; it was a large-scale mobilization of many people.
In fact, the staff was not limited to People of the Land.
Although there were few, some Adventurers joined to cook, serve food, entertain or work behind the
scenes. Adventurers had high income levels; Raynesia was using the People of the Land as a benchmark
for salary so she never thought Adventurer applicants would come, but this was Akiba, there were
Adventurers that 'were interested' and a 'join in on the fun' mentality that applied.
Probably from a sense of obligation, these Adventurers were even busy working behind the scenes of this
gorgeous banquet, working side-by-side with People of the Land of the opposite gender and got to know
each other, establishing somewhat adorable relationships and having the opportunity to talk to each other.
"Thank you very much."
Raynesia gave a sweet smile to the nearest Adventurer that greeted her. The young Adventurer looked
cold and indifferent while looking away, but still quietly replied, this was how it should be.
The boy participated in the Sand Leaf campaign, working in support and siege warfare. Raynesia could
only be grateful, so she made this event, the dinner party that would be held today, in order to thank them.
"Thanks to everyone's support, Maihama and the League of Freedom Towns were saved, please accept
my eternal gratitude."
Raynesia curtsied to show her appreciation.
The young man waved for her to stop, hurriedly telling her that "This isn't worth your thanks, we are
Adventurers and something like that is our natural duty... it was a simple task."
The youth blushed, blurting out "Don't mind me, please don't!" as he left in a rush.
"I think all of them are very pure."
"Correct... that is so."
Raynesia replied to Elissa behind her.
Adventurers—especially the young ones, seemed to be mostly reserved people. Most Knights were also
romantic, but they were inevitably too invested in 'Chivalry' and forced their own values upon others.
In this respect, the young Adventurers often fled in panic when Raynesia thanked them.
When Raynesia had first encountered this, she thought that she was hated or marginalized, but she now
understood that it wasn't like that. While in the League of Freedom Towns Eastal, she was called the
"sorrowful beautiful princess" and people treated her as decoration and enjoyed her beauty. In Akiba, it
appeared to be similar; however, there was a different type of admiration.
Adventurers would get embarrassed.
Elissa would say with a smile, "Goodness, they're all shy like children," but Raynesia didn't think that
was bad. Compared to awkward flattery, this type of attitude gave her a more favorable impression,
making her smile.
The consulate had room for about 300 guests.
Two-thirds were Adventurers, the rest were People of the Land. The People of the Land included in this
were a wide array of merchants and executives running the city bank. Also present for the celebrations
were the heads of the Chambers of Commerce and Trade.
The lobby was filled with a very appetizing aroma.
The dinner party was intended to provide a venue for everyone to mingle and chat, but it was important
for the dishes to be perfect; chefs from Maihama came to show their talents to Raynesia, making various
luxury dishes, as if to show off to Akiba's Adventurers.
Among those dishes were fish soup and beef with raspberry sauce, examples of "redeveloped" dishes.
These were Sand Leaf's traditional dishes prior to the revolution, when goods were still produced through
the synthesis menu.
Bland-tasting food was now but a hazy memory, the feeling of chewing on rubber dishes had left a gloomy
impression, surprising since that sort of flavor could not truly be considered food.
But after the Revolution, there were many dishes that were no longer like this. The crafting menu showed
the list of necessary items to make synthesis goods, and by extension the ingredients needed to make food;
however, knowledge of the recipe was required in order to make the finished product have the same
appearance as the synthesis menu dishes.
The Catastrophe exposed the People of the Land's ignorance. They knew how twisted the situation was,
that synthetic menu items couldn't be crafted by hand. But brave chefs from Maihama tried to use the
ingredients on the list and strived to turn the unknown cooking methods into actual local food.
Although it was hard to tell, today's guests seemed to be satisfied. Raynesia traveled throughout the venue,
introducing People of the Land to Adventurers and Adventurers to People of the Land.
So far, the dinner party could be called a great success and everything looked great. As Raynesia's
grandfather Duke Corwen said, Adventurers' bonds with the People of the Land would become the great
treasure of Eastal.
Raynesia thought so as well.
But this was the value of the bonds they made, everyday to polish and refine the ability to welcome the
result. Raynesia thought that their duty was to foster this budding relationship.
This should be the reason her grandfather posted her in Akiba.
But she just wanted to be a sloth and laze around all day.
"Princess..."
"What is it, Elissa?"
Behind Raynesia stood her maid, taking advantage of the brief gap between guest arrivals to grab
Raynesia's attention. She looked unwell; she probably heard some bad news from the maid who
whispered in Elissa's ears just now.
Fearing bad news, Raynesia mentally braced herself.
She was already prepared for this when she knew of Marvis' intention to visit.
Raynesia had not seen Marvis at the dinner party. She had yet to receive news of his arrival, which
implied the bad news would be about him.
"There is bad news."
"... Although I dread it, please tell me."
"Lord Marvis will reach the lobby in about 10 minutes."
"I see."
That was as expected.
Even though this information didn't sit well with her, this was not to the extent of being bad news.
"Then..."
"What's wrong?"
Raynesia pretended to be calm and urged her to go on.
"The thing is, Lord Marvis came with a ship to Akiba port filled with a lot of goods that he would like to
move into the warehouse, but..."
"What is the problem?"
"It was too sudden, coupled with the large amount of goods he is carrying—the rental warehouse is a
service intended for the Adventurers' use."
Elissa responded in a troubled tone.
This was within her expectation. If any problems occurred, Raynesia was obligated to help Marvis. Her
job was to serve as a bridge between the People of the Land and the Adventurers.
At this time, the noise in the venue picked up.
A large number of envoys had probably arrived, most likely Marvis', and it was too late for Raynesia to
hear any reports.
Raynesia brought Elissa along, Adventurers standing on the side greeted her, and the orchestra was
playing while she was walking across the hall. A middle-aged aristocrat walked through the door.
Raynesia had never met him before, but this man was definitely the Holy Empire Westelande aristocrat—
Marvis.
"We are honored by your presence."
Raynesia gently lifted her skirt, and gave a curtsy.
Raynesia held a unique position in the People of the Land's aristocratic society. She was the daughter of
the greatest noble clan in the East. Her beauty earned her the name of 'Rose Princess' in the social world,
and was truly the envy of all people.
Nevertheless, she was a woman. In aristocratic society, women could not engage in foreign affairs.
Raynesia was living in Akiba as a part of her duties, bridging the gap between the People of the Land and
Adventurers, providing all kinds of cooperation opportunities. But the official reason she was here was
as a punishment for "Seeking help from Adventurers without the consent of the League of Freedom Towns
Eastal."
She was the representative of the East for People of the Land, stationed in Akiba, but had no official
position. She was merely 'the daughter of the Corwen clan who is grounded as punishment'. Hence, she
had to show deep respect for the grand noble Marvis from the Holy Empire Westelande.
"Wow, really beautiful. If my memory is correct, you are the daughter of the Corwen clan, Princess
Raynesia, right?"
"Yes, Marvis-sama. Thank you for visiting tonight, and for honoring us with your presence at this Autumn
Celebration."
Raynesia hid her emotions perfectly, and elegantly bowed her head.
To tell the truth, she had a lousy impression of him.
It was downright terrible. Marvis looked like he was made of white clay. Raynesia had accompanied her
grandfather several times visiting nobles of the Holy Empire Westelande, feeling repulsed by them every
time. Marvis was no different.
Having an ancient aristocratic culture, the Holy Empire Westelande was more conservative than the East,
even the men wore perfume and lipstick. Some were suitable for this, but from the League of Freedom
Towns Eastal's point of view, it was an outdated custom.
Raynesia was not interested in finding faults with others' appearances, but with Marvis, the problem was
not so much with his appearance, but with his personality.
"It appears to be exceptionally lively, really a wonderful event."
"Yes, this is thanks to the good fortune you brought."
However, being noble-born, Princess Raynesia had the accumulated experience of a thousand
conversations with various officials and diplomats. Even if it were with someone she could not stand, she
would still be able to effortlessly converse with them while wearing a faint smile on her lips. Such was
the foremost skill required of any child born of nobility.
"However, how should I put this... I can't help but feel it is a bit too disorderly."
"What do you mean?"
Hearing the disdain in the noble's voice, Raynesia raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing... for nobles and peasants to attend the same banquet, this must be the guts of the East that
inherited the blood of barbarians, hahaha... really, I already gave hints not to come near me, shoo shoo."
"I am very sorry, we of the East are not well-versed with such customs, that's why the dance party was
held in this form. I do not know if it will fit your tastes, but would you be willing to taste this wine from
the East?"
This kind of statement of contempt was not something you can get used to, nor was it easy to ignore. The
League of Freedom Towns Eastal was comprised mostly of lands conquered by the Westelande Dynasty
during its formation. The nobles of the Holy Empire Westelande from Nakasu had always viewed this
place as a barbaric zone since the days of the Westelande Dynasty.
In comparison, Ezzo was seen as a barren and sparsely populated place, looked down on as uncivilized
brutes. Ezzo called itself an empire after gaining independence, the hostility from the central countries
also spanned from this.
Raynesia tilted her head slightly, pouring wine for the overdressed Mavis. Mavis looked dreamily at her,
slit-eyed, and suddenly touched her silver hair.
A wave of anger flared up around her.
It came from the Adventurers closest to them. A young warrior in armor holding a glass of wine and a
samurai with his blade sheathed at his waist glared with looks that could kill.
Their eyes conveyed the message: "Want us to slaughter this pig?" Their concern made Raynesia smile.
The Adventurers were free like the birds. Raynesia was really glad to understand how they felt.
But Raynesia declined their silent proposition with her eyes. Some proposals were too kind for her to
accept graciously. It would be bad if the noble of the west got hurt, and Raynesia was expecting this level
of harassment from people like him.
If Raynesia didn't handle this well, this noble would be kicked out at best, or slain on the spot at worst.
For both the east and the west, as well as the People of the Land and Adventurers, that would be an
unfortunate outcome.
If he just wanted to mock her, she was ready to take it in stride.
Raynesia held this view.
It stemmed from her laziness. She was confident enough to ignore all the words she heard and kept herself
on the verge of yawning. But she was also prepared for Elissa's lecture after all that.
"Eh, all right princess, please prepare the warehouse with haste. The goods I brought this time includes
ingredients from the sea, it must be kept fresh."
"I understand. I will make the arrangements, please wait for it in the meantime."
Raynesia bowed her head and acknowledged his request.
But Mavis interrupted Raynesia with a disdainful expression.
"Ha! Princess, what are you saying? I have already sent in the documents beforehand. A copy has already
been sent to Maihama's Duke Sergead, and I already received a reply."
"Eh?"
"You have already prepared for this, correct? We are bringing in top notch merchandise, fit for the Itsuki
clan of the Holy Empire. It is not something you can leave lying around, understand?"
Name:
Akatsuki
Age: 20
Weapon:
Devotion
Specialty:
Flying Knee
(Kick)
Birthday: 7
July
Favorite
Food:
Dorayaki
Equipment
Light Purple Two-ft Long-Sleeved Kimono
A light purple, small long-sleeved kimono
with the refreshing patterns of scattered
Chinese bellflowers. An original product of
〈Kimono Shop Komachi〉, a production
guild based in Akiba. Kimono Shop Komachi
is rare in the fact that it produces traditional
Japanese clothing such as kimonos and such in
the world of Elder Tales.
Vermillion Lipstick
A light red lipstick. Not in a "tube form", but
in the traditional paint form applied (by
spreading it on the lips) with the fingers.
Although there are brighter and more vivid
shades, this is the limit of Akatsuki's tolerance.
Wind Chime of the Wind Dragon
A furniture-type item created by 〈Antique〉,
a guild of artisans. The paper at the bottom that
catches the wind is formed from the scales of a
wind dragon. Akatsuki uses this wind chime as
a doorbell.
Chapter 5: Libra Festival
Part 1
"No, you can't force it this way."
"Please queue up orderly!"
"I have received your documents. Yes, Okay."
The sweet voices sounded out harmoniously.
Elder Tales was a game, so the characters in it were either beautiful cute ladies or handsome stylish men.
Hence, if a certain number of women gathered in one place, especially if they were Adventurers, it would
be a beautiful sight. But this was even more elegant than that.
This was the countermeasure HQ set up near the entrance of the exhibition lobby for this emergency.
Shiroe was sighing silently inside.
This was not the first time he saw ladies working hard for Soujirou. They say that 'Women in love are
more beautiful', and it was true. Shiroe explained it as the blushing cheeks, watery eyes, and the gentle
expressions made them more charming.
But Soujirou's followers... they called themselves his personal guards... did not stop at that. They seemed
to have heart signs floating all over their bodies, and this aura was reflected in their voice which sounded
sweet as honey.
(It is super effective.)
Shiroe surveyed the area with a dull expression.
The young ladies with blue armbands were maintaining order all over the place, even witnessing the
deals between People of the Land merchants and Adventurers, giving them advice.
Their movements were swift and smooth, it felt like they had went through hundreds of hours of training.
But it was impossible for them to go through so many hours of training.
These were the real skills the personal guards of Soujirou possessed, who took a lot of effort from Shiroe
in convincing them to help. Although you couldn't tell from their looks, they were a highly organized
group.
And their telepathy network was ever-increasing.
From what Shiroe knew, West Wind Brigade which had Soujirou as its guild master has about 30 odd
members. But the number of girls in this event was more than 50.
"Tactician Shiroe."
The neat-looking young lady greeted Shiroe.
It seemed like Shiroe assumed the tactician position out of nowhere. This was because Soujirou instructed
'When you reach the place, listen to Shiroe-senpai's orders'.
"5 more people have arrived, they can form a team and move out."
Shiroe knew she was competent and experienced from this concise report.
Only the core members of large guilds like 'Silver Swords' or 'Army Bikes' could match her.
"Ah..."
Shiroe thought about how to say this.
Even though this was his battle plan, he knew how complicated his expression must seem.
"Where is Soujirou?"
"Yes. Sou-sama♥ is in the lobby date... patrolling, escorted by the 4th team."
Shiroe calculated the time as he looked out the window. It was about time to move to the next phase.
"Contact Soujirou and ask him to return to the countermeasures HQ and link up with the 5th team. Then
proceed on a 45-minute patrol mission in the lobby. The 4th team will take over the duties of the 5th,
which is guarding the HQ and manning the counters... Also, form the newcomers into teams of 3 and detail
them to the city zone patrol."
"Roger. I, I, I..."
"?"
The young lady's face turned red, making Shiroe moody.
"We, the 5th, will patrol with Sou-sama as per Tactician Shiroe's orders!"
This announcement made several of the personal guards who were peeking here squeal in joy.
The girls muttered 'Together with Sou-sama!' 'It's my first time!' 'What should I do, my panties are not cute
enough!' these words that were full of points to retort. Their eyes were no longer just watery, they were
becoming heart-shaped.
Their assumption was spot on.
Shiroe's plan this round used the patrol (dating) with Soujirou as bait to draw in volunteers to help.
Soujirou would slowly patrol the clothing exhibition with 3 or 4 girls. With the instructions to take it
slow, this was actually a date. Soujirou had been authorized to buy gifts for the girls with a budget of 20
gold for each of them. The money was sponsored by the Round Table Council.
When Shiroe had a flash of brilliance and came up with this idea, he thought: "This is an excellent plan!"
But he retorted at the same time: "Will this kind of tactic actually work?" But from the results, it was
super effective.
Although Shiroe did not know the details, Soujirou's personal guards were united like steel (proclaimed
by the girl he was conversing with). According to her, from Soujirou's secretary to the newcomers, they
had a pyramid-like command structure. They used this structure to form teams flexibly, handling all the
disputes in the area by themselves.
Even when Soujirou was walking the streets slowly with a team, the other 6 parties were also patrolling
the area, being prepared for any emergency. Shiroe instructed them to not hesitate to contact him if things
got out of hand. They could also intimidate the merchants by telling them to take the matters to the Round
Table Council.
Shiroe was at high alert in the beginning, worrying about the People of the Land spies or merchants
escalating issues despite all this. But the People of the Land could not bring themselves to do that when
facing these alluring ladies, and things had calmed down.
The girls had surprising motives.
The look in their eyes literally changed as they carried out their patrol duties orderly and seriously. They
handled situations honestly and tactfully, showing no flaws. They might be able to get closer to Soujirou if
they volunteered for this, that was what they were imagining. Soujirou appeared in front of them quite
often and took different groups on patrol, motivating them to work harder.
Since Soujirou might see them at any moment, their attitudes were careful and respectful. They were like
loving cats as they focused on acting their role of a cute girl, but Shiroe could feel the aura of a tiger from
them.
Unlike the motivated girls high on adrenaline, Shiroe's spirit was at rock bottom. He didn't envy Soujirou
and didn't want to build a harem. But seeing such an obvious difference would make any man moody.
Soujirou was an outstanding young man. Mature, gentle, polite, and reliable in battle. He also had a goofy
side, tickling your desire to protect him... Shiroe understood what they were describing. Because back in
the Debauchery Tea Party, Saki and Nazuna spent lots of time explaining why Soujirou was so charming
to them.
Even so, Shiroe still didn't get it.
(Is that all it takes to be so popular?)
The pop idol status of Soujirou made people doubt whether this was some kind of spell. They were
envious, but unable to suppress their anger... It was so unfathomable. Shiroe mumbled to himself.
"Tactician-dono, this is the first time we've met. We have been detailed to, eh, 16? That's right, the 16th
team."
Shiroe looked at the happy young lady standing at attention in front of him, confirming his unfathomable
feelings again.
(Why are such girls being mass-produced? Love is so mysterious. How should I put this, those popular
with the opposite sex are geniuses at some level, but they are dangerous too.)
Shiroe recalled how Soujirou was.
A handsome youth who looked frail but loved to battle, with nothing to complain about as a friend. Since
they were playing games together, they should be friends, but it was a bit different from the female
perspective.
"Understood. Teams 9 to 18 will carry out zone security duties."
"Zone security? Sounds like a special police force!"[8]
The young lady was happy about something while Shiroe nodded gently. Shiroe understood that he must
not retort or resist such women who had this sort of emotion.
"Hmmm, ah, my lord."
Akatsuki called out. Her gaze shifted between Shiroe and the Crescent Moon Alliance stall. Her awkward
expression probably came from the clothes she was wearing.
"What is it?"
"Ermm... want to participate? We promised to go on stage right?"
Akatsuki reminded Shiroe of the agreement.
Now that she mentioned it, he'd made a promise with Henrietta to go on stage to market their merchandise.
Shiroe was in charge of miscellaneous jobs and was an extra in the line up, Akatsuki was the main
character they were counting on. The old-world fashion clothing Akatsuki wore with Henrietta's help
should be used for the purpose of displaying on stage.
But Akiba was under attack right now.
They really had no time to do this.
"My lord is going to keep his word right...?"
"That is correct..."
(Hold it... Maybe not?)
Shiroe adjusted his glasses and thought.
The intention of the enemy was to overwhelm the administrative capability of the Round Table Council
with their saturation attack, causing loss of confidence and even internal strife. To counter that, they
should keep the schedule of Libra festival as close to their plan as possible. Shiroe had been thinking that
way, but was now considering changing this policy slightly.
(Outsiders won't know what our schedule is like. If it looks like a success, some ad-lib performance
should be fine.)
When Shiroe thought about this, his freedom of action increased drastically.
He stopped breathing, moving the chess pieces in his mind with the timetable in his heart. His own moves
and other players' counter moves. Strictly classifying data he had and information to be confirmed,
gradually filling the chessboard.
Shiroe was not a god, so he could not see most of the situations. But every move in chess would give
more than the expected amount of information, as if the enemy were exposing their crude plans with their
arrogant actions.
For creatures like humans, they could not accomplish anything without leaving their footsteps behind.
Adding in this supplementary data, the unseen chessboard slowly surfaced.
The hard work of the citizens, the honest attitude on-site. With the festive atmosphere as the background,
all kinds of groups made power plays around the city of Akiba.
Shiroe thought that there were countless chess players of his level in this world. For him, this was a way
to sound out his thoughts to himself. There were tons of situations he could not handle.
Shiroe contacted Krusty and Isaac, asking them to clamp down on violent incidents within Akiba. Other
pieces he could move had already been activated. Keeping to the policy of keeping the incidents below
the table, all the scenes were managed by volunteers. But the famous major guilds in Akiba would join in
to handle the situation, gathering powerful players all over the chessboard.
Right now, Shiroe was unable to take on the enemies' movements alone, so he asked Soujirou for aid. His
personal guards advanced to the front line facing the merchants that were causing trouble, solving
problems like exiling people. This was an ability Shiroe didn't have.
It also helped in another area.
Shiroe recalled his petite companion's telepathy call from the Production Guild Liaison Committee.
Shiroe could feel her tender but determined fingers. Although it was still small and vague, Shiroe could
see the image of a young bird chirping, spreading its wings for its first flight.
Charasin's processing speed increased and the incoming issues were falling drastically. This was thanks
to the patrol sent by Isaac to nip the trouble in the bud, earning time for Soujirou's personal guards to
remedy the outstanding problems.
They regained control of the situation faster than expected.
It was still early, but Shiroe could already see the ending. He was ready to activate the next plan.
Shiroe noticed the word 'freedom' as he recalled Akatsuki's words. He thought about which chess pieces
he could move without disrupting the Libra Festival timetable and make the event even more lively.
The enemy was increasing the burden on the system and spreading rumors. Their objective was to lower
the unity of Akiba as a whole, so others would think 'Akiba is no big deal'. It had nothing to do with facts,
just an attack on the psychological level. The best way to counterattack was to make the Libra Festival
even more lively, increasing the satisfaction of all participating to its peak.
"... My lord?"
Shiroe heard Akatsuki's worried voice, lifted his head and smiled at her. It was a smile Henrietta
described as 'black hearted'.
"Ah! Akatsuki? Please ask Henrietta to prepare the costumes. Also ask the neighboring guild for help, try
to come up with a set of clothes that will make people's nose bleed."
"Ah?"
"Teams 9 to 18!"
"Here!"
The members in the vicinity responded immediately and Shiroe stood up and declared fearlessly.
"Move out and patrol the city zone! Sorry to trouble everyone, please lend me your support. I will treat
everyone to a feast after the mission is over today, please show Soujirou your cute and beautiful side!"
Part 2
Lord Marvis' words made Raynesia turn pale.
She didn't understand. She wasn't clear about it at all.
Raynesia smelled the burning stink of danger.
"Ok princess, please prepare with haste all right?"
"Eh, Ah... about that..."
Raynesia turned around for help, Elissa in front of her was lecturing a maid working under her as she
reviewed a copy of the documents from Lord Marvis' henchmen.
"Princess."
"How is it?"
"The documents are real... It is hard to imagine, but the fault might lie with us, a loophole in management
oversight."
Oversight.
Loophole in management.
Even though Raynesia heard the words, her brain wasn't processing them. The blunder soaked slowly into
her consciousness, making her feel cold as if she were touching freezing liquid.
Simply put, Lord Marvis had already informed Raynesia in advance to prepare a warehouse for him when
his ship reached Akiba. The same document was delivered to Maihama, and an agreement to help was
sent in reply.
This meant Raynesia promised to prepare the warehouse, but forgot about it when preparing for the
festival. That was the whole story.
But there was no way to tell what really transpired. There might be an error in delivery resulting in
miscommunication, or an error by the administrative clerk. Or Raynesia was too busy and stuffed the
document somewhere and lost track of it...
But this was not the time to review what really happened.
Lord Marvis was holding a reply from Raynesia's side, so it was definitely an oversight on Raynesia's
part.
And Raynesia as the host had the obligation to assist the guest and make things convenient for him. Also,
the daughter of the Corwen family stationed in Akiba and the noble sea merchant from the west Lord
Marvis had different statuses. If you took into account the hidden tension between the eastern and western
federations, she had no choice but to eat humble pie.
Raynesia was a woman.
In accordance to the nobles of the People of the Land, she was not educated in the ways of politics. But
she could learn about it from the social world.
"Hmph, what's the matter? You are not going to tell me you are not ready for me? I already sent in the
request in advance."
"About that..."
It was easy to apologize.
But Raynesia was not used to such dealings and was unable to judge whether she needed to apologize
now. The lazy Raynesia wouldn't think 'I should have put in more effort to learn if I knew this kind of
situation would come up'. But she still thought there was something she could do about this.
She should have asked a few competent bureaucrats to be dispatched here from Maihama, that should be
obvious. She had already gotten permission from her grandfather with some constraints to pick several
followers to bring along to Akiba, but that was still not enough.
"Is this the Corwen clan's way of doing things? Or is your working relation with the Adventurers... with
Akiba just an illusion?"
His mocking tone made Raynesia lower her head.
Her heart was full of retorts, but Raynesia was not sure of the correct way to say it, or which way of
expressing it might be dangerous.
Anyway, she needed to apologize and compensate for the goods on the ship to appease him. She would
worry about the details later, could she drag this problem along and solve it after the dinner party?
Raynesia thought numbly.
People called her a beautiful princess.
She would get compliments from knights and bureaucrats from whichever banquet she went to.
Raynesia knew that she was acting a role that suited her status in their frozen-like daily lives, but she
could feel her body temperature dropping without end right now. Raynesia was unable to understand this.
Why were her emotions so unsteady, making her so unhappy?
This regret didn't come from Raynesia since she didn't care for such things. The unhappiness, regret, and
remorse must be because of this carefree city...
"Evening!"
Raynesia who was looking at the luxurious carpet stiffly realized someone was standing before her
because of the shadow dulling the color of the carpet. Her eyes sprang up to look at the back of someone
wearing unfamiliar clothes.
The shirt made from soft cloth not seen by People of the Land before and a hooded vest. This was the
young man who pushed Raynesia down a cliff with no means of returning on the day of the crucial speech
for the battle of Sand Leaf, Shiroe.
"Shiroe...sama?"
"Who is this?"
"I apologize for my late introduction. I am the leader of Log Horizon, one of the 11 guilds that forms the
Round Table Council, Shiroe."
"Shiroe... No family name? Hmmm..."
"That's right, because I am an Adventurer."
The young man in casual clothes in front of Raynesia maintained a leisurely attitude even though he was
facing the grand noble of the west. Raynesia took half a step forward even though she was dumbstruck.
Adventurers were not familiar with the customs of the People of the Land, this might have serious
repercussions. To prevent this, Raynesia decided to become the shield of Akiba.
But a hand was placed gently on Raynesia's shoulder, stopping her with uncompromising strength. This
strong and big manly hand belonged to Krusty. Raynesia turned her head to look at Krusty who was
stopping her from behind and Krusty said without looking at her.
"Don't worry."
His glasses reflected the light so she was unable to see his expression. But she could see a cruel smile on
Krusty's face.
"Lord Marvis, welcome to Akiba. With the fairy-powered ship, your shipping industry is blooming and
your name is renowned here."
Shiroe said with a smile, making Marvis stare with his eyes wide open. But his ironic smile remained as
he replied "I'm flattered." According to the customs of the People of the Land, this attitude was akin to
ridiculing others.
Considering the fact that Shiroe introduced himself as a member of the Round Table Council, he was
obviously ridiculing Shiroe and Akiba's Round Table Council. His attitude frustrated Raynesia and made
her cheeks grow hot.
But Shiroe didn't mind at all. In the end, he probably didn't understand the customs of the People of the
Land.
"And so, what happened? Elissa-san? Where are you?"
"Here Shiroe-san... These are the details."
But Shiroe's words cooled down Raynesia's frustrated heart.
Raynesia could only give a blank expression as she stared at her maid showing Shiroe that document. She
didn't know the two of them knew each other. Elissa wore a troubled face, but was still respectful
towards this young man.
"Ahah, hmm... is that so? This is possible. I get the general picture... Hey! Michitaka-san!"
Shiroe saved time by shouting for the burly man in the hall instead of using telepathy. The man, who
leisurely walked over after hearing his name, was the guild master of Oceanic Systems, Michitaka who
was built like a bear. Michitaka greeted everyone as he walked over but was interrupted by Shiroe who
cut straight to the chase.
"This is an oversight. Instead of an oversight, it is more like clumsiness and embarrassment... Michitakasan,
due to the blunder of Princess Raynesia, we have some troubling issues."
"Oh I see, this is problematic indeed."
Saying this young man... Shiroe didn't understand social etiquette wasn't quite right, it was more like he
was hasty and pragmatic by nature. Raynesia was not good at handling this young man since the first time
they met. She was also bad with Krusty, but that was because Raynesia couldn't tell what Krusty was
thinking about.
But she felt she was bad at handling this young man because 'Once he makes up his mind, he is willing to
do anything no matter how ridiculous and will not compromise'. She feared Krusty because he was
incomprehensible, while she was afraid of this young man because he was a hunter who would not
hesitate about using Raynesia as bait.
"What are you up to? I am questioning the oversight of Raynesia-jou over here all right?"
Shiroe explained the situation to Michitaka briefly with a smile after Lord Marvis finished.
"This big man over here is Michitaka-san, boss of one of the 11 guilds that comprises the Round Table
Council, Oceanic Systems... Lord Marvis requires a warehouse to store his shipment of cargo and has
informed Raynesia-san in advance to prepare one for him. She seems to have forgotten about it or lost the
document, leading to this failure."
Lord Marvis nodded smugly, agreeing with Shiroe.
"That is correct. The shipment this round consists of food and precious spices. If you leave it in the hot
and humid cargo hold on-board, it will rot in a few days."
Raynesia wanted to rebuke him when she heard his words.
He was full of excuses... But it was useless to point this out now.
"Seems like you are using this opportunity to make a big business deal."
"I came personally this time, so I took the best ship in my company with me. You are Shiroe-kun right?"
The middle-aged nobleman who smelled like make-up laughed like an animal. Shiroe's attitude probably
pleased him.
"The 'New Fairy Ship Egiru' that made her maiden voyage last month right? I heard the rumors, it is a
beautiful ship that reminds people of swans."
"Oh, that news has reached Akiba? That is so... The cargo on this ship is going to be lost due to the
oversight of Raynesia-jou. My dear Adventurers, don't you think this is a terrible betrayal?"
"It is indeed regrettable."
(Why is Shiroe-san taking the lord's side... Does he mean that Adventurers don't need to care about the
People of the Land...? This issue is obviously linked to the pride of Akiba right?)
"Anyway, I have some matters for Princess Raynesia too. Akatsuki, Henrietta-san."
"Ah?"
Raynesia was focused on Shiroe, so she didn't notice the two of them appearing without a sound. It was
the competent lady wearing glasses and the petite girl with black hair that pushed her into the brink during
the speech the other time.
"The princess expressed her willingness to make this festival a success, please help her change."
"Ah? Ah?"
The confused Raynesia looked at Elissa to her right.
Elissa shook her head and sighed softly.
Raynesia was disappointed at her unreliable friend and looked at Krusty behind her left shoulder. He just
shrugged in reply.
At this moment, the serious young girl with black hair and the smiling glasses lady captured Raynesia.
Although their attitudes were respectful, they gave off an uncompromising aura. They reached for
Raynesia's clothes without regard for the fact they were in the view of the public.
"Eh, what are you doing? Hmm? How can you change here... Hold up, that's not it, I have an important
discussion with Lord Marvis, it is a crucial matter to protect Akiba. Krusty-sama! Please say something,
aren't you my knight?"
"... Wasn't that just limited to the conference of the lords?"
"How can you take the oath of a knight so lightly! You want me, Raynesia, to think of it as a joke?"
The half-panicking Raynesia pleaded with Krusty in tears. She could see the villainous smile of the knight
in glasses, but he was the only one who could save her.
"We will need to extend the contractual period."
"Please... think of something! I... I am willing to change my clothes! I will change obediently later, So let
me clear things up with Lord Marvis!"
"Shiroe-kun... that's what the Princess that extended her contract with me said."
The smiling Henrietta and the serious Akatsuki grabbed Princess Raynesia's hand from either side. At
some point of time, this commotion became the center of attention within the hall. Within the wall of
people surrounding them, Krusty rushed Shiroe to move to the follow up phase.
"Roger that Krusty-san... we are done with preparations on our side."
"Lord Marvis, I understand the situation, the documents have already been sent to Akiba's Round Table
Council."
Krusty who was hiding his expression behind his glasses said simply in a normal volume at this
impressionable time. Marvis who heard this sentence all of a sudden gave a blank expression, but
composed his emotions and responded in a loud voice.
"What? The Round Table Council had been informed? How can that be... Wait, we are talking about a
warehouse here right? Is that something you can prepare so easily? You don't understand, I didn't come in
a wagon. Do you not follow our conversation so far?"
"'New Fairy Ship Egiru' right? I remember its maximum load is 500 tons and includes freezer
compartments, a state-of-the-art vessel."
"You are right Adventurers. Where can you find a warehouse that can store so much goods and has
temperature control? You must be dreaming to say you can prepare it right now."
Marvis said arrogantly as he made 'Tch' sounds with his tongue repeatedly, showing off his proud nature.
Raynesia could feel a cold wave coming over her.
Not because of Marvis' arrogance. But because of Marvis' ignorance of Adventurers.
Marvis was a People of the Land noble and was used to commanding people. The nobles of Eastal had
the same arrogant nature, but they had no authority over Adventurers. Marvis might be cut down on the
spot for his taunting attitude.
Nobles had strong authority in the society of the People of the Land, but they were not immortal. They
would be burned to ashes in a tenth of a second if they faced the wrath of Adventurers.
Raynesia had no sympathy for Marvis, but this might spark off a war, inciting the Adventurers to destroy
them in righteous fury...
(Ah, ahah, why must I worry about this white pig!)
"What? So you have informed the Round Table Council in advance? That's great. But I heard your rental
warehouse is full of the cargo of traveling merchants. Even though you received the notice, but that's the
woeful state you are in."
"I am sorry, for this incident, I, Raynesia, will..."
Marvis changed his target to the Adventurers and the Round Table Council. His brash way of putting it
almost made Raynesia scream.
"Here are the documents Michitaka-san."
But Shiroe produced a piece of paper like a magician, making everyone freeze in the hall. Raynesia
glanced at it for a moment, it seemed to be identical to the copy Marvis was waving around just now.
Although it was hard to say for sure, but the Round Table Council of Akiba seemed to have received the
notice Raynesia didn't get.
Michitaka took the document, browsed through the contents and nodded.
"... Do you need wagons to ferry the goods?"
The hidden meaning behind Michitaka's word was that he agreed to this casually. He gave a manly grin
and shrugged.
"Could it be..."
"Of course we have warehouses... 500 tons right? That's nothing. Oceanic Systems' guild warehouse is
several times that of the warehouse opened for rental by the Adventurers for this event. You think we will
be overloaded just handling the merchant caravans? Or you think Adventurers won't help People of the
Land?"
"!"
Michitaka's speech made Raynesia clench her fist.
The Adventurers were covering for Raynesia's oversight. Michitaka was a tough guy who preached the
glory of Adventurers in front of a roomful of People of the Land at the Ancient Palace of Eternal Ice.
Raynesia could not imagine him helping her so selflessly.
(No, he didn't do it for me...)
Raynesia peeked at the young man with his hand on her shoulder. She had to raise her head to see his
expression since they were so close, but she couldn't tell even when she saw his face. But Raynesia knew
this monster, who she couldn't read, with a smiling but seemingly unhappy face, asked Michitaka for aid
on her behalf.
"Krusty-sama..."
"It was because of the perfect policing of the streets, to stop physical altercations, that it made us realize
this issue so late."
Raynesia didn't comprehend what Krusty was whispering to her about.
"... Krusty-sama? About that, I am..."
"An important shield... Wrong, a princess."
Raynesia uttered a word of thanks reluctantly to Krusty who was not looking at her. The favors she owed
this young man just kept on accumulating. Her feeling of guilt was growing like a ball of rolling snow,
making her conscience and pride scream in pain. But Krusty said 'You should thank Shiroe-kun instead',
these strange words when he heard her words of thanks.
Marvis' expression grew grim on the other hand.
After making a 'Tch' sound with his tongue, he glared at Shiroe. But Shiroe didn't care about Marvis'
glare.
The grand noble of Westelande bid a few words of good bye before leaving the hall.
Raynesia felt her legs go numb and lose strength. Marvis left. His pride wounded, but he kept his life. And
this side had also avoided clashing with Marvis and the entire west.
This unexpected ending made Raynesia so at ease she almost turned into foam.
"Okay, that's settled. I leave the rest to you two."
"Understood Shiroe-sama."
"By your order, my lord."
The two of them used Raynesia's mental lapse to drag her away. The knight who had extended his contract
with her waved her farewell. But Raynesia only realized this when she was stripped to her underwear.
Part 3
Raynesia's dinner party was ruined.
But it was still a grandiose event.
The main doors of the Maihama consulate in Akiba was wide open, and the guests spilled out onto the
central square. They mingled with the crowd enjoying the festival in the evening sun and food dishes were
carried outside for all to enjoy.
The amount was not enough for the masses and the eateries facing the central square ran their kitchens at
full capacity. Shiroe spread the word that all expenses would be covered by the Round Table Council,
prompting the unending flow of food and drinks to the crowd 'till their stock ran out.
But this caused the standard of the feast to drop below Raynesia's expectations. Instead of a buffet-style
dinner party, it felt more like a festival or a flower watching gathering. But such details didn't seem to
matter to the Adventurers.
When Raynesia appeared in the central square escorted by Krusty, the crowd erupted into cheers. Ever
since the expedition speech, Raynesia attended many public events, but this was the first time she made an
appearance so directly in Akiba.
The princess let the knight lead her by the fingers as she gazed slightly downwards. Her blushing cheek
made her look like a beautiful flower, mesmerizing many Adventurers. Her shy appearance was like a
beautiful young lady you dreamed about.
The surprising thing was her dress.
Raynesia was wearing a long tight denim skirt, a light green top that matched the autumn season and a
bolero short jacket. Her long skirt was elegant but casual, her long silver hair flowed over her back with
a black ribbon on top.
Raynesia always wore gothic clothing that matched her People of the Land nobility status. No one in
Akiba expected her to dress like this.
The atmosphere in the central square went wild. By the standard of the old world, this was a dress for a
casual date for the Adventurers; for the People of the Land, these were fashionable clothes that gave off
the modern feel of the Adventurers.
Raynesia walked to the south edge of the central square under the lead of Krusty with a stiff expression
and sat on the cushion of an elegant chair that was crafted in a hurry. It was made through the in-game
menu, the temporary pavilion was also built in just 15 minutes.
The sun had already set, and the square was full of torches. A Fairy Light near Raynesia illuminated her
surrounding twice as brightly, probably conjured by a caring Summoner.
Black Sword Issac drew his trademark sword declaring that the princess would stay in this chair due to
security concerns, but wanted to enjoy this festive night with everyone present. Also, anyone who wanted
to may come to the pavilion to greet the princess. This announcement made the crowd go wilder.
Compared to Adventurers, the People of the Land were even more surprised. They, especially the spies
that took part in the conspiracy, were caravan merchants that hailed from towns and villages around
Akiba. They usually rode a horse or a wagon, making business between the villages. Someone like them
wouldn't have the chance to see the princess so close in person. And not only did they have the chance to
gaze from afar, they could even greet her in person, a stunning experience.
Even so, only a handful took up the offer without hesitation. A third of them were People of the Land
while the rest were Japanese Adventurers with a cautious nature.
Even the orchestra Raynesia hired were playing classic Yamato pieces, everyone was holding back and
being too reserved.
The one to lead the way was Michitaka.
He brought along about a dozen other guild masters to the elegant couch in the pavilion surrounded by
screens and covered by parasols. He greeted Raynesia warmly as she breathed a sigh of relief. The other
guilds also took action after seeing this.
With many Adventurers lining up to greet the princess, the maids working under Elissa started to move
hurriedly.
Shiroe watched this scene from the sky bridge that overlooked the central square, pouring tea into a glass.
In the joyous occasion below, Princess Raynesia chatted happily with the Adventurers. Other People of
the Land and Adventurers were also mingling together, which was the best proof the Libra Festival was a
success.
The People of the Land noble Raynesia dressed in the fashion of the old world made an appearance at the
central square. This action sent a strong message to all those present in this festival.
It was a message of peace and friendship. Their unity could ward off the attack this round.
Shiroe thought that Akiba was victorious in fending off the attack.
The origin of the attack should be the Westelande nobleman Marvis who took his leave at Raynesia's
party.
(But from his brash style, it is hard to see him as the mastermind behind this.)
Shiroe thought he was just one of the core players in this attack.
It was still too early to judge whether the attack was over. The festival was still under high alert, the
security detail under the command of Krusty and Issac was stationed near the entrance, deterring any
physical alterations.
It was the same with the girls working with Soujirou who warded off the arguments between merchants
with their feminine charms while patrolling.
Shiroe who was nominated as the tactician received periodic telepathy reports and queries on how to
handle certain situations.
One of the reasons he was staying at this place overlooking the central square was for the convenience of
going anywhere that needed him quickly.
But Shiroe was not too worried about it.
The attack against the trust and handling speed of the Round Table Council had the main aim of putting
them into disarray. For this tactic to work, it needed to use the element of surprise as support. With the
Round Table Council prepared for it, it would have limited effectiveness.
Worse case scenarios did exist, but it was pointless to brood over them. You couldn't use all your best
moves in some battles and were forced to react to your opponent's moves. Maintaining high alert till the
end of the festival was the best option right now.
... But the attack will come sooner or later. Shiroe sighed as he thought about this, as the activities in the
plaza below continued to flow. The crowds around Raynesia and the eateries were the same, but there
were new people and music joining the fray. Soujirou's personal guards cleared a pathway to the guild
building, standing on either side of the pavement.
The one leading the way was Maryele.
Her curly green hair and bright shining smile. Maryele's alluring, bouncing breasts were covered by a
stylishly-tailored jacket as she moved with energetic steps.
This was not at the level of supermodels yet, but she turned and waved both hands at the crowd after
reaching the end of the makeshift catwalk, acting just like one.
(That's really great Mary-nee. I can't stay moody even if I want to.)
Maryele's appearance made Shiroe feel motivated and hurt his head at the same time. Next up was
Henrietta and Akatsuki.
Henrietta and Akatsuki always wore secretary attire and black shinobi costumes respectively like
uniforms. But they changed their styles just for today. The two of them were wearing the attire promoted
by Crescent Moon Alliance which looked native and casual. Their clothing differed slightly, making them
look like sisters.
... Because of the height difference, they looked like sisters with a wide age gap, but it was best not to say
this out loud. Henrietta was hyperactive, hugging Akatsuki, rubbing her face on hers and twirling around
elegantly. Watching them, Shiroe made a decision with a smile.
Unaware of the stares from the crowd (a fortunate thing for Akatsuki), the two of them played around
before meeting up with Maryele and walking to the central square. Maryele ignored the stunned crowd,
going directly to Raynesia and pulled her up by the hand. This was just like Maryele's bold nature.
Akatsuki whispered to Raynesia from behind. Seeing how Raynesia's face was turning green, she was
being intimidated once again. Maryele led Raynesia to the central square just like this, forming a circle
and turning around along with Henrietta and Akatsuki.
Instead of holding a fashion show indoors, they would have wider exposure doing it this way. The
'Firebird' and 'Lightning Phoenix' resting at the top of the guild building shone over everyone. Waves of
applause went back and fro through the crowd.
The lively music playing was from a memorable pop song of the old world. The slightly aged melody was
recreated using the classical Middle Ages instruments in this world.
Raynesia didn't know what to do as she looked around with a perplexed expression. But pretty girls had it
good in this type of situation. Even in a common dress of the old world, it matched her perfectly if she
gave a shy smile.
"Shiroe...san."
"Thanks for the hard work Minori."
This polite greeting made Shiroe lift his gaze from the plaza. Minori walked from the guild building
towards the connected sky bridge. She wore a complicated expression of pride, joy, and humility on her
face.
Shiroe didn't know what his petite companion was thinking about, but he knew what she had
accomplished on this chaotic day. She completed the primary administrative work alongside Charasin.
The responsibility was equivalent to leading a hundred-man raid.
"Take a seat."
"Eh, but..."
Minori was hesitant, Shiroe gestured to the side of the wooden bench he was sitting on. Shiroe took a
glass from his bag and wiped it clean. He then poured the same fruit tea he was drinking into it and
offered it to the panicky Minori.
"Erm.."
"Thank you, and you did great."
"Eh, yes!"
Minori with her voice a few octaves higher and her back straightened looked so cute, it made Shiroe
smile. He didn't know whether Minori realized the value of the work she had done.
Minori held the glass with both hands,
Their view was illuminated with the light of many torches and conjured shining creatures like Bug Light
Lamp. They could see the lively festival below thanks to them.
A part of this festive atmosphere was protected through Minori's efforts.
Shiroe thought her hands were small.
But these tiny hands of a middle school student held the determination to stay at her post.
When Minori reported her intention to stay and help at the Production Guild Liaison Committee, Shiroe
surprisingly sensed acknowledgement. After all the time Shiroe and Minori spent together, he could feel
her hardworking nature that could not be suppressed within her heart.
Her twin Tohya also had the passion to improve himself, but he was already set earlier on to focus on
fighting and physical strength. In comparison, Minori was hesitant on which route to take. But she would
definitely find her path to follow one day.
Minori achieved a victory Shiroe didn't expect, in a place of her own choosing.
(She is much more dependable than me...)
Shiroe jeered at himself and sighed. He recollected his miserable middle school days.
Minori's display of her strong will was nothing like Shiroe's old days. Shiroe remembered being a typical
overly self conscious delusional middle schooler. He used to think of himself as being special and
different, but failed to realize that his 'uniqueness' was the same as others.
It was so embarrassing just thinking back.
"Shiroe-san, may I ask..."
"What is it?"
"Aren't you going to greet her? Among the guilds that make up the Round Table Council, only Log Horizon
hasn't done so right?"
Shiroe shrugged and replied vaguely.
"We met not too long ago."
Their conversation on the sky bridge was drowned out by the cheers down below. Probably because of a
new set set of clothes from some guild making its fashion debut? Shiroe listened to his telepathy messages
and gave short replies every now and then. After some time, Minori raised a new question.
"You... Did this on purpose right?"
"Yeah."
"... I'm sorry Shiroe-san."
Minori hung her head in shame.
"No need to apologize, it's not something I want to make known to the world."
"I butted in needlessly, wanting to take Shiroe-san to the dinner party... But thinking about it carefully,
there is no need to do that. There is no way Shiroe-san of the 11 founding guilds will fail to secure an
invitation right? So you wanted Princess Raynesia to detest you right from the start correct?"
This was not questioning, but seeking confirmation.
(What an incredibly brilliant girl.)
This tactic was not hard to see through, several members of the Round Table had already realized this.
This strategy can only work if his comrades understood it to some extent.
"Because Krusty-san is close to the princess, and having someone she clearly hates and clearly likes will
make it easier to push her along. It will be the same for the future too."
"The princess is in a precarious position. Her beauty, straightforward nature, and honesty holds the
sympathy of the masses, but it won't last forever. Although she likes Akiba now, there is no telling if she
will continue to do so. She has improved the relations between the People of the Land and Adventurers,
but it's hard to gauge how long this will last. There will be plenty of instances in the future that require us
to adopt a tough stance. Crises that will make this attack look insignificant are sure to follow, so we need
to divide the roles to play ahead of time."
This tactic was dependent on 'Krusty being considerate of the Princess' feelings' as a prerequisite. Krusty
who was aware of this strategy was grumpy about it, but it couldn't be helped since these were the
assigned roles. Krusty was the senate leader of the Round Table Council after all, it would be troubling if
he was unwilling to play this part.
From what Shiroe saw, Krusty was just as unhappy about being manipulated by Shiroe. But if left alone,
Shiroe was sure Krusty would help the Princess in the end anyway.
Also...
Following his flowing thoughts, Shiroe focused on the limits of the future he could forecast. In the
combination of blurry predictions, he could see a vague future.
The Princess with a bad personality needed Krusty.
And Krusty also needed the Princess... Hopefully.
"Shiroe-san... Is this really what you hope for?"
"Why do you ask?"
A part of Shiroe's consciousness heard Minori talking to him and stopped his train of thought. Shiroe's
companion showed a troubled and pained expression.
"Because..."
Minori talked in bits and pieces, Shiroe waited patiently for her continuation that didn't come.
"If it is about the troubles Log Horizon will be facing... Regarding this, at some point in time, I planned to
have Chief Nyanta take everyone to visit Princess Raynesia, maybe at a dinner party. Minori would need
to doll up for that event too, the sky blue dress you wore that time looks cute on you."
Shiroe's speech made Minori even more depressed.
Is that a bad way to reply? Shiroe scratched his head. Seemed like this did not satisfy her, or he was going
about this the wrong way.
"Won't you feel sad Shiroe-san?"
"..."
Ah, so that's how someone watching from the side might see it. This was beyond Shiroe's calculations.
Since this was such a normal sensibility, Shiroe did not even think about it.
"No such thing, this is normal."
"..."
Seemed like Minori had a hard time accepting this explanation.
This was just one of the parts they needed to play, and Shiroe just happened to be suitable for this role.
Minori with her lips tightly closed looked really prim and proper. Her big eyes looked like they were
going to tear up, her cheeks were tense and red. Minori's brows furrowed in anger showing her
unwillingness to back down.
"Minori has been a big help in aiding the Production Guild Liaison Committee. The things you did are
more worthwhile than 10 staff helping on site. You did great Minori."
Shiroe's praise made Minori blink her eyes.
"It's the same rationale Minori, the things that need to be done are right in front of me, I can do it and
others hold that expectation of me as well. This is a good thing, something that we should be proud of.
Since doing so is helpful, I think it is just fine."
Minori showed a troubled face.
This couldn't be helped. Shiroe didn't say this because he understood this rationale. The Shiroe who had
avoided guilds thinking it was a bother had no right to say this. This was a speech only experienced guild
leader like Michitaka or Krusty could make.
But after Shiroe founded his guild with his comrades, he finally understood something. He was just a
wandering soul, even if he got stronger alone, it would be a hollow strength that wouldn't be channeled
anywhere. It was a power others wouldn't be able to feel and appreciate.
It was still strength even if he achieved it alone, but Shiroe thought comrades were necessary to use this
strength. And you needed the world for your comrades to reach their full potential. Although it was still
vague and blurry now, Shiroe felt that Log Horizon was an important place to make this theory come true.
"I will work just as hard as you Minori."
Minori nodded with an expression that was a mixture of confusion, anger and sadness. What Shiroe could
do was reflect on his actions. In the end, he could only respond to the hardworking middle schooler
Minori in this unsightly manner.
He felt he was being encouraged and lectured by her.
... This couldn't be avoided.
This petite girl deserved a reward tonight. A member of Log Horizon being an valuable asset this day
made Shiroe happy. To have guided Minori at one point also gave him a warm feeling in his heart. Shiroe
was not sad even though he was seen as an elder or teacher by Minori.
Shiroe gave an awkward smile and nodded his head.
"I will work hard so Minori will not be troubled."
Part 4
Akatsuki suppressed her rapid breathing, stopping in her tracks after rushing up the grey stairs. It was fine
for her to walk up to him as usual, but Akatsuki couldn't make herself to do it because she didn't want
Shiroe to see her out of breath.
She was still wearing the frilly clothes Henrietta forced on her. With laces sewed at its ends, it looked
cute but was too light. Akatsuki, who had grown accustomed to the battle suits in this world, felt naked
and defenseless walking the streets in this.
Also, it was hard to hide herself and sneak up on Shiroe in this.
Akatsuki hid under the shade of the ancient tree that pierced through the sky bridge to calm her breathing.
She didn't want Shiroe to know she rushed all the way here.
Akatsuki felt she had grown closer to Shiroe over the past few days. She even managed to touch Shiroe's
hair on the balcony of their guild house last night. It was colder than she imagined and different from hers,
the hair of a man. Strong and smooth, flowing through Akatsuki's fingers.
It was an experience that made Akatsuki happy with minimal physical contact. She intentionally pulled a
long face, telling Shiroe she was happy, which subsequently confused Shiroe, making him ask her to,
again, confirm her feelings.
Those were happy times.
But her decision to catch her breath gave her the opportunity to overhear this conversation.
Shiroe leaned on the railings of the sky bridge, looking down at the central square illuminated by bonfires.
There was a young lady beside him... Minori, a companion of Akatsuki from Log Horizon.
Shiroe and Minori's words were carried by the wind that blew throughout Akiba towards Akatsuki who
caught pieces of it.
"You... Did this on purpose right?"
"Yeah."
"... I'm sorry Shiroe-san."
In the beginning, Akatsuki didn't understand what they were talking about.
"No need to apologize, it's not something I want to make known to the world."
"I butted in needlessly, wanting to take Shiroe-san to the dinner party... But thinking about it carefully,
there is no need to do that. There is no way Shiroe-san of the 11 founding guilds would fail to secure an
invitation right? So you wanted Raynesia to detest you right from the start correct?"
Akatsuki almost made a sound when she heard this.
... Shiroe... Planned to be detested?
This was a perspective Akatsuki never thought of.
The unexpected interaction between the two made Akatsuki forget to call out to Shiroe, she could only
listen intently to them. Their dialogue could be heard in bits and pieces through the disruption of the
autumn wind.
Akatsuki tried to think about Minori's 'planned to be detested' words. But a chill went down her spine as
she began to understand its meaning. Akatsuki heard about an unknown source finding trouble with Akiba
from Shiroe before.
Although she didn't comprehend the meaning, she knew that Shiroe had successfully defended Akiba.
But she didn't think about it the way Minori did.
Unlike Minori, she didn't consider how everyone else would think about Shiroe.
Unlike Minori, she didn't think about how Log Horizon's position would be affected by all this.
Unlike Minori, she didn't split up with Shiroe and fight for his sake on another front.
... Unlike Minori, she didn't help Shiroe with his trouble.
Akatsuki's heart started to race in her modest chest.
The Shiroe that felt so close last night was gradually growing further away from her? This gave her a pure
sense of terror.
Just like the fear of a child abandoned in the darkness, she moaned soundlessly in her chest.
Shiroe was going so far away.
No, he was far away from the beginning.
Him being by Akatsuki's side was just an illusion.
Ever since the day Shiroe saved Akatsuki, she had stayed by his side. Addressing Shiroe as lord,
becoming his shadow, wielding her blade for him all this while. She could also feel Shiroe protecting her
at the same time, which made her very comfortable.
Maybe only Akatsuki thought they were protecting each other.
(At the very least, I don't understand my lord to that extent...)
It was hard to acknowledge this.
She couldn't measure up to this middle-schooler from the same guild.
Accepting that she couldn't hold a candle to Minori. This bitterness and pain gave her a sensation of
falling, as if the ground around her feet was being frozen and came crumbling down.
Akatsuki grabbed her blade subconsciously with trembling hands. Akatsuki could feel it vaguely.
She noticed her limits and what it meant.
Assassins have the strongest attack among all 12 classes. For the sake of her pride, Akatsuki had worked
in the art of fighting. Her attack power or individual battle power should be in the top tier among the
Adventurers. But among the top tier, she ranked in the middle of the pile.
Akatsuki didn't have experience in major raids.
This could not be helped. Akatsuki was a solo player, living a solitary lifestyle free of any guilds. For
solo players to participate in major raids, they could only wait for big guilds looking to fill a raid
vacancy or by forming a temporary raid alliance. Joining a group like Debauchery Tea Party was another
way, but that was a rare instance. Gathering Adventurers to form a group that had nothing to do with
guilds took a lot of effort, even forming a new guild was easier to gain fame and members.
In the end, major raids needed teamwork and training, a hard gaming mode to pull off. If you didn't do it
with fixed members, the success rate would drop. Big guilds equating to major raids were an accepted
fact.
Shiroe, Nyanta, and Naotsugu were all solo players or members of small guilds, but they were
experienced top-notch Adventurers within the whole server in their group the Debauchery Tea Party.
In comparison, Akatsuki was the finest amongst solo players, but in terms of equipment, knowledge, and
familiarity with teamwork battles, it was not at the top notch level.
(Am I... just a fake...)
She hugged herself and shook slightly.
The skills she relied upon so far, which she claimed could protect Shiroe, were not at top notch level.
Confirming this once again shattered Akatsuki's pride completely.
But that's not all. Major raids were a high difficulty playing mode and there were plenty of Adventurers
who didn't have experience with this.
But a low-level Kannagi reached Shiroe's side in a way Akatsuki never thought of. Akatsuki who prided
herself in her battle techniques and lived all this time in the alternate world believing in this, was doubly
hurt by this.
"... The things you did are more worthwhile than 10 staff helping on site. You did great Minori."
Shiroe's voice echoed in Akatsuki's ears.
Not only did this girl Minori see through Shiroe's thinking, she also fought hard in her own battles to
lessen Shiroe's burden. She was less than half Akatsuki's level, but this middle school girl used her talents
to the fullest and reached a higher plane of achievement than Akatsuki. And Minori was concerned with
Shiroe all this time too.
Akatsuki never tried to empathize with Shiroe.
Empathize with the loneliness of Shiroe which she never thought existed before.
This fact overwhelmed Akatsuki. The acceptance of this fact stabbed Akatsuki's heart like shattered glass,
taking away the words Akatsuki wanted to tell Shiroe.
Part 5
The dinner party naturally evolved into a banquet in the city square and the citizens had high praise for
this. Raynesia, who had used all her stamina, lay exhausted on her chair. But the scenery of the princess
waving weakly looked cute and won rave reviews, pretty girls had it good for anything they did.
On the other hand, Shiroe enjoyed this banquet on the sky bridge. But Shiroe still played the role of
tactician and talked to others through telepathy most of the time, only conversing with Minori
occasionally.
The sky grew bright as the festival entered its 3rd day.
Shiroe gathered all the members of Log Horizon to visit the flea market on this last day of the festival.
The flea market was different from the autumn clothing expo and was mainly selling weapons. A variety
of items like furniture, guild facilities, decorations, books, scrolls, food and monster drop items were
sold here.
There were many People of the Land and their merchant caravans that had traveled all this way just for
this flea market.
Nyanta and Shiroe felt a sense of nostalgia, searching for the merchandise of the village they visited on
their trip back from Susukino, but they didn't find any. But Nyanta did find some fine salted pork ribs.
With such a wide array of goods, the members released their reservations and went on a shopping spree.
Tohya brought a new 'red intimidation star' helmet, while Naotsugu bought potions in bulk.
Shiroe accepted Minori and Nyanta's proposal and bought several carpets and a communal water tank
with their guild funds. They needed all sorts of things for the winter, and with so many items available for
sale, their eyes glittered like a kids in a candy store.
After the banquet ended, Akatsuki resumed wearing her black clothes. On this 3rd day, she wore her usual
expression that was so dignified that it looked sullen, protecting Shiroe without a word. Shiroe thought
there was no need to be dressed so uptight for the festival, but Akatsuki was stubborn in her own ways.
Akatsuki who looked a bit tired in the morning, regained her lively mood in the afternoon after being
teased by Naotsugu. Akatsuki calling Naotsugu stupid and kneeing him in the face was becoming a
common scene which Shiroe could only watch with a bitter smile.
As Shiroe expected, the attacks against the Round Table Council were totally gone. These types of attacks
were hard to carry out when defensive measures were set in place. Since they anticipated this, Shiroe's
group enjoyed this rare holiday happily.
When the sun set on this 3rd day, Akiba went into an after party phase. Continuing the banquet last night, it
was a full fledged banquet this round. Since the Round Table Council were the organizers, many barrels
of wine were put in front of the guild building, becoming a lively and popular spot for all participants.
The Round Table Council wanted to use this opportunity to implement some projects to aid the small
guilds, one of them was to help them recruit solo players without guilds, as well as the possibility of
letting the departments within large guilds gain independence. The young Adventurers continued to debate
about this even after getting dizzy from all the alcohol.
In this after party, illuminated by bonfires, Raynesia probably would attend in her beautiful dress. The
pillars of the Round Table Council, Michitaka, Krusty, Issac, Charasin, Rodrick, Maryele, and others,
would also drink to the reunion of old friends and the meeting of new ones.
Although many incidents happened in Akiba's Libra Festival, it still ended in success. The comrades of
Log Horizon also praised each others' work in the festival and recuperated their energy for tomorrow.
The Libra Festival which marked the turning point in Akiba's history ended without many people knowing
the storm behind the scene.
Interlude
But...
On the last day of the Libra Festival, Shiroe left his guild members behind and moved alone under the
dark night sky.
These were ruins in the south of Akiba. Between the metal shutter buried in debris, the wet stairs
extended endlessly. This building should be a water tank or boiler room during ancient times, as countless
pipes could be seen on the exposed cement wall.
Shiroe visited here for a reason.
Shiroe came here to pay his old friend Ooshima a visit. Shiroe asked Ooshima to search for information
regarding the Holy Empire Westelande, and to prepare for the worse case scenario, they cut down on the
number of times they communicated by telepathy. Also, he needed to retrieve something, so Shiroe wanted
to exchange intelligence with him face-to-face. But he felt uneasy about this.
In the suffocating silent darkness, Shiroe called forth a weak magic light and moved cautiously. He
opened a door labeled 'Control Room' and saw a space more habitable than outside.
"..."
"Are you Shiroe-sama? I am Dariella, a People of the Land traveling writer..."
But the person in the room waiting for Shiroe was not who he expected.
Her wavy black hair, red lips and obsidian eyes shone from her white oval face. The robe that formed
intrinsic patterns with red and blue threads covered her soft and well-filled-out body. She was sitting
there, but it felt like she was moving slowly.
She was a beauty that attracted one's attention at a glance.
The definition of beauty was broad; Akatsuki was also a beauty, and the woman in front of him had a
charm that rivaled Akatsuki, but was of a different nature.
Even Shiroe who didn't normally care about the looks of women felt a little light-headed seeing her
alluring face, he could feel his cheeks heating up.
"Ooshima-san who was suppose to wait for Shiroe-sama is not able to move freely right now... So I came
on his behalf to pass the message in his stead."
That's right, Shiroe planned to meet with the Adventurer Ooshima here, a tiny and agile dwarf youth, not a
black-haired beauty.
Dariella/ 2nd class citizen/ level 10.
Shiroe looked at her status screen, obtaining information to confirm her words. Because of this, Shiroe's
mind who was dazzled by her sweetness squeezed out these words:
"... I have never heard of such magic. Nureha-san, what is that disguise?"
A dark underground control room.
In this small room, a heavy silence fell between the female on the couch and Shiroe. The beauty laughed
and twisted her beauty at the tense Shiroe, drawing a small sigil in the air with her finger.
Countless small pigeons took flight from her beautiful black hair, as if they were sucking away Shiroe's
light source. The effects of black birds flying and merging with the air should be an unknown type of
spell.
The alluring beauty had the same face, but was now wearing a black gothic dress made from the feathers
of crows. She had animal ears and a tail which was white at the tip.
"Fufu, fufufu... How did Shiro-sama know? Information about 'Overlay' shouldn't have spread here yet."
"It's my gut feeling."
Shiroe adopted a strong tone.
The lady in the basement just now was definitely a level 10 People of the Land, named Dariella. Shiroe
confirmed this using the status screen. According to the common sense of Elder Tales, this was an
established fact, there were no two ways about it. The only reason Shiroe doubted this was because of his
instinct and intelligence that came from another channel other than Ooshima.
Shiroe was certain that Nureha was somewhere in Akiba at this moment. He didn't expect Nureha to
appear in front of him, but it was more believable for the source of the trouble to turn up instead of a
beautiful 'People of the Land writer'.
"Intuition... But you knew my name right?"
The beauty facing him, Nureha, gave a charming smile. Even though Shiroe knew her identity, he couldn't
help himself from looking at her.
"... Please take a seat okay?"
Nureha looked at Shiroe with watery eyes. Shiroe could see Nureha's white and defenseless throat from
this angle, making him close his mouth tightly. If he didn't do this, Shiroe was afraid he would keep on
staring.
"Don't put your guard up. Look... I didn't even bring my magic bag and am unarmed. I came alone to meet
Shiro-sama."
Nureha said when Shiroe cautiously sat on an office chair near the door.
"Isn't that rather careless for the leader of the west?"
"I am not the leader of anything."
Nureha smiled.
Her pose, putting her index finger on her lips, made her look cute and young. She seemed about the same
age as Shiroe, but she could change the atmosphere with different actions using her beautiful looks. She
might seem like a bewitching lady, but you could see her pure and naive side too.
Shiroe felt her charm was terrifying.
Like a white flower blooming proudly in the darkness, a sweetness that could numb your senses.
This lady was the guild master of 'Plant hwyaden' after all.
A renowned gigantic guild that remained a mystery, 'Plant hwyaden'. The beauty at the top of the guild,
'Councillor of the West' Nureha.
The beginning of all this happened at the time Shiroe was plotting the formation of the Round Table
Council.
Shiroe back then was planning to revitalize and bring order to the chaotic Akiba with a depressed
atmosphere after the Catastrophe.
Coincidentally, the same thing was happening to the players in Minami, a city in the west. There was
chaos, depression, and security deteriorated. But a certain Adventurer attempted to change this just like
Shiroe.
That person was the defenseless beauty sitting in front of Shiroe, Nureha.
But Nureha's plan for the future and means of achieving it was totally different from Shiroe's.
Nureha approached the Itsuki clan, whom inherited the bloodline of the rulers of ancient Yamato,
Westelande dynasty, ranking first among the clans in Yamato nobility society. Unlike the east which was
ruled by the League of Freedom Towns Eastal, the Holy Empire Westelande was ruled centrally by the
Itsuki Dukedom in Kyoto.
This governance applied only to People of the Land, and had nothing to do with Adventurers. The
Adventurers didn't care for the People of the Land and their nobles even after the Catastrophe.
But Nureha was different. She approached and won the affection of the nobles and the Itsuki clan.
Although her intentions were unknown, Nureha used her charms to win over the People of the Land,
planting her poisonous seeds.
When Shiroe went towards Susukino, Minami's city guards had become Nureha's personal army, and she
used the wealth of the People of the Land to purchase the cathedral zone.
A powerful army and control over life and death. With these 2 weapons, Nureha continued to stay behind
the scenes and plotted calmly and adequately in secret. She founded Plant hwyaden and slowly gathered
supporters which reached a colossal scale in no time. The members consisted mainly of the elite players
of the west.
But one day, Nureha made an official announcement.
... All Adventurers residing in Minami must join Plant hwyaden.
"Ruling with a single guild, a city with no discrimination based on guilds."
This was the style of governance proposed by Nureha.
"Pardon me for being blunt, but even if you leave running of the operations to Inticus, Misuha, and
Zerudus, you are still the Councillor of the West."
"I didn't leave it to them, all right? Everyone is just doing it the way they want to. I didn't plan to bind
everybody, just give them a home to live in... And being protected by everyone. This is my only wish."
Her fluent speech was like the song of a siren, the sweet sound tempting men to listen forever.
"... Please tell me why you have come."
"You are so hasty Shiro-sama."
"You were the one deceiving me in the first place."
"... Fufufu, I get it. Since Shiro-sama says so, I will cooperate with you. Actually I..."
Nureha continued after being pushed by Shiroe.
"I came here to invite you. Shiro-sama, please join Plant hwyaden, come to my side. I wish to work
besides you, I want you to protect me."
"Why?"
"I mean it literally, I want you Shiro-sama... It is embarrassing, but I have known about Shiro-sama for a
long time."
That was nothing surprising.
Both Shiroe and Nureha were Enchanters. Enchanters were an unpopular class in Elder Tales, their
numbers were only about half the average of the other classes.
When Elder Tales was just a game, the Japanese server had about 80,000 players, but as far as Shiroe
knew, only 2,000 were level 90 Enchanters.
In MMORPGs, the Adventurers of the same class would take note of each other.
What were their equipment? How were they building their character? How were they fighting? Since it
was a game, the best research subjects for building your character and using techniques were players in
similar positions. It might sound greedy, but you could learn more from players who were better than you.
This was a common perspective when playing a game.
The Adventurers who joined major guilds to find excellent equipment after completing raids as well as
Adventurers who researched battle tactics only made up a small number. If you limited this to Enchanters,
the number was about a 100. Since it was only a 100, it was possible to know all their names.
Shiroe knew about all the high level enchanters in Japan's server, so he was aware of Nureha.
Nureha was similar to Shiroe, an Enchanter who chose not to join any guilds. Enchanters who took part in
major raids despite not being in any large guilds were rarer than the Iriomote cat[9] that was on the brink
of extinction. They must have met 2 or 3 times before, an industry of 100 was small for a veteran player
like Shiroe.
"I know what Shiro-sama is thinking about, but that's not it. I didn't know about Shiroe-sama because you
are an Enchanter. And I didn't want to recruit you because of your Enchanter class."
"So what is this about?"
Nureha did not look away.
She looked at Shiroe with dreamy eyes, as if she wanted to inject something into him. She continued
weaving her words that were as sharp as knives.
"Didn't you develop a new concept of magic in Sand Leaf? I don't know the details, but it was
modification magic on a grand scale... Shiro-sama is special, so I knew you would do such great deeds."
"It's the same for you Nureha-san right? I am ignorant of the specifics, but you managed to restart the
intercity transport gate, although its use is still limited."
In the basement where the air was so tense you could cut it with a knife, Shiroe and Nureha stared at each
other.
Shiroe didn't think news of his contractual magic would leak, but he managed to get news of techniques
from the west as well. Shiroe replied with his sharp words, glaring at Nureha.
"Shiro-sama is special indeed, you know everything... Just knowing that everything I hid behind the scenes
has been seen through by you makes my cheeks burn hot."
"No need for formalities... The one who instructed the classification of all information from the west was
you wasn't it?"
Plant hwyaden was a strictly controlled singular guild, divided into many detailed department and was
tightly organized.
Shiroe understood the policy Nureha was pushing.
Wiping out the discrimination big guilds had towards small ones, recovering the security in Minami,
uniting them and coordinating their efforts to return home. Using a well-organized singular guild was the
most effective way of achieving their goal, that's the truth behind the governance of Minami and Shiroe
agreed that it had its strong points.
Plant hwyaden which was founded with this righteous goal in mind, became a highly united and easy to
control organization.
And so they were very united against outsiders and was a group that would not leak intelligence easily.
The Round Table Council used the liberal self-governance of the guilds, so they needed to be open about
the topics of their conference. Disclosure of information was the basis of the council, so outsiders would
be able to see their movements and trend in open view.
On the other hand, the one guild governance of Plant hwyaden was operated by the central executive
committee, no other person would know the real situation of the central committee. Shiroe was one of the
few very information savvy people in Akiba, but Plant hwyaden was like a face in the fog to him. Even
more so for the Adventurers in Akiba, they only knew it was a strange place dominated by a single guild.
Shiroe's purpose of meeting with Ooshima was to find out news about Minami and to fetch some items.
"No, I already said it right? I adopted a free reign policy. Sealing off the spread of information was a
decision made by Misuha."
"So the saturation attack on the administrative powers of the Round Table Council in Akiba was the
same?"
"That's right. That's the shallow thinking of the house of lords and Marvis going out of control,"
Shiroe didn't believe this, even if she didn't come up with it, she did nothing to stop it. When Shiroe was
about to speak, Nureha put a finger to his lips as if to disrupt him.
Shiroe brushed off Nureha's hand. He didn't notice Nureha getting so close.
"I came here to invite Shiro-sama. Are you willing to come to my side?"
"Tell this kind of wish to Soujirou, this is not my area of expertise."
"Soujirou-san..."
Nureha showed a faint look of danger, but it was replaced with a troubled expression the next moment.
"Compared to Soujirou-san, I want Shiro-sama more. Compared to Soujirou-san, I think Shiro-sama is
more special. I came all the way to this city just to invite Shiro-sama, to ask for Shiro-sama's
companionship."
Her speech made Shiroe's vision go white.
Shiroe was unable to feel any sincerity from the woman in front of him.
Shiroe could feel from his instinct that this lady was sculpted from lies and sins. But even though he
understood, this temptation still made him dizzy. Shiroe felt that his immunity towards women was too
low.
(No one has said I was more special than Soujirou before... how shameful.)
"Can't you...?"
"Because this is not the truth."
"...I see."
Nureha gazed downwards and replied softly.
The feelings of being entwined faded away from Shiroe, replaced by a fragile and brittle feeling.
"Then, if I tell you the truth, would you be willing to come to me?"
"I need to hear it before judging."
"The truth is nothing fantastic right?"
Nureha maintained her fragile expression like old earthenware, letting out a hoarse laugh.
"... All right. Because you are Shiro-sama, because you are special, because you are unique, I need to
display the appropriate determination. Yes, I understand, because I have been waiting for this all the
while..."
Nureha continued like chanting a curse.
"Shiro-sama, I... am an ugly girl."
"Ah...?"
"I am honored to surprise you. Anyway, my eyes are scarily big, I'm petite in size and have no figure... an
ugly child who only knows how to look around greedily."
It was only natural for Shiroe to be surprised. The beauty in front of him had overly strong eyes, but she
had a face anyone would describe as alluring.
But the topic was going in a direction Shiroe did not expect.
"I was really skinny in elementary school. Not only my ribs, even the bones in my limbs were visible. My
hair was a mess, my clothes were full of stains, I was closer to a dirty girl than an ugly girl."
"I grew taller in middle school, but my weight did not increase, I was still skinny to the bone. I think I was
a disgusting girl who looked at her surroundings from behind her fringe."
"I remember starting to change from my 2nd year of middle school. Because of some reasons, I gained
some financial support and started to have proper meals. Although my body didn't get used to it in the
beginning, my body weight still increased gradually... but I was still skinny and frail. Barely improving
from a disgusting body with visible bones to a skinny body."
This...
Is this some sort of child abuse? Shiroe thought.
Also, he was doubting the truth behind her words.
Even though Nureha announced she would say the truth from now on, Shiroe remained skeptical. Because
Ooshima was not here. Nureha somehow found out from Ooshima about his meeting with Shiroe and came
here before him, this fact remained unchanged.
Even if this lady was speaking in such a demure tone, she was still the guild master of the one guild, Plant
hwyaden, ruling Minami.
But Shiroe wouldn't believe her if she said these were all lies. If liars could only lie, they would be on
the same level as honest people.
Liars might tell the truth sometimes.
"I learned how to groom myself, but I was still a pathetic woman you can see on the streets anywhere. My
flat chest, skinny limbs, and plain face, only my eyes were unnecessarily big. The comment I heard most
often was that I was a 'girl who brings misfortune'. Fufufu, probably not only my appearance, it can't be
helped if some parts inside me... But even so, there were still those who had demands from me just
because I was young and a middle-school girl. I won't give an excuse, that it was necessary for survival.
As I was happy someone praised me and became arrogant."
A blunt sense of unhappiness washed over Shiroe because of the contents of her words.
Is this the truth?
If it was, he was unhappy such things happened near him.
Is this a lie?
If it was so, he was still not happy a woman said such things intentionally to him.
"Shiro-sama?"
When he snapped out of his thoughts, Nureha's eyes were so close it made him jump. Nureha looked into
Shiroe's eyes and smiled dimly.
"See, wasn't that boring? In the end, this world is not reality. This body and the skills it possesses are all
an illusion. In this world, reality has no value at all. Shiro-sama, I will be your lover if you are willing to
come to my side. Don't you want to? I have this body now, the body everyone praised to be warm and
pure. Are you unwilling to accept a girl like me?"
Shiroe tasted salt in his mouth before he realized he was biting his lips.
His temperature rose and his cheeks were burning hot.
Her white cleavage showed through her dark dress. Her alluring fingers that were moving gently. Her
flighty expression. Her voice that seemed to melt away. The poisonous cake so fragrant you wanted to
take a bite anyway.
"My unappealing body won't be able to please men, so I have practiced hard... I am good at lying. If
Shiro-sama doesn't mind the lies, I will be able to convince you. That's right, until you are satisfied. Be it
sunset or sunrise, I will be by your side till the end of the world."
"Why?"
"... Do I need a reason?"
"You need to convince me that this is the truth, or else there is no point!"
"I already told you to just accept these lies... Everything is made up anyway."
Her peach pink lips injected sweet honeyed words into Shiroe. Shiroe could see the pleading and playful
mysterious smile of Nureha and her gently wagging tail.
"... It's all made up?"
"Yup, it's all made up, a work of fiction... It's the experience of my friend's sister... That lady came into
contact with Elder Tales one day. This form of entertainment is far off from the world she lives in. But
even so, she grew addicted to it. Do you know why?"
Shiroe didn't know.
He was unable to answer.
"Because she could get the ideal body in this game. That way she would be protected, wooed, given gifts,
and receive the happiness she could only wish for. She obtained a beautiful face and alluring body in this
world but... It is just a game, so isn't it laughable to act this way?"
Shiroe's tongue was stuck in his mouth, as Nureha continued.
"She... doesn't have luck with men. Even with her heavenly looks and figure, she still hasn't got what she
wanted. Because this is an MMO, you will be treated kindly and warmly if you are a girl, but she still
didn't get what she hoped for. The man she is after, the man she desires ignored her for unknown reasons.
Why? Some girls look plainer than her but are more popular. They are loved by others just because they
are cheerful and naive. There are such girls out there."
Nureha's eyes were like dark pits, devouring Shiroe.
"Don't look at the way I am now, I put in a lot of effort okay... I learned a graceful demeanour and words
in order to please men, researched which actions will attract guys spending lots of time on my hair and
clothes. It might sound ridiculous, but I even doll up for offline meetings. That was so shameful fufufu...
But I failed anyway... No, don't look so sad, my effort wasn't in vain. Thanks to these skills, I can serve
Shiro-sama properly... Sounds good right?"
This was a sweet, fragrant, pleasing to the ears and beautiful temptation... But the words were rotten.
Shiroe was confused by these symptoms.
Even though Nureha's invitation was twisted in some ways, it still had a dazzling charm to it, magical
enough to captivate Shiroe's soul.
"But she... one day, fell into the abyss of despair, then someone said this to her. 'You are strong'... 'Even
though you play solo, you have my respect'... Another Enchanter told her this. How about it Shiro-sama?
Is this work of fiction acceptable to you?"
"Is this..."
Is this true? Shiroe couldn't bring himself to say it. Shiroe didn't remember saying this, and couldn't
conclude whether she was lying. Although he only recalled after meeting her again, Shiroe and Nureha
partied together several times in the past.
With his fame he built up in the Tea Party, Shiroe fought in many major raids as a reinforcement from
outside the guild. It should be the same with Nureha. Enchanters were not necessary in normal adventures,
but in the long battles of major raids, their MP recovery abilities were very useful.
Shiroe was unable to say for certain he did not utter these words in the past.
Assuming he did say them, he probably didn't do so out of ill-will. It was not Shiroe's nature to do such
things to get on the good side of women, and he was not skilled at this anyway. Because of this, he could
have mentioned his true feelings without much thought.
Shiroe was unable to question her about the legitimacy of this.
He thought forgetting was a form of cruel betrayal.
"Shiro-sama, please come to my side. I will prepare a position for Shiro-sama in Plant hwyaden. I have
already prepared the title of 'Royal Secretary' in the Itsuki family to be bestowed on Shiro-sama. The
Itsuki clan listens to all my biddings anyway... Shiro-sama already has made some headway already right?
Regarding this drastic change and a way back into our old world."
Her words made Shiroe gasp.
"Ah ah, a reaction... Shiro-sama is a special person indeed. I know too... I know a way back."
There was no way to tell just how much Nureha had seen through Shiroe as she licked her red lips after
saying this. Shiroe averted his eyes from her tempting movements, making her laugh cheekily like a
teenage girl.
"I discovered a way to return to our old world."
"It's still too early to prove it as a means to return... Since there is no evidence, it is just deleting the body
from this world."
"If Shiro-sama is willing to help, we can avoid such uncertain results right."
To be honest, Shiroe almost agreed to join Nureha at this point.
Not because of the temptation from Nureha.
Shiroe was interested in the skills Nureha had gained. Staying in the west dominated by Nureha would
open up more information channels than staying in Akiba. Be it gathering data or developing new
techniques, it would be much easier to get the things he wanted using the influence of Nureha's colossal
guild. Considering the goal of returning to the old world, this was the most efficient path. It could be
described as the best path to take for the good of all Adventurers.
No, this theory was just an excuse.
The terms Nureha offered were too good.
This was not referring to Nureha's beauty and body. But the one who called Shiroe special made him
awaken the loneliness in his heart that he had forgotten about. Shiroe was weak in declining the requests
of others, which caused Shiroe to visit many guilds and get hurt in the process.
It was obvious that Nureha was wild and dangerous. But that was the reason why Shiroe almost gave in to
her invitation. No matter how true her words were, could Shiroe be the only mind who could stop her? It
was a dangerous sensation, a sweet temptation eating at Shiroe's heart.
Shiroe felt obligated.
Even though he was not the cause of this, the feeling of guilt churned like a torrent in his heart. It was an
emotion that stemmed from his sense of responsibility, a feeling of guilt despite not being guilty. The
worse thing was Nureha understood this point.
"... In the end, Shiro-sama is not being rational right?"
"Rational?"
Shiroe answered the feverish Nureha who only had Shiroe in her eyes.
"Yes, rational. Shiro-sama... is an irrational person right? You do not have any reason to side with Akiba,
and no cause to side with the People of the Land correct? It's just a vague sense of ethics right? No, it
doesn't matter, this has nothing to do with my desire to be with get Shiroe-sama, but I think Shiroe-sama
will feel bad about this, so..."
Nureha moved her lips so close to Shiroe's ears that it was almost touching, a distance where you could
feel each other's body warmth.
"Please Shiro-sama, use me, Nureha, as an excuse. Please use me as your reason... This way, Shiro-sama
will be able to release your full potential right? You can get rid of limitations and boundaries, allowing
you to use your intellect to the fullest correct? I only wish for Shiro-sama, so Shiro-sama can use Nureha
as your reason, as an excuse, and do anything you want with me, okay?"
The decisive words of temptation marked the point they went their separate ways.
Being able to use his intellect to its limit was a very tempting deal for Shiroe. He woke up one day to find
himself in an alternate world, caught in the deteriorating security and conflicts, making him go through
horrifying and dangerous crises. After going through this, Shiroe's desire to wield his power was as
strong as his wish to kiss the beauty in front of him.
It was not Shiroe's fault they fell into this alternate world.
Wanting to blame the world was what all Adventurers invited into this world wanted to scream from their
very soul. They wanted to know the reason for this and a purpose for them to fight for. It was the same for
all Adventurers, their soul must be burning with anger at this unreasonable reality.
Nureha was correct.
And it was tempting because she was right.
But Shiroe was unable to use reasons as an excuse. This would definitely diminish the fruits of all their
actions so far.
The touching fingertips, grateful smile, the banquet that lasted until dawn, the dessert that came from both
ends, going on an adventure on the vast plains with everyone... all this would be diminished.
If he liked Nureha even a little bit, or felt an emotion that was close to love, Shiroe would never use her
as an excuse.
Because he had Log Horizon now, Shiroe was able to assert this with conviction.
"Ah..."
Nureha looked at Shiroe who pushed her away, her fox ears squirming confusedly on top of her black
hair.
"I have decided to treat all of your works of fiction as the truth... but I can't go with you."
Nureha was rooted to the ground, looking at Shiroe unwilling to give him up. She seemed to be pleading
even after the rejection and asked with trembling lips: "Why?"
"Instead of being your companion, it is better to stay your enemy, your wish would more likely be fulfilled
this way."
Shiroe looked at Nureha with his own will for the first time, speaking each sentence clearly as if to
confirm his own conviction. His words stabbed Nureha's heart like a sword. Shiroe could feel her pain as
he touched Nureha's cool face.
"I decided to continue being your enemy, so you can find a reason in the future."
Shiroe's words became the invisible chains that connected Nureha and Shiroe together.
This chain would guide Akiba and Minami to the 'Sky Labyrinth of Inburiumu' and onward to the 'Sea of Nectar'.
Afterword
Greetings, it's been 2 months, I am Mamare.
I am grateful for your purchase of Log Horizon 5 Sunday in the streets of Akiba, which is the last Log
Horizon book for the year. Ah~ this has been a long year. Although I want to say 'this is a good place to
stop!' but it is already the spring of 2012 in the publishing world.
If my esteemed readers are in the workforce, you should be able to understand the production process and
the merchandise making it to the shelf are different things. You might be in December while holding this
book, but Mamare is still stuck in October country.
The weather is getting cold, the sunlight is gradually making people happy and the bed is becoming
alluring. That's right, this is the season for afternoon naps. Some people call it the autumn of appetites, the
autumn for sports, but it is the autumn for sleeping for Mamare. Even the autumn of reading which is
crucial for authors cannot beat afternoon naps.
The Mamare who was found out to be an author by his family starts to live his NEET lifestyle with an
open heart at home. Although he has always lived like a NEET, but being a published author makes
Mamare a professional NEET. Professional NEET (National class 1 limit break) just ranks below office
dwelling NEET (international class 1) and married NEET (international class 2).
NEET lives carefree lives everyday like the Muni family <TL: finland fairy tale>. In fact, Mamare thinks
it is a happy lifestyle where he can write daily, but he receive pressure from all sides. to use this chance
and clean up the house. Asking a NEET to do hard labor, this goes against the international NEET charter.
Mamare was being politically correct when saying 'all sides', the true meaning is 'threat of violence from
Mamare(younger sister). Cough cough.
Electric stove, throw. Microwave, throw. Fridge, throw.
Cleaning the house this way feels more like moving than doing spring cleaning. Instead of moving, it is
more like escaping in the night, pawning everything in the house away. If being bald is a refreshing
feeling, then the Mamare house is super refreshing. Mamare don't understand how it turn out like this.
The fridge is gone, Mamare(younger sister) stock of ice cream is also finished. It is going to be winter
soon and there is no need to stock up on ice cream, but Mamare(younger sister) is still furious.
Mamare(younger sister) before entering middle school always thought that 'Hagen Daaz is only for grown
ups, so I will only eat it after getting my licence'. Nope, that's how my mother educated her.
In the Mamare family, Lady Borden ice cream is used as a substitute for people who fail the age test. Lady
Borden sama, I am sorry.
Speaking of comparison, the Mamare family treats Young anchovy rice bowl as the inferior substitute of
Salmon roe rice bowl. Mother will talk about how 'eating such a small fish is a sin', making the
atmosphere during meals awkward. Mamare(younger sister) somehow mistook young anchovy to be baby
Capelins somehow.
Recollecting this makes me realize mother was pushing it too much.
The reason why Mamare don't eat Natto is because mother said 'Chiba has a pond that ferments the beans,
many people were forced into hard labor there'. Hai, what a terrible tale. When I ask her about it 10 years
later, mother said with a smile 'that was a prank, because you were very arrogant back then'.
I was thinking about how to get back at her, but now I think about it, Mamare also pass on many fake
knowledge to Mamare(younger sister), so I am guilty too. This is the ties of the blood.
A few days ago, I told her 'To confirm the final process of the publishing, I will be going to the factory to
adjust the colors, this is an important obligation of the author' and prepare to leave the house.
Mamare(younger sister) told me 'don't trouble others' and bid me farewell, she didn't think I am actually
going to a BBQ party. But she found out in the end and gave me a punch.
Because of these matters, I want to let my editor F-ta chan play the female lead in my afterword too. If I
keep going this route, the social pressure I feel from Mamare(younger sister) will increase, which
manifest in the form of physical blows in reality. This ends the regular report of the Mamare family, I will
talk about Log Horizon 5.
After taking a breather from the grand scale battles of the previous volume, this is a slice of life in Akiba
episode this time. Shiroe's love story is gradually beginning, the 2 girls Akatsuki and Minori make their
first moves.
Just like Lady Borden can't become the substitute of Hagan Daaz, similar to how young anchovy rice bowl
is the inferior replacement of salmon roe rice bowl, the 2 of them are totally different entities. Unable to
see this obvious concept, comparing things other then themselves, these unresolved feelings are the focus
in this book. But without this suffering and darkness, they won't be able to welcome the daybreak.
The equipment of each character featured at the beginning of each chapter, is also the results of fan
submission during September-October of 2011. The ideas we used are from 545454248、
IGM_masamune、YoshiSondermann、hige_mg、hpsuke、iron007dd22、kane_yon、kuroyag16、rokia
、sawame_ja、shinbachi、shisei_ssi、vaiso y。maneeeeee、zrk-thank you everyone! Even though a
lot of the submission did not make it to publication, I am still grateful to all netizens who participated,
Log Horizon can only written with all your support.
Those who like this work after reading Log Horizon, please come and visit http://mamare.net! It provides
the latest news and contents other then Log Horizon. Sales of Maou side story with drama CD is ongoing
now, those who wants to find out about the manga please come and visit!
As we move to a close, I am grateful to chief publisher Mr Shoji Masuda, the illustration master
Harakazuro sensei (I'm sorry for taking too long to edit my work), Hashimoto Mochichi sensei who drew
the map for the base, Tamuraki Hisae sensei for illustrating the Libra Festival map, 24 sensei for drawing
the food guide, tsubakiya firm for the publishing designs and my female editor the petite F-ta chan! Mr
Osako also took care of me this round! Thank you everyone!
Next will be for the readers to enjoy this book, please take your time!
'Don't Ostracise Nameko bowl' Mamare Touno
A gear inside Akatsuki falls into place.
Lowering her centre of gravity and holding her breath. The image she draws from her heart when
assuming this pose becomes a trigger for a skill. This is the unique skill of trackers, silent move. It usually
requires the use of the game menu to activate it, but Akatsuki has trained it enough to call forth the
technique with her body movements alone.
Her presence dissipates from her body clad in black, as if her life force itself is gone. The 'presence' of
Akatsuki right now is very vague.
Akatsuki doesn't know her location, but she can see the attack from the demon blade clearly from her fixed
field of vision. Akatsuki is exposed in the dangerous front of the attack, but there is another Akatsuki
watching from another position. Her 'movement' is at the level of 'shadow burrowing', her separated life
force advance in a straight line on the battlefield.
Akatsuki dodges past the ice storm like attack of the mass murderer.
The body that looks like Akatsuki and Akatsuki's consciousness are in different places.
The evidence is the shining body of Akatsuki and swaying in the ice storm, negating all attacks like
illusions.
Akatsuki reaches the back of the mass murderer enduring the overwhelming sense of acceleration.
She can't keep this up much longer.
She can only activate this special skill by holding her breath and calming her heart. The skill used for
infiltration mission or escaping from monsters are forcibly applied on the battlefield. This is the overskill
Akatsuki learned.
...Boring.
Akatsuki wields her blade like a sparrow.
The sudden attack behind cuts into the throat of the mass murderer slightly. Even attacking with the
illusion just now, he still manage to evade a fatal hit, the demon blade is formidable indeed.
...Boring.
Akatsuki did not feel the joy of achieving her wish. She stopped her breath and activate 'shadow burrow'
again. The shadow copies that appears immediately confuse the mass murderer and help Akatsuki evade
the triple strike and leap backwards.
Large icicles form with the strike, Akatsuki ignores the flying ice attack and continue to accelerate,
dancing on the blade of the mass murderer.
8th November 2011
I have written till this point!
Mamare Touno
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