In the Land of Leadale - Volume 6 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - A Growing Family, the Life of the Party, Further Info, and the Truth

The people of the remote village were briefly bewildered when a familiar wagon pulled by some very stiff-looking horses rolled in. However, their uncertainty soon transformed to sheer joy once Cayna stepped out. Her family had apparently been informed of her arrival, so Luka, Roxine, and Roxilius soon came out to greet her.

The werecats froze upon seeing Siren’s cheerful smile, their faces twitching.

“Mommy Cayna… Welcome…back.”

“Good to be home, Lu! How’ve you been?”

Luka pattered over to her and quietly accepted Cayna’s embrace, but her eyes widened when she caught a tall, unfamiliar demon staring curiously at her a few paces behind Cayna.

“Hey, Opus. You’re scaring Luka!”

“I have done no such thing…”

“You wear all black and have horns sticking out of your head. Who wouldn’t be terrified? Right, Lu?”

“If you could please stop making baseless accusations…”

Luka was doubly surprised when Opus heeded Cayna’s complaint and reluctantly stepped back.

As far as Luka knew, no one had ever acted so casual with Cayna.

While all this was happening, word raced through the village, and anyone with free time on their hands came in droves to welcome Cayna back.

“You sure were gone a long time, Cayna,” said Marelle. “You plan on stickin’ around here for a spell?”

“That’s right. I finished everything I had to, so I’d like to relax for a bit.”

“Not just ‘a bit’! Stay in the village awhile,” Luine urged. “Lytt really missed you.”

“Qu-quit it, Sis!” Lytt protested, lightly smacking her sister, who laughed and shrugged.

“So who’s this fine young man?” Marelle asked.

“My old friend who I’d been searching for. His name is Opus. He’ll be living in the village from now on, too. I hope you don’t mind,” Cayna said timidly.

Marelle and the surrounding villagers nodded.

“He’s a very good friend, right? We can’t possibly refuse,” said one villager.

“Exactly,” agreed another. “After all, you have quite the catch.”

“…Huh?”

There seemed to be a huge misunderstanding. Even if Cayna tried to straighten things out, everyone would just smile and nod: Sure, sure, we totally believe you.

“Might as well throw a party. No time to waste! Lytt, Luine, gimme a hand!”

“Sure thing.”

“Okaaay.”

“Aghhhh! This again?!”

Cayna, head in her hands, watched as Marelle and her family excitedly rushed back to the inn. Luka slipped out of Cayna’s arms and looked up in awe at Opus and Siren. She’d heard before that Cayna went searching for someone, but the scary demon and quiet, gentle-looking elf made a puzzling pair.

Siren crouched down to the girl’s eye level and introduced herself.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Luka. My name is Siren, and this is my master, Sir Opuskettenshultheimer Crosstettbomber. He is too lazy to properly introduce himself, but please call him Opus with equal amounts affection and pity. Ah, please feel free to omit ‘sir’ and similar titles. If you so wish, I believe ‘old geezer’ and ‘loser’ will make him sound even more pathetic.”

Even Cayna frowned when she heard this. Siren was polite but could be just as wicked as Roxine. Cayna was dying for an explanation as to why maid summons always turned out weird somehow. She doubted anyone was qualified to explain that, though.

Opus paid no mind to Siren’s insults and remained as aloof as ever. Luka, on the other hand, didn’t understand half of what she’d just been told and turned to Cayna for clarification.

“Um, you can just call him Opus, Lu. Or Big Bro Opus, if you want. He’s an old friend. He and Siren are gonna live with us from now on.”

“Okay,” said Luka. “It’s nice to…meet you.”

“Yeah, likewise.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Lady Luka.”

Once Cayna finished introducing her family, the villagers who had been waiting patiently around them closed in. They seemed to have caught the earlier conversation and were eager to shake hands with Opus and Siren.

“Cool, a demon! I’m Latem! I’m a dwarf!”

“I like your energy, kid. I’m Opuskettenshultheimer Crosstettbomber.”

“O…Opeskett…?”

“Keh-keh-keh. My name is quite long, so just Opus is fine. Nice to meet you.”

“You shoulda shortened it in the first place… Nice to meet ya, Mr. Opus!”

As Cayna observed their back-and-forth, she realized there was something off about the ratio of servants in her household. Now that Opus was moving in, there would be three residents, two maids, and one butler. With one attendant per person, she looked like a minor noble now. But considering how high elves were considered royalty in this world, this setup was actually in-character. Unless, of course, the high elf character in question had well-documented disdain for anything considered royal.

“My name is Opus. I’ll be living with you in this village from now on. I hope the experience will be advantageous to both of us.”

He was still his overbearing self, but Opus managed to greet each villager as an equal. Just to be safe, Cayna decided to bring him to the village elder’s house and introduce the new resident. They would no doubt see each other at the banquet later, but a more personal meeting was faster. Luka happily grabbed her mother’s hand and came along as well, which made Cayna wonder if maybe she’d been away from the village a bit too long.

Roxilius tried to follow them, but Siren stopped him with a sharp glare. The maid then grabbed Roxine’s head as the werecat tried to go home and placed the pair in front of her.

“Come here, you two. You have some explaining to do first. After that, guide me to Lady Cayna’s abode.”

“What? Um, but one of my duties is to protect Lady Luka…”

Roxilius tried to explain his responsibilities, but Siren silenced him with just a stern look.

“Are you a fool, Roxilius? With Lady Cayna and my master now reunited, what does young Lady Luka have to fear? Together, those two could escape the world’s greatest dangers barefoot. In fact, I daresay they could even conquer the world…”

As disturbing as these comments were, Cayna didn’t have the slightest interest in world domination. Opus’s feelings, however, were less clear.

The chastised werecats glanced at each other. Roxine’s gaze implored Roxilius not to run his big mouth, but it was already too late.

“I’ve heard quite a bit about the two of you and your constant bickering. Simply deplorable. You hardly sound like proper servants at all.”

“No, that’s not—”

“We always take care to express our gratitude to Lady Cayna and Lady Luka—”

The pair denied the accusation, but Siren quieted them with Intimidate.

“That is not the issue here. You have these incessant squabbles even in front of your master, do you not? Moreover, I heard you force Lady Luka to intervene. As a servant, it is an absolute disgrace. It’s high time you re-discipline yourselves.”

A dark, ominous backdrop materialized behind Siren as she filled with rage. The werecats froze in place at the sight of the hannya Noh mask, their faces stiffening in terror as they backed away slowly.

Amid this Nighttime Graveyard backdrop, an onibaba with enraged, gleaming eyes and a crimson mouth that stretched from ear to ear grabbed Roxine’s and Roxilius’s faces, then dragged them off somewhere.

The nearby villagers who witnessed Siren’s effects were sufficiently freaked out and agreed it was in their best interest to stay on her good side.

“Elder, this is Opus. He’s an old friend of mine.”

“Sorry for showing up out of the blue. The pleasure’s all mine.”

“Again with the condescension! This is your home from now on, so fix your attitude!”

Cayna grabbed Opus’s horns and forced him to bow to the elder. The old man broke out in a sweat but warmly accepted the new demon resident.

On their way home, Lytt called out to Cayna’s group.

“Miss Cayna! Mom wants you to bring everyone to the tavern.”

“Gahhh. Do I have to?”

“We can’t start without you.”

Cayna knew full well she was going to be the butt of every joke at this party, but resistance was futile. It was simpler to join the party, although this was easier said than done.

Opus relished watching Cayna reluctantly agree.

“All right. But can I stop by my house first? I have to grab Cie and Rox.”

“Sure. See you then!” Lytt said with a wave, then headed back to the inn. When she was finally out of sight, Cayna heaved a deep sigh.

“Ugh. I don’t wannaaaa.”

“Have you had a bad experience with banquets?”

“I’m just not used to being the life of the party or having people put me on a pedestal. Don’t do anything to create misunderstandings, Opus.”

“Hmm? I’ll be careful.”

“I’m…not sure you get what I’m saying…”

Cayna returned home with Luka, Kuu, and Opus, an uncanny sense of foreboding hanging over her.

However, when the group reached the entrance, they found Roxine and Roxilius sitting on their knees on floor cushions made of ice.

“One. You will not show emotion in front of your master.”

““One. We will not show emotion in front of our master!””

“Two. You will strive to maintain a professional attitude toward your master.”

““Two! We will strive to maintain a professional attitude toward our master!””

“…What’s going on here?”

Cayna and company were greeted by the odd sight of Siren holding a small booklet in one hand and the Double Rs repeating the Fifteen Golden Rules of Servitude after her.

Opus, familiar with this sort of behavior, was unfazed. Cayna tore at her hair, and although temporarily dumbfounded, Luka soon rushed over to the werecats’ aid. Siren’s lesson/tough love only concluded long after dark when Marelle finally came for Cayna’s family members who were late to the party.

“All right! Cheers to our new arrivals and Cayna’s very good friend!”

“““Cheers!!”””

“W-wait, whaaaaat?!”

“Yes, cheers.”

“Opus, d-don’t agree with them!!”

“Just relax and enjoy the party. Don’t be so grumpy.”

“And who exactly made me grumpy?!”

Across from Opus, Cayna banged on the table in protest but quickly sank into her seat when everyone stared at her in surprise. Marelle soon came over and served alcohol, salad, and an egg dish. She patted Cayna’s shoulder and smiled.

“I thought you didn’t even know how to yell since you’re always so laid-back, Cayna. I’m glad this nice young man brings out a different side of you. You really hooked a good one, didn’t you?”

“He’s just an old partner I can’t seem to get rid of. I can’t picture us as anything else.”

“Well, if you can’t get rid of each other, that means you’ll end up just like my husband and me. Don’t fight it, Cayna.”

“Marellllle…”

“Ah-ha-ha! You take it easy now and have a good time, young man.”

“I will. I appreciate the hospitality, Lady Marelle.”

“‘Lady’ don’t suit me,” Marelle said before heading back into the kitchen.

Cayna’s hospitality team, of which Siren was now head maid for some reason, offered to serve drinks in Lytt and Luine’s stead. Siren and Roxine had originally negotiated taking on all the work, but Gatt insisted non-personnel weren’t allowed in the kitchen, and Marelle said a tavern needed its proprietress. They were relegated to waitress duties instead.

Thanks to their assistance, Luine was enjoying a drink with her husband while Lytt got to play with the other kids.

“Kuu, did you go with Ms. Cayna?” Lytt asked.

“Yup!”

“You explored a dungeon, right? What was that like?” Latem asked.

“Nuffin’ at all!”

“That can’t be right. My folks said they’re filled with scary monsters, and there’s traps around every corner.”

Cayna and Opus watched Latem hound Kuu for answers. Opus’s dungeon held plenty of traps that could catch people unawares—especially someone as clumsy as Clofia—while the monsters frightened anyone except Cayna. Asking Kuu of all people to recount their adventure was a huge mistake on Latem’s part.

“I’ll have to give those kids a run-through of my dungeon’s terrors some time.”

“I am begging you to stop right now.”

“Why? Curious children need to learn about the dangers of the world.”

“They’ve seen plenty of danger already,” Cayna said with a glare.

“Hmph, very well,” Opus replied disinterestedly. Even his nodding seemed slightly disappointed.

Carelessly leaving matters to Opus was like riding a roller coaster with no seat belt. It was anyone’s guess as to the amount of damage he could inflict if left to his own devices.

“Geez, everyone used to tease us with those same stupid grins back then, too. At least tell them off for once in your life!”

“Lady Marelle meant no harm.”

“Shut up.”

“Goodness, I see you’ve forgone all formality.”

“I always talk to you like this!”

Cayna took a large bite of food and washed it down with the fruit wine Marelle brought earlier. Opus took a swig of his own drink and realized the taste was awfully familiar. He stared into the cup wide-eyed.

The contents had the pleasant scent of wheat—this beer was Cayna’s own brew.

“What’re you so shocked about? You have the Alcohol Creation skill, too. I usually make mine in the village now. Just beer and whiskey, though. I’m also a part-time adventurer.”

“Do you intend to turn this village into a fortress like some kind of offline quest?”

“I installed a few gargoyles, but that’s about it for the moment. The villagers don’t seem interested in any more upgrades. Oh, I did build a bathhouse, though.”

“Sounds like you do whatever you please…”

Cayna frowned at Opus’s disapproving gaze and banged her cup down on the table.

“I don’t wanna hear that from a shut-in like you! I worked really hard to get even a little bit used to this place! I couldn’t find any other players at first, two hundred years had passed, and the whole Silver Ring Witch thing was still alive and kicking, and then, just when I found a certain someone’s tower, he was nowhere to be found and left me nothing but a book! Plus, there were all these event monsters roaming around, and I ran into Tartarus and found out Gramps is here but won’t even come see me! Then I dealt with a load of big shots and explored an entire dungeon only to be greeted by the biggest idiot on the planet! Are you freakin’ kidding me right now?!”

“Hold on, Cayna, try to control your murderous rage.”

Cayna’s emotions spilled over with each grievance, and a dark nebula soon surrounded her.

The villagers naturally kept their distance to avoid getting involved and continued chatting pleasantly. Cayna had recently developed a habit of grumbling whenever she got a little tipsy. She’d drag anyone who took notice into her rant, so people were careful to avoid eye contact.

However, now that her opponent was Opus, Cayna lost all grip on reality. She’d gone full bore, and ominous black smoke emanated from her body. It was Active Skill: Cloak of the Death God, a close-range attack that released insta-death smoke around the user. Since the spell’s radius was only a yard at most, the villagers were unaffected.

Before anyone could get hurt, Opus quickly cast Special Skill: Breath of the Sacred Lotus, which canceled out all Active Skills.

A shining azure wind purified Cayna’s black smoke in an instant. Her bizarre menace had caused the villagers enjoying the banquet to pause for a moment, but they began to clap and cheer in excitement when the blue breeze passed by to reveal her usual self. It seemed that everyone had mistakenly concluded it was all a performance.

Their applause brought Cayna back to her senses, and she realized the disaster her temper had nearly caused. She apologized to Opus and excused herself, keeping her head down to avoid the concerned looks of Luka, the Double Rs, Marelle, et al. Opus assured everyone she was simply drunk and followed her.

Cayna headed to the central plaza and gazed up at the moon. She turned around when someone lightly poked the back of her head.

“What do you want now?”

“You deactivated your resistances. That’s why you lost focus and nearly did something you’d regret.”

“I had no choice. It’d be weird for a girl like me to knock back a few with zero consequence. Besides, I wanted to join in the fun and drink, too.”

Cayna gave a feeble, goofy laugh, and Opus placed a large hand over her head. She wondered for a fleeting moment if he was trying to console her, but then a sharp pain buzzed inside her skull.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!”

“You’re free to trash someone all you like but consider the time and place!”

“Ow, ow, owwwwwww?!”

“If you’re not going to use your resistances, then don’t drink in the first place. There’s nothing wrong with getting into the spirit of things, but you need to know your limits!”

“Okay! I’m sorry; I’m really, really sorry. My head’s about to split open, so can you please stop already?!”

Opus at last released Cayna, who ceased her flailing and fell to her hands and knees. Once her ragged breath calmed, Opus lifted Cayna by the arm.

“What? Are you gonna mess with me some more?”

“Here, take this.”

He gently placed a mysterious scroll into her hand.

“What is it?”

“A final update. You should use it.”

Thinking it was most likely a software update for the game system within her, Cayna added the scroll to her Item Box and activated it.

A gentle, fresh scent seemed to waft by, and Cayna’s body filled with energy. She let herself be carried along by the pleasant breeze as a fanfare echoed in her head.

Meanwhile, Opus watched emerald light emanate from Cayna as she floated in midair.

A second later, a magic circle formed beneath her. As soon as it passed through her from top to bottom, trumpet-wielding angels popped out with an audible flourish, then disappeared.

“I…leveled up?”

When Cayna checked her stats screen, she noticed her level had risen from 1,100 to 1,109. The sixteen-digit amount of experience points she’d accumulated since her previous level-up were gone without a trace. It felt a bit cruel that she only went up nine levels, but this change did come with plenty of bonuses: Cayna was now resistant to every status ailment across the board, and she could call summons typically beyond the limits of her race. Furthermore, she was no longer restricted by level limits.

Opus noticed her eyes cloud over as she scanned the numbers.

“What’s wrong? Not happy about something?”

“It’s just kind of unfair… This feels worse than cheating.”

“You’re the heart of the system. The other players will be left helpless if anything happens to you, so it’s a matter of insurance.”

“This isn’t insurance, it’s fortification…,” Cayna mumbled tiredly.

Opus’s exasperated expression clearly said What’s the problem?

“?! Who’s there?!”

All of a sudden, he leaped in front of Cayna.

Stiff footsteps echoed in the darkness. Opus didn’t recognize the sound, but Cayna knew that donkey-like clip-clopping anywhere. As soon as she heard the sloshing water, she was certain.

“Cayna?”

“Evening, Mimily.”

The mermaid Mimily appeared before them half submerged in a claw-foot bathtub. She seemed to be on her way to dinner in the tavern and noticed the commotion coming from the wide-open door. She stared at Opus and Cayna in confusion.

“Ummm, are we celebrating something today?” she asked.

“Uh, sorta. I guess you could say it’s the usual?”

Cayna dodged the question out of embarrassment, but her discomfort wasn’t lost on the mermaid.

“Oh my,” Mimily said with a perplexed smile. “And who might this be?”

“Ah, right. This is my old friend Opus. Opus, this is Mimily. She got lost in the underground waterways, so I invited her to stay in the village.”

“My name is Mimily. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Opus merely nodded, frowning. “…What is a mermaid doing on land?”

“She got swallowed up in some kind of black hole in her village and was tossed out here. I’m guessing it was some kind of cosmic calamity.”

“Cayna, doesn’t that make it sound like I have astronomically bad luck?” Mimily complained, pouting.

“You wouldn’t have met me if you did.”

“Well, true…”

Opus glanced at the mermaid as one might a pebble on the roadside.

To no one’s surprise, his immediate loss of interest in Mimily ticked Cayna off. She wordlessly approached him, grabbed him by the horns, and began twisting them. A demon’s horns were fixed in place; they weren’t meant to be yanked around. Doing so would only jerk the demon’s head around.

Unable to fight back, Opus heard his neck make a terrifying crack before he pulled Cayna’s hands away.

The intense hatred rising in her glassy eyes got on his last nerve.

“What is wrong with you?! My horns aren’t exercise equipment!”

“You thought Her friend has nothing to do with me just now, right? You got bored and shrugged her off. I hate when you get like this.”

“F-fair enough. That was rude of me. Sorry.”

The response that followed came in the form of an invisible mass. Opus’s eyes shot wide open, and he quickly dodged. An unseen cluster of magic skimmed the tip of his nose, causing Opus to bend so far back he nearly fell over. This attack was courtesy of Cayna, who now stood enraged in front of him.

“I—I apologized, didn’t I? What’s with the rough treatment?”

“How was that a sincere apology? You acted like it was a huge pain.”

She sniffed derisively, and the space around Opus creaked. The golem bathtub carrying Mimily escaped to the tavern to avoid getting caught up in the fray.

The villagers peeked out from the entranceway and nervously watched as a treacherous aura enveloped the pair. Luka and Lytt watched with concern; Roxine’s and Siren’s faces were grim.

“They’re fighting…,” said Luka.

“Yeah. I wonder if Ms. Cayna is gonna be okay?”

“The village will be destroyed if this keeps up…,” Roxine muttered dryly to herself.

She was the only one in the crowd who grew a shade paler, and her statement accurately represented the threat both Opus and Cayna posed. If two over-level-1,100 people duked it out here, the entire area would turn into a wasteland of death in the blink of an eye.

“Shall I stop them?” Siren suddenly called out from behind the children, who jolted in surprise. With a smile as mischievous as her master’s, the head maid quietly awaited Luka’s orders.

Meanwhile, the world’s strongest duo ramped up their war of words.

“Look who’s talking. Blowing things up is all you ever accomplish. How about using your brain for once?”

“I’m not ancient like you, Opus, so sorry for my lack of experience. Your days are numbered, old man.”

“Who are you calling old man, little girl?!”

“Little girls these days are tough and adventurous, I’ll have you know. Go crawl back into your cave, you decrepit mole. You sure all those extra naps didn’t kickstart menopause?”

“Ha-ha-ha. If anyone here slept too much, it’s you. The nutrients your body’s been craving have made you swell up like a balloon.”

“Hey, volume increases when you lie down, obviously! Besides, Shining Saber said I’m too light!”

“Keh, you’ve got another man now?! Have some shame!”

“‘Man’ doesn’t automatically equal ‘lover,’ weirdo. What are you, my dad?! This is why old timers are the worst.”

“So I’m a senile crow who’s lost its glossy black sheen?!”

“No one said that!”

Their fight had devolved into a childish argument. Before Siren could march over at Luka’s request, Marelle’s tray went flying.

“What do you think you’re doing, causin’ such a ruckus? You’re the entertainment! Get your butts over here and take a seat.”

““Entertainment?!””

As the only one aware of their true power, Roxine’s heart didn’t stop pounding against her rib cage until things finally calmed down. Roxilius was washing the dishes in the kitchen, so he played no part in the conflict.

“They’re always like this,” said Siren, the only one who maintained flawless composure.

Morning dawned after Opus’s welcome banquet. It was a celebration of Siren’s arrival as well, but the maid insisted she was merely an accessory to her master. In reality, this was all a ploy to divert the attention from herself so she wouldn’t wind up as part of the “entertainment.” Siren’s awareness of potential danger was incredible even if her refusal to come to her master’s aid was less than maid-like. She apparently enjoyed a secret celebration with the village youth instead. Although they were thrilled the new addition was an unmarried girl, none realized Siren wasn’t interested in finding a partner.

Soon after breakfast, Opus and Cayna locked themselves away in Cayna’s room to have a private discussion. Even Luka wasn’t allowed to sit in. Siren kept watch outside the door.

The two faced each other. They had come together to discuss something they never got around to while on the road—that is, the rumors Cayna heard from Cohral and Shining Saber about “someone who died playing the game.”

She was fine with Opus’s plan to establish a game company with the Kagami Corporation’s funds.

It was already over and done with, so complaining now wouldn’t change anything.

Keina’s father was born into the main Kagami line but entered a branch family after marriage. Upon her parents’ death, it was decided Keina would return to the main family. And if word spread that a young female member of the main line died while playing a game run by a subsidiary of the Kagami Corporation, there was a good chance her uncle would come under fire, regardless of his innocence. The company’s president, Yuuji Kagami, no doubt tried to keep Keina’s true cause of death under wraps. It was unlikely anyone in the “real” world would have revealed this dark secret.

Still, what exactly did those rumors entail? Cayna asked Opus as much.

“The rumors had nothing to do with Keina’s death. Soon after you died, some people fell into a coma while playing the game. They brought it on themselves, though.”

“Huh? The rumors were about players going into comas?”

“If you were running around in the game’s final days and heard service was ending, wouldn’t you think I don’t want the game to end. Let me play a little longer? The people who took the news especially hard were the ones who ended up comatose.”

“So their feelings about the game’s end determined whether they lived or died? Sounds like a fantasy to me.”

“And yet that’s exactly what happened.”

After Keina’s death, the cornerstone of the VRMMO Leadale was placed along a boundary line so the system could synchronize with her soul. The game’s foundation overlapped the midway point between virtual reality on Earth and this fantastical realm. If one drew three circles that barely touched, the overlapping part looked like the cross section of a thin lens. This cross section was where the game took place. The lens-shaped world acted as an amplifier that sent powerful thought waves into the minds of people in virtual reality. In other words, this was a type of corrosion where the game world skewed their sense of reality like an optical illusion. This was also why the landscape and culture of both worlds were so similar.

“So it was pretty much a massive invasion?!”

“That wasn’t my intention when I created the game. The two worlds connected by chance.”

“People don’t just link up other worlds while making a game!”

“But that’s what happened.”

“This whole thing’s insane.”

Well, none of it was really a coincidence. I probably shouldn’t mention that now, however.

“…You say somethin’?”

“Oh, nothing at all.”

His answer was fishy. Cayna glared at him, and Opus blatantly avoided eye contact.

The real issue was how these thought waves impacted both sides. No longer players in a fictional universe, victims ended up stuck in their own personal battles for survival. Leadale’s creators then discovered these players had been separated from their physical bodies and essentially died midgame.

“The development team knew the cause, but they couldn’t fix the problem. That’s why I became a debugger who rescued stuck players. I could tell if someone’s connection was off.”

“Which was why you were online twenty-four seven.”

At the time, Cayna saw Opus every day no matter when she logged in. And given how he was online morning, noon, and night, many speculated about his real identity. For a while, there were even theories among the guilds that he might be an Admin spy.

“So why were so many players like Cohral, Shining Saber, and Tartarus logged in that last day?”

As far as Cayna could tell, all the players she’d met in this world so far had played on the final day of service. She wasn’t sure about the bandit leader, though.

“Tartarus? He’s here, too?” Opus raised an eyebrow at the name.

“That was his second account. You can meet him when we go to Helshper.”

“Well, well. Apparently only the most annoying players are still around.”

Opus always used to tease Tartarus just to get a rise out of him; he was probably one of the last people Tartarus ever wanted to see. Worst-case scenario, Tartarus would take one look at Opus and run the other way.

“About that final day…,” Opus began hesitantly.

“Yeah?”

Cayna stared at his silent, bitter expression and wondered how bad the situation had actually been.

“We had more logins that day than ever before! And if you’re thinking Hey, I’m sure he handled it on his own just fine, you’d be wrong! I gave up and joined some guild events!”

His confession tumbled out in one quick burst, and Cayna flopped against the table. Now that he’d just admitted to slacking off, she had a feeling there were still plenty of other players in this world.

“Um… I’m not really sure what’s going on…”

“It’s about to get even more complicated. If you’re fine with that—”

“Please, no! Spare me!”

Cayna put up her hands in protest. If things got any stranger, her brain would melt down before she had a chance to figure it all out. She was honestly grateful to Opus for creating the world of Leadale, but the situation grew sketchier by the minute. There seemed to be several other complex issues involved, but Cayna didn’t know how much more she could take.

Opus crossed his arms and sank into deep thought, contrasting his memories of Keina to Cayna the high elf.

“Ugh… You look like you’re up to something.”

“I was simply remembering how lifeless and lethargic you were back when we first met. I mean no offense. You were so empty I thought you might vanish at any second, but now it’s like you’re a different person.”

“…Huh? What? Have we met in real life?”

“Only once. I visited the hospital with your uncle and explained Leadale to you. I still remember how empty your eyes looked.”

“R-right. There was that one day when my uncle visited me with this secretary-looking person…in a suit… Huh? Wait—Ako is his secretary, so he must’ve come with someone else that time. It was this person who told me about Leadale and threw me off whenever their tone suddenly shifted… Hang on. That…woman?”

“Keh-keh-keh-keh. You finally realized?”

The truth that the woman named Kuzuhara and Opus standing right in front of her were one and the same did not compute.

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!”