In the Land of Leadale - Volume 6 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - A Questioning, a Reunion, Rebirth, and a Future Date

“Hiding ’er won’t do you any good!”

“We are not hiding anything. She is simply not home at the moment.”

Several shouts could be heard within one corner of the remote Felskeilo village. Cayna’s home was astir with angry knights trying to force their way through the gate and argue with the maid who was politely refusing them. Locals observed from a distance but didn’t intervene since the knights were too intimidating.

Early that morning, three Helshper knights had charged into the village on horseback, paying no heed to the village elder who rushed to greet then. They furiously demanded to know the whereabouts of the adventurer Cayna.

Roxilius approached the group and informed them that he was one of Cayna’s servants, at which point they rounded on him instead of the villagers. The knights’ boundless condescension on top of their sudden and outrageous arrival had already left the mild-mannered werecat on the verge of exploding.

Roxine raced to the scene as well, but Siren stepped in before the knights’ obnoxiousness sent the werecat maid into a frenzy. She was quickly interrogated in the same manner.

Meanwhile, under orders from Siren, Roxilius slipped past the knights and went around warning each household not to get involved. Cayna had instructed him to protect the village if anything happened, so he was more than eager to eliminate these worthless wretches. However, Siren urged him to hold back.

“We’re here by order of the king of Helshper. Servants oughtta know their place. Let us through.”

“As I have already mentioned, Lady Cayna is not in at the moment. What business do you have inspecting her home in her absence?”

“Weren’t you listening?! We’re here by royal decree!”

“I understand, but this village is within Felskeilo’s borders. Shouldn’t you speak with the king of Felskeilo first?”

“What nonsense. We have noble authority. Your job as a commoner is to say As you wish.”

In fact, the knights’ ramblings and blatant abuse of authority put even the mild-mannered Siren on edge. Roxilius and Roxine were about ready to snap, and Siren now feared she might fly off the handle herself. No matter how arrogant and disrespectful these knights may have been, this was still her beloved master’s castle.

A tiny cottage of a castle, but a castle nonetheless in Siren’s eyes.

As the one in charge while Cayna was out, Siren did not wish to break protocol no matter who appeared at her doorstep. She couldn’t bear it if she and the werecats handled the situation poorly and sullied their master’s good name.

The maid kept her anguish at bay and confronted the three foolish knights with practiced composure. Suddenly, she received good news—a message from her master Opuskettenshultheimer Crosstettbomber. The short note read: “Went to Guardian Tower. With Luka, Kuu, and Cayna. Will return after we stop by Helshper.”

She would’ve preferred that he’d said something as soon as they left the village. Siren would give Opus an earful once he got back, but for the time being, she briefly informed him of the situation. His response was swift:

I told Cayna everything. The rest is up to you.

Trembling with joy now that she could finally eliminate this enemy in front of her, Siren locked her heart behind an emotionless iron wall and gave the irksome knights a final ultimatum.

“We have received word from our master. Lady Cayna is currently in Helshper, so she will head to the castle directly.”

“Lyin’ will only get ya so far. How could you get a message if you’re talkin’ to us right now? Quit the monkey business!”

Anyone familiar with Cayna’s and Opus’s maids would be praying for the knights. Without any programs weighing them down, Siren, Roxine, and Roxilius had free will and could override their masters’ orders as they saw fit. To the three (Siren in particular), when Opus said “The rest is up to you,” what he meant was: “Lady Cayna is already going to Helshper like they wanted, so there’s no further need for a messenger.” The fact that these knights served a nation and held a degree of authority might as well have been written on scrap paper.

Failing to read the situation, the oblivious knights stiffened as a wave of overwhelming rage rolled off the two maids and butler they’d disparaged only moments before.

Summons like Siren and the werecats possessed one-tenth of their master’s skills. Although most were primarily meant for usage in daily life, they had a decent range of combat abilities as well. With a total of four hundred available, there were more than enough options to choose from.

“Take care not to kill them. Murder will likely complicate matters,” Siren told the werecats.

“Understood,” Roxilius replied.

“So neither dead nor alive,” said Roxine. “Very well, then.”

“You peasants think you can oppose us?!”

Even the combined levels of the three knights couldn’t match a single maid. Going up against level-550 warriors with nothing more than their dull, non-buffed swords might be considered heroic to some, but that didn’t mean it was a good idea.

Hardly a few seconds later, the knights’ pitiful cries echoed across the village in triple unison. The villagers who heard them were already well aware that Cayna’s staff doubled as security. Feigning innocence, they ignored the screams of the careless intruders receiving their just deserts.

“What shall we do with them?” Roxine asked Siren.

“That area is dangerous. They might meet a terrible fate if left to their own devices. We will play it safe: Bury them to their necks and place buckets over their heads.”

“Understood.”

And so the three knights were lined up in a corner by the village entrance with buckets over their heads.

They moaned on occasion, so the villagers kept their distance. Siren and the werecats had no intention of letting them die, however, so they gave their prisoners water and nothing else. When the buckets began to wail with apology three days later, Siren finally let them go.

After their overnight camping trip, Cayna and the others set out for Helshper. They rose before dawn, and the Fire and Lightning Spirits were sent away.

“You don’t mind stopping by Helshper, right?”

“Do as you like. I have no opinion on large cities.”

“Sounds like a plan, then. Try not to cause trouble.”

“Who do you think I am? If we encounter any issues, it won’t be on my account.”

Opus and Cayna decided to take the least conspicuous path and use Flight. They knew they’d spark a commotion if spotted and kept as low to the ground as possible. Both initially considered casting magic to summon steeds, but the ruckus from possible witnesses meant Flight was their best option. The group stopped halfway to rest when the speed and height started making Luka dizzy.

Meanwhile, Opus received word from Siren that some Helshper knights had come to retrieve Cayna. Of course, those messengers had no idea what fate awaited them.

“The knights? Maybe Caerina wants to talk about something?”

“Aiding any government authority will not end well.”

“The government has nothing to do with it. Caerina is my granddaughter. I’m still not really sure how the family tree works, though.”

“Your granddaughter?”

“She’s the daughter of my Foster Child Mai-Mai. Caerina is a knight, so maybe she sent these guys.”

“Hmm. A Foster Child, you say? I wonder whatever happened to mine.”

“You submitted foster kids, too…? I wanna see ’em.”

“Ah, who were they again? I don’t recall.”

“You’re terrible.”

“Never mind all that. What are you going to do about this summons from your granddaughter?”

“It’d be bad if I suddenly stopped by the knights’ garrison, and the conversation dragged on, so I want to find us some lodging first. Plus, we’ve got Luka.”

“Hmph, very well.”

When the group arrived at the inn Cayna had previously stayed at with Elineh’s caravan, they ran into some familiar faces.

“Hey there, miss. Fancy meetin’ you here.”

“Oh my, if it isn’t Lady Cayna. And Lady Luka is with you as well. How rare.”

“Hello, Arbiter, Elineh. It’s been a while.”

“Hello…,” Luka said, bowing her head slightly as she held Cayna’s hand. Elineh and Arbiter smiled cheerfully.

However, Arbiter’s eyes narrowed suspiciously when he spotted Opus behind Cayna. The unusually tall demon sent him into high alert; the sparks flying between the two men were practically visible to the naked eye.

Nevertheless, Opus had more or less heard about Cayna’s acquaintances in this world and showed no hostility. He merely returned a glare for a glare. At the same time, he combined several Active Skills that violently struck Arbiter in lieu of a greeting.

Opus just saw it as a practical joke, but Arbiter stood there sweaty and paralyzed as his body reacted to the immense force.

“?! Hey, Opus! What’re you doing to Arbiter?”

“He was messing with me, so I returned the favor.”

“Your idea of returning the favor is seriously terrifying. Cut it out already! Are you okay, Arbiter?”

“…Y-yeah.”

By the time Cayna realized what was happening and interrupted Opus’s prank, poor Arbiter looked like he had shaved several years off his life.

“Geez, Opus. Arbiter and Elineh saved my skin. Don’t be rude!”

“All right, all right. No need to fuss over every little thing.”

“Let’s all get acquainted. This is Opus, my old friend who hangs around like a bad cold. He’s kind of weird, but I swear he’s not a bad guy. I hope you’ll all get along.”

“R-right… I was out of line, too… Sorry.”

“I—I see… My name is Elineh. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask… Um, are you quite all right?”

“…Are you okay…Opus?”

“…! …?!”

After taking an elbow reinforced with STR Up and Power Boost to his unguarded solar plexus, Opus fell to the ground and was out like a light. The kind mercenaries and caravan who had just been overwhelmed and stupefied by the aftermath of his immense pressure instinctively began to fret over the demon’s condition. It was sad, really. Cayna didn’t notice the crowd of people trembling behind her in fear of the elbow jab she’d just unleashed. To them, it probably seemed as if Cayna had prioritized Arbiter over her old friend.

Opus, on the other hand, recovered about ten minutes later.

“Ugh, cough. That hurt…”

“No whining. You got what you deserved.”

The attacker had the strength to pull off such a vicious attack, and the victim had the stamina to endure it. The mercenaries watched the pair’s antics with half shock and half envy. Imagine the looks on their faces if they’d been told she was more powerful than when they last met.

Elineh’s caravan had finished their business negotiations in town and was preparing to head out.

“Our meeting at Sakaiya was quite productive. Yet another result of being acquainted with you, Lady Cayna.”

“Glad to hear it. Still, I doubt even I can convince Caerick to compromise.”

“It is true the remote village weighs heavy on Sir Caerick’s heart. However, I cannot help but feel I may have taken slight advantage of that sentiment.”

“Wow, Elineh. You drive a hard bargain, as usual.”

“My merchant nose is always sniffing for potential profit. Do you have business with Sakaiya as well, Lady Cayna?”

“No, I’m here for something else. The Helshper knights summoned me apparently.”

“You came all the way out here for that? And brought the little lady with ya?”

“I figure it’ll help Lu with her social skills. A trip now and then is a great way to gain experience.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I suppose you are unaware, Sir Arbiter, but expanding one’s worldview is crucial to developing a keen eye.”

“Um, I never said I wanted to make Lu a merchant.”

Their lively conversation continued, and Cayna arranged to return to the village with Elineh if their schedules lined up.

“Well, I’d rather not, but I better get going. Lu, stay with Opus. Kuu, watch over Lu. Elineh, Arbiter, I’m sorry for the trouble. Thanks for your help.”

“Not at all. Please leave everything to us.”

“Go right ahead. You’ve got nothin’ to worry about, miss. We might be a bunch of bumpkins, but my men can babysit like pros.”

“““Think again, boss!”””

Arbiter’s joke sparked protests from his men, which soon turned into howls of laughter.

“See you later…Mommy Cayna.”

“Leave it to Kuu!”

“I doubt things will come to this, but let me know if you run into any trouble,” said Opus. “Depending on how the situation plays out, I can blast away the castle and buy you time to escape.”

“Are you insane?!”

Leaving Luka with Opus and Kuu, Cayna headed out with a sigh.

“Why’s she so bummed?” Arbiter asked curiously.

“Let’s just say this isn’t the first time she’s been reluctant to accept a political quest,” Opus answered, speaking as Cayna’s longtime companion.

Back when Leadale was still a game, quests solicited by aristocratic NPCs often rubbed players the wrong way. They led to unsettling discoveries like the real reason some people ended up in servitude or how the aristocracy viewed dissidents. Such quests were meant to limit the number of Skill Masters since the Admins had been concerned that they were getting preferential treatment.

Given the exorbitant number of quests, some were bound to deliver a harsh dose of reality. Even Opus didn’t have a hand in every single one. By the time the game ceased operation, that number had reached over 4,500.

Once he saw Cayna off, Opus had his own plans in mind.

“I suppose I’d better get going.”

“Okay…”

“Oh, are you leaving as well, Sir Opus?”

“I’m going to the Adventurers Guild to get my registration card.”

“You still ain’t a guild member?! Cayna’s friends sure love the quiet life!”

“I had no need for it before. I’ll likely be traveling internationally from now on instead of holing up somewhere, so I’ve decided to register just in case.”

The registration card was a form of identification. Since Opus didn’t plan on participating in the guild anyway, he saw it more like a student ID.

He was here now. As long as his friends and acquaintances knew this, he was satisfied.

Still, Opus couldn’t say what might happen in the future, so registering was a form of insurance. Cayna would be mad if he didn’t take advantage of half the card’s purpose, though…

“Oh yeah? Go ahead and mention the Flame Spears. It’ll spare you the paperwork and havin’ to explain yourself.”

“Thanks. Are you sure, though? We’ve only just met.”

“You’re old friends with her, so she must like ya well enough. Don’t sweat it!”

Even if Cayna was the primary reason, Opus was glad Arbiter trusted him so much. He was equally thrilled she’d made such good friends.

In any case, just as Opus went to leave the inn, something tugged the hem of his clothes and made him stumble. When he turned around, the demon found Luka staring up at him like an abandoned puppy.

“Where are…you going?”

“Just to the Adventurers Guild. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“I’ll…come, too…”

“Kuu, too! Kuu’s gonna come, too!”

It wasn’t like Opus could brush off Cayna’s request to watch her, but he felt bad for Elineh, who had been given the same responsibility. Just as he was wondering what to do, Elineh and Arbiter smiled cheerfully and showed her out the door.

“You’d feel better with someone more familiar. Right, little miss?”

“Yes, although Lady Cayna requested our aid, we are not so small-minded that we would take offense over a matter like this.”

“Right. Sorry for the trouble.”

Anyone who knew Opus would be dumbfounded by such docility. He bowed to Elineh and Arbiter, hoisted Luka onto his shoulders, and left the lodging. Kuu flew in front of Luka and pointed at Opus’s horns.

“You can grab these!”

“Huh…?” Luka’s eyes darted between Kuu’s outstretched finger and Opus’s horns.

“You’re Cayna’s, all right…,” he murmured in reply to the fairy’s brazen instructions as he gave Luka permission to grab his horns.

“It doesn’t…hurt?”

“Not if you don’t deliberately twist them. Just be careful if I turn around to look behind me.”

“…O-okay.”

She timidly grabbed his horns, and Opus smirked.

The size, height, and curve of a demon’s horns were determined in Character Creation mode. Of course, these settings were permanent and could not be edited later on. Opus’s horns were straight and extended behind his temples at a diagonal. In the Game Era, demon players sported a variety of styles such spiral sheep horns, goat horns, or deer antlers. However, these numbers dwindled over time. Despite a demon’s incredible stats, there were also terrible drawbacks.

Mindful of Luka, Opus limited his head movements as he searched for the trio of white towers that made up the Adventurers Guild. According to Arbiter, they just had to head straight down the main avenue from the lodging and continue west.

Sure enough, the guild was easy enough to find. Opus effortlessly weaved between foot traffic and entered the building.

They found themselves in a spacious, empty room. Employees stood behind the counter, but neither hide nor hair of any adventurer was to be seen.

“Guess it doesn’t matter,” Opus muttered to himself as he set Luka down. He approached the counter.

“Welcome to the Helshper Adventurers Guild. How may I help you?”

“I want to register as an adventurer. The leader of the Flame Spears already told me what to expect.”

Arbiter hadn’t explained anything, but Opus knew the rules from his visits to the Adventurers Guild in the dungeon town.

“Oh, an acquaintance of Mr. Arbiter. Well then, please fill out the necessary information on this form,” she said, handing him a pencil and paper.

He was relieved to cut through the needless tutorial as expected and get straight to the point, but why did she immediately believe him without a shred of proof? Opus sensed the employee was a bit naive, but saying so would only bring the issue to her attention. Since none of it was really any of his concern, Opus quickly abandoned the thought. He entered his name (the whole thing) and his race. He marked his occupation as “warrior” since it was a safe choice and submitted the form.

The girl behind the counter briefly checked his paperwork, then handed him a number placard.

“Please wait just a moment. I will create your identification card,” she said before taking the document and disappearing into the back room.

Cayna had to wait an entire day for hers, but the process was brief here. Maybe the employees just didn’t have much else to do.

While Opus was at the front desk, Luka and Kuu stared blankly at the wall of requests.

Since the fairy didn’t have to worry about unwanted attention, she fluttered and danced around Luka. As the girl skimmed over any sentences and letters she couldn’t read with the occasional puzzled gesture, she felt a hand on her head.

Opus approached Luka from behind and lightly put her on his shoulders so she could see the endless wall of requests at eye level.

“Find anything interesting?”

“…I can’t…read that one…”

“Hmm.”

Opus followed Luka’s finger to one request in particular. Perhaps due to the game’s influence, the local language used hiragana, katakana, and occasionally kanji. Kanji was often used in the guilds, but since the literacy rate wasn’t very high, you could bring a request to the reception desk and have it read to you. Hiragana and katakana were no issue for Luka thanks to Roxilius’s lessons. The request in question included kanji.

“Read it to her,” Opus told Kuu, who was close enough to lick the paper.

“Got it!” she replied before peeling herself away to carry out his command.

As ditzy as she appeared, Kuu was integrated with the subsystem. The fairy was by no means stupid.

However, Luka grew visibly depressed as Kuu read to her. She must have felt like she lost somehow since the tiny fairy could read so much faster than her.

“Keep at it,” Opus mumbled as he patted her head.

After that, Kuu taught Luka every character she didn’t know.

For a while, the pair’s question-and-answer session was the only sound in the empty guild. However, a sudden noise from the open doorway cut through the silence.

“Agh, geez. That was awful… Huh…?”

“…Oh.”

The newcomer was a fiery woman in light leather armor who had exhaustion written all over her face. She carried a saber at her waist and a whip around her arm. And most importantly, she was one of the few people Luka knew.

At the same time, Opus and the others were hard to miss since they were standing right in the middle of the guild. Quolkeh looked momentarily surprised and cheerfully waved to Luka.

“Hey there, if it isn’t Luka. It’s been a while. How’ve ya been?”

“…Good.”

“Looks like you’re not with Cayna today. Who’s your demon friend?”

“…This is…Opus. He’s…Mommy Cayna’s…friend.”

Quolkeh’s eyes narrowed at first, but Luka’s stilted speech softened her expression. Cayna had given Opus a basic rundown of all the players she’d met in this world so far, so he had no intention of criticizing Quolkeh’s reaction. He was aware he might be treated with suspicion. However, Luka spared him any roundabout explanations.

Opus zeroed in on Quolkeh and used Search to confirm her level and other data. This went smoothly enough, but problems arose when Quolkeh called to her friend outside.

“Hey, Exis, what’s the holdup?! Luka’s here.”

“You’re the one who went runnin’ on ahead. I’m not as fast as you. Think about how I feel for a second.”

A grumbling gray dragoid soon appeared beside his partner and went to greet the little friend he hadn’t seen in so long.

The instant he laid eyes on the tall demon with her…

Whoosh!! Clang!!

…he crashed to the floor.

The whoosh was the sound of his legs slipping out from under him, and the clang was his armor slamming into the ground. The whole sequence was incredibly fluid, and it wouldn’t be strange at all to find out this living person was actually a puppet whose strings had just been cut. Quolkeh and Luka were dumbfounded.

“Exis?!”

“…?!”

Quolkeh crouched down to check if Exis was still breathing. Frozen solid by this unexpected development, Luka clung to Opus’s horns. Meanwhile, the demon calmly strode over to Exis and called out to him from overhead.

“You alive, Tartaroast?”

“……Dammit, O-Opus… Why are you here?”

“For the same reasons as you two, I’d imagine. I’m shocked the possibility didn’t even occur to you, Tartaroast.”

“…I keep tellin’ ya, it’s Tartarus, not Tartaroast! Anyway, that ain’t me anymore!”

Exis was lying flat on the ground but nimbly jumped up and tried to snap at Opus.

Of course, Opus predicted the dragoid’s movements and was already a safe distance away by the time Exis sprang into action. Besides, Opus couldn’t risk exposing Luka to danger.

It was clear he had no idea what Cayna’s rage entailed.

…Exis, that is.

“I see, so you’re ‘Exis’ now. Very well, then. By the way, how long do you intend to remain hostile? I don’t appreciate you worrying Luka unnecessarily.”

“Ngh, that’s dirty. How dare you kidnap Luka!”

Exis growled threateningly as Opus stood there with his arms crossed. The demon shrugged and let the intimidation roll right off him.

Nevertheless, he noticed the petrified Luka on his shoulders and glowered at Exis. Sensing something perilous in that calm and collected stare, the dragoid backed off. The alarm bells in his head soon went silent.

Quolkeh vaguely understood the men knew each other and tapped her partner’s shoulder as the two continued to stare each other down.

“Relax, Exis. This guy is one of us, right? There’s no point in fighting each other.”

“I see. So someone here is capable of reason.”

“Yeah. The name’s Quolkeh. If you need anything, just ask.”

Opus gave Quolkeh’s outstretched hand a firm shake and introduced himself with a nasty grin.

“I’m Opuskettenshultheimer Crosstettbomber. Opus is fine. I’m a Skill Master like Cayna. The Thirteenth.”

“Huh? A Skill Master…?”

“Watch yourself around him,” Exis warned. “He’s Leadale’s Kongming and just as notorious as Cayna.”

“WHAAAA—?!”

As soon as Exis mentioned Opus’s infamous alias, the shocked Quolkeh withdrew her handshake and scurried away.

“Don’t interrupt, Exis. I finally met someone who wasn’t aware of my double life.”

“How many people have you stabbed in the back with that fake smile?”

“Who knows? I’ve lost count. After all, no matter how many I slaughter, my heart feels nothing for the masses.”

“Eeeek?!”

Kuu cackled as Quolkeh backed away even farther with terror in her eyes.

“Keh-keh-keh. I see I’m not very popular.”

“Don’t…fight…”

Ever the peacekeeper, Luka tugged the collar of Opus’s coat. He chuckled at her timid attempt to mediate and kindly patted her head from her seat atop his shoulders.

“You heard our friend. We shouldn’t act so unseemly in front of a child, correct? This isn’t the game world. Even I don’t intend to behave recklessly.”

“Huh? That’s a lot comin’ from you, Mr. Whatever the Hell I Please,” Exis spat.

Quolkeh also couldn’t believe what she was hearing from one of the game world’s Most Wanted and curiously thought that he was somehow different from what she’d expected.

The duo’s reactions went unnoticed as Opus surveyed the deserted guild lobby.

“Is this guild always so empty?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, about that…”

“It’s pretty straightforward. There’s an upcoming tourney in Felskeilo. Any adventurer confident enough to take on the challenge has already headed over. The rest either take in-town requests only or just aren’t interested.”

According to Quolkeh, “town-only” adventurers gathered in the morning. Local requests were directly paid by the client, so aside from the odd workaholic, no one approached the Adventurers Guild once they finished for the day. This explained why no one else was around. For Exis and Quolkeh, it was a good chance to take on urgent requests.

“A tourney… Hmph, I see. Aren’t you both going to join in?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’re you sayin’? We’re at a way higher level than today’s adventurers. It’d be like shooting fish in a barrel. You’d better not enter, either. Tell Cayna the same thing. She’s level 1,100; no one stands a chance against her.”

Cayna had actually grown stronger since she and Exis last met, but Opus felt no need to share this.

“Understood. Thanks for the tip.”

The reception desk called Opus’s name and gave him his registration card.

“Wow…,” Luka said with visible delight as he twirled the card in his hand.

Caught up in the moment, Opus captivated her and the guild employees by using his new registration like a magician’s deck of cards.

“Hey, hey, hey! What do you think you’re doin’?!”

“Hmph. We have plenty of time on our hands. No harm in taking a short break.”

“What’s that got to do with puttin’ on a magic show?!”

Exis always had a snappy comeback up his sleeve. This was no surprise coming from the man once called the Cream Cheese guild’s “voice of reason.” The dragoid was reminded of his suffering back in the old days.

After bringing a brief moment of joy to the deserted guild, Opus turned on his heel as if to say Well, my job here is done. He gave a casual good-bye and went to leave. Still riding on his shoulders, Luka turned around and waved bye-bye to the pair. Kuu waved her arms wildly.

Quolkeh smiled and returned the gesture, but Exis suddenly realized something and took several steps before calling out to Opus from behind.

“Hey, where’s Cayna?”

“She came with us, but she’s running a small errand right now. She has a habit of getting into all sorts of trouble if you take your eyes off her.”

Cayna had found herself in plenty of pickles back when Exis was Tartarus. He paused for a moment of silence in her honor, then nodded sympathetically.

“I mean, she’s even got a great-grandkid now, so yeah… By the way, Opus: Feel free to hit me up if you ever need a hand. I still owe you one from our guild days.”

“How honest of you, considering you’re a different person now.”

“Shut up. I wouldn’t feel right leavin’ things this way.”

“In that case, I suppose I’ll be calling on you soon enough. Prepare yourself.”

They joked and parted ways on friendly enough terms, but Exis later felt a tinge of regret.

“Damn, he’s got somethin’ terrifying up his sleeve…”

“You’re the one who blindly offered,” Quolkeh replied wearily.

Trembling with an ominous premonition, Exis had no choice but to wait and see.

Meanwhile, Cayna arrived at the castle as requested and stated her business to the gatekeeper.

“I’m the adventurer Cayna. Your knights invited me here.”

“Just a moment, please; I’ll confirm your arrival.”

“Thank you very much.”

She had assumed she’d be brusquely sent away but was surprised by the civil response.

Back in the game, I would’ve gotten some obnoxious reply like Get away from the castle, you peasant.

“Perhaps it is because Lady Caerina is an instructor here?”

As a former guild headquarters, the castle gate had a watchtower built on top. In addition to the guard in front of her, Cayna could feel eyes unpleasantly observing her from above.

I’m being waaaatched.

“That is the role of gatekeepers. It is best to accept it.”

Yeah, but still…

While Cayna chatted with Kee, she used Search to take a peek at the stats of the soldiers around the gate. Most hovered around level 10. If a low-level quest boss attacked at that very moment, the soldiers would get their butts kicked.

I sure hope no more event bosses run wild…

“I must agree.”

Leadale’s game system was undoubtedly behind those incidents as well. When Cayna remembered Luka’s village, she was racked with guilt.

“That was not your fault, Cayna.”

Maybe, but whenever I think about it…

The actual cause was a distortion in the Abandoned Capital’s barrier, but she was not aware of this yet.

After about thirty minutes of waiting (by Kee’s calculations), a familiar face finally appeared.

“I apologize for selfishly asking you to come all this way, Grandmother.”

Caerina bowed to Cayna in full view of the gatekeepers. Of course, those in the watchtower also shot the high elf inquisitive looks that seemed to ask Who is she?

Still, Caerina was a knight instructor. Such an elevated position ensured every castle employee knew her. If this visitor was worthy of Caerina’s deference, no one could protest regardless of their suspicions. If this was her granddaughter’s scheme all along, it painted a frightening picture of the future.

Unable to bear Caerina’s repetitive nodding any longer, Cayna tried to stop her by getting straight down to business.

“Okay, okay. Enough apologizing, Caerina. I’ll look really suspicious if someone of your stature grovels like that. Or maybe you just called me here to apologize, and I can go home now?”

“Ahhh, I-I’m sorry. It seems I’ve embarrassed myself.”

Caerina gave one last bow before ordering the guards to open the service entrance beside the main gate and inviting Cayna inside.

“Please, right this way. There is something I wish to ask of you in private.”

“A request?”

Clueless as to what it might be, Cayna tilted her head and followed her granddaughter. Caerina led her into the castle and proceeded to cut straight through it. Along the way, the ladies-in-waiting and soldiers bowed to Caerina but always appeared mystified as soon as they noticed Cayna behind her.

Feeling very much like a fish out of water, Cayna shivered.

“Are you unwell, Grandmother?”

“No, no, it’s just obvious I’m on the Away Team.”

“‘Away Team’?”

“Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud. Don’t mind me.”

Caerina had apparently been watching Cayna closely despite facing forward the entire time. Her impeccable hospitality was truly impressive.

Just as Cayna wondered where her granddaughter was taking her, they continued straight through the castle and past a door until they were once again outside.

“Here?”

“Yes, that’s right. The training grounds are over that way.”

“Training grounds? I hope you’re not going to ask for a demonstration.”

“Oh no. I’d like to ask for your help with something else, Grandmother. I am quite interested in your ancient arts, however.”

As she said this, the sparkle in Caerina’s eyes went far beyond interest. Cayna also wanted to know what would happen if she tried to pass on her skills but was reluctant to experiment after Lopus’s failure.

“I can’t just walk out now. Don’t tell me that’s why you brought me all this way?”

Cayna’s shoulders drooped as she stared up at Caerina with reproach. The knight hastily clarified.

“Of course not. I would never dream of deceiving you, Grandmother.”

It wasn’t like Caerina intended to force unreasonable demands on her grandmother, but the way she had antagonized a response rubbed Cayna the wrong way. The general trend of quests she’d accepted from royals, nobles, and other elites in the past added to her sulkiness.

Call such quests an acquired taste if you will, but everything about them was absolutely foul. Each used the player’s moral conscience against them, and if you refused, a beloved NPC would be taken hostage. Upon completion of these quests, players flooded the forums with messages like “I wanna beat the crap out of whatever writer came up with that scenario. Disgusting.” and “The Admins will feel my wrath.” The volume became so great, it was feared their deep-seated resentment would give rise to something horrendous. Cayna was incredibly relieved Leadale was just a game, and such examples were precisely why it was no exaggeration to say Cayna wasn’t the only one with a distaste for royal and noble quests.

Nonetheless, she mostly wanted to hurry back so she could keep an eye on Opus. After all, who knew what kind of mischief he was getting into?

Luka was also with him, so this made Cayna even more nervous. She had asked Kuu to keep Opus in line but could just imagine the two cackling together. Her stomach twisted into knots.

At any rate, Cayna’s sole mission was to finish up here as quickly as possible. She had to inevitably accept that Opus’s very existence was cause for concern.

“Castles are massive no matter where you go, huh?”

“The vast scale exudes a sense of authority. Ah, over this way.”

Cayna wasn’t the least bit tired, but she’d grown bored of the long, repetitive scenery. Just as she was about to complain and ask how much farther, Caerina pointed ahead at their presumed destination.

The extensive area Caerina called the training grounds was much like a stadium. Raucous voices rang out, and a large group of lightly equipped soldiers stood in a circle. Something was going on.

As the two approached, they could hear jeers and a few scattered cheers. When the girls were finally close enough, the soldiers noticed Caerina and immediately stood at attention.

“““Instructor! We apologize!”””

“At ease. You’re still on break, aren’t you? Is he still in the center?”

“Y-yes. The situation hasn’t changed.”

Caerina offered a dazzling smile, and the soldiers stiffened even more with a collective blush. She seemed to be a celebrity among her subordinates. Cayna followed Caerina as the knight parted the crowd, and they drew close enough to see what was happening at the center.

Two people were in the middle of a mock battle. The soldiers around them shouted things like “Get ’im!” and “You’re goin’ down!”

One fighter was the (presumed) knight captain Cayna had seen before. A bearded man in his prime, he had intervened just as Cayna was about to finish off his opponent. His opponent, on the other hand, was a grimy, bloodied man who fell to the knight’s practice sword. His familiar horns and tanned skin told Cayna he was the bandit leader she’d bested earlier.

Gritting his teeth, he endured the agony and forced himself to stand up. He picked up his practice sword, then faced the knight captain. However, the sway of his feeble body made it clear these efforts were in vain. The captain repelled him with one simple swing, and the bandit leader went flying.

Even with the Punishment Collar, a player just under level 40 wouldn’t be expected to lose so easily. Moreover, level 10 or so should have been more than enough for a demon like him to put up a fight.

“Um, isn’t this abuse?”

“No, not at all.”

Still unsure why she was called here, Cayna sought an explanation from Caerina.

“I invited him to join our ranks.”

“Pulling crazy stunts again, eh…? He’s probably gonna betray you.”

“Unfortunately, he has been quite compliant.”

“Huh…”

Cayna’s gaze instinctively shifted to the collapsed demon player. What change of heart had this man who wailed so loudly back then undergone?

“Grandmother, are you aware of the vicious monsters that have been appearing in the countryside lately? If we do nothing, the citizens will be in danger.”

Yeah, I’m well aware!

A snarky comment popped into Cayna’s mind, but her expression gave nothing away. For someone like her who had way more than an inkling of what was going on, Caerina’s report was old news.

In all likelihood, the monsters were spilling out from the Abandoned Capital. Caerina didn’t say they ever lost, so the monsters appearing in Helshper were supposedly ones she and the knights could handle.

Come to think of it, I forgot to ask Opus the details about the Abandoned Capital…

“………”

Kee didn’t voice his thoughts. Considering his connection to Opus, they likely shared a certain level of information, but something appeared to be preventing Kee from telling Cayna what that connection was.

Caerina watched Cayna stand there in perturbed silence. She seemed to understand where her grandmother’s mind was.

“He accepted our offer without question, and this is how we’ve been refining his character. Initially, he snapped at everyone and lived to antagonize. However, he never lost heart no matter how many times he was struck down. As you can see, he is now well accepted among our number.”

A few shouts of encouragement could be heard among the crowd as well. “Do your best” and “Nice!” were fine enough, but the purpose of “Go, go, go!” was up for debate.

“Grandmother, I would like you to unlock his full potential.”

“…In other words, you’re asking me to take off his Punishment Collar?”

“Yes. You live in the remote village, Grandmother, and I wish to treasure those residents by defending this nation. Enlisting this man’s aid will prove to be one way to combat this monstrous threat.”

There was a fire burning in Caerina’s eyes. Cayna shrugged.

“I handed him over to you in the first place. It’s your call, really.”

“! Well, then!”

After this offhand response, Cayna left her ecstatic granddaughter behind and approached the knights. The captain was the first to notice, and he stayed his weapon. The demon player didn’t see Cayna since he was staring at the ground trying to catch his breath.

“Mind if I step in?” Cayna asked.

“Not at all,” the captain replied with a slight bow.

He glanced at Cayna as she entered the ring. When Caerina followed her, the soldiers stood at attention and saluted. She commanded them to be at ease, and Cayna walked over to the trembling demon who still hadn’t looked up.

“Hey there.”

“…Huh?”

The demon player slowly answered her voice. The moment he saw Cayna, he tripped over his own two feet in fear and fell on his backside. His face was ashen, and his teeth audibly chattered. This was an understandable reaction when you were suddenly toe to toe with someone who had previously demolished you in both body and soul.

Cayna raised a hand as she drew closer to the terrified demon player. Her hand glowed with a blue light, and the soldiers looked on nervously. Most thought she was going to kill him; however, they were mistaken. Caerina was certain Cayna would never do such a thing and restrained the soldiers who tried to rush to his defense.

When Cayna’s outstretched hand touched the utterly terrified demon, she cleared away all the dirt and grime with Purity and healed his wounds with Dewl.

The two spells left the rookie soldier looking freshly groomed, and the others stared in mute amazement. This was on account of the feat Cayna had just pulled, of course.

“Get up.”

“…Eh?” The cowering demon hesitantly looked up at Cayna. “…You’re not gonna…finish me off?”

“Listen, Caerina’s the one who turned you into a soldier. I’ll look like the bad guy if I just do whatever I want. You think that’d be fun for me? Come on, get up already!”

The stupefied player obeyed Cayna and slowly rose. She did a circle around him, then said, “Looks like you’re all healed up” with a satisfied nod.

The demon had no idea what was going on and jolted when she reached for the black collar around his neck. He jumped back to escape.

“Wh-why?”

“I was asked to take it off.”

“A-are you sure that’s a good idea…? If—if you take it off…I-I’ll probably kill people again…,” the demon player said nervously, his expression taut.

Cayna responded to this self-damnation by casting several Active Skills and throwing him a dark stare.

“In that case, I’ll turn you to charcoal where you stand…”

“Grandmother…I must ask you to refrain from such behavior.”

A clearly unsettled Caerina stepped in to intervene. Cayna canceled her skills with a sigh, then jabbed a finger right in front of the demon’s nose.

“My granddaughter owns you, so I can’t punish you my way. But remember this: I released you because Caerina has faith in you. If you mess up again, my friend and I will erase you from this world!”

“Y-yeah…”

“Well? Do you understand me or not?”

“I…I understand.”

“Got it. Great. You better be grateful to Caerina for the rest of your life.”

The demon player nodded meekly, and Cayna touched his collar. When she murmured “The Third Skill Master releases you,” it fell away instantly.

Cayna caught the collar and put it away in her Item Box. The demon player gingerly touched his own neck, and upon confirming the collar was gone, realized he was free and fell to the ground in exhausted relief.

Several soldiers around him exclaimed, “All right!” and “Good for you!” His attitude had apparently won them over.

“Thank you, Grandmother.”

“Don’t mention it. Anyway, let me know me if this guy causes any trouble. I know someone who can help me obliterate him from existence.”

“There will be no such need… At the very least, please keep it strictly to corporal punishment.”

“Forget me—it’s my friend you’ll have to worry about.”

Caerina could make such mild requests because she had no clue, but Opus didn’t exactly have the patience of a saint. There was no question that Cayna’s and his combined destructive power could wipe out an entire nation. Sometimes ignorance was bliss.

She suddenly remembered something and turned back to the demon player who was getting mobbed by the soldiers. He flinched in surprise, his cheek twitching.

“By the way, I never got the chance to ask your name. I’m Cayna. What’s yours?”

“U-um, it’s Luvrogue…,” the demon stuttered. He offered a smile that belied his earlier gruffness.

“Luvrogue? Like, ‘Rogue of Love’? Fancyyyy,” Cayna teased.

“Wha—?! N-n-n-n-n-no! That’s not it! It don’t mean nothin’! I just thought the name sounded cool!” Luvrogue protested, his face bright red.

Cayna suppressed a giggle. Given his flustered response, someone back in the game or elsewhere had undoubtedly made similar comments.

Her light ribbing broke the tension in a heartbeat. Caerina, the knight captain, and the rest of the soldiers couldn’t stop themselves from gawking in shock at this new, relaxed vibe.

“Shucks, Mr. Rogue of Love, sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you. Maybe I ought to offer you a Name Change.”

“H-hell no! Not a chance! Don’t you dare!”

“C’mon, don’t be shy.”

“I said noooo!!”

Luvrogue’s tantruming and Cayna’s amused instigating left everyone on the training grounds overwhelmed.

“I’m heading home. Keep a close eye on him for me.”

“I will, Grandmother. Thank you for your help.”

“Hey, Mr. Rogue of Love.”

“It’s Luvrogue!”

“You won’t get another chance, so don’t even think about going back to your bandit ways. The Silver Ring Witch Cayna and Kongming of Leadale Opus will swoop down to destroy you, so watch out.”

“Eek?!”

With her business concluded, Cayna went to exit the training grounds when she stopped halfway and uttered the most feared names in the Game Era as a warning to Luvrogue. His reaction was priceless. Mute and pale, Luvrogue began sweating and trembling from head to toe.

Caerina offered to show Cayna out, but the knight captain said he’d go himself and saw Cayna off. Caerina used this sudden free moment to ask Luvrogue a question that had been on her mind.

“Was Grandmother famous in the old days?”

“‘F-famous’ don’t begin to describe it. She’s the Silver Ring Witch and Meteoric Hazard that rumors say annihilated the Brown Kingdom…”

“I see,” Caerina murmured. She yanked on Luvrogue’s ear.

“Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow?! What’re you doing?!”

“You may be a soldier, but you’d best watch your language. First and foremost, I shall teach you basic manners. Not to worry. I’ve had no troublesome subordinates lately, so we have all the time in the world.”

“…Huh? Eh? What?”

As soon as Caerina stared him down, the quivering Luvrogue didn’t even have a chance to mention the level difference between them. If he wanted to mitigate the pain in his ear, he’d have no choice but to be dragged along. The soldiers watching this scene play out were very familiar with their instructor’s no-nonsense attitude and looked on sympathetically. A few paused for a moment of silence.

“Wonder how long he can keep up that spunk…”

“Less than three days.”

“I give him five.”

“Nice, wanna bet on it?”

“A bet, huh? How about one silver per day?”

“I’m in. I bet two days.”

“I’ll guess three maybe?”

Seconds later, the bets were rolling in. Without their superiors around, it wasn’t long before the training grounds became a makeshift gambling den.

It remained unclear whether Luvrogue’s spirit ended up shattered into many pieces.

“Up to the castle gate is fine.”

“I see,” replied the knight captain, a little too close for comfort. He dismissed Cayna’s annoyed stare and continued as if he hadn’t heard a thing. “There is something I wish to ask. May I?” he questioned calmly.

“I’ll answer if I can,” Cayna said with a reluctant nod. She was pretty confused and had no idea what a knight captain would need to ask of an adventurer.

“It’s about that man’s swordplay. His technique is entirely wrong. Was no proper education available two hundred years ago?”

“…Huh?”

Not sure what he was getting at, Cayna tilted her head. The knight captain clenched his fist and went on passionately.

“His movements are erratic. If that was the only issue, I’m certain his skills could rival even the instructor’s. However, when it comes to the way of the sword, I daresay he is not even a beginner! I cannot fathom how he has survived for two hundred years!”

The gatekeepers stared in wide-eyed shock when they heard their superior’s ardent speech. Cayna was startled at first, too, but she was relieved to know there were still some people out there willing to drop the pretense and just talk to her.

This knight captain wanted to help Luvrogue improve, but she had difficulty answering his question. After all, even if Cayna told him the truth, she doubted he would understand.

The reason was simple: Luvrogue only had rudimentary set moves.

In the VRMMO Leadale, players had basic attack patterns set according to their race.

Dragoids were loose and powerful. Werecats were quick and agile. Elves were nimble and precise. Humans and demons were efficient and reliable. High elves were dependent on weapons and pretty pathetic overall, which was partly why they were so rare.

Things started out this way, but as the players’ pleas for more grew louder, they were eventually able to mod their own attack animations.

The road to progress wasn’t an easy one. Race-specific animations were initially tossed out, and Character Creation was updated so players could choose whichever set they wanted. Later on, set moves from multiple races could be combined, but this often resulted in wonky movements and quickly went obsolete. Then, by the fourth or fifth attempt, character animations were finally left entirely up to the player. Not only could each person make their own custom set, but they could download others. This jump in freedom created an immediate explosion of possibilities. Of course, the original starters were also available, so less creatively inclined players had no room to complain, either.

Cayna remembered how a wave of new moves inundated the Leadale Link Resources forum right after the update. From the delightfully imaginative to complete overkill, there was no end to the madness. The ones derived from history or authentic sword techniques were no issue. However, terrible ideas based on novels, manga, anime, period dramas, and tokusatsu, as well as embarrassing names made up by otaku that clearly stuck in middle school, also came pouring in.

Cayna had naturally downloaded a few moves as well, and her options were split roughly fifty-fifty between comical and serious. From what she could tell, Luvrogue’s avatar never used these additional animations, which explained his stilted movements. Of course, it was still possible to wield your weapon of choice without them. That being said, it was unlikely even 1 percent of total players had mastered swordplay in real life. This was why Luvrogue looked like a clumsy amateur. Even if he customized his moves to a T, any master swordfighter would almost certainly claim that his techniques left a lot to be desired.

Cayna’s own techniques were a combination of several skills and whatever moves she had learned during her no-holds-barred contests with Arbiter. Such ability was a testament to her Skill Master title, and Cayna tweaked them when necessary. In truth, her magic was leagues more threatening anyway.

“Use whatever training you guys think will whip him into shape,” she said before leaving the castle. She couldn’t really think up a better excuse. Luvrogue’s future was now in his own hands, so she was better off minding her own business. In other words, she passed the buck.

Cayna was worried about Opus and had planned to head straight back, but she ended up stopping by Caerick’s place instead.

“Are you sure you can stay, Grandmother? Don’t you have other business to attend to?”

“No worries. We got interrupted before, right? It’s high time I made it up to you.”

“I appreciate the gesture…but please don’t push yourself.”

“Roger that.”

After that, Cayna focused on processing the magic rhymestones.

She didn’t have to focus too hard, but that was no reason to settle for inferior work. Time passed quietly. Once Cayna finished the overall process and let out a sigh, Caerick finally spoke.

“Mother informed me of the troubling incident the other day.”

“Mai-Mai did? I wonder if sharing info with other nations like that is such a good idea.”

“Thanks to Sakaiya’s information network, she said it was only a matter of time before the news reached Helshper.”

“True…”

He undoubtedly meant the recent attack on Felskeilo. For Cayna, it was the embarrassing memory where everyone learned the giant crater to the west of the capital was her fault. She couldn’t bring herself to admit this to Caerick, though, and planned to feign ignorance if the topic was brought up.

“It’s unsettling to think such horrid monsters are lying in wait somewhere on this continent.”

“The traveling caravans are on edge, that’s for sure.”

Forget lying in wait somewhere; Cayna could already imagine the monsters pouring out of the Abandoned Capital in droves.

“That’s why I have a favor to ask of you, Grandmother.”

“I’m guessing it’s related to what’s going on?”

“It is.”

Caerick’s shadowy visage suddenly drew closer, and Cayna felt like she was looking at an old-timey villain.

“Grandmother, could you lend me a summons?”

“…Huh?” she said in a strange voice. This was unexpected. “You want me to magically summon a bodyguard for you?”

“Yes, correct,” Caerick replied, nodding and wringing his hands pleadingly. Sakaiya was turning more into an evil oil baron with every passing second.

“A summons, huh…? How about this?”

Cayna raised one hand, and a small slime appeared on the table. It wasn’t even five centimeters tall, and no one would know the difference if she said it was a tiny blob of red jelly. At first glance, the jiggly slime looked more like a delicious strawberry treat than a monster. However, Caerick didn’t seem the least bit eager to taste test the summons in front of him and instead stared curiously at the helpless-looking ooze.

“…What is it?”

“An ikbekto slime. It attacks by instantly breaking into hundreds of smaller slimes.”

“What?!”

Cayna burst into unintentional laughter as Caerick comedically tore his face away.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. This little guy does whatever I say, so it won’t randomly multiply or anything.”

“I—I see…”

Caerick peered at the slime from behind his chair, but Cayna thought this was a bit dramatic.

In the game world of Leadale, slimes weren’t entirely synonymous with weakness. They were pretty strong overall, and ikbekto slimes had absurd physical power despite their flimsy magic spells. Although commonly found in beginner fields, these monsters were usually somewhere between level 30 or 50. For overeager newbies, slimes were their first brush with a ridiculous enemy.

A single ikbekto slime’s physical strength was minimal, so players hardly got a scratch as long as they came prepared. However, anyone up against an endless onslaught of hundreds of mini slimes watched their HP almost instantly drop to zero.

“Th-this creature is going to guard me?”

“I’ll admit that ikbekto slimes don’t have much going on upstairs.”

“Are you sure this will work?”

Cayna doubted any monsters she had previously called upon to guard caravans would be allowed inside cities and villages. Didn’t her grandson realize that?

Cayna sent away the ikbekto slime and tried another summons. This time, a dog-headed beast appeared from a magic circle in a corner of the room. The creature wasn’t particularly cute despite its canine appearance, and he stood as tall as Caerick. The pointed ears were Doberman-like, and his shabby brown robe might be mistaken for old rags.

“It is an honor, My Lady.”

“Thanks for dropping in.”

The Doberman beastkin knelt before Cayna and bowed with a hand to his chest.

“I have a question, Anubis.”

“You need only ask.”

Caerick’s wariness toward the polite yet unfamiliar beastkin was understandable.

In this world, kobolds were the most common race of dog people. They were usually short and had the heads of smaller breeds. The summon Anubis was a monster deity from the Underworld area. The original real-world god had the head of a jackal, but if Cayna pointed out every liberty the game took, the list would never end.

“Can you spend any time apart from me? Keep in mind how much magic it would cost me to keep you totally self-sufficient.”

Anubis licked his nose and fell silent for a moment.

“Understood. My limit is currently three days, but apart from you, I will not last two or three. I will require one month to provide my full services.”

“Right, right. And how much MP is that?”

“…Yes, let me see. Twenty times the cost of summoning me should prove sufficient.”

“Hmm. I can probably swing it…”

Cayna calculated the MP she’d used to summon Anubis, simply multiplied by twenty, and confirmed there would be enough left over for her. She then touched him on the shoulder and offered the stated amount. Caerick felt the beastkin’s physical presence magnify in a matter of seconds, and Cayna’s power nearly knocked him off his feet. After all, the little magic lights he and his grandmother made earlier were the most powerful sorcery he’d ever experienced up until that point. Most elves understood the magic arts like no other, but it wasn’t Caerick’s forte.

“How’s that?”

“Yes, even if we are separated for a month, I believe I can now properly carry out My Lady’s will.”

“Oh yeah? Awesome.”

Anubis opened and closed his hands as if checking for sensation, and Cayna gave a satisfied nod.

“Here you go, Caerick. I’ll lend you Anubis.”

“Haven’t we skipped a few steps?!”

Cayna looked back at Caerick with open arms as if to say Ta-daa!, but her grandson’s only reaction was a cry of shock and distress. The beastkin glanced between the two and seemed to realize what was going on. He stood and gave a slight bow. That angle said everything about Anubis’s tonal shift between Cayna and Caerick.

“Hmph. So I have been assigned to you for the time being.”

“Yep. Caerick’s a little short on hands, so help him out. Oh, don’t use any life force magic, though.”

Cayna couldn’t risk saying “Revival Magic” out loud, so she warned Anubis in roundabout terms with a wink. The summons quickly caught her drift and replied, “Understood.”

“I am at your service, Master Caerick. I am well versed in the arts of subjugation and defense, and I am able to bear the brunt of any attack. I seek a bold occupation that will allow me to bring My Lady glory.”

“Um, Grandmother?”

Moments later, Anubis’s tattered robe transformed into the uniform of a veteran soldier. The beastkin was dressed in beaten leather armor and carried a sword at his side. By his impressive attire, one would think he’d just come back from hunting local monsters. Caerick stared at him in shock.

“Anubis, I don’t think merchants are in the business of fighting monsters,” Cayna commented.

“Hmph, I see. Then I’ll need to make a few adjustments.”

He switched to a butler uniform complete with a necktie.

“Grandmother… As respectable as he appears, is he truly fit for the job?”

After brief contemplation, Caerick asked Anubis to help clean the warehouses. The summons obeyed without complaint, so he decided to just accept the situation for the time being.

“Make sure you give really specific orders. He might throw out something important if you’re too vague.”

“What?!”

Caerick only meant for Anubis to supervise Sakaiya’s attendants during their various tasks and errands, but Cayna’s warning set him on edge. He got to his feet, determined to oversee the job himself and make any adjustments.

“Guess I’ll be going now.”

“My apologies, Grandmother. I had hoped to show you better hospitality.”

“Not at all. I stopped by to make up for last time.”

“I will be sure to pay you for today’s work in the near future.”

“You can just send it along with Elineh’s caravan.”

“Yes, I did consider that. However… I’m not sure Sir Elineh will agree to transport so much coin.”

“How much are you giving me?!”

This time, it was Cayna’s turn to yell. Anubis smirked but quickly straightened up when she gave him the stink eye.

Cayna strolled around the market on her way home, then hurried back to the inn as night began to fall. At the first-floor tavern, Luka was enjoying dessert with several women from the caravan. The sweets were, of course, courtesy of Opus.

“Mommy Cayna… Welcome…back.”

“Hi, Lu and Opus. I’m back.”

“Hey, you’re late. Did you get yet another ridiculous demand forced upon you?”

Opus as well as her mercenary and caravan friends welcomed Cayna back.

Cayna greeted everyone in kind and sat beside Luka. Her daughter carefully held out a spoonful of cake, fruit, and whipped cream, and she accepted it with a smile.

“Mm, that’s delicious. Thanks, Lu.”

“Uh-huh. Opus…made it…”

“Wow, I am soooo sorry, Opus! I really put everything on you, huh?!”

“You sound scary, Cayna. And why are you glaring at me?!”

Cayna wanted to shout It means don’t give kids too much sugar! It’s hard enough to prevent cavities in a world where “dental hygiene” is salt and a hard brush! However, she couldn’t say anything when Luka looked so happy enjoying her treat. Cayna stifled her internal screams and settled for intimidating the culprit.

“Yeah, I was kinda asked to take off a Punishment Collar.”

“A Punishment Collar? Never thought you’d resort to something like that.”

“I had no choice. I’m not around to babysit the guy.”

Cayna told Opus about the events leading up to Luvrogue’s arrest while grumbling about how trouble followed her like a bad cold even though she only ever wanted to awaken Opus’s Guardian Tower.

“Hmm, so there are players like him. I take it he still has room for improvement?”

“Would you just lay off already?! Your terrifying definition of improvement has annihilate in small print! He’s finally turning over a new leaf, so just give it a rest!”

“If you’re so willing to vouch for him, I’ll watch his progress with keen interest.”

Opus had partly risen out of his chair but sat back down. Luka looked at him curiously, her fork still in her mouth.

“Anyway, I can’t believe you met Exis and Quolkeh…”

“He was so overjoyed to see me that he fainted.”

“That absolutely wasn’t the reason.”

If any Cream Cheese member was going to shudder at the very sight of Opus, it was Tartarus, aka Exis. Of their guild’s many oddball players, he was the one constantly begging for a shred of sanity. Cayna obliged on occasion, but if anything, she was responsible for keeping Opus in check.

Fellow Skill Masters like Kujo used to hold their own open discussions. The participants included:

Hidden Ogre, who always stood directly behind everyone and stared.

Kyotaro, who mediated the Skill Master meetings.

Liothek, who only showed up half the time.

And Marvelia, who, although physically present, was usually paying attention to her own notes or jotting something down.

The mere memory of these apathetic Skill Master get-togethers made Cayna want to cry. At least the non–Skill Master guild members had something to say.

However, neither Cayna nor Opus had any idea Exis considered them both the same sort of headache.

“Still, the numbers don’t add up. I recall there being a lot more players than those you’ve met so far.”

“You counted the missing ones?”

“As a former Admin, I memorized the discrepancy between logins and logouts.”

“I was talking with Kee earlier, and it seems like people who got caught up in what happened on that final day arrived at different times. Humans and werecats stranded here two hundred years have most likely died from old age.”

“Hmm. Old age…”

“Maybe they left Leadale or went into hiding somewhere.”

“If they left, wouldn’t that mean they died in vain without the system to support them?”

“What?!” she exclaimed.

This was news to Cayna. The whole of Leadale seemed to operate under the game system; in other words, she could never step foot outside it.

“If the system is eliminating players…”

“Stop, stop. The idea is too scary to even think about. That can’t be right!”

Cayna hastily cut him off and dismissed the idea. For once, his honesty made her nauseous.

“You seem pretty worried about the players. Is something going on?”

“I just thought it would be useful knowledge for later, but there’s more I need to confirm…”

Cayna was certain the Abandoned Capital was involved. However, all that aside, Opus now seemed open to any questions.

Sensing the private conversation next to her, Luka finished her cake, drank some water, and excused herself. She returned her cup to the counter and, unsure of where else to go, wandered over to Elineh.

“Oh? What’s wrong, little miss? Did your mom pick on you?” Arbiter asked.

“Ms. Cayna wouldn’t do somethin’ like that. I’d be careful about spreading rumors, or you’ll find yourself in a right pickle,” Kenison warned.

“Plus, this is Cayna’s daughter we’re talkin’ about. Would she really stop there?”

“She’d blow him up, I reckon.”

The mercenaries babbled on despite the person in question being well within earshot, but Cayna realized they were mostly joking and gave a wry smile. Knowing he would have definitely been sent flying already if he said the same thing, Opus cried a little inside.

“Hey, Opus, there’s something I want to ask…”

“Oh? What is it?”

Cayna leaned over the table and spoke in a hushed voice. Opus followed her lead.

“What happened to my uncle and Ako after I died?”

“Right, those two…”

Opus thought for a moment, and Cayna’s expression darkened.

“Don’t tell me something bad happened to them?”

The air buzzed with tension, and a heavy silence hovered as Opus let the suspense build. Then his eyes suddenly popped open.

“I have no idea!”

“Hwaaaah?!” Cayna cried, collapsing against the table in dejection. “What the heck, Opus?!”

“They helped build the company, but it’s not like we got together on a regular basis. I was exhausted and had my hands full on that final day. How was I supposed to know what was going on in the real world?!”

“Get off your high horse!” Cayna shouted angrily.

Her shoulders slumped. She would have at least liked to have some idea of their fates, but moaning about it here wouldn’t change anything.

Cayna hoped her uncle and cousin hadn’t sunk into despair. Her one regret was that she’d never been able to thank them for everything they’d done.

“Well, we’re still connected to the other world. I’ll make a move once I settle a few other matters first. Look forward to it.”

“Huh? R-right. What are you planning?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

Cayna didn’t yet realize how quickly Opus’s talent would ease her regrets.