In the Land of Leadale - Volume 7 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - An Eyeball, a Search, a Guardian and a Queen

“Um…”

“Come now, Lady Cayna. Go ahead and take it. It’s all right.”

“I hear you, but…”

At Roxine’s insistence, Cayna looked at the fruit in front of her and grimaced.

The pair were exploring the forest near the remote village and found several bushes laden with small red berries. These fruits, small enough to be eaten in a single bite, were a wild variety of ruche. Even most of the adult villagers loved this sweet harvest blessing, but the berries were also rare and therefore valuable. Furthermore, the forest provided for both the remote village and the surrounding wildlife. Carelessness could easily lead to an encounter with a ferocious beast.

These two, however, were the rare exception. One was the continent’s greatest mage, while the other was a combative maid with a competitive streak.

Regardless, Cayna was heading outside the village to conduct experiments when Roxine offered to accompany her. This request had nothing to do with concern for her master’s well-being; Roxine had simply decided to tag along while prioritizing her own affairs. At present, the werecat’s only purpose in leading Cayna into the forest was so she could gather various ingredients for dessert.

Being used to run errands for her servant was more than enough justification for Cayna to grow livid, but she went along with it. After all, it was no secret that Roxine was crafty, and Cayna had no plans to complain anyway.

“Cie, can you tell which ones are ripe just by looking?”

“Of course. Please do not underestimate my one hundred years of maid experience.”

“R-right. Can’t argue that.”

Roxine’s cat ears pricked up, and she thrust her chest out proudly. Cayna smiled awkwardly and tiredly thought, Yeah, there’s no way you’ve been working that long.

Roxine was a maid summons, so she’d been called upon in the game maybe a dozen or so times. Only about half a year had passed since she’d come to this world, which cast a shadow over her centenarian claims.

“Still, I must admit I exaggerate. Lady Cayna, you are far more versed in botany, correct?”

Roxine’s pompous attitude suddenly vanished, and she turned around with an easygoing smile.

“Oh, you knew about that?”

“Honestly now. You are my one and only master. My honor as a maid requires me to at least have a basic understanding of you.”

“‘Maid’s honor,’ huh…?”

Cayna questioned whether there was even enough information about her to make such a statement. She underestimated herself, of course, and since the maid and butler had long taken her personality into account, Roxine completely disregarded this response.

As for her botanical knowledge, Cayna was an expert, thanks to her race. Since high elves could hear the voices of plants, it was easy to reap nature’s bounty. This was what most gamers would call “flavor text.”

Since coming to this world, Cayna really could hear the plants’ voices and confirm the unmistakable benefits. However, the mental torment of hearing their screams of anguish every time she went to pick plants made it clear the skill definitely had its pros and cons.

“Well then. By my estimation, you may pick as you please. Still, what are your thoughts, Lady Cayna?”

“Right…”

As Roxine looked at her with a hopeful smile, Cayna could hear several clusters of berries literally begging her to eat them. Each was bright red and ripe for the picking. Whatever the reason, she was at least relieved they weren’t screaming.

“They all seem fine to me.”

“Understood.”

The maid beamed as she began hunting for berries. Meanwhile, Cayna turned and spoke to the figure over her left shoulder.

“You guys can probably see them—what do you think?”

“No problemo!”

“I see no issue.”

The first speaker was incessantly cheerful, and Cayna could imagine the other nodding with his arms crossed: Kuu had given her approval first, followed by Opus.

Cayna was communicating with them via an eyeball the size of a human head. It hovered over her shoulder the same way Kuu often did. Cayna had retrieved this item, known as a Pair of Eyes, from the Item Box in her tower.

Back in a corner of the inn dining hall, several village children were staring intently at the disembodied eyeball floating above the table. Luka, Lytt, and Latem were joined by Kuu, Opus, Siren, and a pale Mimily.

The kids normally would have been just as pallid as Mimily, but their experience with creatures like the griffin had made them bold. Something like an eyeball no longer fazed them. Furthermore, since anything of Cayna’s was unlikely to harm them, the trio were fascinated by the item’s effects despite its bizarre appearance.

“What is this unpleasant thing…?”

Mimily had stopped by to pick up her usual meal but let out an impressive yelp when she saw the giant eyeball floating over the dining table. It was undoubtedly a freakish sight to the uninitiated.

“Here, you’ll see something interesting,” Opus said, dragging the flustered mermaid over against her will. The reluctant Mimily didn’t get any closer to the eyeball than absolutely necessary. Needless to say, the children’s relentless comments about how “cool” it was left her confused.

The eyeball before them was one half of a Pair of Eyes; the other half was with Cayna. As the name suggested, it was a two-for-one item with a single effect that could transfer imagery from one eye to the other.

“All issues aside, it’s operating normally,” Opus remarked.

“We can only watch!” said Kuu.

Mimily and the children glanced over at the cackling Kuu but soon turned back to the eyeball to watch Cayna and Roxine pick forest nuts and fruits in real time. The kids were too small to safely venture beyond the village and thought it was a spectacular sight. Well, to be fair, the outside world still felt like a terrifying place, given their previous incident.

“Never figured there’d be places like that close to the village,” Latem said in amazement.

“So…this is how…Cie picks our food.”

“Mr. Lottor’s always been the one to bring back whatever we asked, but he did say it wasn’t easy.”

Luka was watching with keen interest while Lytt was explaining the history of the village’s collective sweet tooth. Although their hamlet wasn’t very big, there was still significant pressure on Lottor as the sole hunter.

Roxine had recently taken to harvesting on the outskirts of the village; she turned the tables on any wild beast who dared attack her and brought them home in the form of fresh meat. Meanwhile, Siren and Roxilius started hunting as well after Opus grumbled about the village’s lack of protein, and Lottor was gradually beaten at his own game.

As one might expect, Cayna had no intention of disturbing the village’s power balance. Opus therefore made sure everything remained fair and that no one received more meat than necessary. Roxine’s and Siren’s Item Boxes unfortunately (?) became storage for surplus meat as a result.

Cayna also developed a life hack: Whenever she had more meat than she knew what to do with, she would fly to Helshper to transfer it to Sakaiya. That said, Sakaiya had its own foodstuffs division and lacked adequate space for Cayna’s surplus.

“I knew it,” Opus grumbled. “This is pretty much the most people who can watch at once.”

He returned to the subject at hand: the Pair of Eyes’ limitations. Only those crowded around the table could watch what the eye was projecting. Furthermore, there was no audio.

On-screen, Cayna and Roxine were chatting pleasantly as they visited various Collection Points. However, the lack of voices or music made it like a silent documentary. Of course, this world had no tradition of adding background music to videos, and an item that allowed several people to remotely watch footage together had enough of a wow factor anyway.

“Yep, it’s official! I need a projector!”

The door to the dining hall clattered open as Cayna suddenly burst in.

““Wah?! That scared me!”” Latem and Lytt shouted in surprise.

“Using your skills to slam the door and make an entrance was uncalled for.”

“I figured timing is everything, and one thing led to another.”

As Opus complained about her method of reappearance, Cayna boldly stuck out her tongue and smirked.

“Quit startlin’ the kids!” Marelle chided, to which Cayna replied, “Oops, sorry,” with a bow of her head.

The door to the dining hall was left open throughout the day, but she had quietly shut this before using the Pull skill to reopen it and announce her arrival—with a loud SFX to boot. Luka murmured “That…surprised me” three or four beats after everyone else. Kuu, seated atop her head, let out a boisterous laugh.

Roxine entered after Cayna, passing Opus and the children without a care in the world before sharing her bounty with Marelle.

“Sorry again for the trouble,” the innkeeper said.

“There is no need to apologize. I could very well say the same thing,” the maid replied.

Given a rougher, more vulgar tone, their conversation would be right at home in a period drama. Roxine would have been a massive wolf in sheep’s clothing if Roxilius wasn’t in the picture. The two had previously fought in the dining hall, so Marelle was aware of their true personalities. However, this didn’t matter to the matron in the least, and her kind attitude toward Roxine never wavered.

Cayna observed Roxine with a sigh, then turned back to Opus, who had collected himself and was waiting for her patiently.

“By projector you mean a Pedestal, correct?” he asked.

“If we’ve got one of those, a whole crowd of people will be able to watch incredible videos and even hear sound.”

It was commonly called a projector, but the item’s official name was a Pedestal. It was part of a series called That Was the Best You Came Up with? and could be combined with the Pair of Eyes as an optional accessory. It was an audio component item that acted as a stereo speaker and came with three cavities in the center to insert several Pairs of Eyes for simultaneous videos. During War Events, the Admins set up a live broadcast for all to see.

However, a Pedestal itself could not be created. It was only available for purchase in shops, so it was impossible to make a new one. As for what was to be done about this…

“We should just take one from wherever we can find it!”

Cayna’s pushy suggestion sent Opus’s head into his hands.

“Did you just suggest stealing…?”

“What’s mine is mine! It’s called Gianism! It was in that show about the robot cat!”

“Yes, well, I believe your education has suffered a few missteps.”

Opus shrugged at her incomprehensible logic and shook his head in hopelessness. His statement came from the fact that he had given Cayna a basic education back in the Game Era.

“I’m saying we should investigate any place that might have one from top to bottom!”

“‘Any place that might have one’?”

“You’re not the brightest bulb, aren’t you?” Cayna pouted.

As Opus tilted his head in total cluelessness, Cayna pointed her Skill Master Ring finger at him.

“I mean this.”

“…The Guardian Towers? Yes, I see.”

Opus at last understood and nodded with relief. The Guardian Towers were installed with massive Item Boxes. If luck was on their side, they’d find a Pedestal in one of them.

“You said it was tossed into storage somewhere, but the Item Boxes in the Guardian Towers were just the best I could come up with. I figure we can check out other places, too.”

All the towers she’d located thus far recognized Cayna as their temporary master, hence her Gianism comment.

“So we have the faintest glimmer of hope.”

“Don’t say things to stress me out!”

Cayna slammed Opus’s unnecessary comment. In truth, he was absolutely right. Even so, she didn’t want to hear any negativity right out of the gate.

“In any case, we can discuss it more tomorrow.”

Opus motioned with his chin, and Cayna looked over to see several villagers who had just finished the day’s work sit down at open spots in the dining hall. The sky was still a faint orange, but the inn had grown lively in that short amount of time.

Cayna glanced around and noticed that Roxine had disappeared during her and Opus’s comedy act. The maid had apparently hurried home to help Siren prepare dinner.

The children knew the day’s program had ended when the Pair of Eyes vanished in a heartbeat. Lytt’s mother called for her to help out, and Latem waved good-bye, looking somewhat disappointed before heading back to his father’s workshop.

Cayna then bowed to Marelle, took Luka’s hand, and returned home with Opus and Kuu.

“Ahhh, what sheer bliss.”

“Sheer…bliss?”

Once they finished dinner, Cayna and Luka left home for the bathhouse. After seeing Cayna drape a towel on her head and settle into the bath, Luka haltingly followed suit and placed a towel atop her own head. It soon slipped off and fell into the water, and she made a sad face.

“Soak it a little more.”

“…Like this?”

Kuu, completely naked, glided across the hot water toward Luka like an ice skater and, with the briefest of instructions, told her to dampen and squeeze it. Before long, the wet towel was firmly on Luka’s head.

After multiple attempts, Luka and Kuu could tell they’d finally succeeded and smiled in satisfaction. Cayna peeked over at them and let out a shared sigh of relief.

Mimily and several other ladies had joined them in the women’s bath. It wasn’t yet a full house, but things were getting fairly crowded.

Roxine had been invited along as well, but she curtly declined. She had evidently come while it was still empty and taken a quick bath.

“She seems to be in and out of the water in mere minutes,” Mimily noted, looking concerned.

“Eh, Cie’s always been the cautious type.”

Cayna scratched her cheek with a dry smile. She couldn’t figure out why Roxine stubbornly refused everyone except her, but it wasn’t like she was hurting anyone, either. Cayna decided to respect Roxine’s privacy.

A plunging noise came from the men’s bath on the other side of the wall, and a man scolded Latem. It was most likely his father, Lux.

Meanwhile, Cayna heard Opus threaten Latem: “I’ll freeze you if you don’t settle down.”

There was immediate silence.

Cayna could understand his desire to peacefully enjoy the bath, but his forceful tactics seemed like overkill. Be that as it may, she had no intention of entering the men’s bath to speak her mind.

She had another plan.

“Kuu, arrow.”

“Yuppers.”

Cayna held out her right hand, and Kuu offered the crimson arrow she’d just materialized.

“Kee, give me a calculated target.”

“…Understood.”

Clearly exasperated, Kee opened a display window for Cayna. It used Opus’s voice to determine his location and the estimated parabola. After weighing the red arrow up and down in her hand, she looked up and sent it flying with perfect accuracy over the partition and into the men’s bath.

About two seconds later, Cayna heard Opus’s pained yelp.

“Damn it! Don’t go throwing around dangerous weapons!”

“Yep, that’s our Kee for ya. His calculations never fail.”

“Kee! I’ll remember this, you bastard!”

Opus’s furious curses carried over from across the way, but Cayna laughed this off with a sniff and casually sank into the water beside Mimily.

“Ha-ha…ha.” The mermaid laughed awkwardly.

“It’s okay to laugh, really.”

“But I feel bad for poor Opus.”

Mimily quickly stifled her laughter. Cayna encouraged her on with a light elbow jab, but the mermaid only mumbled her pity.

Next to Cayna, Luka’s dropped jaw strongly contrasted with Kuu, who was clutching her sides in laughter. The girl didn’t seem to process the javelin-style comeback that had just occurred.

“Hmm?”

As if she’d been waiting for a quiet moment, one of the village women waded through the water to approach Cayna.

“Luine?”

Luine, Marelle’s eldest daughter and Lytt’s big sister, sat down next to her. She was already married and only helped out in the dining hall in the evenings. Her husband was one of the young village men Cayna greeted as he tilled the fields.

“My goodness. You’re as lively as ever, Cayna.”

“Ah, were we kids being too noisy? I didn’t mean to disturb you ladies.”

“No, not at all. But aren’t you older than the rest of us?”

Luine smirked as she pointed out the age discrepancy.

Cayna was by far the oldest agewise, but mentally she was still a young girl with meager life experience. She doubted Luine would believe her if she said as much, though. After all, her son Skargo had already visited the village. Even if he, Felskeilo’s walking encyclopedia, claimed Cayna was actually younger than Luine, there was no question it would only be taken as a joke to clear the air.

According to Roxilius, who had witnessed the aforementioned visit in its entirety, Skargo had preached God’s love in the plaza at the elder’s request and roused the wild enthusiasm of heart-eyed village women young and old. Cayna distinctly remembered thinking, What is he, an enka singer now?

“And?” Cayna pressed Luine.

“A-and what?”

“Wasn’t there something else you wanted to say?”

“H-how could you tell? Is that another part of getting old?”

“Uh, not exactly.”

Luine enjoyed gossiping with the other village ladies during their occasional bath meetups. Cayna had approached them on a whim before, and they sometimes reached out to her as well. However, the two parties didn’t have much to talk about.

Rather than joining in and nodding along like a bobblehead doll, Cayna preferred to soak in silence. She usually wrapped herself in a faint magical aura of serenity, so the ladies stopped inviting her to their gossip sessions.

Since Luka was with Cayna this time around, those proactive measures had been interrupted and had inspired the friendly Luine to approach.

“Um, so…,” Luine began.

“You’ll need to speak up. Is it a sensitive subject?”

“Well, that’s why it’s so hard to ask.”

Luine remained conflicted for a moment before finally deciding to speak her mind. For whatever reason, she straightened up and peered into Cayna’s eyes.

“Say, Cayna…”

“Yes?”

“What happened to your husband?”

“Huh?”

Luine’s question was one that Cayna had expected to come up at some point, so she and Kee already had the high elf Cayna’s backstory all lined up.

“I guess you could say death separated us.”

“…What?”

Luine’s face instantly turned pale, and Cayna offered a silent apology. She chuckled apathetically and lowered her head.

“Don’t worry about it. It was a long time ago. There’s no reason for you to feel bad. It’s all good, really.”

“I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked… Wait, what?”

“Look, it’s fine. Okay?”

“R-really?”

Cayna smiled at the flustered Luine, who fell silent and nodded timidly.

More specifically, the game system was the father of Cayna’s children. However, since it was currently an integral part of Cayna, any misguided attempts to explain would only confuse poor Luine. Although reluctant, she decided to go with the same explanation she’d previously given Skargo. This also provided the convenient excuse that she’d given them up for adoption because she couldn’t handle life as a single mother.

On paper, it was a pretty lame excuse to ignore her children. Moreover, since Cayna had grown world-weary and had hidden away in the forest (or so the three believed), there was nothing they could have done.

Cayna had no other options, so the situation was inevitable. Still, she felt terrible for the children who loved her so dearly.

“What’s wrong, Cayna? Did I upset you?”

“No, no, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something else.”

Luine peered at Cayna, who had her brow furrowed in fierce concentration. As Luka clung to Cayna with a look of concern, it was apparent the elf had gotten carried away. She waved her hand dismissively. Luine wasn’t completely sold, but asked no further questions; needless to say, Cayna breathed a sigh of relief.

The next day, Cayna left the house with Opus and Kuu in tow. She waved to Luka, who watched nervously from the doorway.

“No worries, Lu. We’re just going on a little trip.”

“A little trip!” chirped Kuu.

“Uh-huh… Come home soon…okay?”

“I’ll be honest: You’re one of the strongest people in this world, so where is this vague air of tragic heroism coming from?” Opus asked, staring blankly into the distance and sighing.

Unsure of where this comment even came from, Cayna sulked, unclear about what he meant by a “vague air of tragic heroism.” She seriously wished he wouldn’t spread such negativity when they were hardly out the door.

Luka’s ongoing adulation was at the root of his concern. It was a firepower that could be stamped out with a minor dose of reality, but the pair couldn’t let their guard down either way, since doing so might jinx them somehow.

“Well then, Cie, Rox. Watch the house while we’re gone, ’kay?”

“Understood.”

“Please leave the young lady to us.”

Roxine and Roxilius bowed their heads in reverence. The third servant, on the other hand, calmly stood beside Opus.

“You’re coming, too, Siren?” Cayna asked.

“Who knows what will happen if I allow my master to run loose.”

“G-good point…”

What in the world had caused Siren to distrust Opus so much? Cayna shot her demon friend a suspicious stare, but he shook his head as if to say he was innocent of all charges.

“Anyways, Opus. In addition to both our towers, we’ve got the Battle Arena, the Palace of the Dragon King, the white whale, and the tortoise, right?”

Opus watched Cayna count on her fingers, and his shoulders drooped.

“So you’ve finally located half of the towers. Even I don’t know exactly where the rest are. This would be much easier if you mastered the system.”

“Ugh, sorry I’m still a rookie. Besides, how am I supposed to master something I just discovered the other day and don’t even really understand?”

“All you can do is trust your sensibilities. Manipulate it like a chakra.”

“How is a vague example like that supposed to help me?!”

Cayna was sick and tired of him treating this like someone else’s problem. She’d only recently found out her soul had been synchronized with the game system, so it was unreasonable to assume she could control it at will. It didn’t even come with a user’s manual, and she didn’t feel like there was anything foreign inside her.

Kuu was in charge of the subsystem, but although she was told to link up with Cayna and accompany her, the fairy didn’t have the slightest clue, either.

“Well then, you’ll just have to gradually become accustomed to it.”

“That’ll take a hundred years,” Cayna moaned dejectedly. She took out each Guardian Ring from her Item Box and raised the one for the Palace of the Dragon King. She opened her mouth to speak but paused.

“What’s the matter?”

“Do I really have to say the chant?”

No matter how many times Cayna repeated it, she always shuddered with embarrassment afterward. The password and its various requirements were tiresome to repeat ad nauseam. How was her past self ever okay with this?

“The chant will be necessary until you master your various specs. Get on with it.”

“…Fiiine.”

Feeling dejected, Cayna once again raised her ring to the sky. Opus briefly checked his Stats Window, confirmed four members in their party, and signaled for her to proceed.

Cayna put the faintly luminescent Kuu on her shoulder and loudly invoked the incantation. In truth, she would have preferred to mumble it under her breath. However, since shouting was yet another prerequisite, Cayna had little choice in the matter.

“One who protects in times of trouble! I beseech you to rescue this depraved world from chaos!”

At that very moment, Roxine, Roxilius, and Luka watched a magic circle appear over the group and submerge them in a waterfall. Cayna and the rest were hidden by the thunderous torrent as the circle traveled downward. People and waterspout alike were squished into the ground until it broke apart and vanished.

“…”

Luka rushed over to the spot where the magic circle dispersed and stared with her mouth agape.

It was the first time she’d witnessed (what she assumed was) the spell that took them to that skeleton’s place (Opus’s tower).

“The water…”

“Fear not, Lady Luka. What you saw just now was only a bit of theatrics. The waterfall didn’t swallow anyone up.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

“Thank…goodness.”

Roxilius’s words set Luka at ease. Once Roxine saw Luka was smiling, she knelt down to meet her at eye level.

“What shall we do today? Would you care to practice your needlework?”

“Uh-huh… I’ll do…my best.”

Luka’s eyes sparkled with confidence, and she clenched her fists. Such a sight would make anyone smile.

Lately, cheerfully making cushions with the patterns Siren and Roxine provided had become part of her daily routine. Most of the finished products ended up in either the golem wagon or Cayna’s living room. However, the best ones were sometimes sold (with Luka’s permission) to Elineh’s caravan when he stopped by the village. Roxine would sell these for a small fee and give the pocket money to Luka. Most of the products Cayna made with Craft Skills were woven from fine thread and yarn, so Elineh had his eye on unprocessed goods.

* * *

As soon as Cayna chanted the passcode, she, Opus, Siren, and Kuu were transported to the other side of the continent. This was so simple to do that some players back in the Game Era were skeptical about opening up long-distance teleportation magic to non-Skill Masters. Such criticisms mostly came from villages and town peddlers who feared their sales would plummet. The majority were disgruntled parties who failed to snag prime real estate in the capitals and caused trouble as a way to wear out their competitors.

The four landed in a watery area scattered with large leaves. Enormous lotus flowers in peach and white varieties floated around them, while many others appeared beneath the water’s surface as well. This would have been a tranquil sight if only the blooms had been small and delicate; however, most were massive enough to comfortably fit around an adult. Furthermore, the stalks seemed to wriggle and dance on occasion.

The word “creepy” was apropos and certainly explained a lot. After all, the tower’s former owner, Liothek, had a habit of collecting all things creepily cute. These ranged from items and summons to equipment. Cayna could still see her garish purple sea slug onesie and the ten-meter-long centipede she used as a steed. Liothek and Cayna had shared infamy for entirely different reasons.

“…Hey, it’s not like Liothek was a bad person or anything,” Cayna offered in the Skill Master’s defense.

“Come to think of it, she would sometimes send out an Ugly-Cute Advisory,” Opus added.

The two of them recalled Liothek sporting a smug grin in her onesie; the hilarious mental image sent them into hysterics.

“Greeeetings and welllllcome.”

As they shook with laughter, the Guardian enshrined on a particularly enormous leaf languidly called out to them. Cayna turned around to find a cow-sized tree frog, its bulging eyes silently staring at them. There was no question it looked like a tree frog, but its bright pink skin was definitely not something found in nature.

The amphibian’s throat swelled as it croaked, and the creature narrowed its eyes as if awaiting a command.

“Sorry for barging in like this.”

“Apologies.”

Cayna’s merry wave was offset by Opus’s usual arrogance. He gave the Guardian a single sidelong glance, then furrowed his brow.

“What’s with the bubble-eyed amphibian…?” he asked.

“Well, this is Liothek we’re talking about,” Cayna replied.

“No comment.”

“Fighting means bubbles!” squealed Kuu.

“Uh, okay?” Cayna replied with a strained smile.

Siren stood to the diagonal right of Opus and reasserted her position as a neutral party. Kuu’s energetic chant had even Cayna baffled.

The pink frog Guardian, not perturbed in the least, merely tilted its head.

“Bubbles!   Bubbles!  ”

“Umm, so…”

Kuu started gleefully twirling through the air, but Cayna quickly got down to brass tacks and spoke to the Guardian.

“This is the Item Box, right?”

Opus, who had come along as an observer, focused on an inner part of the tower to avoid eye contact with the Guardian. Siren only stood there in silence. She would act upon her or Opus’s request, but for the time being, Cayna had to take matters into her own hands.

The object she pointed out to the frog was an especially small yellow bud in the center of a blossoming lotus.

“Yessss. Indeeeeed.”

The pink frog Guardian blinked its inner eyelids in agreement. Cayna moved between leaves toward the flower, and the petals opened upon her arrival. Then she peeked inside and found a ring-sized cavity.

“Yup, this is the ticket. Thanks.”

“You’re welllllcoooome.”

Cayna reached out and inserted the Guardian Ring. A loud gooong immediately rang out as a flower began rising from the water. Cayna frantically jumped aside and pulled her hand back.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa?!”

This happened to be the second time she’d made a fool of herself in this tower.

“Hmph.”

A dresser-shaped Item Box arose alongside the flower and stalk. Its sudden appearance dazzled one individual in particular.

“It came splish-splashing out!”

Kuu clamored at this new surprise that had just emerged like a secret hideout. Opus looked at her and let out an exasperated sigh.

Cayna approached and opened her storeroom. She then linked the two and accessed the tower’s Item Box.

“Hmph. I suppose there’s truly nothing to be done without a Guardian Ring.”

Opus, who had also approached while checking his own inventory display, nodded repeatedly.

“What’s up?”

“I was merely testing whether I could insert myself into the same connection.”

He’d apparently been curious to see if a Skill Master could freely access other towers. However, Opus had concluded that each tower’s specific ring was required to access its functions.

As soon as Cayna heard this, she agreed to the approval screen that appeared in her mind. Even so, this was never intentional; it just suddenly popped up. Though it lacked any rhyme or reason, she determined it was for the best, without any real proof.

“Hmm?”

Meanwhile, another window opened beside Opus. His jaw dropped, and Cayna glanced over at him with curiosity and surprise. Her double screen soon displayed the same information.

“Oh hey, it looks like you can check the storeroom now, too,” she announced with an air of admiration.

Opus cast her a dark look.

“What’s wrong?”

“What did you do just now to suddenly grant me access?”

“Huh? Even if you ask me… Umm, well…”

Cayna struggled to explain and finally decided to just share the bottom line.

“I said ‘Yes’ to an approval screen. What about it…?”

“Geez. You’re subconsciously learning to control the system. Well, no matter.”

“Wait. What?”

Opus ignored her question as he moved a finger across his own screen. His eyes darted back and forth and processed the information at a breathtaking pace.

Siren still stood at attention. Kuu, on the other hand, finally had had enough flying around and perched on Cayna’s shoulder.

“Jewels!” the fairy cried with sparkling eyes as she stared at the screen.

Cayna had expected Kuu to get riled up again, but her concern was needless.

Kuu quietly settled on Cayna’s shoulder, but a flurry of question marks flew around her head every whichway.

“They’re jewels, all right. Too bad there’s nothing else here, though…”

The Palace of the Dragon King’s storeroom was packed with gems.

“Catalysts for Simple Summons, I take it. Several appear to have already been sealed.”

“Makes sense. Liothek was always shouting, ‘I choose you, so-and-so!’”

Simple Summons was a cheaper version of Summoning Magic. Neither one was much different from the other, but a Simple Summons required users to seal a target in a jewel beforehand. Whatever was inside would appear as soon as it was thrown at one’s feet.

The merit to this was the fact that it didn’t require an incantation or consume MP when made in advance. However, the level of a sealed summons could drop, depending on jewel rank. For example, although Cayna was able to summon a level 480 Cerberus, its level might be nearly halved in a Simple Summons.

In addition, jewels could hold both summonses and spells and were considered a valuable item back in the Game Era. There was an unspoken agreement that everyone should have a chance to cast powerful magic, regardless of level.

Cayna had also created several jewels back in the day and used them to earn money. The collection in Liothek’s storeroom was packed with unused jewels, a fair amount of prepared ones already sealed with Simple Summons, and a few left unpolished. She had apparently taken advantage of her location and struck a rich underwater vein.

“We didn’t interact much. I couldn’t understand her behavior.”

“Her behavior…”

There were only thirteen Skill Masters, but it wasn’t like everyone was one big happy family. As Opus had just mentioned, there were a few people even he avoided. Some Skill Masters only met at scheduled meetings or to exchange vital information. Cayna couldn’t say much, since she also had a few names in mind.

“Darn. Guess this place is a dud, huh?”

“I always knew it’d be an uphill battle.”

Cayna pouted at Opus’s snarky comment.

“I’m still in charge of other towers, so just quit it, you naysayer.”

“I am no such thing. It’s merely fact.”

“You seriously need to change your tune! Anyway, we’ll drop by again!”

“Untillll next tiiiiiime.”

Cayna puffed out her cheeks and bid farewell to the pink frog before raising the next Guardian Ring high overhead. As she uttered the incantation, Kuu, Siren, and Opus (who looked like he had something to say) vanished from the Palace of the Dragon King.

Moments later, the quartet appeared in a semi-dome fifty meters in diameter. Green lines beneath them created a grid on the utilitarian floor. A blue sky and clouds were projected on the ceiling above them. At the very center, a floating, plush-like sun added a gentleness to the atmosphere.

In the middle of the room, a small maple tree sat in a pillar-shaped marble flowerpot. A human-shaped cloud of white smoke suddenly seeped out of it.

This hazy figure was the Guardian of the Battle Arena, one of the towers in the Felskeilo capital. It placed a hand to its chest and bowed reverently.

“Warmest greetings, Lady Cayna. How might I assist you today?”

“Hi there. It’s been a while. How’s your magic level? You got enough?”

“At present, I believe the amount you offered the other day shall safely sustain me for several years.”

“Really? That’s good to hear.”

Cayna regularly went around checking each tower and restoring MP whenever she had time, so it was looking as if even the towers outside her own would continue to operate without issue.

Just in case they weren’t already acquainted, she introduced her companions.

“Right, right. This is the Thirteenth Skill Master Opus, and the maid over here is Siren. Kuu is a family member.”

“Welcome all. There is little here, but do make yourselves at home.”

“Right. We’ll get going soon.”

Opus nodded pompously, and Siren silently bowed her head. Kuu, on the other hand, shouted “Hello!” and cut straight through the smoky Guardian’s body with a cackle. As if eager for more, she circled around at top speed and pierced it again like it was some sort of game. It was a bizarre sight, objectively speaking.

Cayna questioned the Guardian about the Item Box.

Replying “If that is what you seek,” it instructed her to face the plush sun and throw the Guardian Ring toward it.

“Throw it?! This thing?”

“Yes, as hard as you can.”

Cayna looked between the vaporous Guardian (which Kuu was still darting through), the ring, and the sun floating in front of the video projection. Despite her outright confusion, she gave a firm nod, cast Throw, Absolute Bullseye, and Macho Strength, then chucked the ring straight into the plush sun.

It was sucked into the very center, and after a beat, a high-pitched whistle echoed inside the dome. It sounded as if something had fallen a ways off. Not only that, several other noises followed in unison.

“I have a bad feeling about this…,” remarked Opus.

“Think maybe I overdid it a little?” asked Cayna.

A single bead of sweat dripped down Opus’s forehead. As Cayna tried to pinpoint the source of the noise, she turned around and realized what had fallen.

Several grid panels swiftly opened up to release thick, heavy-looking pillars made of stone. They incessantly dropped from the latticework every whichway as three pale figures stared up in bewilderment. Oddly enough, however, one person in particular was gazing with keen interest.

“Kyaaaaaa?!”

“Ngh!”

“?!”

“Ooh?”

The trio immediately rushed to escape the stone deluge. Cayna cast Accelerate in the blink of an eye to glide across the floor out of harm’s way. Opus nimbly stepped aside to avoid anything that came too close. Siren approached the flowerpot that was the Guardian’s main body. The area around it was a safe zone, so this was the wisest course of action. Kuu, on the other hand, purposefully left this behind and danced around the crashing pillars like it was all a game. Unfortunately, her timing couldn’t have been worse.

The rain of monoliths only lasted for a few seconds, but to Cayna, it felt like a full minute of terror.

As soon as everything quieted and Cayna let out a sigh of relief, Sense Danger told her to bend backward. One pillar blasted from the wall and missed her chin by the narrowest of margins.

This seemed like the sort of nasty trick Opus would use to target her dropped guard.

Fearing a follow-up, Cayna anxiously stared at the jutting obelisk as it sank into the ground in front of her. Nevertheless, the sight next to the Guardian flowerpot was one she knew all too well. Cayna looked at the single Item Box and fell to the ground with a deep, deep sigh.

“Geez! What was that about?!” Cayna grumbled irritably.

Kee, however, offered no sympathy.

“You have my wall, so there was no need to dodge…”

“…Oh.”

Cayna was as strong as an elephant (even more so, really) yet she’d completely forgotten about Kee’s protection. She would have been perfectly fine without dodging even once. Still, she felt like scrambling out of harm’s way was a pretty natural reaction.

As Cayna continued to grouse, Opus clarified the situation with the smoky Guardian.

“So what was that?”

“A training attraction devised by Master Kyotaro.”

“An attraction?”

“Yes. He said the level of difficulty changes according to the speed and force of the ring’s trajectory.”

“I see.”

Opus’s steady gaze fell on Cayna.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha…”

Having caught this tidbit of news, Cayna soon realized what had happened with the pillars. Her face twitched, and she gave a dry laugh. As the one who used her skills to hurl the ring, she knew that the flurry of columns was obviously her fault.

Regardless, Kyotaro was definitely the type of oddball Skill Master who would require people to pass a training drill if they wanted to access his storeroom. But more importantly, Cayna shot the hazy Guardian a look that said, If you knew that, you should’ve said so earlier. The Guardian, whose concept of human emotion was negligible at best, only tilted its head.

Still sweating bullets under Opus’s criticism, Cayna checked the Item Box and found, well, another dud.

“Gak. It’s all swords…”

“Hmph. There are both double- and single-handed blades.”

“I guess Kyotaro was a sword collector.”

Opus took a peek as well, and some types had even him visibly shocked.

There was also defensive equipment to a certain extent, but the majority were swords. These included a Holy Warrior Soul Valhalla like the one she’d given Cohral and blades only dropped by specific monsters. Kyotaro had clearly been an avid collector.

“So what next?”

“Hmm. We could try Marvelia’s place, but…”

The First Skill Master, the werecat Marvelia.

Also known as the Demonic Inspector and Stalker’s Notebook, her white whale tower was presently anchored alongside the sandbar of Felskeilo’s Ejidd River. The citizens had begun to revere it as a protective river deity, thanks to the ruse Cayna had pulled off with the help of the princess and knights. A mountain of flower offerings could still be seen on the altar by the sandbar.

Furthermore, Cayna had previously checked Marvelia’s Item Box and confirmed it was mostly stuffed with documents and detailed notes on the game. The werecat had similarly interviewed Cayna and Opus to learn more about high elves and demons. However, even Cayna didn’t know everything and soon tired of Marvelia’s constant questions.

If even she was gone…

“Yeah, I wouldn’t be too torn up.”

“Marvelia was a lot to handle, even for me. Question marks flew over her head during half of any given conversation.”

““Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha… Siiigh…””

Cayna and Opus burst into hollow laughter, and their shoulders simultaneously slumped. The very thought of those days gave both a headache. Marvelia wasn’t a bad person, just an annoying one.

“No point in thinking about people who aren’t around! On to our next stop!”

“Yes, that’s true. This will be the final one, right?”

As Cayna attempted to boost morale, Opus sighed and reminded her that this remaining tower was their last hope.

Actually, he wasn’t too concerned. After all, it was supposed to be their final destination from the very start.

“The tortoise is the end of the line, right?”

“Yes. I gave you the ring, did I not?”

“Well, yeah. I have it, but…”

Cayna muttered, “The tortoise, huh?” as she switched out the rings.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, no, it’s nothing. That’s Kujo’s place, right?”

“Correct.”

The Second Skill Master, Kujo.

This short man in his distinct blue uniform and monocle was one of the more rational Skill Masters, yet there was an unearthly quality to him. He worked in manufacturing and didn’t excel in combat, but Cayna had often been made to join in his hobbies and various expeditions throughout the game. He’d give her things like fishing gear and said, “This can give you peace in a dog-eat-dog world.”

Collecting items was Kujo’s pastime, and these ranged from the things any other player would consider junk to the rarest and most valuable auction finds. He had it all.

Since the single Item Box that came with his tower wasn’t nearly enough, Kujo had paid microtransactions for the extra storage. Even so, Cayna remembered how he’d always complain about needing more. In that case, there was a good chance he had the projector she wanted.

If Opus was right, Cayna figured it had to be buried in there. Still, she also had a feeling that sifting through Leadale’s largest item hoard to find what she needed would be a backbreaking endeavor.

“At any rate, let’s go check it out.”

She’d refrain from commenting until she saw things for herself. Cayna put on the ring, held it high overhead, and loudly repeated the chant for the umpteenth time that day.

The scenery went from a meshed blue sky to a portable backdrop of skyscrapers and a statue of a goddess. The group was instantly on its guard when a string of backstage cameras swiveled and zoomed in upon their arrival.

At the center of the studio, a golden Buddha sat in the lotus position on a lotus flower pedestal that hovered slightly above the floor. It moved silently through the air before stopping in front of Cayna and Opus. The Buddha’s hands remained clasped together as it bowed deeply.

“Salutations, Master Opus. How may we be of service today?”

“We’re looking for something and came by to see if you have it. Also, Cayna holds the ring to this tower now. She’s the Third Skill Master. Sorry for the short notice.”

“Why is your politeness so fake…? Ah, I’m sorry about this.”

Cayna, already sick of watching Opus gloat like a corrupt magistrate, lightly bowed to the Buddha.

“We are pleased to make your acquaintance as well,” it replied in a mutual gesture.

Sensing an endless cycle of pleasantries on the horizon, Opus stepped in.

“Come on. Let’s get to work.”

“Hey, don’t pull me!”

“Please peruse at your leisure.”

Opus pulled Cayna over to a corner of the stage where a door was clearly marked PERSONNEL ONLY. As soon as the ring unlocked the door, the demon waltzed in like he both knew and owned the place. Cayna followed him, peering around the room and ogling the scene before her.

“Wow, what is all this…?”

Enough spare Item Boxes to fill the floor of Cayna’s own tower were piled up against the floor, ceiling, and walls here. There were around one hundred and fifty in total, and it was obvious Kujo had shelled out a significant amount of money. Such was the dedication of a collector.

“…Do we hafta check all of these?”

“Well, this will go faster if we divide and conquer. Besides, Kujo wasn’t the type to just put things anywhere. Whether it be tools or magic items, I have no doubt each will be properly organized.”

“Wait, you’re saying you minded your own business?”

“I gave him the items, but Kujo put them away.”

“That’s not what I meeeeant!” Cayna protested, but Opus completely ignored her. Although visibly dejected at first, she nodded and set out on her search mission upon receiving his clear instructions.

Since neither Siren nor Kuu could use the rings, they stayed out of the storeroom and waited patiently in the studio instead.

As Cayna took the back of the room and Opus handled the front, the pair used their Wall Walker and Float skills to reach the Item Boxes near the ceiling. Kee could decipher the contents without reading over every little detail, so Cayna finished much sooner.

“…Mmm, this must be it.”

Opus had been slowly checking each individual box when he pulled out a rectangular stereo from the middle of the room. It had three round cavities in the center. There was no mistake; this was Cayna’s long-awaited projector.

“Yep, you nailed it. Thanks, Opus.”

“…You’d be much cuter if you were this honest more often…”

“Hmm? You say somethin’?”

“Not at all.”

Opus casually brushed her question aside. After all, he felt their complex relationship suited him well.

The Guardian and Siren, who had watched Cayna and Opus leave the storeroom victorious, bowed and offered their congratulations. Kuu was still flying around the set and didn’t even notice until Cayna called her name.

For the time being, the group headed outside. After all, the main rooms of most towers were impervious to magic. A Guardian would normally have to send them back outside if they wished to avoid any bizarre labyrinths, but since this tower’s facility was on the back on a giant tortoise, they simply had to leave the room.

“Wait a sec…”

When they finally left, Cayna noticed something strange.

The tortoise, a mobile tower, was stationary.

This was to be expected. Soon after the giant terrapin nearly crashed into the Otaloquess capital, it remained frozen at the quiz winners’ behest. A cluster of tree houses remained right in front of the tower’s nose, and if it had taken even one more step, the results would have been disastrous. The initial plan was to set the tortoise back on its original course, but Exis and Gramps were so preoccupied by their battle of wits that this never came to fruition.

“Hey! Why are you parked here?!”

Cayna charged back into the studio and lashed out at the lotus-seated Guardian. It avoided her threatening gaze for a moment but then suddenly seemed to remember something. It struck a fist against its palm.

“Come to think of it, we believe the victors’ sole command was ‘Stopppp!’”

“Ugh, what was Exis even thinking?!”

“Theeeerefore! As we were issued no further instruction, we have been rendered immobile!”

The Guardian’s rather nonchalant attitude reminded Cayna of something. She turned to Opus.

“You gave me the ring, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And you’re the one who ordered the tortoise to run wild, right?

“Yes, I was.”

“…”

“…”

Opus watched Cayna swiftly and silently whip out her magic staff. He wasted no time prostrating himself right then and there.

“I apologize.”

“Instead of saying ‘sorry,’ don’t do that stuff to begin withhhh!”

When pressed for a motive, Opus readily confessed.

“I wanted to draw out more players.”

“Hmm. I agree it’d be ridiculously hard for anyone other than a player to pass the quiz. But even if you managed to track them down, then what?”

Thankfully, Opus’s plan had just barely panned out. Without Exis, the Otaloquess capital would have likely been trampled like a set in a monster movie and reduced to a ruin of rubble and bodies. For Cayna, it was all too clear she couldn’t ignore Opus’s blunder.

“No, I meant for it to stop at the last second,” Opus explained while sweating bullets.

“Is that true?” Cayna asked the Guardian.

The delinquent Buddha nodded repeatedly. Opus appeared to be telling the truth.

The gigantic, ancient tortoise tower was like an absurd magical machine that, with sufficient power, could run for eternity. The Skill Master controlled the tower, and the Guardian merely followed their commands. In other words, when all was said and done, the former ring bearer before Cayna was the real mastermind.

“At any rate, we’ve gotta move the tower somewhere else.”

“Hmph. Is that so?”

“It’ll cause trouble for the townspeople if we just leave it in front of the capital. People will get stressed out, wondering if it’ll ever move.”

“…Is that the main issue here?”

“Yes! It! Is!”

Cayna frowned in irritation. She yanked Opus’s shirt and gave him a good shake until he reluctantly said, “Okay, okay, I get it. Just let me go.”

The problem was moving this miniature mountain. If she used a spell that was too powerful, the Otaloquess queen was almost guaranteed to take notice of Cayna. And even that was likely part of Opus’s grand plan.

“Still, I doubt straight-up magic will lay a scratch on a tower…”

“True.”

Guardian Towers were built to challenge players and reward them with additional skills. This made them incredibly robust. In a meta sort of way, they were like background scenery no amount of skill could destroy.

Cayna could probably manage it with the system inside of her, but she had little desire to test out a power far beyond her control.

“Hrm.”

After a moment of serious deliberation, she chose Allocate from her list of Magic Skills and set the tortoise beneath her feet under her domain. This was yet another skill that was basically useless after its debut quest, which involved saving an overly curious baby dragon from a dungeon. (Back in the game, this particular dragon was unattainable outside of Summoning Magic but sometimes appeared in quests, et cetera as an NPC.)

A note of caution: This hopelessly haphazard spell sent the user and any object 25 square meters or larger flying off in any random direction. After that, this notoriously annoying quest only ended once the baby was returned to its parents.

Incidentally, Cayna had been whisked from the Blue Kingdom to the neighboring Red Kingdom, so getting back had been no trouble. Opus, meanwhile, had been sent to the farthest corners of the Black Kingdom. The degree of nuisance depended on the individual, and this became a popular topic of conversation among players who completed the quest.

Her greatest concern here wasn’t the distance but rather whether or not they’d wind up in a town or village. Back in the game, Cayna had peace of mind knowing such a thing would never happen, but the real world wasn’t so forgiving.

She had pondered all this at length, but just as she cast Allocate over the tortoise, the spell anticlimactically dissolved.

“Darn, I knew it.”

Sparkly particles floated in the air like marine snow as curious townspeople began pointing at the tortoise and asking each other what was going on. Just as Cayna noticed the crowd and wondered if they should hide, a window of the castle suddenly creaked open slightly.

“Huh?”

A beautiful black-haired woman in a dress stood there, and for whatever reason, her eyes widened at the sight of Cayna.

“My dearest Aunt!” she cried.

Cayna tilted her head at this somehow familiar form of address. As she and the woman locked eyes, the newcomer threw open the window, jumped out, and rode the breeze down to Canya’s side.

“That’s not Flight Magic, it’s—Spirit Magic?!” Cayna cried.

The elegant young woman wore a flowy dress dyed in gradient purples. She had long hair, and one tuft of her bangs was blue. Moreover, Cayna could tell she was a high elf. She couldn’t explain why—maybe it was just another benefit of the system.

Only Kuu remained vigilant. She didn’t bother hiding in Cayna’s hair but instead flew over to Opus and disappeared behind him.

Cayna thought her reaction was odd but decided to let it go. After all, Kuu’s sour moods always spelled trouble.

The woman landed delicately in front of Cayna and placed a graceful hand to her chest in greeting. Cayna winced at the pure reverence glittering within those golden eyes.

“It’s been quite some time, dearest Aunt. About two centuries, I daresay.”

She looked just like Cayna’s adoring little sister figure in the high elf community who always used to shout, “Big Sister, Big Sister!” Cayna met this woman once before. She was a sub-character that accompanied the main player in order to level up; eventually, she was submitted to the Foster System. All she did was stand blankly behind Cayna’s little sister, and people wondered if she was going to join her on quests dressed in such a billowy dress.

Yes, the name was…

“Um, Sahala…shade, was it?”

“Indeed, I am Sahalashade. ’Tis a pleasure to finally see you.”

She smiled brightly, and Cayna was momentarily captivated. Her little sister had evidently put a great deal of time and effort into creating her daughter.

Opus cut in from behind Cayna.

“An acquaintance?” he asked.

When she quietly answered that the woman was a Foster Child of Sahana from the high elf community, he grimaced.

Cayna suddenly remembered how her little sister Sahana and Opus constantly bickered whenever they were in the same room. He obviously still wasn’t a fan.

“Is this an acquaintance of yours?” Sahalashade asked Cayna.

“Uh, yeah. He’s an awful friend I just can’t seem to shake off.”

“I see.”

Cayna soon felt someone watching them and noticed a group of armed guards peeking out from the window Sahalashade had jumped from.

“Hey, Sahalashade.”

“Yes? Whatever is the matter?”

“Are those guys okay?”

“Who? …Oh my.”

Cayna pointed at the window behind the queen, and Sahalashade grew a bit frazzled when she turned around. Hearing Cayna mumble “Oh shoot” finally made her reflect on her actions.

After all, it wasn’t normal for a queen to jump out the window at the sight of a relative. Sahalashade turned back to Cayna with a look of discomfort.

“This encounter is surely some sort of fate. Now that we are finally together, shall we enjoy a spot of tea?”

““…””

Cayna was eager to avoid the trouble waiting for her on the other side of that window. The guards, meanwhile, were probably eager to use Cayna and her companions as an excuse to scold the queen. She sighed. This situation reminded her of someone.

“Sure, I’ll join you.”

“Oh, are you certain?”

“Why are you so surprised? You’re the one who invited me. What about you, Opus?”

“I’ll figure out a way to send that tortoise flying. Don’t worry about me.”

Opus shooed Cayna away, and she offered a strained smile in apology. They’d already found what they came for, so he was insisting she go enjoy a cup of tea. Cayna also felt obligated to atone after purposefully turning down an invitation delivered by the queen’s personal emissary.

“…By the way, can I ask why a queen is jumping from windows?” Cayna said.

“Please forgive my disgraceful behavior. The very sight of you robbed me of my senses, dear Aunt. I feared that if I failed to invite you this time, there would never be another opportunity…”

From the window Sahalashade leaped from, the guards were giving Cayna the evil eye. She feared she’d be imposing on them for entirely different reasons. If Sahalashade kept them in line, all would be well. If not, Cayna decided she’d have no choice but to leave.

“Well then, let us be off,” her niece said, facing the window. It was unclear whether she was aware of her aunt’s feelings.

Sahalashade chided her protectors and forced them to stand down.

Still, it was the first time Cayna had ever heard Unless you wish for you and your entire family to be wiped out, I suggest none of you challenge her.

She wondered if she’d really been so notorious back in the Game Era but soon answered her own question. Based on the reaction of Sahana’s daughter, she likely wasn’t too terrible.

Probably. Perhaps.

The window Sahalashade had leaped from apparently belonged to an office. A sizable stack of documents sat on a sturdy desk, and there was a sofa and table as well. The tortoise’s giant profile was visible from the window, which Cayna didn’t think made for the best view. She resolved to move it ASAP.

She could sense hostility from the other side of the wide double doors. As she contemplated how to clear up this misunderstanding, a commotion broke out in the hallway.

Based on the intermittent bursts of anger, one of their superiors had evidently come by and commanded the soldiers to stand down.

Once all was quiet, a maid waiting patiently in a corner of the room bowed politely. She treated their new intruder with respect and prepared tea as the queen instructed.

“Do have a seat, Aunt Cayna.”

“Oh, sure.”

Cayna took Sahalashade up on her offer and sat on the sofa. The maid placed a fragrant cup of tea before her and looked incredulous when thanked.

When Cayna casually picked up her teacup, Sahalashade sat across from her.

“I imagine the flavor must surely be inferior compared to ancient times,” the queen said.

“No, no, it’s delicious.”

Cayna sipped the steamy orange beverage and found the notes were identical to real-life black tea. She wasn’t exactly sure what “ancient tea” was supposed to taste like but gave her honest opinion.

Sahalashade smiled lightly, drank from her own cup, and relaxed her tense shoulders with a sigh.

All of a sudden, Cayna remembered that tea could slightly improve one’s Mind stats (MND) back in the game. She used Search to check the contents of her cup but found nothing.

Cayna smiled awkwardly, aware of this bad habit of hers.

“Is the tea not to your liking, Aunt Cayna?” Sahalashade asked with mild confusion.

“No worries, I was just curious about something. Was that rude of me?”

“As long as you are enjoying the flavor, please act as you wish.”

Only one cup of tea later, Sahalashade got to her feet. She smiled uncomfortably and started doing paperwork, with Cayna eyeing her.

“Um, am I interrupting?” Cayna asked.

“Not at all. I’m delighted to enjoy a short reprieve with company for once.”

In other words, Sahalashade was bored of working alone in a silent room. As Cayna watched the queen quietly gather documents, she recalled a distant memory.

“Sahana avoided desk work, too.”

“Oh my! Mother did? I never knew.”

“I don’t have all the details, but she apparently had no problem walking long distances.”

Sahana used to visit Cayna’s tower frequently. Even two centuries later, she could still vividly remember when Sahana learned the skill to summon a Polychromatic Dragon.

Time continued to pass with only the sound of shuffling papers and the occasional exchange between niece and aunt. Cayna summarized her journey from the remote village to Felskeilo and the events that happened since while also answering Sahalashade’s questions.

Then, just as Cayna thought she shouldn’t overstay her welcome, a visitor arrived.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty. If I might discuss our recent reorganization efforts…”

The knight captain entered with a knock. He had the deep skin tone and long ears characteristic of a demon and only one distinct horn shooting up from the right side of his head. His hair was tightly slicked back, and a single glance made it obvious he was diligent and worked in an administrative capacity. Instead of armor, he wore a relaxed, long-sleeved soldier’s uniform.

He looked at Cayna and offered a slight bow before turning to Sahalashade. Cayna assumed the furious voice outside the door earlier had been his. Then, after several businesslike responses, he dropped a bomb on his way out the door.

“Hello, little lady. Are you a friend of Her Majesty?”

“Little…?!”

“Pfft! Hee-hee-hee-hee.”

Cayna stiffened at being treated like a child by a total stranger, and Sahalashade giggled at her subordinate’s harsh comment.

It was true that, compared to the queen’s mature air, Cayna appeared exceedingly young. Looking at the two, it was obvious who ought to be treated with seniority.

Cayna was used to being called “miss” or “lady” but never once expected “little lady.” The information failed to compute; she sat there pale with shock.

The knight captain hadn’t the slightest clue about the reason for their meeting or why his mistress was clutching her stomach in laughter. Cayna desperately wanted her tickled niece to clear up this misunderstanding, but her only hope fell into another fit of giggles.

“Your Majesty?”

“Sahalashade?”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha… Haaaah. Phew. Forgive me, Guan Koh. This little l… Pfft! Hee-hee.”

“Uh, it’s whatever, I guess.”

If Cayna was going to be forever called “miss” and whatnot in this world, she might as well get used to it.

Cayna decided to wait in silence for Sahalashade to calm down. By the time her niece finally managed to catch her breath, she was thoroughly sulking.

Guan Koh had also come to realize his own comment was the reason for one side’s amusement and the other’s foul mood. The awkwardness in the room was palpable; he looked visibly concerned. Cayna felt bad for him, so she cast Intimidate to smother Sahalashade’s chortles.

“Hyah?!”

“How long do you plan on laughing?”

Cayna’s cold stare and icy smile made Sahalashade stiffen and compose herself.

“A-are you upset?” the queen asked with puppy-dog eyes.

Cayna dropped her grumpy act and shrugged. Sahalashade’s shoulders fell with relief, and she properly introduced her aunt to avoid poking the hornet’s nest further.

“Well then, Guan Koh. This is my dearest Aunt Cayna, who rejected our proposal to cooperate the other day.”

“You couldn’t phrase that any better?”

“And this is the knight captain of Otaloquess Kingdom, Guan Koh. He is also a Foster Child.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, wow… I’ve heard much about you from my father,” said Guan Koh.

“…‘Father’?”

Cayna had a terrible feeling and went on high alert.

This was apparently news to Sahalashade as well, and she was all ears.

“Yes, my father’s name is Guan Yu. He journeyed to the east over twenty years ago, and I haven’t heard from him since…”

The name made Cayna do a spit take.

“Wh…WHAAAAT?! Guan Yu was here?!”

Not only was the name familiar, but she knew the person all too well. She couldn’t believe the man’s name came up here, of all places, and took a good look at Guan Koh’s face.

“Can’t say I see the resemblance. Uh, sorry.”

“Actually, I get that quite often.”

Cayna quickly apologized for the verbal faux pas, but Guan Koh shook his head with a wry grin.

“Did you know Guan Koh’s father, Aunt Cayna?”

“Yeah, we met before. You know how it is.”

Cayna thought back to the Game Era as the memories came flooding back. Guys like him were best in small doses.

In a way, the player Guan Yu was a lot like an old man.

In the latter half of the Game Era, when Keina was still alive, they would often form temporary parties for various events and quests. Sometimes it was the two of them, and sometimes they’d join a group for a boss raid. Guan Yu, along with Kyotaro and several others, also took on the final quest and became a Limit Breaker. He was the one non-Cream Cheese member to do so.

As one might assume, his name came from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He’d modded his avatar to look like an old Asian man in astounding detail and, for a variety of reasons, became famous as an oddball player.

The majority of players had Western facial features, so Cayna remembered how he stuck out like a sore thumb. Guan Yu was straightforward and honest and didn’t sweat the small stuff. As someone who deeply valued justice, he came to the aid of the weak, put the strong in their place, and loathed inequality.

Cayna also recalled how his larger-than-life character conversely created a slew of problems.

“Still, twenty years, huh?” she said. “That wasn’t too long ago. I’ve been meaning to get in touch.”

“Oh, I have no doubt my heroic father is the same no matter where life takes him.”

“So you say he traveled east. Perhaps he has crossed the mountain range?” Sahalashade offered.

“Yes, I suspect he has drilled his way through somehow. I hope he’s doing well.”

“Crossed the mountain range”? It’s true there’s one out that way, but…

Back in the game, the eastern mountains were a new map area waiting to be updated. Cohral never mentioned it, so Cayna figured the game must have ended service before it ever became available. Maybe her need for details was proof she was addicted to the game.

In this new reality where the mountain peaks stretched upward like the tip of a blade, players could in all likelihood still cross them with ease. The problem was whether Cayna’s system extended beyond the mountains or if those who had never returned lost their abilities as players. Guan Yu’s registered age was over thirty, so did he establish roots at his destination? Something might’ve killed him unless he was careful.

Cayna was obviously hesitant to say such a thing out loud and only nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. Even if your father has rushed into the mountains, I’m most certain he’s crossed safely!” the queen said.

“How succinctly put. I do hope we can meet again in my lifetime.”

“The east, huh? I could try making a highway out there when I have time.”

According to Opus, those who settled down in Leadale had come from all over in pursuit of their dreams. In that case, there were likely other countries outside the region.

In the game, there were unfinished regions to the east that held nothing but monsters. If properly maintained, another nation could have easily been added.

After Guan Koh left in a good mood, silence temporarily returned to the room. Sahalashade instructed the maid to prepare more tea to give themselves privacy. After the maid bowed and left the room, the atmosphere tensed. Suddenly eager to escape the pressure, Cayna naturally sat up straight.

“Aunt Cayna, there is something I wish to ask before you leave. Do you mind?”

“A question? Sure, that’s fine. Just don’t throw me any curveballs.”

Cayna tried joking around to lighten the mood, but Sahalashade’s expression remained as solemn as ever. She prepared herself for whatever the queen had in store.

“It’s about the Abandoned Capital…”

“Ohhh, that.”

Come to think of it, Cayna forgot to ask Opus more about it after talking to Cohral. The overload of shocking revelations had completely wiped the subject from her mind.

Kee, you should’ve said something sooner.

“I was not given advance instruction.”

Ah, right. A thousand pardons.

“Sorry, but I don’t know anything, either. I’ll wring the info out of Opus next time and give you an update.”

“Opus? Who is he?”

“His name is Opuskettenshultheimer Crosstettbomber. He’s a literal demon and awful friend I can’t seem to get off my back. He was with me earlier.”

“Oh, him. So even you have friends, my dear Aunt.”

“What’s that supposed to mean…?”

First her children, and now her niece—their less-than-glowing opinions of her made Cayna want to cry.

“That man…”

That man was presumably Opus. Sahalashade looked troubled. If anything, she seemed to be conflicted.

“You mean Opus? Have you two met before?”

From what Cayna could remember, Sahana had brought Sahalashade with her only one time. Sahana and Opus tended to butt heads, so Cayna made sure not to meet up with him whenever she was active in the high elf community.

“No, it’s merely my intuition.”

“Intuition?”

“I have a feeling he and I will not get along.”

“Pffft!”

Like mother like daughter.

More tickled than shocked, Cayna failed to contain her laughter.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“Wait, why are you laughing?!”

“No, it’s noth—! Pfft! Heh, hee-hee-hee-hee.”

This was payback for Sahalashade’s earlier giggles, so now they were even. Cayna kept chuckling as the queen sulked and asked, “What? What did I say?”

“Phew, sorry about that. You’re just two peas in a pod.”

“I understand now. So Mother hated him as well. That is all I need to know.”

Cayna fully explained what set her off, but Sahalashade was still put out. Since Cayna wasn’t sure what else to say, she could only bow her head in apology. The queen wasn’t too upset, though. “I was simply being petulant,” she said. “Please forgive me.”

After chatting for a while longer, Cayna stood.

“Well, I better get going. You-know-who is waiting for me.”

In the far distance, Opus was atop the rim of the tortoise’s shell staring at her as if to say, I worked something out, just like I said. Get back here.

“He could’ve sent a message.”

“He was being considerate.”

“I guess miracles really do happen.”

Cayna said her good-byes to Sahalashade and opened the window, when her niece grabbed the edge of her cloak.

“U-um, Aunt Cayna? We’ll meet again, won’t we?” Sahalashade asked meekly.

“Sure. As long as I don’t interrupt your work.”

Cayna instinctively petted the queen’s head. She wondered if this was too forward, since this woman wasn’t her child, but Sahalashade didn’t seem to mind at all. She beamed.

“Yes! I shall be waiting for you.”

“Sounds like a plan. But I’m not climbing into any more windows.”

“Not to worry; I’ll inform the gatekeepers.”

Cayna left Sahalashade’s room unconvinced that informing the gatekeepers would make them any happier to see her.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Right.”

When Cayna reached Opus and looked behind her, Sahalashade was still waving. She briefly waved back, and the queen finally returned inside the castle.

“Is everyone you know some kind of elite?”

“Hey, I’m not the one who put a bunch of Foster Children in charge!”

This question had been puzzling Cayna as well, so she really had no right to give Opus a hard time.

“I don’t understand it. Maybe the system inside you is interpreting data in a way that makes your life easier.”

“What?! No way!”

Lightning struck behind her with a loud crack!

It wasn’t completely impossible. Cayna started swaying from the shock.

“The system should not have such specific criteria.”

“Bah. It could have been interesting if you just played along, Snake,” said Opus.

Kee immediately ruled out this hypothesis, so Cayna suffered minimal damage. Once Opus let slip that he was pulling Cayna’s leg, Cayna cast a sharp glare his way. And she wasn’t the only one staring daggers at him—there was also the individual floating over Opus’s head.

Struck by an ominous feeling, he slowly looked up and found Kuu coming straight at him with a crimson arrow.

“Gwaaah!”

Kuu sliced through the air at record speed and dropped the arrow on him, but he dodged. The projectile’s upper half stuck into the tortoise’s shell. It was unclear whether this was a benefit of the subsystem, but the power alone was terrifying.

“Kuu missed!” the fairy whined.

“Sheesh, Kuu, you’re scary,” said Cayna.

“My master had it coming to him, quite honestly,” added Siren.

“Argh… Ahem. So as I was saying…,” Opus began as he brushed off Siren’s disapproval by switching topics.

“Hey, Kuu, why did you run away from Sahalashade earlier?” Cayna asked.

“’Cause she’s scary.”

“Who? Sahalashade?”

“Uh-huh.”

Kuu returned to Cayna and explained why she’d fled, but it didn’t make much sense. Cayna had no idea what about the queen was the least bit scary. She’d spoken with Sahalashade at length, but aside from that last question about the Abandoned Capital, the queen didn’t seem determined to pry. Otherwise, had Cayna simply been careless, Sahalashade might have gathered a wealth of information during the course of their conversation.

Even so, besides talk of relatives, the most Sahalashade could have gleaned were details about the players. She had no recollection of mentioning the system, so nothing directly involved Cayna.

“I’m telling you to listen,” said Opus.

“Oh, sorry.”

While Cayna sank into thought as to why Kuu hated Sahalashade so much, Opus grabbed her head and turned it in his direction. She couldn’t remember if he’d been trying to tell her anything in the first place, but she lent an ear once again.

“It’s really not that difficult,” he said. “Just set up an Isolation Barrier, and I’ll simply connect the domain to someplace else.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yes, but the Isolation Barrier needs to be large enough to hold this giant tortoise. Can you do it?”

“We won’t know until we try.” Cayna glanced around the shell, then walked over to the edge and eyeballed the estimated height. “We should be fine.”

She wasn’t totally confident in her answer, but she felt like someone was giving her a mental thumbs-up. She went along with this feeling and brushed aside Opus’s skeptical glance.

If anything, though, Cayna had to admit she could never manage it all on her own.

“Anyway—Kee, Kuu. I’m counting on you guys. I don’t know where you’re connecting this thing, Opus, but can you handle the size?”

“I’ll be fine. Focus on your control.”

“Yeah, guess I might need that.”

Cayna took a deep breath and exchanged looks with Kuu on her shoulder.

“Ready when you are,” the fairy said with a smile.

Cayna nodded and closed her eyes as she expanded the massive Isolation Barrier that Kee had erected.

As Sahalashade glanced up through her castle window, she watched a spacious dome envelop the giant tortoise. Before she could even blink in surprise, the creature and barrier were gone.

It all happened so fast, but a commotion had apparently stirred up in the castle town and sent concerned citizens into confusion. Sahalashade didn’t doubt Cayna’s power, but neither did she expect such an instant solution.

“Inform the knights that what happened just now was the work of a trusted mage and will not affect the townspeople,” she instructed her maid.

Guan Koh would no doubt realize her intentions and send his subordinates to the castle town. She was treating her aunt like one of her own subjects, but Cayna would surely forgive her for trying to ease local anxieties.

Sahalashade looked over at the sofa Cayna had just been sitting on, and then turned to the collection of vials Cayna had left behind on the table. They were filled with red liquid.

“By the way, I heard you have a lot of injured knights,” she’d said.

“You’re quite informed.”

“Skargo told me after the attack in Felskeilo. I just made a whole bunch, so go ahead and take them.”

The queen had picked one and gasped at the treasure in her hand. After all, a single vial could save at least four soldiers on the verge of death. Sahalashade and Guan Koh, who had both been Foster Children, knew this potion well. Two centuries prior, it had been an utterly average item that sold for 1,000 gil. After adjusting for inflation, it was currently a first-rate item worth well over 100 gold coins. Furthermore, the technique was lost in the modern era. Even a single vial found in a dungeon could be sold for outrageous prices.

This was the reason behind the misgivings Lopus had previously mentioned to Cayna. The ability to effortlessly gather such a priceless item was enough to shock even a queen.

Something else took Sahalashade by surprise. She had spoken with the High Priest Skargo countless times in her capacity as queen, and it turned out that he was Cayna’s son. It came as quite a shock when Cayna revealed this; Sahalashade was accustomed to Skargo singing his mother’s praises, but she didn’t know he was referring to Cayna, since he’d never mentioned her by name.

That meant Sahalashade and Skargo were cousins.

“The next time we meet and the subject arises, I imagine I’ll be able to hear more about Aunt Cayna from Sir Skargo,” she said aloud to herself.

Sahalashade couldn’t help but smile. Although she didn’t know the whereabouts of her mother, Sahana, she was overjoyed to discover another relative and was eager to share this happiness with someone.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t afford to simply celebrate; there was still much work to be done. She once again called in her maid, who gingerly collected the vials and took them to the castle medics. Sahalashade closed the curtains against her newly unobstructed view and took a single document from the pile that awaited her as she returned to work.

“Well, then. I suppose all I can do now is leave the rest up to Aunt Cayna…”

The queen earnestly hoped she would bring more news of the Abandoned Capital the next time they met.

There was a rumble and great tremor.

Together with the giant tortoise, Cayna’s group landed in the middle of the mountains despite her previous concerns. It was forest, forest, and more forest as far as the eye could see.

The familiar-looking mountain ahead suggested they were near the eastern coastline. Nevertheless, no one knew the area well enough to pinpoint their precise location.

“So greeeeen!” Kuu shouted in excitement after taking a deep breath. “What is this place? Where’d we fly off to?”

Cayna removed the Isolation Barrier and blinked as her vision cleared. Nothing seemed to ring a bell. However, since she couldn’t see the Ejidd River from the direction instinct told her was north, it was pretty obvious they were nowhere near the remote village.

“Lady Cayna.”

“What is it, Siren?”

“Everything ought to become clear if you look down.”

“Down?”

Following Siren’s suggestion, Cayna glanced down from the edge of the tortoise’s shell and saw the layout of a familiar village. Most of the people had run outside in a state of panic and were now staring up alongside visiting adventurers. Their frantic, scattered movements made it clear the tortoise had caused a ruckus.

“Isn’t that the dungeon village?” Cayna asked. When she looked over at Opus, he had his arms crossed arrogantly and wore a self-satisfied look.

“This tortoise is a huge source of tourism for Otaloquess. Removing it from the country was out of the question, so this was our only option.”

“But did you have to park it so close?!”

The tortoise’s feet were only several meters from the wall surrounding the village. Furthermore, the delicate issue of how to painlessly move the Guardian from the capital had apparently gone ignored, since the force of the creature’s landing set off a minor earthquake anyway. Parts of the wall and several houses were askew.

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what do we do?! Shouldn’t we help clean up?!”

“Lady Cayna, please calm down,” Siren urged, restraining Cayna as she darted around the shell.

“She’s right. Luckily, we’re invisible up here. No one has to know this was someone’s handiwork. We can just tell them the tortoise is a divine mystery sent from the heavens,” Opus said as he looked down below.

“Since when have you been the prepared type…?” Cayna asked.

Apparently, only his crafty ability to dodge responsibility had survived the Game Era.

“Anyways, there are a decent number of players in that village. I’m sure they’ll think of something.”

“Wait, really? I don’t remember seeing any.”

“That’s because, unlike myself, the name and face of the Silver Ring Witch are relatively well known. I suspect they’ve been hiding out of fear.”

“Gwah?!”

Cayna face-palmed as a corkscrew punch drilled deeper into her trauma and chipped away at her mental state. Her resentment toward the Admins was fathomless, thanks to that moniker and a certain viral video. The trouble she had joining random parties was one of the reasons she decided to hang around the remote village by herself.

Perhaps reading Cayna’s heart, Opus rounded everyone up, and they returned to the remote village.

After they left, the dungeon village was still wrapped in turmoil. Poor Jaegar was probably racking his brain and muttering to himself, “Is this what Heimer meant by ‘lay some groundwork for what’s to come’?”