In the Land of Leadale - Volume 7 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - A Proposal, Wishful Thinking, a Request and an Examiner

Several days after the Giant Tortoise Incident was (supposedly) resolved…

Cayna proposed her idea to Marelle and successfully set up the projector in the inn’s dining hall.

She chose this location for two reasons. First, it was a popular gathering place among the villagers. Second, the dining hall had ample room. The projector had enough cavities for three sets of Eyes, so everyone could enjoy multiple simulcasts from each area. The projected images were about two by four meters.

The issue was where to place them.

The Pair of Eyes was creepy-looking, had no defense system, and couldn’t determine what to film on its own.

Back in the game, Cayna used to hang out at her old guild base and watch other players livestream their quests from a fixed vantage point as she had just done. However, walking around town with a giant eyeball over your head in this world was a surefire way to get arrested.

And so, her best bet was to ensure that the job was secured within trusted locales and broadcast from there. Cayna then remembered the Guardian Towers.

Seeing as how the Guardian of Cayna’s tower was stuck in the wall and had no limbs, one might wonder what giving it a Pair of Eyes would accomplish. However, the Guardian was omniscient within the tower itself and could project multiple surveillance videos around its Skill Master for a firsthand look at fresh challengers. Cayna thought she could use that function along with the Pair of Eyes to broadcast the surrounding scenery.

The mural Guardian wasn’t on board at first and muttered, “What? Me protect some weird eyeball?” However, Kuu’s terrifying smile that seemed to say, You can’t? Are you sure? changed its mind in a heartbeat.

She planned to leave one of the two remaining Eyes with the smoky Guardian of the Battle Arena. As luck would have it, there was an upcoming tourney that Cayna had been hoping to broadcast.

The Pair of Eyes couldn’t transmit sounds on its own, but the projector circumvented this. However, the region currently being telecast around Cayna’s tower was practically silent. A gust of wind blowing past the tower’s peak or the occasional high-pitched cry of a passing bird were almost the only sounds to be heard.

The footage was broadcast in real time during the day as a matter of convenience, and Cayna was thrilled to witness the villagers’ shared astonishment as they marveled at the tower’s scenic views. If asked, most villagers would insist that such sights were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Cayna tried looking for places even higher than the towers, but Hidden Ogre’s floating garden seemed to be the only candidate. After all, even the three nations’ capitals were modest compared to any cluster of skyscrapers.

Nevertheless, the wide-eyed villagers broke into huge smiles as they enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of their little hamlet.

The people were smaller than a grain of rice from that height, but everyone clapped merrily and shouted things like, “That’s my field!” and “I can see my house!”

Unsurprisingly, only lamplight illuminated the village after dark, so even the mural Guardian wasn’t entirely sure where to focus next. Villagers who stopped by the dining hall for dinner could enjoy watching the sun dip beneath the horizon as the orange sky faded to navy blue. Once night fell, the small, faint lights of the village would dot the screen.

If it was neither daytime nor a shift in seasons, the timeless local forest and grand Ejidd River running through the woods north of the village were shown as well. Opus advised Cayna to avoid the fortress along the national border, so she said as much to the mural Guardian.

The edge of something fortress-like would sometimes appear as the Eyeball did a slow pan and caused the camera to suddenly face the sky. Cayna had to laugh at the mural’s obvious panic.

Marelle told her some villagers would claim to have free time and stop by the dining hall during the day, but Cayna was relieved to hear this hadn’t caused any major inconvenience.

“They order snacks and alcohol while they watch, so it’s good for business,” Marelle said from one side of the counter. “Still, I have a scary feelin’ the womenfolk are gonna tighten their purse strings.”

She smiled in exasperation while Luka and Lytt sat in front of her and stared at the projector. The two were captivated by the sights initially, but several days later, they appeared to be looking for something. The girls at last came to Cayna, and just as she was wondering what their question might be, the two said they thought it was strange that the silver tower was nowhere in sight.

“Ah, that’s because the picture is being broadcast from the tower.”

“Oh…,” said Luka. “Wow.”

“Ooh, I get it now. Of course it didn’t disappear!” said Lytt.

That seemed to have been the big question on the girls’ minds; Cayna’s explanation had delighted them. The memory of hugging the girls tight was still fresh in her memory.

Since Marelle believed Cayna’s Guardian Tower was the home of the fearsome Silver Ring Witch, Cayna instructed the mural Guardian not to include it. It could have made an appearance, but she figured it was best not to upset anyone. In retrospect, she realized she should have mentioned this to Luka and Lytt as two of the few people who knew Cayna was the Silver Ring Witch.

“Cayna, isn’t there something else you should upgrade?” Opus asked with a frown.

“What’re you talking about?” she replied as she tossed a new barrel of whiskey into the storehouse. Luka was recording the storehouse’s inventory next to her but looked up at Opus with a mystified expression.

“Twelve!”

“Twelve…?”

Kuu peeked at Luka’s notes from the side and pointed out a mistake, which Luka promptly corrected. It was a charming scene. Roxilius had been tasked with managing their liquor business, but Luka was currently assisting him, since she had plenty of free time.

Marelle said it was normal for village children to shadow their mothers as they learned daily chores. However, as Cayna’s adoptive daughter, Luka had missed out on this tradition. The housework was split among the servants, and Mommy Cayna was always out adventuring, so she never had the chance to learn. Siren immediately addressed the situation after Marelle pointed this out, and the girl was presently learning basic cooking with her, Roxilius, and Roxine.

Roxilius had been the one to suggest involving Luka in the alcohol business as well, since he intended to eventually make her his assistant. Cayna heard this would allow Rox to focus on protecting the village while she and the others were away. Even so, it would be a long time before Luka could handle such responsibility.

“You know what I’m talking about,” said Opus. “That.”

“Oh.”

Opus forcefully pushed Cayna over to the caterpillar-tread water well as if to say, If you’re going to follow the offline quest, then swap it out.

“It’s not in anyone’s way. Can’t we just leave it?”

“As usual, you decide everything on your own…,” Opus said with a sigh. His bitter expression indicated that he was at the end of his rope, and the demon stared emptily into the distance. “Well, I can’t say there have been complaints.”

“Wait, you already asked? Based on that reaction, I take it the villagers said they already have more than enough?”

“Everyone unanimously agreed that life has been very convenient.”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha, I can only imagine what too much technology would do to them.”

“They truly are a selfless people.”

In Opus’s opinion, their best option was to inundate the village with the same convenient amenities found in offline quests and turn it into a fortress. Nevertheless, modernization held no merit in this particular situation. After all, regardless of the system inside Cayna, there was no guarantee the village would truly evolve. Moreover, the people themselves had no incentive to find out. Cayna always took their desires into account, but forcefulness would breed animosity. Opus decided to drop the subject.

“Oh, but…” Cayna struck a fist against her palm when an idea occurred to her. Opus halted midstride. “Opus, you’re talking about a bronze water pump, right?”

“Correct.”

“In that case, can’t we just draw up a blueprint and let an expert build and sell it?”

“An expert?” Opus asked quizzically.

Cayna grabbed his hand and headed back home.

First, she had Opus draw up a blueprint for a water pump. He had a skill called Tech Draft, so they didn’t need any special tools. With parchment in front of him, Opus cast Tech Draft and sketched the plans in midair. This ability could take any item made even once and form a blueprint of it. The skill Transcribe could then put it to paper.

Back in the game, the finished item was nothing more than a picture of an item to hang in one’s room.

By this point, there was no easier way to explain things to people. Cayna could have also used Tech Draft to explain the crawler-style well, but she’d completely forgotten about it at the time.

“There are waaay too many Throwaway Skills and pointless items.”

“Hey, spare a thought for my tortured staff. Still, I’ll admit it’s not something one should consider praiseworthy.”

Opus’s unfocused eyes swam with grief, and Cayna was paralyzed by an ominous foreboding.

He continued. “All was well initially, but as the list of skills grew, we would pick random words from the dictionary and then decide which ones to keep. However, this eventually got so out of hand that it left everyone brain-dead. No one was around to stop us, and a lot of the staff felt skills should be the game’s main identity. In the end, I took a few people aside and formed a separate division just for skills. The darkness that radiated from us night after night seemed to leak into the hallways—”

“All right! That’s enough! Finito!”

Cayna had no intention of going down that particular rabbit hole and cut Opus off with an air karate chop to clear the bad vibes. His dead fisheyes were hard to watch. In short, although the game had a near-infinite variety of skills, the staff also suffered horribly in the process. Whether Opus regretted this now was a moot point.

Afterward, Cayna told Luka and the Double Rs she would be heading to Felskeilo. Kuu would naturally come along, since she couldn’t leave Cayna’s side. However, Luka wasn’t inclined to visit the capital on a regular basis and chose to quietly stay home instead. Lytt declined for similar reasons.

Luka quickly grew flustered when Cayna teased her and put on a show of crocodile tears. “Won’t you come with me, Lu?” she begged. Note: Cayna conversely panicked when she dropped the act and Luka sullenly said, “I…hate you, Mommy Cayna,” upon realizing she’d been tricked.

The Double Rs’ relief was palpable when they heard Opus would be taking Siren along as well. The elven maid had apparently begun her own secret reign of terror within the household.

Cayna activated her Guardian Ring, and the group was soon on its way. Teleport would have sufficed, but a Skill Master like Opus had to be introduced to the Guardians. They flew to the First Skill Master’s Guardian Tower, the white whale. This decision was partly rooted in Cayna’s desire to see Opus’s reaction.

“Why,”—ka-thunk—“if it isn’t”—ka-thunk—“my master.”—ka-thunk—“What can”—ka-thunk—“I do for you”—ka-thunk—“today?”

Opus and Siren, first-timers at this tower, were thrown by the Guardian’s welcome. They stared dumbfounded at the little yellow bird Guardian attached to a bellows, rhythmically popping in and out of a large pendulum clock. Cayna hardly ever saw such an expression on Opus’s face and suddenly felt like she’d won something.

“Sorry, but we didn’t stop by for any real reason,” she said. “We just needed a place to stop.”

“That is fine. I”—ka-thunk—“am a tool,”—ka-thunk—“after all.”—ka-thunk—“Being useful”—ka-thunk—“demonstrates my true value.”—ka-thunk.

Cayna admired the Guardian’s businesslike approach to its own worth, though she had to wonder if Marvelia had implemented this particular detail. Siren nodded as if she could completely understand the Guardian’s viewpoint.

Hold on, Cayna thought, don’t you have any issue with being treated like a tool?

Cayna was immediately concerned by Siren’s lack of self-worth, although Opus was to blame for creating her that way. Instead of a mere pointed rebuttal, she took things a step further and jabbed an elbow into his side.

“The young man you”—ka-thunk—“brought along has”—ka-thunk—“suddenly collapsed.”—ka-thunk—“Is he”—ka-thunk—“all right?”

“It’s just the usual. Nothing to worry about.”

Cayna’s response was cold as ice, but even the Guardian pretended to see nothing and fell silent.

As always, Siren eyed her master as one might a piece of trash. Their master-servant relationship sometimes felt like an inexplicable mystery. Outside of Siren (just barely) staying a step behind Opus, it seemed like their roles were reversed.

While supplying the seated wooden figure with MP, Cayna asked if it noticed anything different around the tower lately.

“There were”—ka-thunk—“a few minor events, but”—ka-thunk—“nothing significant.”—ka-thunk.

“Oh, really?”

“If I must”—ka-thunk—“say anything,”—ka-thunk—“it would be that”—ka-thunk—“the people have”—ka-thunk—“set altars upon”—ka-thunk—“the water.”—ka-thunk—“It seems like”—ka-thunk—“the area is”—ka-thunk—“being overrun”—ka-thunk—“with flowers.”—ka-thunk.

Live footage of the surrounding area dotted the Guardian’s room; a massive pile of cut flowers lay in front of the giant white whale just upstream of the sandbar. One might assume those on the bottom were all crushed, but apparently someone had recently preserved them with magic to create a wall of dried flowers.

“Devotion is great and all, but was this really necessary?”

At present, there was also a chain of rafts on the water that formed a temporary wharf and functioned as altars.

“These people have the oddest obsessions,” Opus said with a sigh, having recovered from his earlier ordeal.

“I have no”—ka-thunk—“intention to move, so”—ka-thunk—“I do not mind, but”—ka-thunk—“Master, shouldn’t I”—ka-thunk—“compensate them for”—ka-thunk—“treating me like”—ka-thunk—“a god?”—ka-thunk.

“Hmm. Maybe?”

When the loquacious Guardian put it that way, it had a point. Cayna began considering skills that might fit the bill.

However, Opus disapproved.

“A god mustn’t wield power so carelessly. As a higher being, you are to remain dignified. Compensating for something as frivolous as flowers will only weaken your authority.”

“…”

“Wh-why do you look so skeptical?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised. After all, you’re talking like you’re some superior being yourself. Got any experience?”

“Nonsense. If anyone is a supreme being, it’s your…”

“My what?”

“N-no, nothing. Forget it.”

He’d been about to say something extremely intriguing but stopped himself. Cayna circled him, and he avoided her gaze.

“Ohhh? How veeeeeery interesting. What’s this about me now?”

“Hush! No one likes a nosy brat!”

He was clearly avoiding the subject.

Even Kee couldn’t help her. If he’d had a physical body, there was no question he’d be shrugging in exasperation.

But surprisingly enough, it was Siren who stepped in.

“Well now, Lady Cayna. How shall we make our exit from such an exposed location?”

“Oh, right. No worries—I’ve got a place.”

Rings were normally used to enter a Guardian Tower, but there were multiple ways to leave them. In the case of Kujo’s tortoise, you simply left the TV studio and climbed all the way down. Players all had their methods, so escape wasn’t much of an issue.

For Liothek’s Dragon Palace, you needed a way back to land after being tossed into the water.

For Kyotaro’s Battle Arena, these days you needed to hide from the groundskeeper and sneak out of the stadium.

For Cayna’s and Opus’s towers, you were simply sent outside. There was no need to slink around, since both locations were pretty isolated.

However, Marvelia’s tower was on top of a whale and visible to all hopeful pilgrims.

The whale was considered a divine messenger these days, so they obviously couldn’t be caught mistreating it. Cayna had pondered if she could establish a remote exit and consulted with the Guardian. After a bit of experimentation, she realized she could leave from anywhere in the capital.

Despite the labyrinth of back alleys distant from the sandbar, few places were safe from prying eyes. She thought their best bet was to rent a room somewhere long-term, and Skargo soon stepped in to lend a helping hand.

Cayna had consulted with her children on the matter back in town. Mai-Mai soon offered a room in her own home, but Kartatz quickly nixed this.

“Even if this is Mum we’re talkin’ about, won’t the other nobles get the wrong idea if an adventurer keeps leaving the house of a baron?”

“Oh, true. I want to help Mother, but…”

Although Mai-Mai was a noble, she still seemed to face a number of challenges. Cayna thought she could see cat ears droop from Mai-Mai’s head in disappointment, but it was probably just her imagination.

Then Skargo stood.

“Mother Dear! In that case, I shall gladly prepare you a room in the cathedral! It is near the Guardian Tower, and all our nuns and priests are well aware you are my beloved mother. It is a flawless proposal!”

“Good point, Skargo. You talk about Mum every chance you get, so I’m sure they’ll make an exception.”

There were a boatload of comments to be made here, and Kartatz’s visible exasperation made it clear he felt the same way. However, Cayna had a few complaints for the confident Skargo as the backdrop of a tropical island getaway appeared behind him.

One of them being his notorious mother complex.

Their meeting was adjourned, and some time later, Cayna was provided a room in the cathedral.

Cayna felt bad about getting something for nothing, so needless to say, she allowed the church to continue using it for various purposes. The room, a former storage space, was small and could hardly fit six people. Since the entire situation was merely pretext, Cayna loaned out a magical item in lieu of rent.

It was a metallic vessel in the shape of a water lily that required an abundance of magic rhymestones. Since the item was safe to use out in the modern world, Mai-Mai granted her permission.

It basically just produced one cup of holy water a day. Holy water wasn’t terribly rare back in the game, but these days it was the envy of every clergy member. Even people like Skargo struggled to craft it. Cayna, on the other hand, could make a gallon at once.

His struggles were rooted in a difference of gender beyond his control. Since the Holy Water skill was designed for female players, it would take several times his MP to fill even a small dish. Cayna had no clue why, but Opus said this, too, was a result of a Dictionary Meeting.

“Anyway, please take us out of here.”

“You seem”—ka-thunk—“a little tired,”—ka-thunk—“Master.”—ka-thunk—“Are you”—ka-thunk—“all right?”

“Right as rain,” she replied briefly.

Their surroundings instantly transformed, and they found themselves in a plain, cramped room.

“Is this the place?” Opus asked.

“Skargo wanted to offer me a palace, but fortunately I was able to stop him,” Cayna replied, looking immensely relieved. She put a hand to her chest and let out a heavy sigh.

This didn’t escape Opus’s notice.

“You seem concerned.”

“I mean, as soon as I open this door, it’ll alert a certain someone.”

“Hmph. Kuu will get him good!” Kuu started swinging her arm as if winding up for a punch.

“No one’s ‘getting’ anybody,” Cayna chided her.

Opus had already learned his lesson; despite her size, even two Skill Masters were no match against Kuu. He was the one who had paired her with Cayna, but he never could have imagined she’d end up being such a powerhouse.

Granted, Cayna is just as full of surprises, Opus thought.

Then Cayna steeled herself and opened the door to the hallway.

“Mother Dear!”

A sonorous voice rang out from the corridor, and Opus watched as a figure in priestly robes collapsed to the carpeted floor on his knees.

“…What?”

“S-Skargo…”

Cayna winced. Behind her, even Siren was left speechless.

However, the strangest thing of all was how the clergy paid him no mind. At most, they would step to the side for the High Priest and bow their heads. It was impossible to tell in this bizarre situation whether they’d been corrupted or were simply numb to Skargo’s antics.

The handsome elf stopped as a dust cloud effect kicked up behind him. Then he elegantly took Cayna’s hand and kissed it.

She knew all along that Skargo would somehow realize when she left the room, but she’d hardly stepped outside. By his sudden appearance, Cayna could only assume he’d been lying in wait for her. The odd scene made even a long-lived demon like Opus feel that there were still some things in this world he couldn’t comprehend.

“Ahhh. Any day in your presence is a blessed one, Mother Dear.”

A dazzling spotlight shone from the ceiling to illuminate Skargo and Cayna as countless sparkles swirled around them. An unseen angelic choir burst into song. Yes, it was indeed as if they were being blessed.

“Yeah. Wonderful.”

As her enraptured son turned to the heavens, Cayna emanated utter indifference. Part of her had jumped straight from exasperation to resignation.

Kuu took one look at Skargo and then collapsed on Cayna’s head in frustration.

“No, wait, this can’t be. To think someone would master Oscar—Roses Scatter with Beauty…,” Opus mused as yet another shock rattled him.

Skargo freely brandished Oscar—Roses Scatter with Beauty no matter how many times Cayna yelled at him, so she decided to just consider it part of his identity. If she made a comment every time he used it, it’d never end.

It was then that Skargo realized he had other company. He canceled the effect, rose to his feet gracefully, and put a hand to his chest with a bow.

“I see we have guests. My name is Skargo. I am the High Priest of this church.”

“No use trying to backtrack now. Unfortunately, that ship has long sailed.”

“My greeting just now was especially for you, Mother Dear. There is no issue,” Skargo replied, now acting like a respectable young man.

“Oh, there’s plenty of issues. My nerves are shot,” Cayna quipped. However, her inherently affable son didn’t catch on at all.

“So who’s this guy?” Opus asked.

“He’s my Foster Child and son, the High Priest Skargo. He’s turned into a weirdo in the two hundred years I’ve been gone,” Cayna whispered back.

“How terrifying.” He heaved another deep sigh.

After that, the group switched gears and headed farther into the cathedral. Not that they’d suddenly become religious; this was the only exit from the church grounds.

“I have some excellent tea brewing, Mother Dear. Would you care for a short respite?”

“Thanks, but we’re just passing through on business.”

“I see. That is unfortunate. Perhaps next time, then.”

“?”

She expected him to insist on treating her to some famous sweets from such-and-such a place and double down on his invitation, so such a response was quite decent of him. It wasn’t like they were in any rush. Skargo’s attitude had her a bit concerned.

“You’re not too busy with the church right now?” she asked him.

“M-Mother Dear!”

The moment Cayna said this, Skargo welled with emotion. Fighting back tears, the High Priest gripped his mother’s hands tightly and drew close.

Shoot, now I’ve done it, she thought. If she had been an average (female) citizen who was weak to such charms, such proximity would leave her smitten in a heartbeat.

Seeing as this was Cayna’s suggestion, she couldn’t backtrack without digging for new info. Skargo’s eccentricity aside, she’d proceed with the visit.

“I don’t just mean the church. Are you busy, too?”

“Oh, um, you’re curious about my schedule? I suppose not, as long as there are no injuries. We’ll be dispatching medics to an event in short order.”

“An event that causes a lot of injuries, huh? Sounds pretty dangerous.”

“Of course, there is no reason for you to involve yourself, Mother Dear. In your eyes, such an event is mere child’s play.”

“What?”

“Child’s play indeed,” Opus—the only one in the loop besides Skargo—said with a nod.

“Opus, do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”

“They’re going to host a tourney,” he replied, repeating what he’d heard from Exis back in Helshper.

There were no tourneys in the Game Era, so Cayna agreed with Opus: If she entered one in this world, she’d have the competition all sewn up.

Of course, that was assuming no other players took part.

“A tourney, huh?” Cayna mused.

“That said, the tourney has played out in a similar manner for the past several years, and it seems many are hopeful that an impressive new challenger will emerge.”

“A similar manner, you say?” Her curiosity piqued, Cayna looked over at Skargo as he started making small talk.

“Come to think of it,” he said, “I suppose you wouldn’t be familiar with this event. Isn’t that right, Mother Dear?”

Skargo noticed Cayna had stopped in her tracks. He clapped his hands in realization.

Cayna’s children believed she’d holed herself up in a forest to avoid people, when she’d actually been sound asleep inside a dungeon the entire time—not that she could just come out and say that, though.

“So what kind of tourney is this thing?’ she asked Skargo.

“Simply put, it is a knockout competition. Its purpose is to determine the strongest fighter, but for those of us who know you and your acquaintances, it is nothing more than a game of pretend.”

After all, Foster Children like Skargo personally knew several players.

“You know,” said Cayna, “I bet you, Mai-Mai, and Kartatz would make an invincible team.”

Considering that average modern-day adventurers hardly broke level 50, level-300 Skargo could sweep the competition entirely on his own.

“I sorely lack adequate battle skills, Mother Dear.”

“At your level, punching and kicking would easily get the job done. Besides, I gave you the Wand skill, right? Plus you’ve got the bare minimum of Holy Magic, and then there’s race-specific Spirit Magic. That’s more than enough to take out a few hoodlums, right?”

When creating a character, each race had certain skills.

For instance, dragoids had the Robust skill, while werecats had the Lithe skill. Skills also varied depending on whether characters had wings or a tail. Both elves and high elves possessed Spirit Magic.

“Nothing escapes you, Mother Dear,” Skargo said uncomfortably with a strained smile.

As their mother, Cayna was well aware of her children’s capabilities. However, she had no idea if they’d learned anything new in these past two centuries.

“We’re getting offtrack here. Weren’t you asking about the tournament’s system?”

Opus normally would have feigned ignorance and continued to quietly observe, but instead he interrupted, in the hopes of moving the conversation forward. Warning bells went off in Cayna’s head.

“I’m surprised you even care, Opus.”

“Well, events like this are usually a chance to gather local news. Shouldn’t we at least hear the basic details?”

“…Is that really all?”

Opus ignored Cayna’s contemptuous glare and left it up to Skargo to continue explaining.

“Yes, the tourney. I must have been overcome by Mother Dear’s presence.”

“Fine, just turn off that dappled sunlight effect and get on with it already.”

Cayna couldn’t stop herself from commenting on Skargo’s eccentricities and completely missed Opus’s point. Kuu nonetheless noticed his quiet chuckling.

“Ah, yes, where were we…? That’s right, the tournament format. I believe it is a group competition this year.”

“So you have individual tournaments, too?” Opus asked.

“Yes, but since one was held last year, this year will only be a team battle.”

“Uh, what? Do you only have either an individual or team battle once a year or something?” Cayna chimed in.

“Precisely.”

“But why? It makes no sense.”

“Well, there are various reasons. A prime example is the loss of public order. Such issues also occur during our River Festival, but during the tourney, eager challengers from every nation gather here to demonstrate their abilities. This leads to excessive rowdiness and an endless stream of trivial quarrels throughout the capital.”

“And that’s why you don’t hold each one in the same year?”

“In the worst of times, I personally had to rush about treating the injured. Ruffians invaded the church during my absence, took parishioners hostage, and barricaded themselves inside. It was quite the mess.”

Skargo sounded like a tired old man recalling the past, and Cayna couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. If only she’d woken up sooner, she could’ve helped.

“So what did you do with the scoundrels?” Opus asked.

“Mmm, you see, our spirited princess at the time offered herself in exchange for the hostages and stormed the church. She was always the very picture of heroism, so she beat the delinquents senseless and saved everyone.”

““What?””

“The people welcomed her coronation with open arms. It was truly incredible.”

“Um, are you talking about one of Mye’s ancestors?”

“Yes. She was Princess Myleene’s great-grandmother.”

“Sheesh, the monarchy here is absolutely wild.”

Cayna was already familiar with two members of the royal family: a certain runaway princess who had once requested that Cayna be her bodyguard and a prince who was constantly sneaking out of the castle. Skargo’s anecdote proved that some things ran in families.

“I take it large, unruly crowds are no longer an issue?” Opus inquired.

“Yes, thanks to our preliminary round. To register for the tourney, you must first take on a quest from the Adventurers Guild. Failure to complete this will disqualify you from the final roster.”

“I see. So the preliminary is meant to filter people out.”

“I hear the mission is arduous, and only five or six teams pass each time.”

“Why’s it so strict? I wonder what the competition is like.”

“Forgive me, Mother Dear. That is the extent of my knowledge.”

Skargo must have heard everything from Shining Saber. Any info from someone charged with defending the capital couldn’t be an exaggeration.

“Actually, the knights are regular participants,” Skargo added.

“They can join a team tournament?!”

Specialists who excelled in both offense and defense wouldn’t pull their punches. Add in Shining Saber, and the tournament was as good as rigged. Either way, it was completely unacceptable.

“Hmm. You wouldn’t be asking me to stop those knights, right, Skargo?”

“Perish the thought. Besides, at least three people are required to join a team battle. Mother Dear, you’re not going to participate with two other Skill Masters, are you?”

“Of course not!”

If she wanted to do that, she’d have no choice but to contact Hidden Ogre, aka Gramps. She had absolutely no plans to participate, though, so any such dream team was mere fantasy.

Kuu patted the top of Cayna’s head from her perch, and she looked up. The fairy produced an arrow too small for anyone else to notice and pointed it at Opus. Cayna slowly glanced over and saw him grinning darkly. The alarms going off in her head convinced her to approach him; she had to be certain about something.

“Hey, Opus, got a second?”

“What is it?”

“I’ve just got this really bad feeling.”

“And how does that relate to me?”

“I’m probably way off base here, but you’re not actually thinking about entering the tourney, right?!”

Cayna hoped Opus was the type of Japanese person who could give an emphatic no (although he was no longer Japanese). She wanted him to deny it, just like he did so many other times back in the game.

“Yes, I’m considering it.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

Despite her wishes to the contrary, Cayna’s ominous foreboding was right on the mark. She pictured a horrific scene of untold tourney contestants collapsed in pools of blood. Cayna was convinced that Opus would show no mercy, just as he had during wars in the Game Era. Determined to save players and citizens alike before they could fall into his clutches, Cayna whipped out her magic staff.

It was her target, Opus, who stopped her.

“Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait! Just hold on!” he shouted. “What’s with the random, insane hostility? What were you about to do?!”

When Cayna looked around, she saw a wide-eyed Skargo clinging to the wall; even Kuu was keeping her distance. Opus was covering Siren so Cayna couldn’t see her face.

Perhaps struck by guilt for terrifying them, Cayna’s heart twinged. The priests and nuns passing down the hallway had been knocked out by her murderous aura.

“Huh? What?”

It finally dawned on Cayna that this disastrous scene was her own doing. She’d just wanted to stop Opus but had clearly gone overboard.

“‘I messed up’ won’t cut it here. One minute you’re standing there frozen, the next you’re ready to kill. What the hell were you thinking?”

Opus grabbed her shoulders to prevent any sudden movements.

“Don’t I have to stop you?” she retorted with blunt sincerity.

“Me?!”

Anyone would be confused to find out they were the target all along. Shocked and exasperated in equal measure, Opus let go once he was certain Cayna’s rampage was under control.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Skargo. I guess I got a little heated. Is anyone else hur—?”

“No, you have nothing to apologize for, Mother Dear. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as it doesn’t happen again, there is no issue.”

The flustered Skargo rushed to comfort Cayna as her shoulders sank in dejection. The unconscious clergy were gradually transported away by those who had peeked in from the hallways to see what was going on.

“Please excuse me, Mother Dear. There is no need to worry. I will take responsibility for everyone and see to their well-being,” Skargo said, before leaving the sour-faced Opus and guilt-ridden Cayna behind.

“Still letting your overactive imagination run wild, I see.”

“Sniff. I’m sorry.”

“You assumed I’d join the tournament and go on a killing spree, didn’t you? I know you can’t treat players and nonplayers the same. There won’t be any bloodbaths, so just relax.”

As he pinpointed her fears, Cayna shrank into herself even further.

“When you came at me back in the game, the damage was minimal. However, if you mess up for even one second here, that mistake could hurt someone or worse. Be more aware of your surroundings and don’t jump the gun.”

“Right. I’m sorry…”

“You should keep a better eye on her, too, Kee. You’re the only one who can stop her if I’m not around.”

“I strengthened the barrier around her and weakened Intimidate.”

“Ngh. Sorry, Kee. Thanks.”

Cayna had never felt worse and wanted nothing more than to just crawl into a hole.

This sort of thing kept happening, yet it was her prime target, Opus, who dispelled her rage every time. Cayna had a feeling this recent string of revelations had left her emotionally shaken. She tried to control her temper, but Opus was constantly testing her limits.

As she left the church, Cayna gave an elderly nun all-purpose medicine. If anyone who fainted either drank it or had it poured on them, they’d make a full recovery. Unfortunately, even Opus couldn’t have predicted that everyone would go pale and black out after Skargo carelessly revealed its value.

“If you have nothing better to do, then work on controlling your emotions.”

Opus said no more and left. Siren accompanied him as a party member, but since all parties required at least three participants, he’d either have to summon something else or use another method.

“He was always logged in, so I’m sure Opus has the bells for a DLC servant or two…”

When she said this aloud, it made perfect sense. If Opus only ever summoned Siren, did that mean his other creations were cringeworthy in looks and personality? Cayna tried and failed to imagine what kind of obnoxious juvenile servant Opus might’ve come up with. She swore deep down that she’d do a bit of tinkering if she ever met one.

“How am I supposed to control my emotions anyway?”

“It is common practice to meditate or sit under a waterfall.”

“I’m pretty sure the Ejidd River’s waterfalls would crush me like a pancake.”

“My defense barrier will protect you from any immense pressure. Now that you are over level 1,100, you cannot be harmed so easily.”

“So I can outmatch nature now…?”

Cayna also had resistance against the heat and cold, so the elements were no issue. One look at her resistance stats made it clear outer space was practically the only place she couldn’t survive. The same was true of all Skill Masters.

“Let’s say I do sit under a waterfall—isn’t the Ejidd River pretty calm?”

“I believe there are rougher areas near the remote village.”

Perhaps it was a result of the game’s impact on the natural world, but there were rarely reports of flood damage along the Ejidd River due to heavy rains. The fish were plentiful, and the market had a wide variety of game and non-game species. There were several ferocious types that were known to attack humans, but none stood a chance against Cayna or any other player. Even the average citizen could handle them. That is, as long as chimeras like the alligator-shark from the other day didn’t show up.

“That alligator-shark wasn’t Opus’s handiwork, right?”

“We won’t know unless we ask.”

Apparently, even Kee didn’t know Opus well enough to answer.

“Can we deck him? Can we?”

“Kuu, let’s fix that short fuse of yours, too. Okay?”

“Okey doke,” the fairy replied innocently. It was unclear how well she’d actually listen.

Kuu, easily the biggest mystery of all, was duty-bound to support Cayna, yet she did so entirely of her own free will. A main-sub relationship like theirs would typically be rooted in subservience to one’s superior, but from what anyone could tell, Kuu didn’t feel the least bit of tragic heroism. Perhaps it was because Cayna herself didn’t have a good sense of the system, but she hesitated to treat the fairy like an assistant.

Opus, on the other hand, would no doubt boss her around.

“Kuu, do you have any special talents?”

“Oh? Hmmm.”

The fairy crossed her arms and fell into thought. Cayna was about to tell her not to overthink it when Kuu’s hand shot up.

“Eating! Playing! Sleeping!” she chirped.

“Y-yeah. You’ve always got a big, happy smile, Kuu.”

Cayna felt constantly pinned under the fairy’s boundless enthusiasm. She hadn’t been comfortable around the hyperactive children back in the hospital, either, so it was a familiar sensation.

Kuu’s cheer somehow multiplied further as she clung to Cayna’s cheek.

“You’re the bestest,” she said, rubbing their cheeks together. Warmth filled the elf’s heart.

Cayna’s careless mistake had sent her into a spiral of depression, but the fairy’s sincere affection finally managed to lift her spirits.

“Sigh. Thanks, Kuu.”

“Yep!”

Kuu and Cayna looked at each other and smiled. It was then that Cayna realized they were right in the middle of a busy street, and she glanced around to see if they’d become a spectacle. However, no one seemed to care.

“…They definitely should’ve noticed our embarrassing conversation.”

“Opus recently concealed you. Is there an issue?”

To be more accurate, Opus used his unique ability to isolate the group from its surroundings for only a short period of time. When Cayna took a closer look, the passersby were unknowingly skirting around them, and she couldn’t hear any outside noise. If she had to guess, this was the advanced Illusion Magic spell known as Detection Blocker.

However, Opus was constantly doing this sort of thing to her, and Cayna felt a wave of anger, embarrassment, and indignation. Her jumbled feelings threatened to take over, yet she also couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude.

In any case, just as Cayna was desperate for a way to vent her lingering frustrations, Kuu glowed blue. Moments later, Cayna felt completely refreshed.

“What the?!”

“Heh-heh!” Kuu sniffed triumphantly.

“Kuu, you can mimic the Tranquility spell?!”

“I thought I could, and I did!”

The effects Cayna felt appeared to be a product of Kuu’s intuition. Cayna was shocked by its resemblance to magic. The subsystem apparently had the freedom to act upon Kuu’s intentions and motivations.

“You’re amazing, Kuu.”

“Amazing? I’m amazing! Hooray!”

Once she realized she was being praised, Kuu started hopping around excitedly—an impressive feat in midair.

Soon afterward, they heard noises from outside, and Kuu retreated into Cayna’s hair.

The middle-aged man who approached them with a load of luggage had been startled and wobbled dangerously. Cayna reached out to steady him, but his excessive thanks made her feel a little awkward. It wasn’t like she felt no guilt at all.

A sense of culpability still lingered over Cayna as the man bowed repeatedly before disappearing into the crowd. Something odd occurred to her, so she spoke to Kee.

“Kee.”

“Yes?”

“What’s this connection ability Opus has? Is it magic? A skill?”

“…”

Kee seemed to be debating whether to answer. It was hard to tell, since he lacked a physical body, but based on his aura, Cayna imagined him standing there with his arms crossed and swaying from side to side.

“Strictly speaking, it is neither magic nor a skill.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

An ability like that was downright inexplicable to someone like Cayna, who was basically living on a game board and boasted the best skills and magic.

“If anything, you should consider it a power similar to the game system within you.”

“What?!”

The game system could manipulate the players to a certain extent—in the hands of a competent master, that is. If Opus possessed that same power, he’d rule with an iron fist.

“So he’s, like, all-powerful?”

“Do you believe Opus acts in such a manner?”

“…I guess not?”

That’s how Cayna felt, but she could still imagine Opus looking down on duped players with an arrogant laugh as he vanished into the darkness. After all, his actions were an infinite source of terror among players. In the end, however, she came to the conclusion that even if Opus did use his “connection” ability for a bit of trickery, he’d never use it to ensnare players.

“Besides, he insists on using it only for you.”

“Wow, really? How about that.”

Kee sounded confident enough, so it had to be true. At any rate, she decided to trust him and stop wondering about Opus. Her theory was Have faith in the X that believes in X!

Setting aside these complicated thoughts, Cayna returned to her next plan of action. There weren’t many quiet places to meditate and calm her heart in the bustling capital, so she decided to do some adventuring.

“Might as well take on a request or two while I’m here.”

It was the only idea that came to mind, but killing time and making money were more than enough incentive.

“Kuu will help, too!”

“Sure thing. Thanks, Kuu.”

Kuu, who had been hiding in Cayna’s hair to avoid attention, strongly approved. Cayna felt an extra spark of enthusiasm.

“But y’know…things feel a little unsettled, don’t you think?”

Cayna and Kuu passed a number of armed people on their leisurely jaunt through town, some of whom radiated the air of a deranged horned bear. The regular citizens seemed to have caught on as well and openly avoided them.

Although the prerequisite Adventurers Guild request weeded people out of the main tournament, everyone still had to come to the capital to apply. There was no stopping Felskeilo’s influx of ruffians.

The area around the guild was especially populated, since it was the only place in town to register for the tourney preliminary.

Most of the unruly fighters weren’t exactly lookers, and each one wore the same grim expression. There was one slender man with softer features, but since he was just another face in the crowd of tough guys, it was safe to say he was no different.

Cayna figured it was best to lie low, since it felt like everyone had an ax or two to grind with her. Even the kid adventurers who hogged all the local missions were nowhere to be seen, likely scared away by this horde of scary men.

Cayna weaved her way through the crowd, and all attention fell on her the moment she entered the guild. Half stared at her, baffled and wondering what was going on with her; the other half were ogling her nastily.

She couldn’t change her appearance, so her only option was to ignore the lousy lot. Curious if there was anything interesting, Cayna approached the request board, when someone called out to her from the reception desk.

“Oh! Caynaaa! What perfect timing!”

The voice was extremely familiar. Cayna got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she couldn’t pretend not to hear. She reluctantly turned around and saw the guild employee Almana waving to her. Since they met each time Cayna visited the guild, it was no exaggeration to say that Almana was her go-to contact for all requests.

“What’s going on? She’s beaming, but I feel like a bear trap is waiting for me in the back room.”

“I must agree.”

“Um, I’m kinda scared.”

Kee and Cayna were on the same page. Almana, meanwhile, had already made eye contact. No longer able to pretend it was just her imagination, Cayna gave up and approached her.

“H-hey, Almana.”

“Hello there, Cayna. It’s been a while.”

Cayna grew nervous seeing Almana’s professional smile.

“Are you here to take on a request today?”

“You might say that. I was curious if anything interesting popped up.”

“So you’re saying you have free time? Is that correct?” Almana inquired, leaning forward with a devious expression.

Cayna winced at her own failure to seize the initiative. Although fifteen times older than Almana, she was a greenhorn in terms of life experience.

“Actually, I have a request I can only entrust to you. You’ll accept it, right? Everyone in the guild is already amazed by how you can take on an entire horde of bandits single-handedly.”

“Hold it, hold it!”

The very mention of this open secret meant Cayna couldn’t possibly refuse. All too late, she mourned allowing Tartarus/Exis to reveal her name. As usual, she lacked the skills to verbally challenge various adventurers and veteran guild staff alike.

“Well then, I’ll nominate you for the request and double the reward.”

“C’mon…”

Soon enough, Cayna was handed the request. Something about this felt extremely familiar.

“…Sniff.”

“You should give up and get it over with.”

“Fight, Cayna, fight!”

All her Divine Spirit and fairy could do was cheer her on before Almana led her to another room to discuss the details. The Deputy Guildmaster joined them.

“First of all, I would like to thank you for accepting our request,” he said, bowing his head.

“More like I was forced to accept,” Cayna muttered under her breath. The Deputy Guildmaster frowned.

She didn’t intend to complain; since the request was already underway, she’d follow it through to completion. Although Cayna likely could have refused, she felt that alone was no excuse. Plus, Almana was an acquaintance; if the request had come from a random staff member, she would’ve said no in a heartbeat.

“Cayna? Might I continue?”

“Sure, go ahead. I won’t know the game plan otherwise,” she answered apathetically.

Almana and the Deputy Guildmaster felt let down. After all, based on her mumbled dissatisfaction moments earlier, they realized there was still a chance Cayna might change her mind.

“Um, we would like you to act as a temporary proctor. What do you think?” the deputy asked.

“A proctor? You mean for the tourney preliminaries?”

“Right. We also want you to fight the candidates and test their qualifications.”

“So it’s combat of all the things…”

If this was a request to fight, Cayna had to be cautious. After all, unlike a battle against tough players, brawling the people of this world would require as much delicacy as building a house of cards.

“The Adventurers Guild is asking this of you because we know about your hidden battle achievements,” said Almana. “We promise not to tell anyone else, of course.”

Somehow, the guild had taken note when Cayna wiped out the bandits in Helshper in her battle record; this incident was currently one of the guild’s closest guarded secrets. She had assumed the story ended with her protecting Caerina and the other knights from the rock golems at the fortress and handing over Luvrogue, but Caerina must have used her connections (probably with Sakaiya) to report Cayna’s success to the Adventurers Guild and make it a guild staff secret.

“Looks like things have gotten complicated.”

“The implication appears to be that they are at their wit’s end. I suggest we overcharge them.”

Kee, oblivious to the plight of the negotiators, suggested the outrageous. A quiet “Nghhh” could be heard from within Cayna’s hair. Kuu seemed upset about something, although Cayna wasn’t sure if she was just reacting to the word battle.

No one knows what I have to deal with, Cayna thought with a strained smile. She took a sip of tea and prompted Almana to continue.

“Um, so you want me to mercilessly pummel one party in particular. Am I getting that right?”

“Correct. We understand our request is misguided, Miss Cayna, but no other guild member could possibly handle them.”

“Isn’t that basically fixing the game…?”

Cayna muttered her honest feelings as she gripped her head.

In short, their request went something like this:

Knock the party known as Viper’s Belly into next week.

From what she’d heard, Viper’s Belly was a group of infamous, conniving troublemakers who inconvenienced everyone around them. Although fellow adventurers, their modus operandi was gray bordering on black, and their considerable power made them unstoppable.

“Just on the border of evil, huh? That’s some genius calculation.”

The stories put a tired grimace on her face.

For instance, the group would often say things like, We were attacked during a Forest Wolf hunt, yet they would submit parts of other monsters they had defeated elsewhere earlier. Even if the guild tried to object, they couldn’t investigate for fraud, since the “hunted” parts were already at least a day old.

Furthermore, despite a belongings pre-check, they had harmed participants and spectators alike after spreading poison and paralyzing power during a previous tourney. To make matters worse, although murder was strictly forbidden, the opponents struck by paralysis were sent to the brink of death. Everyone in the audience fainted as well, and the savage attack nearly turned the event into a bloodbath.

However, even when Viper’s Belly’s luggage was checked after the tournament, there wasn’t a single suspicious item or dangerous weapon to be found. Cayna suspected they were hiding the evidence by using a special time-freezing item to store things away.

“An Item Box, maybe…?”

“They are most likely players. If that is the case, there is no need to hold back.”

Kee’s bloodlust aside, the goal of the request was to kick Viper’s Belly out of the preliminaries. No more, no less.

“We must stand firm against shameless fools who dare to represent the Adventurers Guild!” the Deputy Guildmaster shouted with red-hot fury. He nearly burst a vein as he slammed his fist on the table.

Almana turned white as a sheet and trembled at the sight. Apparently, even the man who had explained their request with all the enthusiasm of a document review could contain himself no more and fell into an ogre-like rage.

“I w-wasn’t expecting that,” Cayna said.

“Ah, I am terribly sorry.”

The deputy apologized for his lapse in judgment and helped Almana clean up the spilled tea.

Cayna nodded. “It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll accept your request.”

“What?!”

“R-really?!”

The pair’s eyes went wide, and they stood with the cloth and tea set in hand. Almana’s body language seemed to say, Now that she gets it, I won’t let her escape.

Was that how badly she wanted this?

“A-are you certain?! You might perish!”

“Umm, would you like me to do this or not?”

The Deputy Guildmaster slammed both hands on the table and leaned forward to question the strength of Cayna’s resolve. She understood their concerns, but she’d had enough of the twenty questions.

“I will proceed with our request. Also, Miss Cayna. We will begin immediately, but are you prepared?”

“Huh? So soon?”

“Yes. In truth, since our examiner hadn’t arrived yet, we’ve been keeping them waiting. Those unsavory men you saw earlier were Viper’s Belly.”

“Ah.”

Yes, she remembered the tough guys accompanied by a milder looking one at the entrance. It seemed that this meek man and his party were the problematic Viper’s Belly.

Cayna would know which ones were players if she used Search. Were only some of them players, or was it the whole group? It’d remain a mystery until she checked; the thrill reminded her of using a gacha machine.

“The real question is how I’ll break their spirits.”

“Kuu will blow them to smithereens!”

“We’ll definitely have casualties if you step in, Kuu. I’m begging you to sit this one out.”

In her excitement, Kuu carelessly flew from Cayna’s hair and made Almana drop her pen. Not only that, just as he was about to leave, the stunned Deputy Guildmaster froze with the tea set in his hands.

“Wh-wh-wha…?”

“A f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-fairy?”

The legend of the fairies was apparently just as true in the big cities. Both looked at Kuu in utter amazement, and the fairy quickly retreated. Although shocked and motionless herself, Almana’s eyes sparkled. This radiance soon stretched across her entire face.

Needless to say, the root cause was the folktale that said spotting a fairy will bring happiness. Cayna heard only children believed such tales, but it was probably different here in the city.

Cayna had no idea how this all started, but it was no doubt a nuisance for fairies everywhere. She personally didn’t believe a single word. Back in the game, the rule with fairies was “avoid at all costs!” and “run away if you see one!”

Fairies were supposed to be neutral NPCs, yet they did everything to antagonize the player. If you accidentally wandered into their territory, one would sweetly say, “I’ll bless your armor,” steal all your equipment, and throw you back out.

Cayna couldn’t relate, since high elves were the only ones fairies respected, but she was also indirectly inconvenienced. They would constantly give her equipment stripped from newbie players as gifts, and this became such an ongoing issue that false charges of high elf players using fairies to mug people began to crop up. Cayna had countless bitter memories of self-righteous players picking PvP fights with her.

“Cayna, that was…!”

“Yeah.”

All that aside, Almana implored Cayna with sparkling eyes and an expectant smile. Now that she’d actually seen Kuu, it was too late to insist that the fairy was just her imagination. Left with no other choice, Cayna tugged Kuu from her hair under the condition that Almana keep it a secret.

“Harumph.” Kuu remained petulant and puffed her cheeks in displeasure.

“You’re the one who dashed out, Kuu. It’s just for right now, so bear with it.”

There was really no helping it. The irritable fairy did a few laps around Almana and the Deputy Guildmaster.

“An honest-to-goodness Great Fairy…”

“Ohhhh…”

Almana, whose hands were clasped in prayer, was fine enough. However, the deputy’s large, tearful eyes were seriously off-putting.

Nevertheless, this was Kuu’s only intended appearance. When she instantaneously disappeared (although Cayna could still see her), the pair’s shoulders drooped with disappointment.

“Aww, the Great Fairy is gone. Still, now I’ll finally be able to get married!”

This was apparently something Almana had heard, but for someone like Cayna, who became a great-grandmother without even trying, it was an incomprehensible desire. Most women of marrying age would surely be appalled to hear such a thing.

When the trio finished their conversation and exited the room, the Deputy Guildmaster offered to accompany Cayna as a referee.

“I see. So where should I fight these guys? We’re not doing it in the Battle Arena, right?”

“We reserved a place in advance. It’s on the parade grounds outside the western gate,” Almana answered.

“Do be careful, Miss Cayna. Whatever happens, your life must come first.”

“Ah, right. Thanks, I’ll do my best.”

Cayna waved good-bye to Almana as she and her guide left the Adventurers Guild. It was some distance to the western gate, so they took a stagecoach through town. Cayna could have traveled faster over the rooftops if she’d been on her own. Someone else was with her, however, so she went along quietly.

Although technically a stagecoach, it was more like an uncovered wagon pulled by two donkeys with low wooden boxes on either side. According to the Deputy Guildmaster, there were several stagecoaches circuiting the capital, and the fare was one bronze coin.

“Whoa, that’s it?!”

“Ha-ha-ha, you can thank the nobles for that. Now even children can afford them.”

The stagecoaches around town were a collaboration between several noble families. Among these was the family of Mai-Mai’s husband, the Harveys.

There were also stagecoaches traveling along the highway that Cayna heard were run by the Adventurers Guild. Adventurers could double as guards, and the fare was cheap. However, it still cost at least ten silver coins.

The Deputy Guildmaster was surprisingly eloquent and an excellent conversationalist. He shared various anecdotes about the guild with Cayna until they finally arrived at the western gate.

“It feels kind of dangerous around here,” she said.

The western gate had a heavier air about it and stricter security than when she passed through it before.

“These are defense measures to prevent troublesome characters from entering the capital.”

“Gotcha.”

The Deputy Guildmaster’s expression was mixed, but Cayna simply nodded as she blocked the path of someone who just entered the city: a young man with a kind smile who looked like a peddler.

“Yes, miss? How can I help you?”

“You’re a merchant, right? What do you sell?”

“Nothing a lovely girl like yourself would need, unfortunately. I’m afraid I sell small accessories at most. Please excuse me.”

The man offered an innocent look of apology and quickly tried passing her, but Cayna bluntly called out, “How many wallets did you steal while waiting in line?”

The man, the nearby guards, and even the Deputy Guildmaster stared at her in shock.

“N-n-none. Why would you make such a false accusation, miss?”

Cayna ignored his firm protest as she swung her right arm down diagonally. Her fingertips sliced through the wind and left the man speechless. With the simultaneous rattle of coins, several leather wallets and stuffed bags rolled to the ground.

All around them, curious onlookers gaped in surprise. A single slice of Cayna’s right arm had opened the man’s inner pocket and revealed the fruits of his labors.

“Tch!”

It was impressive how fast he tried to make a run for it as soon as he realized the cards were against him. Unfortunately, his opponent wasn’t in the mood. Kicked from below, the man sailed diagonally through the air as he spun like a top. In the blink of an eye, he struck the ground and splayed unconscious across the ground. The confused soldiers soon rushed over to apprehend the pathetic young man.

“Thank you for your assistance!”

“Don’t sweat it. It was just a coincidence.”

The soldiers lavished her with gratitude, but Cayna couldn’t stand it. It really was a huge fluke. She was just curious about what would happen if she used Search on the crowd waiting in line. Who would’ve guessed a swindler and pickpocket was hanging out by the very front? The man himself was probably more confused than anyone else.

“Unlike when I find players, the display just now showed me people’s jobs, titles, and backstory. What’s that all about?”

“May I ask what you mean for reference?”

“One line had their name and level. I saw the man was a swindler, and a bonus comment said, ‘Steals countless wallets on the side.’”

“I see. This appears to be more than a mere advantage of the game system.”

As Kee spoke, the captain of the western gate said, “Please forgive the trouble, Miss Knight Captain Fiancée!”

Cayna did a spit take.

“I’d heard rumors,” said the Deputy Guildmaster, “but is it true?”

It was scary enough that her rumored status as the knight captain’s fiancée was common knowledge, thanks to a secret communication network. Did everyone look down on Shining Saber, or were they just worried for him?

At any rate, she’d start by clearing up the misunderstandings around her.

“Please don’t believe every rumor you hear!”

“R-right… I understand now, so let go of my shoulders. I hear creaks and groans.”

The pale Deputy Guildmaster acknowledged his error before guiding them to a very familiar place just beyond the western gate.

“Isn’t this where Li’l P went wild when Felskeilo was under attack?”

This area had been their final line of defense, and under the premise of keeping soldiers and adventurers at the ready, the forests on either side of the main road were cleared out and repurposed as training grounds. This way, they could effectively stare down people passing along the main road and defend the city if anything happened.

At present, stationed soldiers on one side were neck-deep in training. Across from them on the opposite side, five men were lazily sitting around.

“You sure kept us waiting.”

“Thought we’d be here all day.”

As the Deputy Guildmaster approached, a slim man with a wand staggered to his feet. His four companions were a bald human, a human with an eyepatch, a gray kobold, and a human with a mohawk stuck in the last century.

These five were the party known as Viper’s Belly.

Cayna’s Search confirmed four of the members were below level 40. The only player was the mohawked man with the outdated fashion sense. At just under level 100, he posed no threat.

“You’ll be fighting this girl for the preliminary round. If you win, you’ll qualify for the tournament,” the Deputy Guildmaster explained.

The party began whistling and clapping.

“We just gotta take down one little girl?!”

“You sayin’ we should go easy on her?”

“I think the Deputy Guildmaster is goin’ senile!”

“What’s the point of such an easy test?”

As four members of the group disparaged Cayna, it was the slim man with the wand who spoke harshly.

“Careful, folks. Rumors about that girl occasionally go around the pubs. They say she walked on water. Ordinary methods may not work.”

This silenced the others’ raucous laughter, and their easygoing air immediately shifted into battle mode. Each readied his weapon and scowled at Cayna.

Sheesh, it would’ve been easier if they underestimated me.

“You would have preferred a group of alpha males?”

Cayna had been thinking she could easily take the men down if only they’d continued to underestimate her. This was completely beyond her expectations, and she let out a sigh. After all, she never thought walking on water would’ve made her famous.

Cayna had been expecting a bunch of lowlifes based on what she’d heard so far, but their degree of self-control was surprising.

“What, this kid?” one asked.

“Doesn’t look it to me…”

Despite their skepticism, however, only Mohawk’s narrowed eyes popped open as he quickly retreated. He must have used Search as well only to be stunned when he couldn’t find anything. By this point, the one other person who could peruse Cayna’s stats was her equal, Opus.

Only her name and kingdom allegiance were visible at present, but few players would realize she was the Silver Ring Witch without being told so. It was pretty rich for someone around level 100 to try analyzing Cayna.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

“This girl is trouble! She’s bad news, Boss!” the terrified Mohawk warned. It wasn’t like he knew her true identity, but there was no hiding his panic.

“Prepare for the worst! If we can’t pass this preliminary round, we can kiss those fun days good-bye,” their leader commanded.

“““R-right!”””

Roused by the quiet man’s rebuke, each member brandished his weapon of choice. Anyone caught in the chaos of previous tournaments would’ve liked to give these guys a piece of their mind.

If Cayna went easy on Viper’s Belly and let them pass the preliminaries, she couldn’t complete her guild request. On the other hand, she’d be changing more than the terrain if she got careless and cast a lethal spell. It’d be inexcusable to torment them beyond even a broken heart.

She took out a twisted weapon from her Item Box. It was a sword with a fanged mouth across its blade. This was a Hungry Like the Wolf Sword just like the one Luvrogue wielded.

The moment she unsheathed it, the jaws clanked open and shut with an unsettling “Geh-geh-geh-geh-geh!” The incomprehensible Hungry Like the Wolf Sword was an event reward that fell into periodic silence and had the unique ability to devour any weapon that tried to challenge it. As a side note, the rare, moaning, laughing sword was number two on the list of most repulsive weapons. Number one was another noisy item known for obliterating enemy weapons—the Shut Yer Yap Shield.

The moment Cayna drew the Hungry Like the Wolf Sword, Mohawk turned white as a sheet.

“Damn it! This is what’s wrong with the Black Kingdom!”

Huh?

“Oh-ho. I see there is kingdom prejudice here, too.”

Cayna was thoroughly confused, but Kee appeared to be enjoying himself. It felt like he was smirking somehow.

She didn’t entirely get it, but back in the game, the Black Kingdom was everyone’s most loathed opponent during Battle Events. According to average players, it was inundated with untouchable Limit Breakers and weirdo guilds.

Aside from the small yet powerful all-Limit Breaker Cream Cheese guild, there was the Fuma Ninja Army guild, who enjoyed playing tricks on players and NPCs alike.

The Pink Pineapple guild was a band of perverts (including a single, cross-dressing, middle-aged man who ran an in-game bar) known for occasionally abducting handsome male players.

Other guilds had a longstanding reputation of accurately streaming the war situation in each nation while simultaneously filling smaller related events with seat warmers just to disrupt the whole scenario.

There were plenty of other kooky characters, but at any rate, it was an assembly of guilds who all had a quirk or two.

Every nation had the same issue at first, but these exiled outcasts gradually converged in the Black Kingdom. The Black Kingdom wasn’t entirely to blame, since everyone else resorted to expulsion in an effort to preserve their own dignity.

Opus was the commander of the misfits, and since the neighboring White and Purple Kingdoms suffered terribly after every Battle Event, this led most players to believe the Black Kingdom was a menace.

Mohawk must have been convinced of this as well. Together with a string of curses, he insisted they avoid fighting.

“Seriously, this girl is trouble. Let’s back down.”

“What kind of fool are you? Our entire year of preparation will come to nothing if we do that.”

“It’s better than dying!”

“She’s just one opponent. Even a chance to make the first move would not save her. Prepare for battle. Is that understood?”

“Sniff. Y-yes…”

Did the mousey guy have something on Mohawk? Cayna got the impression this player was being bossed around by your average joe.

Although Cayna could hear her opponents, she was too preoccupied with figuring out how to fight without killing anyone. Kee recorded every word but planned to delete the conversation unless Cayna asked to review it.

It was one-on-five, and there were several meters between the two parties. Across the way, the soldiers paused their training and looked eager to watch the preliminary match.

“Listen up. If you lose, you’re disqualified. Killing is also grounds for disqualification. That means you, Viper’s Belly! Don’t get crazy!”

“It’ll be fine, Ref. She’s a girl, after all, and I’m always a proper gentleman. Especially in bed,” Slim replied.

His lustful gaze didn’t sway Cayna in the least. She had a tough skin, thanks to the nonstop wave of racy comments from guild members like Ebelope. Even her gaze remained steady. Slim eyed her dubiously.

“Begin!”

At the Deputy Guildmaster’s signal, the preliminary match commenced.

Meanwhile, a pleasant, familiar voice cried, “Do your best, Mother!”

Cayna instinctively looked back at the main road. Mai-Mai was waving wildly and threw her a wink.

“…What’s she doing here?” Cayna mumbled with surprise—and clearly leaving herself wide open.

The battle began with a great ball of fire.

“Fireball! Ha-ha-ha-ha! You’ll regret underestimating us!”

Slim’s veneer of chivalry fell as he sneered. The fireball flew straight at Cayna and swallowed her up in a violent explosion.

Despite her mother disappearing into a ball of flame, Mai-Mai remained calm and continued observing with a cheerful smile. As a shock wave rattled the area, the kobold threw two knives to deal the finishing blow.

“Tch, my weapon didn’t even get to see any action,” Patchy grumbled as he stifled a yawn.

“That didn’t do nothin’!” Mohawk frantically yelled. He once again readied his large sword.

Cayna appeared from the smoke unharmed and tossed the two knives she’d been twirling in her right hand behind her.

“That it?” She asked with a tilt of the head and a confident smile.

“Shaaa!”

Patchy swung his enormous blade down on her, and Cayna countered it with the Hungry Like the Wolf Sword in her left hand.

“You’re wide open!”

Baldy materialized from the shadows of Patchy and thrust his blade toward Cayna’s stomach. However, an invisible wall several centimeters in front of her blocked the pointed tip.

“Wha?!”

“That’s impossible.”

Cayna held her right palm in front of Baldy. He looked up at her between those fingers, and his eyes bulged.

Magic Skill: Gluttony Gurgle

“Sleep.”

A black mist poured from her palm and enveloped Baldy. It quickly dissipated but left him collapsed on the ground.

“““?!”””

Three fighters gulped nervously at the sight.

“He’s just passed out!” Mohawk shouted.

Patchy soon returned to his senses and realized his opponent’s sword was making a bizarre noise.

Munch, munch, crunch, crunch.

Cayna’s blade was gnawing on his own giant sword, and cracks formed as it broke into tiny pieces. His enemy’s weapon seemed determined to leave nothing behind. It was more like a gluttonous monster than anything else.

Patchy rushed to put distance between them. A quarter of his weapon was already gone, so it wouldn’t do him much good.

“What the hell?!”

He couldn’t keep up with the madness. Whether it be her words or movements, Patchy wanted Mohawk to explain everything. However, even the player didn’t have all the details.

Expressionless, Cayna twirled Wolf Sword in her hand and pointed its tip at the kobold.

“You tried to shoot poison and paralysis into the air earlier, but that won’t work on me.”

Cayna was surrounded by Status Windows visible only to her. These monitored the local environment, and she’d already received multiple notifications: Poison Nullification activated and Paralysis Nullification activated.

The rattled kobold hastily flailed his arms and hid a bag behind his back. His guilt was all too obvious.

His comrades clicked their tongues, and the frozen kobold began sweating like a waterfall. The Deputy Guildmaster shot a fierce look but refused to halt the match until a final outcome was decided.

“Damn it. How about this, then?!” Slim howled.

He produced a fireball one size larger than the last one, and it came flying at Cayna to swallow her up.

Magic Skill: Ice Arrow Liza

“Hyah!”

Cayna shot a pen-sized ice arrow directly at the fireball. Anyone except Cayna and Mai-Mai would have expected it to evaporate in a flash.

However, the ice arrow pierced the fireball and transformed it into a rain of sparks. Everyone’s eyes instantly turned to dots, and the flying ice arrow broke the befuddled mage’s wand after striking it head-on.

“Aghhh?!”

The others turned toward Slim’s anguished cry, and their own faces contorted with misery.

“You still wanna go?” Cayna asked, hands on her hips as she drove the four into a corner.

If anything, she was taking every precaution not to kill them. In terms of effective magic that would knock them right out, she could only think of Gluttony Gurgle. However, she could also put them to sleep with an instrument or win by dodging enough to wear them down. Or she could give them a taste of helplessness by breaking their arms and legs one by one.

…Yikes.

Cayna had a feeling she was slowly turning into Opus.

““““No! It’s not over yet!””””

Mohawk took out a Hungry Like the Wolf Sword just like Cayna’s, Slim cast magic without his wand, Patchy drew a short sword from his side, and the kobold wielded multiple knives.

Cayna let out a heavy sigh, not from exasperation but from resignation. She decided to cast her last resort.

Summoning Magic: Emperor Slime

A summoning circle two meters in diameter formed on the ground before Cayna, forcing Viper’s Belly to halt their charge and stumble in their tracks. Soon enough, a palm-sized pudding materialized from the circle. To be more precise, it was a slime that resembled a certain flower-shaped pudding and wore a crown on its head.

The party looked between the pudding, Cayna, and each other, then burst into laughter.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! “That’s her backup?!”

“Gwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! She ain’t givin’ us much credit!”

“Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! What’s that little pip-squeak gonna do?!”

“Fwa-ha-ha-ha-ha, I’ve got this! Just sit back and watch!”

As the kobold prepared to throw his knives, the Emperor Slime’s round sesame seed-like eyes turned to Cayna. She nodded and gave a single command: “Stomachache.”

The Emperor Slime immediately spewed the kobold in a golden fog, and he squeezed his eyes shut in dreaded anticipation. However, upon the realization that nothing was happening, he took a timid peek and patted himself all over.

Naturally, the three Viper’s Belly members who had previously fallen silent stared dazedly before bursting into another round of laughter.

That is, until they heard what sounded like thunder.

The battleground that once echoed with only men’s jeers was suddenly struck by an unnatural rumbling. Meanwhile, the kobold dropped his dual throwing knives and fell to the ground clutching his stomach.

“Wh-what’s wrong?!”

As his comrades raced over, the kobold broke out in a sweat. His tongue lolled from his open mouth.

“M-my stomach…h-hurts,” he moaned feebly.

Slim, Mohawk, and Patchy gasped in realization and turned to stare at the pudding responsible. Cayna, on the other hand, issued her next order to the Emperor Slime.

“Vomit.”

This time, all four were struck by an extreme nausea. It wasn’t like they’d been drinking or binge eating, yet a violent urge to puke welled up from the pits of their stomachs. Only the men’s pride and stubborn refusal to look pathetic just barely kept their lunches down.

“Hangover.”

In that same vein, an excruciating headache struck them like an alarm bell. Their ears rang endlessly as the nucleus of each brain radiated with unbearable pain. The men fell to the ground, clasping their mouths and heads, but this did nothing to ease their torment.

“You guys are more stubborn than I thought,” Cayna mumbled as she stared at the anguished Viper’s Belly.

In truth, groaning was all they could manage, thanks to the excruciating pain.

The Emperor Slime tried to hop up on Cayna’s left shoulder but scurried over to her right when Kuu poked out of Cayna’s hair and growled.

“Come on, Kuu. Don’t be immature,” Cayna chided.

“Booo.”

Kuu sat and sulked on the left shoulder she’d just chased the Emperor Slime away from.

“H-hey, are they going to make it?”

The Deputy Guildmaster worriedly pointed to the unfortunate quintet. It was an odd question, given how much he hated them.

“I just hit them with a status ailment.”

“Should they really be in this much pain?”

It was an agony only those who knew extreme nausea and killer hangovers could ever understand. The experience was pure hell if you didn’t have any Pain Resistance skills.

“Well, I don’t see how the battle can continue,” the Deputy Guildmaster mumbled.

“M-Mother, what is that summons?” Mai-Mai asked with a grimace.

“It’s a level-300 Emperor Slime. They’re great at inflicting status ailments and know spells even players can’t use.”

They play dirty, though, she mentally added.

Back in the game, even Limit Breakers had trouble dealing with this type of monster, since Emperor Slimes lacked nullification skills and usually hung back behind an army of minions.

“Maybe I oughtta toss in two more.”

Mai-Mai and the Deputy Guildmaster desperately clung to Cayna as she glared at the Viper’s Belly punks whose faces had gone from pale to ghostly white. No matter how deep his hatred, the Deputy Guildmaster wasn’t so despicable that he’d pour salt on the wound of a miserable, writhing enemy.

The way Cayna saw it, she just had to break their spirits until she struck down the root of the problem.

“Please, Mother! I beg you to stop this tyranny!”

“‘Tyranny’? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Y-you win this battle. Release them already and collect your reward at the guild! I beg of you!”

“Why do I feel like the bad guy here?”

She ordered the Emperor Slime to release Viper’s Belly, and their caterpillar-like squirming eased before finally coming to a complete stop. Foam poured from the putrid mouth of the first victim, the kobold with the stomachache. He was knocked out with his eyes rolled back.

Aside from a slight decrease in HP, all five were in fine health upon release from their status ailments. The trauma, however, was permanent.

The men sluggishly woke as Mai-Mai cast Simple Substance Recovery Dewl on each one. The moment their skeptical gazes caught sight of Cayna, the kobold and Slim yelped and hightailed it straight out of the training grounds. No one even had time to react.

Needless to say, only Baldy woke up refreshed from his mid-battle nap. Mohawk and Patchy, on the other hand, fainted again.

“Sigh. I’ll take it from here. Go on ahead, Cayna.”

“I agree, Mother. Let’s head to the guild.”

As the Deputy Guildmaster pressed a hand to his forehead and Mai-Mai pushed her from behind, Cayna returned to Felskeilo.

Back at the Adventurers Guild, Cayna heard Viper’s Belly disbanded. But that’s a story for another time.