In the Land of Leadale - Volume 8 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - A Meeting, a Request, Introductions and a Revelation

Meanwhile, as Cayna bounced event ideas off Opus…

In the office of Felskeilo’s High Priest, Mai-Mai and Skargo were having a meeting of their own. The Academy normally hosted an event around the same time as the tourney, but the schedule had been thrown out of whack, thanks to the wild duel between Shining Saber and Cohral.

“For some reason, I feel like we’ve had an inordinate number of surprises this year…”

“Perhaps it’s because Mother has come out of hiding?”

“Watch your tongue, Mai-Mai. You’ll pay dearly if you insinuate Mother Dear is to blame.”

Mai-Mai sensed Cayna’s shadow nearby whenever chaos broke out in the capital and accidentally spoke these thoughts aloud. Skargo had considered the same possibility, but the image of his mother’s terrifying grin drained the color from his face and prompted him to admonish Mai-Mai.

Their present discussion revolved around staff recruitment even though, as an annual affair, the matter had been largely decided beforehand. It was only a formality, but the siblings rarely had the chance to spend quality time together despite their close geographic proximity.

The school function in question was a survival course to be held outside the capital. There were several reasons why this coincided with the tourney.

First of all, since adventurers and other skilled individuals gathered in Felskeilo during the tourney, the threat of monsters around the capital decreased significantly. Lodgings also filled up fast during this time, so most adventurers booked an extended stay and paid for their room by taking on local monster requests. Their safety wasn’t guaranteed, but it was easier to take out multiple enemies as a group.

In addition, excitement rose to a fever pitch around ten or so days prior to the tourney. The Academy took on a festive air, and classes were the last thing on anyone’s minds. Eager to join the jamboree, volunteer students set up stalls on the school grounds for public enjoyment.

Aside from those tasked with supervision, the instructors had plenty of free time and were sent to oversee the survival course instead. Since the tourney had fizzled out like a balloon this year, a secondary festival was held to ease the citizens’ disappointment. As far as the Academy was concerned, this just meant more time to party. The survival course was completely optional and included a liability waver that stated any loss of life during the survival course was not the responsibility of the Academy. It was, in other words, a last will and testament.

Even with the instructors and adventurers acting as minders, countless lives were lost each year due to unfortunate accidents. The Academy kept a watchful eye, but not everyone was accustomed to the great outdoors. Moreover, the adventurers doubled as both guards and guides, since most of the school’s faculty was composed of reclusive researchers.

Mai-Mai was their headmistress and a former Imperial Mage. She could be counted on for firepower in a pinch, so leaving the capital was easier said than done. The training camp was primarily spearheaded by former adventurers and knights who had turned to teaching upon retirement.

“You have adequate guards, don’t you?” Skargo asked.

“The princess will participate this year, so several Imperial Knights will accompany her. Our usual volunteer adventurers also made inquiries before registration even opened, and I’ve asked Mother to join as well.”

“Do you intend to hire Mother Dear for a pittance? Curb your expectations, Mai-Mai.”

“I always pay the adventurers a fair sum! Mother is among their number, so I’m certain she’ll accept the same amount.”

“Well, I suppose I can’t argue with that…”

His sister’s emphatic response overwhelmed Skargo. Indeed, their mother was not one to disregard her children’s wishes.

“Those whom we accepted into the church last year are keen to participate. As former apprentices, they’ll use their experiences to shepherd this year’s initiates.”

“I’m glad to hear your priests are growing up well, Brother.”

“That is thanks to recent events. However, very few people still count as apprentices after all the activity over the past year, such as the attack on the capital.”

The church sent healers to events to provide potions and the like, but their main objective was to cultivate their members. By assigning three or four apprentices to one veteran monk or nun, each novice could become more acclimated to working on the front lines. Aside from those who chose to embark on a pilgrimage, most in the church never left the capital. A survival course was therefore an excellent opportunity to train.

The tension from dealing with both a monstrous rampage and an ambush in a single year had undoubtedly accelerated the personal growth of all involved.

“Still, the Imperial Knights are going to escort the princess?” Skargo asked Mai-Mai.

“The knight captain has been busy since the tourney.”

“Well, I must admit even I was dumbfounded.”

When disaster struck the Battle Arena like a typhoon, even Skargo had to frown. His mother’s unbelievable feats had convinced the High Priest he’d seen it all, but in that very moment, he felt there was still extraordinary talent hidden in this world.

The knight captain in question was responsible for the incident and had apparently been relieved of his post. He carried out assistant-type duties for the time being, which meant mountains of extra work for the co-captain. The knights as a whole were a jumbled mess.

After leaving Opus and flying off to Felskeilo, Cayna appeared in a waiting room of the cathedral via the whale Guardian.

Skargo had said the magic rhymestones would message him whenever someone (mainly Cayna) entered this room, and she steeled herself for his imminent arrival. However, the tall effect-happy weirdo never came. Suddenly suspicious, Cayna left the cathedral and headed for the Academy next door. The gatekeeper let her enter without argument and informed the headmistress.

“We dropped by at the last minute, but it was nice of them to give her a heads-up,” said Cayna.

“Heads-up, heads-up!” Kuu parroted her and flitted happily through the air. The school building was mostly empty, so she wasn’t too concerned about flying around in public.

“Oh, Miss Cayna!”

“Hi there, Lonti.”

As Cayna walked down the hallway toward the headmistress’s office, Lonti appeared in front of her with a bundle of papers. Kuu didn’t bother hiding; she’d met Lonti a few times before (mostly when she was still invisible) and was likely used to her by now.

“You’re still studying at a time like this?” Cayna asked Lonti.

“Huh? Ah! N-no, this is different!”

As Cayna eyed the documents with a smile, Lonti quickly explained herself. There was no reason to act so flustered, but she felt an odd urge to set the record straight.

“My grandfather told me I should learn how to run events for future reference. This time I’ve been put in charge of procuring supplies…”

“Whoa.”

“I’m on my way to bring some materials to the school storehouse.”

“Can you manage all this okay by yourself?”

“Yes, I have the help of a few students who also plan to become civil officials.”

“I seeeee. That’s fantastic,” Cayna said with a smile, nodding repeatedly.

Lonti’s face grew beet red. “R-right. Well then, are you visiting the headmistress?”

“Bingo. I got asked to be a guard for your school event.”

“Both the princess and I will be very relieved if you’re an escort!” Lonti broke into a wide grin.

Cayna picked up on a certain word in her response and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“I knew it,” she replied. “I heard from Mai-Mai that Mye is going to participate, too. It’s strange enough that you would enter, Lonti. She’s your future queen. Is this really such a good idea?”

Lonti paused for a moment but soon determined it was safe to answer.

“Yes. It is reasonable for those unaware to be concerned, but royals must learn to stand on their own two feet.”

“And that includes camping outside the city?”

“Y-yes, it does.”

Lonti herself didn’t sound entirely convinced. She looked away and didn’t refute Cayna’s exasperated comment.

“Huh… So it’s like a custom?”

“Custom? Well, yes and no…”

Lonti put a hand to her cheek and looked briefly confused, but she panicked when she remembered the load in her arms.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Please excuse me, Miss Cayna.”

“You’ve gotta deliver that, right? Sorry for holding you up.”

“Not at all. I’ll leave the escort matter to you. Please take care.”

Lonti bowed several times before heading to the stairs. Cayna saw her off with a wave.

“Guess I’ve got no choice,” she muttered, clenching her fist.

“You’re gonna be a guard?” asked Kuu, already perched on Cayna’s shoulder.

“Mai-Mai is counting on me, and how can I say no after what Lonti said?”

“Hmm.” Kuu tilted her head curiously.

Cayna nodded. Her Skill Master name would be sullied if she didn’t give 110 percent, but she wasn’t too gung ho about the idea, either. Her work environment would be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

She knocked on the headmistress’s door.

“Come in!” Mai-Mai called from inside.

Cayna offered a cursory “Pardon me” before entering the room. Two other people, presumably faculty members, were present as well. Kuu sensed them and immediately hid behind Cayna. When her mother peeked out from behind the door, Mai-Mai paused their discussion. Her solemn expression melted into a puddle.

“Mother!”

““What?!””

“Ah, wait!”

Mai-Mai skirted around her desk like a ninja and ignored the stupefied instructors, lunging at Cayna with arms wide open for an embrace. Cayna intercepted this by seizing Mai-Mai’s face in a viselike grip.

“Agh-gah-gah-gah-gah?!”

““Headmistress?!””

“I told you not to cling to me in public!”

Mai-Mai crumpled as Cayna squeezed her face and broke into a lecture. Cayna then bowed to the two guests.

“You’re so harsh, Mother!”

“And you mustn’t ingratiate yourself at work,” Cayna said, utterly fed up.

Surprisingly enough, the two faculty members wholeheartedly agreed. Their headmistress’s frivolity had apparently put these two through the ringer as well. Mai-Mai urged them to resume their earlier conversation, but both insisted on some other time and turned to leave the office.

“Headmistress, please do not leave the room when you are finished.”

Despite their smiles, this request was distinctly intimidating.

Exhausted, Cayna turned to her downtrodden daughter and asked, “What did you do now?” Once the door was closed, she scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Maybe this was a bad time…”

“Bad time, bad time!  ”

“Not everything is a song, Kuu!”

Cayna glared at Kuu when she came out of hiding and broke out in singsong. The fairy ignored this with a cackle and landed on the recovered Mai-Mai’s shoulder.

“Ouch, that hurt. Mother, please be a bit gentler.”

“But I totally was. Otherwise your head would’ve been crushed like an apple.”

“Eek!” Mai-Mai made a show of gripping her face and trembling.

“Your acting skills could use some work.”

Mai-Mai then offered Cayna a seat on the sofa. She sat across from her.

“Thank you for coming, Mother.”

“Why didn’t you act like this from the get-go?”

“You might call it a conditioned reflex or perhaps my love for you…”

“Well, at least you don’t sparkle like Skargo.”

Her adult children (Kartatz excluded) really needed to find new love languages. The mental gymnastics made Cayna let out a heavy sigh.

“So were you able to look into that thing you mentioned?” Mai-Mai asked.

“Yeah, I guess. The situation only went downhill from there, though.”

“Is there another issue in Felskeilo?”

“No, no, this is personal business. I’m fine with the escort job, but I’ve got a few conditions.”

“Conditions? Can you only accept the job for a day or so?”

“Something like that. I’m free for now, so I can tag along on an outdoor excursion for two or three nights. However, I’d like permission to step away for a minute if necessary.”

Mai-Mai closed her eyes and contemplated for a moment. Then she nodded. “If you can find a replacement, I believe we can accommodate you. I will inform the assigned faculty members, but please speak with the princess yourself.”

“You’re okay with it?!”

Although Cayna had brought it up, she didn’t expect her daughter to readily agree.

“I don’t grant most adventurers such freedom, since they only wish to slack off, but I will make an exception for you, Mother. After all, you are not one to leave a job undone. You do have a good reason, yes?”

“Oh, totally! It could even change the fate of the continent! Yeah!”

As Cayna quickly explained herself, Mai-Mai frowned.

“The fate of the continent! Is our situation so dire?! Shouldn’t that take priority?!”

As far as Mai-Mai was concerned, no one was stronger than Cayna. If such a heavyweight was claiming something could “change fate,” one could only imagine it was a heart-pounding race against time to prevent some unprecedented disaster from befalling this world.

Mai-Mai leaned forward, and Cayna took hold of her shoulders.

“I’m saying we’ll deal with it when the time comes,” she told Mai-Mai.

“By ‘we,’ do you mean that someone else is involved?”

“To be fair, Opus is the one running the show. I’m free until he gives the signal.”

“Uncle Opus…? Forgive me for prying, then.”

Mai-Mai quickly backed off. She clearly had great faith in Opus, which bothered Cayna to no end.

Sure, Cayna had introduced Mai-Mai to him as “your father’s older brother,” but Mai-Mai was way too trusting of this person she’d only just met.

“Are you certain it is not simply because he has a calm, collected appearance and radiates a different sense of security?”

Kee, are you calling me childish?

“Are you not a literal seventeen-year-old girl?”

Nghhhh. I hate when I can’t say anything back…

“M-Mother?”

Cayna’s self-awareness had been cranked up to eleven. Mai-Mai noticed her sudden visible frustration and ducked for cover, fearing her mother’s wrath, but there was no need.

“Venting one’s anger is improper.”

Cayna then realized Mai-Mai was afraid. She took a small breath and suppressed her irritation.

“Sorry about that, Mai-Mai.”

“What was that all about, Mother?”

“Nothing, I was just a teensy bit jealous of Opus, since you seem oddly attached to him… A-anyway, forget about that. You basically want me to shadow Mye, right?”

“Yes, please remain by princess’s side as much as possible. If you have time, please check on the other students as well.”

“But other adventurers will join, too, right? Can’t you leave the rest to them?”

“There will be two adventurer parties and several Imperial Knights.”

“‘Imperial Knights’? Those don’t sound like regular knights. Royals really are another breed.”

Mai-Mai’s expression soured at this, and Cayna questioned her curiously. However, the answer wasn’t at all what she’d expected.

“The knight captain is currently busy atoning for his actions, so the knights as a whole have been overwhelmed. A last-minute decision was made to entrust this task to the Imperial Knights. Ah, these knights will be female, so there is no need for decorum.”

“I heard the adventurers and knights have always butted heads, thanks to Shining Saber.”

“My apologies, Mother. I’m afraid I don’t have many details on the subject.”

Apparently, even the Academy headmistress wasn’t in the loop. Cayna’s only information came from the vague hearsay she’d picked up in the Adventurers Guild when she’d first become an adventurer. Unbeknownst to Cayna, Shining Saber had cleaned up his act after getting pushed around by Arbiter. Thanks to this, the relationship between the knights and adventurers was on the mend.

“In any case, what’s the highest level of these students who need guarding?”

“‘The highest level’…? Compared to you, anyone else is no more than a baby chick.”

“No, I mean what level of monster can they safely take on?”

For some reason, Cayna smiled as she recalled the times she would watch over grinding newbies from behind. Just as she wondered if it was something that innocent, Mai-Mai heaved a grand sigh.

“This isn’t combat training. It’s a camping trip! Over half of the participants are non-combatants, so we’d like the adventurers to clear out any danger.”

“Ah, it’s that kind of training. Gotcha. I’ve been thinking it was a monster-hunting course this whole time. You should’ve said so to begin with, Mai-Mai.”

“Sigh. I apologize for the oversight, so please lend us a hand.”

“Leave it to me! I’ll return Mye and Lonti without a scratch on ’em!”

“…I’m more nervous than ever.”

“Whyyy?!” Cayna moaned when Mai-Mai held her head in her hands.

“Will we leave early in the morning?” Cayna then asked.

“That is still up in the air. I believe they’ll gather throughout the morning and arrive at camp before evening. Probably…”

“You’re sure playing things fast and loose.”

“That’s because there are nobles involved. You don’t have to worry about keeping a strict schedule during the course itself. Please ask the adventurers who will be traveling with you for more details. I’m sure you’ll find them easier to talk to.”

Cayna had assumed they’d leave at the crack of dawn, so Mai-Mai’s response was a bit of a letdown. Apparently, the school trip basics in Cayna’s old world didn’t apply here.

On the way out, Mai-Mai instructed Cayna to formally accept the Academy’s request at the Adventurers Guild. After walking across the river toward her destination, Cayna greeted the fishermen mending their nets along the bank and realized something.

“I get it now. Are players hiding from me because I stick out like a sore thumb?”

“It is very likely. They’re not afraid of being exposed as players but rather have no desire to be lumped together.”

“I guess they haven’t accepted their avatars as part of themselves yet? At any rate, now we know why everyone’s been keeping their distance.”

Cayna thought maybe Cohral or Shining Saber knew of any hidden players, but she soon came to the conclusion that they were likely just as clueless. After all, neither had spoken a word about it so far.

“Actually, I bet they know and just decided to leave people alone.”

“Maybe they think you might go chargin’ in!” Kuu chirped merrily as she poked her head out from Cayna’s hair.

Even Cayna didn’t have the guts to visit a random player’s home.

“I’d be shocked if they took me for a troublemaker like that.”

She and Kuu arrived at the Adventurers Guild. When Cayna looked around and failed to see Cohral or any other familiar face, she headed over to the counter.

Almana had recently become Cayna’s go-to employee, and she quickly processed the Academy’s request.

“There. You’re all ready to go.”

“Thanks, Almana.”

“Miss Cayna, were you asked to do this job personally since your daughter is the headmistress?”

“Yep. They practically begged me to do it.”

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Cayna didn’t feel like going into detail and tried a bit of humor instead. The joke didn’t land, though; the guild staff twitched and replied, “Ha-ha-ha… I see,” with hollow laughter.

“Come to think of it,” said Cayna, “I didn’t even ask where this thing is. Do you know the location and when I should get there?”

“It’s two days from now in front of the western gate,” Almana told her. “You ought to ask about those details ahead of time.”

“Right. Sorry.”

Cayna offered Almana a sincere apology for annoying her.

The guild had recruited earth mages to fill in the giant hole carved out during the earlier attack, so the road was once again open to traffic.

“If you meet other adventurers, I think you should use communication to create a good first impression,” Almana advised Cayna. “Strong relationships are built on solid foundations.”

“Ohhh. Yes, yes, I see.”

Cayna had mostly formed parties with her fellow guild members and pretty much gone solo in the last days of the game, so she could respect that sort of advice. Her automatic secretary (Kee) took note of Almana’s comments and filed them away for future encounters.

After exiting the Adventurers Guild, Cayna realized the supplies in her Item Box were dwindling and headed to the market to buy staples like fresh meat and vegetables.

“Phew, that was a close one. I always hand over any food to Cie after I go grocery shopping, so there was hardly anything left.”

“We never use it!”

“Your food’s in there, too, Kuu… Anyway, what about you? There’ll be lots of strangers at this event, but do you want to come along?”

“Hmm…”

Although the fairy boldly flitted around the remote village, she wasn’t used to people. If Kuu went on this mission, she’d probably have to stay in Cayna’s hair the entire time.

“Would you like to watch the house with Lu?”

“What? Nooooo!”

Cayna had proposed the idea so Luka could keep Kuu company, but the fairy started throwing a fit in midair. She was like a tantruming toddler.

“No! No! No! No!”

“Right…” Cayna was at a complete loss.

Kuu grabbed her hair and yanked it back and forth, screaming “Nooo! Nooo!”

“Ow, ow, ow, ow?! I got it! I understand, okay?! Ouch! You can come along, so stop pulling my hair already!”

As soon as the pain forced Cayna to backtrack, Kuu did a complete 180. Her tears dried in an instant, and she broke into a huge smile.

“Yippee!”

“Hmm. Is the subsystem ineffective on its own? Is that why you roam around the village alone but stick to me like glue anywhere else?”

Cayna watched Kuu curiously as the fairy hopped up and down and cheered.

Just to be safe, Cayna later informed Opus of her plans: She’d go to that thing, check on the barrier along the way, and be done in three days. It was all a bit thrown together but better than nothing. In any case, the point was to make sure the Abandoned Capital didn’t interrupt her escort assignment.

“I should’ve asked Mai-Mai for a trip itinerary,” said Cayna.

“Don’t expect the Academy to provide the kinds of materials that schools in our previous world would,” Opus replied.

“Looks like I’ll have to take the brunt of the attack if any high-level monsters pop out.”

“Well, I’ll show up unannounced if necessary.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve thrown a wrench in my plans.”

“Really? I wasn’t aware.”

“You’re not foolin’ anyone.”

Back in the Game Era, Opus was constantly interrupting Cayna’s plans, whether she was practicing a dry run for a secret scheme to invade a large army with her small party or laying traps in enemy territory before the next war. Now that she thought about it, absolutely no good came out of it.

“Do-do-do-doooo!   Da-da-do-da-do-dooo!  ”

Despite an unpleasant stroll down memory lane, the sky was blue and put some pep in her step. Captivated by the fine weather, Cayna’s mood lightened. She felt the sudden urge to break into a run.

“Oh yeah, I used to hear kids running around the hospital courtyard whenever it was nice outside and wonder, ‘What’s so fun out there?’ Now I see what all the fuss was about.”

Cayna quietly sighed as she recalled the days she spent watching the sun dye the wall of her hospital room from white to yellow. A friendly younger girl who would come to play with her used to ask, “You can come outside, too, right?” She’d simply reply, “Maybe one of these days.”

However, she had been paralyzed from the neck down, and every ounce of muscle had shriveled from her limbs. Despite the full life ahead of her, rehabilitation was a distant dream if she couldn’t even move. Empty promises only went so far.

It was more or less possible to heal the entire body, thanks to advancements in regenerative medicine, although the costs were astronomical. Her uncle had suggested they give it a try, but Cayna had no intention of burdening him with that kind of debt, nor did she ever expect to regain full mobility. Considering the places she’d been since then and her current situation, life was truly unpredictable.

“Guess this crowd is feeling pretty upbeat, too.”

Cayna took a good look around her. Even Felskeilo’s western shopping district felt different than usual with all the people milling about. Rows of vendors dotted the roadside, and passersby in search of food or rare goods took turns poking their heads in.

The capital’s main road wasn’t so bad, but there wasn’t even a cobbled path in this area. The well-trampled ground was uneven and a bit awkward. Since Cayna was short and likely to be buffeted in the sea of people, every step was a chore.

“We just need to get a little higher.”

Certain she’d fare somewhat better on the rooftops, Cayna slipped into a narrow alley and away from the masses. There was no escaping the public eye, so she would also need Invisibility to cross the buildings.

But traversing a side street was tricky for a different reason altogether.

Vagabonds in tattered rags leaned against the walls, and a huddle of orphans looked up at Cayna with piercing eyes. Others stared blankly at the sky and muttered nonsense.

Sometimes life throws you a curveball. In this case, she encountered some unneeded ruckus when a sketchy clandestine group (or not-so-clandestine, since the Covert spell was useless against Cayna’s Passive Skill ESP) dressed in all black crossed her path.

“Whoa, shady people at ten o’clock!” she yelled.

“Ngh! Foul wench!” the shadowy gang’s leader cried. “How could the likes of you detect us?!”

“Uh, what period drama did you walk out of?”

He drew his short sword and prepared for battle. Behind him, the rest of his group likewise wielded their chain-sickles and shurikens. Cayna wasn’t really sure what they expected to accomplish. The leader mistook Cayna for a threat and struck without warning.

“We can’t let her report us! Everyone, attack!”

Having decided the narrow street was inconvenient, Cayna clung to the wall like a spider. Then, channeling her inner flying squirrel, she attacked to the left and right from above. Players higher than level 500 used to come at her during wartime in the Game Era, so these guys were small fries by comparison.

Magic Skill: Electric Paralysis Net Zam Parat: Ready Set

“Time to zap some bugs.”

“““Gweh?!”””

Cayna went easy on them, of course. A web of paralyzing lightning shot from every direction, and flickering yellow sparks lit up the corner of the back street as each shadowy figure fell to the ground in convulsions. Like mosquitoes doused in repellant, the poor ruffians didn’t have a single member left standing. They were a bit burnt and scraped up, but at least they were alive. Cayna kept her would-be attackers on the ground with a gravity spell and prepared to call any soldier on patrol.

However, when Kuu gleefully pointed and announced that she’d done the honors, Cayna instead found a red arrow floating directly toward them from the main road. When several curious onlookers sneaked a peek, Cayna said she had captured a suspicious group and asked them to call the guards, which they promptly did. She didn’t know what to do about the people who saw her and said, “Oh, you’re that young lady who walked across the river.”

The guards rushed to the scene, and Cayna showed them her registration ID before handing over the sketchy men. Several guards had either recognized Cayna or surmised what happened and didn’t keep her very long.

“We’ll send you a reward via the Adventurers Guild,” one guard told her.

“Thank you for upholding the peace,” said another.

Their gratitude made Cayna blush, but she bowed and hurried to the meet-up location.

“Why’d I have to run into trouble now?”

“Wouldn’t you say this is a common occurrence?”

“I don’t remember turning into a rabble-rouser…”

Cayna was getting sick of Kee’s usual biting commentary. If incidents like this kept happening, she might as well stick to the crowded main road.

Cayna neared the public square by the western gate and finally managed to escape the crowds. She loosened up her shoulders, which had been bumped and jostled by various items and people.

“Phew…” She sighed. “Darn, why didn’t I just hop on the rooftops regardless of who saw?”

Beyond the western gate, there was a cluster of several Academy students. Noon was still hours away, and Cayna watched everyone chat with the instructors. A group of fully equipped adventurers stood a short distance away from them.

Cayna showed the gatekeeper her registration. Once the departure procedures were complete, she waved to a familiar face and walked over.

“Hey there, Cohral. Short time no see!”

“Huh, Cayna? You’re coming, too? Guess we’ve got nothing to worry about now.”

“I’m only one person, y’know. Don’t get too comfortable.”

Besides, Cayna was mainly the princess’s chaperone. It wasn’t that she couldn’t protect the other students, but in truth, she wanted to avoid unleashing her (largely destructive) powers on the front lines. That kind of damage was nothing to sneeze at.

Members of Cohral’s adventurer party, the Armor of Victory, also greeted her.

“Miss Cayna is joining us?”

“Yeah. It was a personal request from her daughter, who runs the Academy.”

“Wow, that sounds rough.” Their party leader—a male mage—smirked.

Cayna couldn’t help but wonder what adventurers thought of Mai-Mai. She got the impression from this trio’s reactions that the Academy headmistress wasn’t their cup of tea, although she’d probably need to take a survey to be totally sure.

The next group to shake Cayna’s hand was a second adventurer party known as the Swift Horses. There were two men and two women who appeared to be in their thirties, and they specialized in exploring and scouting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady River-Crosser.”

“Lady River-what…?!”

Cayna froze as they shook hands. Apparently, that nickname was well-known in adventurer circles.

Cohral reflexively spluttered, his shoulders trembling in silent laughter. Cayna shot him a death glare, and he crumpled when a comrade jabbed him in the side.

The male leader of the Swift Horses didn’t get away scot-free, however. The two women in his party yelled “Hey!” and smacked him.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said. “There are lot of rumors floatin’ around about you, like how you’re the High Priest’s mother and you saved the city from a monster invasion. I wasn’t sure how to approach you.”

“Not calling her River-Crosser would be a good start!”

“Show a little sensitivity, Jild!”

His female comrades scolded him on Cayna’s behalf.

“Umm…?” said Cayna.

“Oh, sorry. I’ll watch my mouth next time. Let me start over. I’m Jild, leader of the Swift Horses. I know this is just a quick trip, but we’re glad to have you.”

The two women behind him waved briefly and winked.

“Hi, I’m Cayna. It’s nice to meet you.”

Although shocked at first, Cayna put Jild’s comment behind her and told him she wasn’t offended. After all, he wasn’t wrong about her antics. She’d take River-Crosser over Silver Ring Witch any day.

Cayna breathed a sigh of relief, and Cohral lightly tapped her shoulder.

“Hey there, Lady River-Crosser. How you feelin’?”

“I’m starting to think the students would be a lot better off with the Supreme Swordsman instead of li’l old me.”

“Gweh…”

She hit a nerve. This time it was Cohral who fell into bitter silence. Cayna smirked, and Cohral raised both hands in surrender.

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you to treat others the way you’d want to be treated?” she asked him.

“Look, I’m sorry. Forgive me, would ya?”

“Is now a good time?” Jild ventured as his party approached.

Cohral quickly took the hint and called over his own party.

“What’s up?”

“I’d like to more or less determine our rotation schedule while we still can. Keeping guard will be our top priority once we arrive, so there won’t be time to talk.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Cohral replied. “We need to make sure we’re on the same page, since Cayna will be with us. We can keep the same arrangements as last time if that works for you.”

The Armor of Victory and the Swift Horses had apparently been working together for a while. Thinking she should probably clarify her own mission first, Cayna meekly raised one hand.

“Just FYI, I’m only here to protect one person in particular.”

“Right, we heard. One of those royals lost her mind and decided to join in. Anyway, can you take the night shift?”

“Jild, that kind of talk is treasonous,” one of his female party members chided.

“Let’s keep it between us, then,” he said, waving apologetically. “No harm, no foul.”

The Armor of Victory members, who had heard every word, nodded wryly. Not a big fan of royals herself, Cayna also played dumb.

“I should first ask Mye—I mean, the person I’m escorting, right?” she asked.

“…You two know each other?”

“She’s sort of a friend, I guess? Also, I doubt your treasonous comment just now would upset her.”

Cayna’s speculation made everyone put a hand to their chests in relief. Granted, she’d never seen Myleene get angry. Therefore, she was really just guessing.

“At any rate, I can summon something if you need a night guard.”

“““…What?”””

Cayna’s casual offer produced a wave of question marks over the heads of everyone present, except for one. Unlike the rest of the group, Cayna had no idea that the word summon didn’t come up in normal conversation.

“Hold it, hold it! Whatever you summon is gonna be insane!” shouted Cohral, the only person who understood the gravity of the situation. He stopped Cayna (who looked mystified by their reactions) in her tracks, then briefly pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. “No one just whips out a summons. Try to control yourself.”

“Really? But I’ve gotta step out for a bit while we’re on the road and thought I’d ask it to protect Mye for me.”

“Why do you have to leave halfway?”

“The Brown Kingdom barrier is nearby, and it seems to be deteriorating. I want to go check up on it— Oops. Was I not supposed to say that?”

Opus was partly to blame, since he hadn’t sworn her to silence, but Cayna had dropped her guard and let a few facts accidentally slip because Cohral was a fellow player. In any case, she assumed Cohral would find out sooner or later, thanks to Opus’s planned event, and she gave up trying to backpedal.

Cohral, meanwhile, was dumbstruck. He gasped at this momentous revelation, and his face went pale. He’d known about the barrier around the Brown Kingdom but had never heard any news about it failing. The uncertain situation inside the Abandoned Capital made him even more anxious.

“D-don’t leak critical info like that!”

“My bad. We were talking and it just slipped out.”

“You’re not sorry at all!”

“Hey, you would’ve found out eventually. Everything’s gonna work out, so no worries.”

“You’re being way too optimistic here! Seriously, this is exactly why I can’t deal with Limit Breakers!”

“Relax! It’s all good. Look, everyone’s staring at us. We’d better head back.”

Their private conversation had turned into a full-blown argument, and the spotlight was suddenly on them. Turning on the charm, Cayna and Cohral waved off the circle of onlookers with “Nothing to see here!” and then returned to Jild and the others.

“That sounded like a pretty intense one-on-one,” said Jild.

“Not at all. I was hoping to drill some common sense into her, but no luck, I’m afraid,” Cohral replied with disappointment as he patted Cayna’s head.

Hollow laughter rose from his audience.

“She is Lady River-Crosser, after all.”

“Yep. She cut right across it.”

“Nothing sensible about walking on water, that’s for sure. Any adventurer in Felskeilo could tell you that.”

“Yeah, no need to remind us.”

Everyone unanimously agreed that Cayna’s behavior was absurd.

She curled up on the ground in defeat. I told you so, Cohral’s smug expression seemed to say. He continued patting her head with a falcon-like grip.

“Gyah!” she yelled. “My hair’s getting all messed up!”

The crowd burst into hysterics. Cohral thought Cayna’s lack of common sense was no laughing matter, but he didn’t say another word. Everyone would realize their folly whether they liked it or not.

As for the night shift, it was decided they would discuss it with the Imperial Knights, since they were also coming as escorts.

“Do we really need Cayna if the Imperial Knights are here?” Cohral muttered.

“There is no safer place than by Mother’s side!” a voice responded from behind Cayna.

“Mai-Maiii?!”

“Eeee! Mother! It’s been days!”

A harried cry escaped Cayna’s throat when she turned around and saw the person standing there. The sunny Academy headmistress Mai-Mai Harvey squeezed her tight, and suddenly the students, teachers, adventurers, and even the gatekeeper stared in shock at what looked like a tearful reunion between sisters.

“Just hold your horses. A hug after only a few days loses all impact.”

“But Motherrrr!”

Cayna peeled off Mai-Mai through sheer force as every last shred of energy drained from her expression.

“Umm, Headmistress?”

“Yes, I’m coming.”

Although she was reluctant at first and wriggled in anguish, Mai-Mai answered her instructors’ calls. In a split second, she was like a different person. Her expression turned serious, and she put on a mask of flawless elegance and professionalism. Adventurers and students alike had to rub their eyes and do a double take.

“Agh, geeeez!”

Cayna couldn’t afford to relax now that this little surprise had shown up out of nowhere. She slumped over once more. Mai-Mai didn’t mind her slack-jawed audience at all. Cayna could’ve learned a thing or two from that bold attitude but lacked the gumption.

“That one of your foster kids?” Cohral asked.

“Yeaaah. You probably know by now, but Mai-Mai’s my daughter.”

“Bit late to take back that relationship, huh?”

“…You don’t have to spell it out.”

As much as Cayna wanted to mourn her luck, Mai-Mai was her own creation. Still, it wasn’t inconceivable to think she’d purposefully made her daughter a bit of a mommy’s girl.

Two more people made eye contact with Cayna and rushed over to her.

“It’s been a while, Cayna!”

“Good morning, Cayna.”

Upon closer inspection, the two young ladies were accompanied by a small, single-horse carriage and three female knights in full armor. Cayna used Search to check the knights’ stats and felt an odd sensation. She tilted her head curiously.

“What’s wrong, Cayna?”

“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Right—morning, Lonti. Long time no see, Mye.”

“Good morning,” said Lonti.

“It’s been quite a while,” said Myleene, who offered an exceptionally deep bow.

Cayna met this with a strained smile. The princess was being far too modest for royalty; Cayna was extremely concerned for the future.

“Thank you for accepting my request,” Myleene told her.

“I was pretty surprised. I didn’t have much choice, though, since I said I’d help as long as there was a reward involved,” Cayna replied apathetically with a wag of her finger.

Myleene puffed out her cheeks. “You could have refused if you were busy…”

“No way. I could never just leave you to the elements. I’ll protect you with everything I’ve got!” Cayna declared with boundless pride.

Myleene and Lonti looked worried.

“Um, Cayna,” Myleene began. “There will be a lot of people around this time, so please don’t summon your White Dragon again.”

“Nor the giant wolves either, if possible…,” Lonti added.

“No worries! Just leave everything to me. I’ll stay well within the realm of reason!” Cayna thumped her chest to emphasize this loose promise.

The girls were visibly aghast.

““You, reasonable??””

They recalled the many outlandish feats Cayna had performed and failed to come up with a less dubious response. The two girls let out heavy sighs and prayed this outing would conclude without incident. They couldn’t do much more than offer the heavens a tiny prayer.

“…At any rate, will you be okay, Lonti? Want me to carry that?” Cayna pointed to Lonti’s massive backpack.

Myleene had on a traveling cloak and carried a wand. She wore light leather armor, and there was a rapier and small pouch at her side.

Lonti, on the other hand, carried enough equipment for a snowy mountain expedition. She was the daughter of a marquis, yet she was dressed like a porter.

“Oh, I’ll be fine. This backpack has weight-reduction attributes.”

“Seriously? It must be a national treasure.”

“Heh-heh. This is a first-rate product my grandfather found during his travels in his youth.”

“Agaido was an adventurer, too?! What’s with these nobles?!”

The students watched in shock as Cayna engaged in friendly banter with the princess and a noble lady. They were well aware of Myleene’s and Lonti’s social standing and couldn’t hide their surprise that an adventurer both knew the princess and spoke to her with such familiarity.

“My, I thought princesses rode in fancy carriages and had a dozen attendants!”

“They travel in style on occasion, yes, but the forest is no place for such transportation, is it?”

“Your bottom would never stop hurting if you took a carriage on that kind of terrain.”

“So that’s the issue here…”

Cayna had heard enough aristocratic opinions for one day.

One of the female Imperial Knights stepped in and said, “We shall serve as the princess’s ladies-in-waiting for the time being. I assure you she will want for nothing.”

“Right,” Cayna replied. “Please talk to the adventurers about night patrol later as well.”

“Will do, although it’s unlikely our schedules will line up, since the three of us alternate in shifts.”

“I don’t think you can team up with them like that, but it’ll all work out regardless. I’ll get a night watch, too.”

“A…night watch?”

The Imperial Knights were visibly confused, but Myleene and Lonti slightly grimaced.

“Cayna? Please try your best not to cause trouble for everyone.”

“Hey, no worries. I’ll show you later, so don’t knock it just yet.”

“Is this really going to work out, I wonder?”

Unfathomable anxiety struck the two girls as Cayna brimmed with confidence.

Meanwhile, Mai-Mai had finished her basic prep meeting with the faculty. Now standing before the students, she clapped to grab their attention for the morning assembly.

“All righty, everyone! Let’s go over some final tips before you start training!”

“Is this in the headmaster job description?” Cayna pondered.

“Lady Mai-Mai is a marvelous leader,” Myleene replied.

Mai-Mai explained each point to the attentive students as if she was a close friend. As Cayna considered what it meant to be a true leader, Myleene nodded in satisfaction.

“Still, is this really everyone…?”

Cayna looked around and saw there were only sixty participants in this survival boot camp. To be more precise, thirty-five (including Myleene and Lonti) were Academy students who all wore either blue or green robes. There were about eight instructors dressed in brown robes and cloaks. One battle veteran priest and four monks sent by the church were also present, in addition to three Imperial Knights. There were four adventurers in the Swift Horses party and five in the Armor of Victory. And finally, Cayna had come alone.

Three covered wagons driven by capable students would hold their camp luggage and double as medical rooms in the event of an emergency. The rest had to walk to the training ground.

“That is all! Please be careful and continue to grow step by step!”

Mai-Mai concluded her cautious yet inspirational morning assembly, then gathered the staff together for one final check. Afterward, a faculty member who acted as general supervisor ordered everyone to head out.

Mai-Mai later pattered over to the tail end where Cayna and the others waited to move.

“Thank you again for all your help, Mother,” she said with a wink.

“Mai-Mai, there are some things even I’m not capable of. You know that, right?”

“Yes, but your very presence is so reassuring!”

“Well, I’ll do whatever I can. Even if worse comes to worst and I gotta use Revival Magic.”

“Stop right there!”

“Don’t even think about it, idiot!”

As soon as Cayna proudly hinted at invoking an art lost to the modern world, Mai-Mai and Cohral protested in unison. Mai-Mai shot her mother a reproachful look.

“I’m joking,” Cayna insisted with a smirk.

Mai-Mai, however, felt a pang of fear.

“We’re not going off the beaten path just yet, right?” Cayna asked Lonti.

“Yes. In addition to the Academy, the Adventurers Guild also uses this road for their own exercises.”

“Gotcha.”

Cayna had assumed they’d continue down the main road, but the survivalists suddenly veered out of the western gate and entered the forest to the southwest.

As Lonti explained, it was a well-trodden road that didn’t present too many challenges. Since a high elf like Cayna enjoyed the blessings of the forest, the bumpy terrain was even easier for her than for most.

She’d heard that the spacious campground the Academy used each year was over a half day’s walk from the capital. Despite such close proximity, one couldn’t be too careful, since visibility in the forest was limited. There had been many vicious monster attacks in the past, so the adventurers and every able-bodied instructor formed a tight, defensive circle. This tense atmosphere weighed heavily on the students.

The Swift Horses handled security and reconnaissance at the forefront, while the Armor of Victory stayed in the center and stood poised to jump into battle at any moment.

The only relaxation to be found was in the very back, where Cayna protected Myleene and the others. The three Imperial Knights were present as well, but anyone would agree they seemed more like eye candy as opposed to a combat unit. This wasn’t an issue, since the women actually could fight, but it certainly didn’t look that way.

Cayna promptly sent three Wind Spirits into the area and cast a surveillance net wider than anyone else’s. As a high elf, she’d be directly informed by the forest of any threats lurking nearby. Incidentally, Kee’s incredible range vastly outmatched even a player’s skills. If trouble did find the students, the Wind Spirits would deal with it first. One might call it a safety lineup.

Still, there was a flip side; Cohral lost his cool when he learned about Cayna’s actions after the fact and shouted, “You’re gonna hinder the students’ progress!”

The oblivious students eyed Cayna doubtfully, unsure of whether she would be able to manage okay.

The knights, however, knew their captain’s “girlfriend” was no ordinary person. The other adventurers recognized her abilities as well, so no one was particularly concerned. Rather, they had an unusual amount of faith and felt no need to panic unless she did. In truth, Cayna herself didn’t realize this for a single second.

Furthermore, several students had witnessed the altercation between Cayna and the nobleman during the River Festival and told their friends all about the adventurer who also happened to be the mother of their headmistress. Thanks to this, everyone and their mother were aware of her status before they’d even reached the halfway point… Like how she was the mother of both the High Priest and the Academy’s headmistress, and that she was a skilled adventurer whose talents were even recognized by the royal family…

This was an undeniable fact, but Cayna also considered it an utter nuisance.

“Ah!” she cried. “I can feel Opus whining about me from afar!”

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden…?” Lonti asked.

Cayna poked fun at Opus to gloss over the sudden chill she felt. Shivering, she checked their surroundings with her Intuition skill and Kee’s surveillance capabilities.

The Wind Spirits were in good condition and sensed no abnormalities. She’d instructed them to return if they discovered anything odd outside of battle and patrol, so Cayna wondered if this chill was only her imagination.

“What’s the matter, Cayna?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I got a bad feeling, but there doesn’t seem to be anything weird in the area…”

“Are you coming down with something?”

Lonti and Myleene looked concerned, but Cayna waved them off cheerfully. She decided Opus must be up to no good somewhere and mentally saved several jabs for later. Far away, Opus felt a similar chill. However, that had nothing to do with the story at hand.

“Oh, Cayna. Allow me to introduce you.”

As they walked and chatted, Myleene introduced the three Imperial Knights.

“I pestered my mother to let me bring some of our most elite knights. This dragoid is…”

“I’m Helau. It’s nice to meet you.”

“A pleasure, milady. I am Sfult.”

“Oh, uh, I’m Ark. Nice to meet you.”

The gray dragoid Helau carried a huge two-handed sword on her back and quietly bowed to Cayna as if the blade were light as a feather.

Sfult was a brown-haired, blue-eyed elf. She lifted the hem of her skirt and offered a ladylike curtsy. Elves seemed to know that Cayna was a high elf, as this was the most reverent gesture one could give.

The knight named Ark was a black-haired, dark-eyed human who seemed to stumble over her words. She hurriedly pressed one hand to her chest and bowed to Cayna.

“If you’re all elites, are you fine with being called out here? Don’t you usually prioritize people in the castle?”

“Yes, well, that’s normally the case. After all, we’ve never fought in a true war ever since the three nations were founded,” replied Sfult.

“Actually,” said Lonti, “Mye asked for volunteers throughout the castle, and ten times more than this showed up…”

“Wow…,” Cayna marveled. She was tempted to mutter And the Imperial Knights just went along with it? but she held her tongue.

“In short, outside of training, everyone is twiddling their thumbs.”

This final dam was spectacularly broken by the princess herself. Unable to contain themselves any longer, Lonti and Cayna burst into laughter and infected any student who heard. However, perhaps fearing their laughter would be taken as disrespect, many tried to hold it in. Instead, their shoulders trembled as they giggled in silence. Only a chorus of hollow laughter rose from the three Imperial Knights.

Once the students had calmed down, Helau raised a hand. “May I have a moment?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Lady Cayna, you are Lady Mai-Mai’s mother, correct?”

“Yep. And Skargo and Kartatz are my sons.”

Cayna didn’t really get it, but Helau and Sfult appeared satisfied by this answer. Ark, on the other hand, looked completely nonplussed and blinked in surprise.

“Pardon me, but do you happen to know anyone named Barzelan or Tolfossa?” asked Helau.

“Barzelan and…Tolhossa?”

“It’s Tolfossa. I suppose you haven’t met them, then,” Sfult replied.

Mumbling to herself, Cayna crossed her arms and pretended think it over while she checked to see if either name was in Kee’s log. The results were immediate but unfavorable.

“Hmm. Sorry, I haven’t seen or heard of them.”

“…I see. Thank you,” said Helau.

She and Sfult were visibly disappointed. Myleene and Lonti, who were totally lost in the conversation, merely stood there flustered.

“Um, might I ask what is going on?”

“Have you three met?”

“Nope, not before today. But I’m pretty sure I know what you’re trying to ask.” Cayna recalled her Search on them earlier, then said something only a player would understand. “Helau, Sfult—you’re both Foster Children, right?”

““What?!””

“Those names just now belong to players who might be your parents or siblings or whatever.”

““Whaaaaaaat?!””

“And you, Ark, are a player.”

“Huh?”

Stupefied, Helau’s and Sfult’s mouths formed perfect circles. Ark, who had assumed she was safe outside the mosquito net, froze in shock like a deer in headlights.

Lonti and Myleene read the room and fell silent.

Cayna’s bold assertion came from her Search of the three Imperial Knights—Helau was level 180, while Sfult was level 190. Ark went as high as level 230. All three were powerful in their own right and easily identifiable as either players or Foster Children.

However, Cayna could tell that Ark was a player since Search indicated a national affiliation in addition to her name and level. Helau and Sfult didn’t have specific nationalities, so she determined they must be Foster Children. More importantly, Cayna dug deeper into a questionable point of Ark’s player profile.

“Uh, Ark?”

“Y-yes! What is it?”

Trembling from head to toe, Ark straightened her posture. She was restless and looked more like a clumsy civil servant than a knight.

“So your display name is a reference to the Ark of the Covenant. Ark’s an easy nickname to remember. I guess your real name is actually something like Ark of Darkness or Jet Black Ark, right?”

Ark gulped at Cayna’s question, and after a good three seconds, the color drained from her face.

“N-noooooooooooooo! Sh-sh-sh-sh-she can see my-my-my-my-my-my statssssssss!!”

She clearly hadn’t been expecting this and started to yell and writhe in horror. Ark then crouched behind Helau and covered her eyes and ears. Everyone else was still on the move, so only Ark would be left behind. When she realized this and scurried to catch up like a little animal, all eyes were on her.

Ark’s colleagues eyed her with pity. Each pressed a finger to their lips and whispered to the dot-eyed Myleene and Lonti, “Let’s keep this between us.”

“Who’d have thought I’d meet one of us here? I guess you really do have to go abroad to hear news of home. It’s nice to meet you, Ark.”

Once Cayna made it clear she understood the situation, Ark formulated a hypothesis.

“That means you’re a player, too, Cayna? Wait… What? Then could Lady Mai-Mai and Sir Skargo be…? Huh?!”

“Yep. They’re my foster kids.”

Ark’s eyes darted around as her expression went from doubt to acceptance to doubt again and then finally to surprise in quick succession.

“Little Ark is adorable as always,” Helau and Sfult giggled as they watched her. Ark was apparently the mascot of their friend group.

“Seriously, are the Imperial Knights okay…?” Cayna wondered aloud.

“Well, these three usually escort us royals and patrol the castle, so they don’t venture outside like this very often. I don’t exactly understand what’s going on, but I’m glad to see you’ve been enjoying yourself as well.”

“Hmm. I’m glad they’re not hounding me anyways. Sorry to keep so many secrets from you, Mye.”

“I will lend an ear when you’re ready to talk.” Myleene beamed.

Cayna guiltily wondered how she’d even begin to explain the players.

“Perhaps you could say the world is a game board?”

That makes it sound like I’m calling everyone a chess piece or something. The reaction would be terrifying.

Explanation and persuasion weren’t her forte, so Cayna thought maybe Opus should write the script instead.

“By the way,” she began, “aren’t you going to ride in your fancy royals-only carriage and flex in front of the other students?”

“Why would you even suggest something so shameless?!” cried Lonti.

“Am I wrong? I thought being condescending, abusing authority, and walking around like a big shot was part of the royal package.”

“Cayna, I’m begging you. Please do not to apply such a strange value system to Mye or the rest of the royal family.”

Lonti’s expression was vaguely threatening, so Cayna continued nodding impulsively. “Royals aren’t like that in this world, huh?”

“Most certainly not! They govern with honesty and integrity!”

“Okay, okay,” Cayna replied, already done with the conversation.

She had turned away from Lonti when Ark trotted over to her and whispered, “Cayna, did you do a lot of quests for royals and nobles back in the game?”

“Ugh, sure did. I wanted to strangle and blow ’em up.”

Cayna thought back to the NPC nobles and royalty in the Game Era. They were rude and arrogant, regarded anyone beneath their social rank as less than, and treated the working class like tools. They were also exceedingly cruel and did not hesitate to execute whoever invoked their ire.

Naturally, the players detested them like nothing else. NPCs weren’t so easily avoided, and making the wrong choice in your interactions with them could land you in hot water, so there was really no option but to reluctantly accept every request. There were honest nobles as well, but these were only about one in twenty quests. After everything the Skill Masters had been through to claim their title, these nobility quests really tested the limits of their patience. It made their blood boil.

“I did one of those quests and hated it,” said Ark.

“Right? Been there, done that,” Cayna replied.

The two became fast friends as they secretly shared their Leadale experiences, and each new bit of common ground was followed by an inquiry on how the other got into it. Cayna had the Wind Spirits remain on lookout while she and Ark fell deeper into conversation. Both girls were still on guard duty and obviously couldn’t forget their surroundings. However, Cayna was free to relegate everything to Kee, since he was completely automatic.

Based on the pair’s discussion, Myleene assumed Ark and Cayna hailed from the same place—although since one was a human and the other a high elf, Myleene doubted their sole connection was a single homogeneous hometown. Thanks to knowledge passed down through the royal family, she had some understanding of the word players, which peppered their conversation.

She knew of the havoc they wreaked across the continent over two centuries earlier. Nevertheless, there were also tales of their impact on Leadale’s geography, so she couldn’t bring herself to label these “players” as all bad. As far as Myleene knew, Cayna and Shining Saber were people of moral character who never once ravaged the land in the fires of war (at least by modern opinion). Cayna’s earlier reaction suggested she’d be open to questions if asked, so Myleene decided to patiently bide her time.

“Hee-hee-hee.”

“Whatever is the—? Um, what’s the matter, Mye?”

Lonti almost fell back into formal speech but hastily switched to the more casual tone of a close friend when Mye eyed her reproachfully.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re still too stiff.”

“This is the best I can do. I’m afraid I’m not like Cayna.”

As far as Lonti and Mye were concerned, a high elf like Cayna was a dignified royal. It just didn’t always look that way since she didn’t boast this fact and sometimes even forgot it herself. She was also evidently all-powerful, which truly put Cayna in a league all her own.

“I’m saying it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t care about my social standing.”

“It’s hard to believe Cayna is a royal at all.”

“Yes, that’s certainly true,” Myleene agreed with a laugh.

Lonti thought she’d deny it and felt a bit deflated.

“I wonder if I can pull that off, too?” Myleene said.

“Perhaps you ought to build up your strength first?”

“You’re right. Considering how often Cayna causes a commotion, you would need to be quite strong just to survive.”

Having realized such a goal was nigh impossible, the girls exchanged glances and laughed. Cayna continued chatting with Ark, unaware of Myleene and Lonti’s conversation.

Helau and Sfult meant to remind Cayna of her guard duty, but since several visible Wind Spirits provided Cayna with detailed reports of their surroundings every few minutes, neither could do much more than bitterly acquiesce.

“I see,” said Cayna. “So your little brother introduced you to Leadale. You must like to stop and smell the roses if it took you a whole year to reach level 200.”

“I did lots of offline quests or quests in town, plus I didn’t fight very often,” replied Ark. “Sometimes my brother’s friends would help out and go hunting with me.”

Cayna nodded along as she listened. The way Ark described her brother’s friends seemed kind of…familiar?

The two continued to talk like old pals. Meanwhile, Helau and Sfult followed with the wagon.

“So you’re not really suited to combat?” Cayna asked Ark. “I’m a little worried, since the area up ahead is pretty dangerous. You might have to make a run for it ASAP.”

“I’m not totally useless in battle. I’ll give it my best shot. This is my job, after all. I mainly use a bow, but I can act as indirect backup, too.”

“Gwah?!”

Ark smiled uncomfortably as she unsheathed the weapon at her side. When Cayna used Search on it, she did a spit take and stared in amazement.

“Isn’t that Impaler, the Ultimate Crossbow?! Where’d you get a super-rare weapon like this…?”

“This is just what I got when I made a crossbow.”

The blade of the delicate ceremonial-looking sword split in half to create the gun barrel (the bow portion). Then, a grip and trigger appeared from the hilt and transformed into a crossbow. It was a beautiful projectile weapon accented in gold and silver. Its strength depended on the overall level of its wielder, but in addition to an auto-loading function that cost only a single MP, it was a Cheat weapon capable of rapid-fire.

The chances of producing a high-quality crossbow were one in a thousand, but an item of this caliber was more like one in a hundred million. Back in the game, it was a manufactured rare item that sold at auction for a record-breaking 700 million gil. In fact, as far as Cayna could remember, the weapon caused a stir at auction only twice in the three-plus years she’d been playing Leadale. People claimed that even a Skill Master couldn’t replicate it.

“What dang luck…”

“No, I’m pretty sure my luck has already run out. My name is just one example.”

“Come to think of it, why does it sound like it’s got some shady history?”

“In those final hours of the game, I fell for a trap…”

“Huh?”

Ark explained in detail that she’d been dungeon-crawling and had gotten caught in a forced name-change trap. This was one of several possibilities with Active Skill: Trap Creation. After registering several random words, the prankster responsible could change the names of hapless players. These ranged from embarrassing to downright cringey, and the only fix was to briefly log out, pay a fee, and edit your character settings. It was truly malicious.

Unfortunately, Ark got caught on Leadale’s final day and fell into this world without a chance to amend things. A classic case of bad timing.

“Ahhh, so that’s why you shortened it to Ark.”

“Oh, it’s always been Ark. I didn’t make any changes there. Actually, my little brother came up with the name. He was basically a Leadale junkie, plus he was a top-level player. Incredible, right?” Ark giggled.

A bead of sweat dripped down Cayna’s forehead. It was tough to admit she was an addict, too, but there was no need to hide it, either. She mustered up the courage to ask the question on her mind.

“Um, we might’ve met if he was a top player… What was his name?”

“Erm, uh, let’s see… Oh! It was something tasty sounding, like Tartar Sauce!”

“Tartar…Sauce? …Ah!”

Cayna knew the name all too well.

What a small world; the siblings’ interdimensional travel was pretty incredible in its own way.

“Do you know him?” Ark asked.

“I do. His real name is Tartarus, though.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. I knew it was Tarta-something.”

Cayna felt bad for the guy; even his big sis was calling him Tartar Sauce.

“We were in the same guild, for better or worse. He and I are well acquainted.”

“Huh? What? Cayna, you were in the Cream Cheese guild, too?! Does that mean you’re a junkie like him?”

“‘Junkie’ is a bit… I mean, you’re technically not wrong. Still, I’d rather you not call me that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll stick to just Cayna.”

No matter how accurate the label was, being called a junkie on a regular basis would get old quick. Cayna pressed a hand to her chest in relief when it didn’t immediately stick.

“Huh,” said Ark. “That explains things.”

“What things?”

“I just felt like your name was somehow familiar. My brother must have mentioned you on occasion. Now I get it.”

“…Mind giving an example of what he said about me?” Cayna asked, a vein in her temple visibly throbbing from anger.

It was unclear whether Ark took notice. She thought for a moment and then answered matter-of-factly:

“Something like how you’re an emotional ticking time bomb and your obsession with magic is a danger to others. I always thought you sounded pretty scary, but now that we’ve met, I can see how wrong he was.”

I knew it.

This answer didn’t surprise Cayna in the least, although hearing it point-blank still struck a nerve. The target of her wrath was Tartarus/Exis, of course.

“Actually, I did run into your little brother here.”

“What?! He came here, too?!”

“Huh?

“…Uhhh?”

Ark’s blank-eyed stare confirmed that neither sibling had any clue the other had come to this world. Cayna spoke with Exis on multiple occasions, but the topic of siblings never came up. She didn’t recall him mentioning any, either.

“Can I see him?” Ark asked.

“Yeah, sure. This is good timing, so let me contact him.”

“Really?! Thank you very much, Cayna!”

Seeing Ark’s face light up made Cayna feel warm and fuzzy inside. She considered dropping vague hints about Ark to tease Exis, but that seemed wrong.

So she opened the Friend Message screen and wrote to him: Just ran into ur sister lol.

As thanks for the unflattering rumors Exis had spread about her to Ark, Cayna blocked any incoming messages from him. She grinned mischievously and wondered how he would manage to come find her. An ominous, arabesque cloud effect rumbled above her; she let slip a chilling cackle, and everyone in the general vicinity slowly backed away.

Meanwhile, Exis and Quolkeh were in the remote village under the pretext of a vacation. They had initially planned to enjoy the tourney and took the outer eastern trade route from Helshper to Felskeilo, but…

Their first impression at the village entrance was Damn, that chick has some nerve!

The village wasn’t particularly big, but it was surrounded by a solid wall with gargoyle sentries situated at intervals atop the perimeter. There was also a bathhouse that looked to be made of cypress wood with separate areas for men and women. And to top it all off, a giant projector sat in a corner of the tavern.

“The hell is Cayna doin’ to this place?!” Exis raged, the memories from last time still fresh in his mind.

It wasn’t long before Roxilius noticed Exis and Quolkeh’s arrival and took them to see Luka. Later, the two turned to jelly as they slowly savored the wonders of the bathhouse.

Quite some time later, both adventurers still had yet to leave the village.

There was delicious food at the inn, and they could check on Felskeilo from the projector. The cost of living was also much cheaper than in the capital. Sakaiya’s village branch carried a large selection of products, and a mermaid would do their laundry for a reasonable price. The little hamlet lacked for nothing. Soon, the two adventurers started making themselves comfortable.

“Maybe I’ll retire here once my adventuring days are over,” Exis announced.

“Sign me up.”

Steam gently rose from Exis’s and Quolkeh’s armor as they collapsed on to one of the tavern tables. Neither resembled a seasoned adventurer in the least.

Moreover, no one criticized them or complained. It made sense that these two were as laid-back as Gude**** right now.

“Hrm…”

Nonetheless, there was one tiny objection. It came from Luka, the girl they had personally rescued.

““Hey, Luka.””

She sulked moodily and glared at Exis and Quolkeh, who were still collapsed on the table.

“What’s wrong?” asked Quolkeh. “You’ll waste that cute little face scowling like that.”

“When your greatest heroes are slumped over like fools in public, how can one not be disheartened?” came a voice—it was Roxine, who stood attentively by Luka’s side.

“Gweh?!”

Her contemptuous glare sent a chill down Exis’s spine as if he’d been struck by a glacier. He hastily sat up.

Thinking back on it, he recognized that shameless attitude that hurled abuse at her own master. When Exis first met this paid-content NPC back in his guild, her rapid-fire insults had filled him with terror.

“Heh-heh-heh. Look at how comfortable you are—beheading you would be such a simple task,” Roxine whispered, already right next to Quolkeh and stroking her neck.

“Eek?!”

Quolkeh paled. Any warm and fuzzy feelings from earlier were long gone now that this hostility had enveloped their corner of the tavern. Luka, meanwhile, had no idea what was going on.

“You… Are you here to warn us on Cayna’s orders?” Exis asked Roxine, reaching out a hand to help Quolkeh. Roxine swiftly dodged him and slipped into his blind spot.

“Unfortunately, we are forbidden from killing anyone in this village except for those who pose a threat. Thank your lucky stars, you failure of a dragon.”

It was the worst insult you could give a dragoid, and Exis instinctively bristled. It didn’t cut him too deep since he was a player, but he understood the nuance, thanks to his fellow dragoids.

“You tryin’ to start something with us?”

As soon as Exis threatened Roxine, she returned to her position behind Luka to preserve the tavern’s jovial atmosphere.

“Sadly, I can only offer you candid advice in Lady Luka’s stead. Please do not utter such vile language in front of her,” Roxine said, as if nothing had happened.

Quolkeh stood. “What the heck?! Speak for yourself— Exis?!”

“I don’t think she’s acting on Cayna’s orders,” Exis muttered cautiously, trying to placate his partner.

Lytt had been milling around the tavern, and Luka ran to her when her friend called her over. Now that there were no innocent bystanders, Exis had some newfound confidence.

“Keh-keh-keh-keh.” Roxine chuckled quietly.

“What’s so funny?”

I can take her down now without looking bad in front of Luka, he thought. However, he kept his mouth shut and watched Roxine’s every move.

“Can your addled brain not even comprehend your own authority?”

“What?”

“Take a good look at yourselves, you numbskulls.”

What’s she after?

After a bit of trolling on her part, Roxine left to join Luka. Exis slumped back into his chair, miffed over this lost opportunity to trade blows.

Luine came over with snacks and alcohol and placed them on the table.

“Bee in your bonnet, fellas?” she asked. “Weren’t you just in the baths?”

The fear in Quolkeh’s eyes made her freeze. Exis looked completely wiped out. Neither seemed the least bit refreshed. Luine had already seen them around for several days and could tell something was off. She cocked her head curiously.

“…What was that…?” Exis wondered aloud.

Once Luine left, a strange silence hovered over them. Quolkeh massaged her stiff facial muscles.

“I thought I was gonna die…,” she muttered.

“That’s the stain of Cream Cheese,” said Exis. “She’s an infamously malicious maid…”

“The hell are you talking about?”

“She turned out that way back when the NPCs came to life, and we just experienced it firsthand…,” he replied stiffly.

Exis reached for the snacks and explained what they’d just witnessed. This was something only his fellow guild members would immediately pick up on, and now Quolkeh did, too.

“She said something about authority—what does that even mean?” Quolkeh asked, nervously fiddling with her tankard.

Exis racked his brain for a moment but finally struck a fist against his palm. “If she was talkin’ about player authority, it must be our stats or skills, right?”

“Oh, so that’s it…”

Quolkeh nodded and checked her status screen, but nothing seemed off. Exis took a peek at his own.

Quolkeh was about to ask what his screen looked like, but the words caught in her throat when she saw his shocked expression.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” she said.

“……”

“H-huh? Heyyy, Exiiiis?”

That shock turned to fear. Quolkeh got ready to slap him across the face when he didn’t respond. However, just as she swung her arm back, Exis suddenly stood. His expression was ghastly.

“…We’re leaving,” he said out of the blue.

“…Huh?” said Quolkeh, absolutely clueless as to what was going on.

“I can’t take this!”

Exis promptly beat a retreat and dashed up the stairs.

Quolkeh stayed put, utterly bewildered.