Prologue: Star Guidance
April, The Channel of a Certain Streamer
At first glance, this room might’ve looked like any other charming, feminine room.
However, this one stood out for one reason: It was not real. Instead, it was modeled using CGI.
The room was currently empty, and the only thing moving was the chat box on one side, containing hundreds—thousands—of comments, silently flowing by.
But when the CGI clock in the room hit 9:00...
“All eyes on G! Welcome to my channel!” Flashy effects flooded the space as a 3D model of a girl appeared right in the middle of it.
The devil girl, complete with curved horns and a tail, struck her usual pose and greeted her many viewers on the other side of the screen.
I am LOOKING
GEEEEEE
G is so cute
Many similar comments appeared one after another as the channel’s regular intro routine played out.
“Hello! We meet again! Maybe it’s been a while...or perhaps you’re new here? In that case, I’m G, the Superior streamer and Dendro content creator!” Punctuating her words with all kinds of gestures, the devil girl greeted her audience.
Being CGI didn’t stop the avatar from being expressive. Even her face was full of life.
“Today we’ve got our weekly chat stream! I’m gonna reply to everyone and answer all the questions I can! Most of them are about Dendro, though! Like always!” G held out a mailbox-like object and looked over the questions that she’d received as more comments flowed by.
No surprise there.
Yeah, you’re the strongest content creator, and the most open in your group
Maybe a little too open
Give me back the items I dropped when you PK’d me!
Getting PK’d is a skill issue. Git gud
“All right, first question: ‘Why are you and US committing crimes in Legendaria? You know you’re being a real pain, right?’ True!” G said with a nod. Though the question seemed to have come from a hater, she didn’t seem the least bit bothered.
‘True’? Lmao
Well, you cause a lot of problems...but it’s for them, so...
The gap between Legendaria’s pro-regime and anti-regime factions is deeeeep
Guess it’s all about the values
“Well, yeah,” said G. “I, my clan, and Desire all have our problems with Legendaria! They’re kinda annoying—I like Titania, though! I’d love to meet her again!”
Chat was quick to respond:
They’re kinda annoying *steals their land*
They’re kinda annoying *kills all their Master bodyguards*
They’re kinda annoying *takes all their tribe leader’s slaves*
You don’t go that far cuz you’re ‘kinda annoyed’...
The band battle against Titania was awesome! I’ll be waiting for the rematch!
“Next question! ‘Why do you look the same in Dendro as you do in your streams?’ I get this one every now and then, but it’s just because when I was creating my character, I went and asked if I could look the same as the G avatar I use for my channel. It was pretty funny that the control AI kitty knew about me, though.”
The chat exploded.
Lul
You’re a vtuber, where’s your kayfabe?
Don’t say ‘avatar.’
“If any of you haven’t started Dendro yet and dunno what appearance you’d pick, just go ahead and ask the control AI. That should make things easy. Oh, but I’m the only one who can look like this! If you use my appearance for anything lewd, I’ll sink you for ten thousand years!”
She literally would.
You probably wouldn’t surface until the stars align...
I never thought of that
If only I’d thought of that sooner... I already made my avatar.
Well, it’s not like anyone can copy the second form...
The chat flowed on—half joking, half serious.
Eventually, it was time to end the stream...
“That’s about it for tonight! It’s time to go! But before that, I have a very special announcement!” said G, causing the chat to speed up with anticipation. “I’m making a new video! I haven’t even recorded it yet, but I’ll be fighting a very special guest!”
Oh, a fight vid?
If it didn’t happen yet, maybe we can find the filming location?
A ‘very special guest’? Girl, you just fought Titania. Who can match that?
“Whether I win or lose, it’ll be a premiere—so get ready to watch, like, and donate!”
Yyyep, that’s our Bottomless!
I’m new here. Is she always this obsessed with money?
She doesn’t even try to sugarcoat it! We love that, though!
G is so cute
“Anyway, buh-byeee! See yaaa! Goodniiight!”
Goodniiight!
Goodnight
I still wonder who the big guest is...
[Today’s stream is over! Come see me again!]
◆◆◆
April, A Call Between Brother and Sister
“Hey! Hey! Hey! I’m actually thinking of going on a trip! Taking off on a journey!”
“Well, Golden Week is almost over, isn’t it?”
“No no no! I deny and defy that! I mean a trip in Dendro!”
“A little expedition with your clan, then? Who are you picking a fight with this time? Speaking of that, your recent ‘I Broke Into Titania’s Concert and Challenged Her to a Band Battle’ was a good one.”
“The view count is going crazy! I got lots of donations during the premiere too!”
“That’s good to hear. Though, I must say I’m surprised Titania accepted your challenge. I wouldn’t think the leader of a whole country would do something like that.”
“I lost and died, but I’ll win next time! I’ll recruit more musicians into my clan and challenge her again!”
“That’s one of the good things about you. You graciously accept defeat, but are strong-willed enough to try again.”
“Oh yeah! Since that video got me so much money, I’m thinking of giving Legendaria a cut by sharing some of my in-game wealth with them. Where do you think I should donate?”
“That’s not something you’d expect to hear from someone who belongs to an anti-Legendaria criminal alliance. Anyway, I guess you could donate through the YLNT Club? They’d use every single lir for children’s welfare.”
“...It’s weird how those absolute perverts are so gentle and sincere when it comes to children.”
“I imagine Legendaria thinks something similar about your clan.”
“We give fun times to our viewers! Good stories to the innocent! Annoyances to the authorities! And we take everything from the baddies who are above the law! We’re the Underground Sanctuary, and that’s how we operate! We’re basically righteous bandits!”
“Nezumi Kozo and Robin Hood would probably rush in and punch you for saying that... You take from innocent Masters too, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah! It’s PK! Wait, did we go off on a tangent? Did our talk get derailed?”
“It did. I think you said something about a trip?”
“Right! The trip! It’s not a clan event! I’m going solo! By myself!”
“Oh?”
“The lolicon and the card gamer aren’t in Legendaria at the moment. We’re also looking for the next person whose stuff I can take with my ult, so I got nothing to do right now.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“And ZZZ used our alliance connections to send us a request, so everyone in the clan is busy fulfilling that now!”
“Overlord Acedia? What did he want?”
“He said he needs materials for his thralls, and that he’s paying 1.5 times the market price, so everyone just went and started digging away at the mountain we got from the greedy Dvergars! They’re all mining right now.”
“Short on materials?”
“He said something about getting attacked by three Superiors and an evil-looking prince on a silver steed.”
“That description sounds really familiar.”
“He lost a lot of thralls he used to defend his territory, so he needs some help making them again. But you won’t see me gathering materials for him! I’m not a miner!”
“Well, you’re not really that type of person, I guess.”
“Yes! You’re right! So I got nothing to do right now!”
“I see. And that’s why you’re going on a solo trip?”
“Yes! Exactly! And that’s why, well... I have a question for you.”
“Yes?”
“This has nothing to do with the trip, but... Where are you right now?”
“Hm...”
“Hello?”
“Oh. Sorry. I’m in Gideon for the time being. There’s that tournament, and a few interesting figures I can use for reference.”
“I see! So that’s how it is! Good to know! That’s perfect!”
“What do you mean, perfect?”
“N-Nothing! Don’t mind that! Anyway, bye!”
And just like that, the call abruptly ended.
“...If she thinks that’s enough to fool anyone, my sister really is a terrible liar,” the man said with a sigh. He was an author who frequented the world of Infinite Dendrogram as King of Light, F—but right now, he was just a brother shocked at his sister’s inability to hide her true intentions.
She was obviously planning to pay him a surprise visit—she’d done this in real life too.
“Though...she said ‘perfect’...”
That implied that she had a goal besides visiting F.
Knowing her well, he thought about what his sister would do in Gideon and quickly found his answer.
“Mm-hmm... Well, that will be interesting,” the author said, speaking from an observer’s point of view as he imagined the events that would soon unfold.
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