Chapter 1098 - The Many Places Called Home
—Thus.
"I'm sorry for making you wor— 'Gah!!!'" Oof
The time was the promised hour. The place was the Round Table. Those present were familiar faces. And when I bowed my head dutifully for the occasion, a light but fatally momentum-driven weight pressed down on my lowered head.
In short, an idiot.
If it were a real body, my cervical vertebrae would be in serious trouble from such an impact; even the [Perdia Eternity] had its resistance pierced, and my avatar hit the ground with a splat.
And the culprit who did it shouted loudly...
"It's great to see you're doing well!!!!!"
"...Yeah. I'm doing well as always, which is why I can do this."
Since she was shouting, I used the shadow threads I'd sent out to wrap her up and toss her aside. She's making muffled noises, but I don't care; stay there and reflect for a while—I thought.
An act ten-odd seconds after teleporting to the 'Eastern Round Table,' the gathering place for the Eastern Camp rank-holders.
While still wrapped up like a straw bundle in the shadows. Setting aside the one red creature being rolled around by the partner (partner) who came with me and Sora, and who was being chased into a corner while making small "ah—" noises...
"...You really do look well. I'm relieved."
"I knew we had to see your face. I wish I could have gone to visit you."
Because of the idiot who made the opening dash, they weren't the fastest, but they were quick. The two older members of the group approached and first spoke to me and Sora with gentle expressions.
"Once again, for making you..."
"...worry."
When I answered back together with my partner...
"Well, I've already heard the story. I was worried, but it's not like you 'made' us worry, and there's no need to bow your heads to us. It's a matter that ends with 'congratulations' (............)."
"That's right. Truly, I'm just glad it ended with nothing happening."
Just as expected, they are the top two consciences of the Eastern Camp.
...No, setting aside my own self-evaluation, everyone from first to ninth place possesses a conscience, but it's that. In the sense that they also possess grounded common sense—
"Haru."
"Yeah?"
While I was being soothed by the father and older sister of the Eastern Camp, here was call-out Part 3, excluding the cry of the monster that attacked at the start. Since the blue one (Ri-na) is in the virtual world, it's only natural that the red one (that thing) is here too, and if that's the case, it's only natural that this guy, who has recently been constantly acting as a set with them, is also here.
"It's a tentative (......) relief, I suppose? Keep an eye out for any sense of wrongness."
"Yeah, I'll be careful."
"Sora. You too."
"Ah, y-yes...!"
Irori, who joined the welcoming circle after a beat along with Gousan and Hina-san, was also quite blunt in his tone, but looking at the other side, it was a straightforward manifestation of worry. He turned an ikemen smile toward me and Sora, who had been away from the virtual world for a while, in the form of urging caution.
Note that regarding the hospitalization and such, the inner circle... namely, the rank-holders who are the heads of each camp, have been contacted and reported to. As of yesterday, along with the report of the diagnosis results.
Well, naturally. The conquest was carried out with members selected from each camp, which means it was an event that concerned 'comrades' for all camps.
It seems like a big deal, but since it truly is a big deal—now then,
"............Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Thanks for worrying, Gen-san."
"...Umu."
After receiving goodwill from our late-arriving moe character... that's everyone for this place (............).
"Where's Tetra?"
"He said he'd log in late tonight. He said he'd greet you if he could see you."
"Got it. What about Yura?"
"That one's in the middle of an errand (......). She probably won't be back for a few days."
"Got that too. Then—"
Thus, I asked about those who weren't present due to timing, for the reason that they were people I couldn't contact on the real side...—and,
"Oh."
"If it's Ui, she should be coming about now... is what I was about to say."
Just before I asked about my master's situation, at the edge of my vision. The notification I had tentatively activated to inform me of specific players logging in blinked reservedly.
In other words,
"...Er."
—In a sense (..........), the person I was most (......) worried (......) about (......) has arrived in the virtual world.
I'm sure she was worried just like everyone else, but what's different from everyone else is her... how should I put it... that, especially lately? Her stance toward me is different from everyone else.
No, maybe that's been the case from the start. The master, Ui-sama, the [Sword Saint], the 'Supreme' sword of the virtual world, is—if I may be so bold as to say so—in a way—
She is constantly watching over me with eyes like a guardian.
Thus, ten-odd seconds after the notification.
"—Haru-kun...!"
The light of teleportation.
Rending space with a key, the small avatar plunged into the Round Table room along with her voice.
"Ah, Ui-sa—"
"I heard you were okay, but...! Are you truly alright...?!"
And so began the embarrassing one (............) out of the fifty-fifty chance I'd predicted.
She's like a mother or something. Captured in an instant by my master, who approached as if pouncing on me, I was examined from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, my greeting cut off.
No, I think it's impossible to grasp my health by examining my avatar in the virtual world (this side)... but such words couldn't possibly come out when I saw her state.
On the contrary, I judged that no matter what I said right now, she wouldn't have the mental capacity (ears) to listen—
And so, several minutes later.
"—Man, that master-disciple love is something else."
"Ufufu... You're loved, Disciple-kun."
"It's just as you see. Don't cause her any more heartache."
"...Take care of your body for a while."
"Ha, haha.................. S-Sora-san. What, ouch. Stop the side, don't pinch me."
"I'm not pinching you."
At the end of everything, we arrived at a social gathering again.
At the edge of my vision, as always, the one idiot was pitifully crying, "Wait, Ri-na-cha, forgive me already..." or something, but I'll leave her and her partner alone...
For now,
"................................This wasn't... supposed to happen..."
After several minutes, she looked back and was defeated. Now she's quietly shrinking into her first-place seat.
Most likely, she hadn't planned to be that flustered. I'll start salvaging my master, who ended up sinking to the bottom of a rare swamp of shame after fussing over me.