Chapter 124 - An Unwanted Title
“Alright, introductions are over, so sit down, all of ya. The new guy’s keepin’ everyone waiting.”
“Let’s wrap this up and get outta here,” Goldow said, clapping his hands as the commotion settled. It seemed the meet-and-greet wasn’t over just yet.
“Hey, Goldow, where’s Yurayura-san?”
“Ah, they said they’d sit this one out for now.”
“Yura-san must be overjoyed, then.”
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard them complain about the burden of their rank.”
Numbered ranks, and an equal number of chairs. It seemed everyone had their designated spot.
As Goldow (#3), Mi-na (#4), Hinayo (#6), and Irori (#7) made their way to their seats without a moment’s hesitation, they chatted casually, any trace of tension gone.
It was… incredibly informal. Friendly, even. It was clear they were close—
“Senpai, over here.”
As I stood there, dumbfounded by the top rankers’ unexpectedly relaxed demeanor, I realized the tenth-ranked player… Tetra, who had been seated from the start, was calling out to me.
“The Ninth seat is here. Have a seat.”
He gestured to the chair beside him. Do I really have to? I guess I do…
From a lightning-fast clear of an unconquered dungeon to a (provisional) victory over the seventh-ranked player… I knew it was getting harder to insist I was just a normal player, given the frankly absurd battle record I was accumulating.
I knew that, I really did… but the commoner mentality I’d cultivated over eighteen years wasn’t something I could just shed in an instant.
Just think about it. Imagine you’re just playing a game you love, and you happen to run into a pro gamer. And not only that, you actually win.
Of course, you’d be thrilled. You’d be ecstatic. But then, right then and there, they tell you—“Congratulations, from now on, you’re a pro player too.”
Could you just accept that? I couldn’t. But anyway—
“Thanks.”
“Mm.”
He’d been kind enough to call me over, so I figured I’d just go with the flow for now.
I thanked him and sat down in the chair next to Tetra. On my other side, the eighth-ranked player, Genkotsu-san… was already seated, his arms crossed and eyes closed. He looked impossibly cool.
Is he meditating?
And what was with this ridiculously comfortable cushion? I could probably get a better night’s sleep here than on the cheap futon in my room—
“Hey, Senpai.”
Just as I was about to sink into the large chair, aided by the phantom fatigue still clinging to me, Tetra spoke up again.
I jolted upright and turned to him. The boy clad in black offered a faint, wry smile and said, “It’s fine, you can relax,” in a considerate tone.
“I figured I should say this first, just in case you were worried—neither I nor Yura-san are going to resent you for our ranks dropping or for being pushed out… so don’t worry.”
“…Is that so.”
As I sank back into the cushion, his words touched upon a small, nagging feeling that had been growing as the reality of the situation set in.
“Unlike the others, we didn’t come here with any particular ambition. In that sense, aren’t we the same as you right now?”
Ah… so that’s how it is. I see.
“Then, what I overheard a moment ago… about Yurayura-san being overjoyed…”
“It means they’re finally free from the burden of their rank. That’s all.”
Not that their skill as the former tenth-ranked player had diminished, but there’s a world of difference between having a grand title and not.
Mainly, in the pressure and responsibility that comes with it.
“Now that you’re here, I’m on deck. I can’t wait to get back to a more carefree life myself.”
“Huh… so there are people like that, too.”
I’d imagined all the rankers would be more… aggressive types. You know, like the Blonde Samurai laughing with his friends two seats over.
“Of course there are. The system appoints us automatically. For someone like me, who hates standing out and isn’t even that good at fighting, it’s a total pain.”
He rested his chin on his hand, looking sulky. Just as he’d said, he looked very much like a younger kid—and for some reason, the intimidating aura I’d felt from Tetra seemed to fade a little.
“I see… Anyway, thanks for being so considerate. It’s nice to meet you.”
“…Mm. You can just call me Tetra.”
When I offered my hand, he dropped his sulky pose and readily shook it.
What can I say? He seems like a genuinely good kid—
“—Then we’ve gotta shake hands too!!”
“Huh?—Whoa, wha!?”
Just as we were sharing a peaceful moment, two tiny intruders—no, two cannonballs—came flying at us.
“Guh-ha?!”
The fourth and fifth-ranked players leaped over the Round Table in tandem, and their heads slammed directly into my solar plexus. The immense impact sent me into a forced stun, and I toppled over, chair and all.
—Ah… this feeling… it’s the same as hers…
I was just about reaching the point of resignation in this utterly chaotic situation. As a status effect icon began to flash and I stared blankly at the ceiling—
“Why did I have to…?”
The one on my chest, the downcast-looking blue one, muttered in exasperation.
“Ehh? ‘Cause it felt like we were the only ones who hadn’t gotten to say hi yet, ya know?”
The red one, on the other hand, showed no remorse.
They had both knocked me over, but the blue one—Ri-na—was at least trying to support her weight with her hands on the floor, showing a sliver of consideration. She might be granted a stay of execution.
But the red one, who was shamelessly straddling me with a triumphant look on her face—you’re a lost cause.
Alright, the stun is about to wear off. Three… two… one…!
“So c’mon, shake our hands too, mmmph—?!”
Let my AGI roar, let my STR rage. My right hand, well-practiced from dealing with a certain indigo-haired girl, shot out and delivered an immediate guilty verdict to the red-haired girl’s face.
“Hey, wai—?! Mmmph-gyaaah, it’s creaking, it’s creaking, it’s making a cracking sound, gyaaaaaaahhhhh!!!”
Fortunately (???), thanks to prior experience, I knew that an attack of this level wouldn’t even scratch the HP of a maxed-out avatar.
No hesitation needed. Teach her a lesson, my right hand.
“…Hm?”
Feeling a tremor, I glanced down at my chest… and saw Ri-na trembling, horrified by the sight of Idiot #2 letting out a death-like scream.
“…I…”
“…I?”
“…I was just dragged along by Mi-na. So, I’m innocent.”
“Very well.”
I’d pretty much guessed as much, so I’ll accept that testimony as truth.
“—Oi, didn’t you say you were in a hurry to go see your partner?”
“Could you not phrase that like I was the one who started fooling around?”
Just get on with it already. My precious partner is waiting for me…!!