Chapter 204 - The Princess's Camp
"Haaah… Well, even if it was just since last night, having some room to prepare ourselves mentally is better than nothing, I guess."
"It’s been a while, hasn’t it?"
"Since the last, last, last… yeah, since the last one before that."
For the past three Four Pillar Wars, things had settled into a pattern with their Princess as the commander.
It was a measure taken in pursuit of stability rather than peace… but now, forced to deviate from a plan that had been working so well, the assembled members let out a collective sigh, acknowledging reality.
"…………Right now, the people who think they know everything from watching the screen are probably thinking, 'The South is gonna win.'"
"'The people' is not a nice way to put it. The audience is a necessary part of what makes this world exciting, so you shouldn't look down on them."
"My apologies. Well, I doubt they'll pick up the audio from our strategy meeting anyway, same as always."
As Fuji admonished the boy who had let out a bitter laugh, the boy gave a little wave toward a camera whose location was unknown.
"Wipe that smug look off your face, you'll get more fans."
"'Smug' is uncalled for, and what kind of demand is there for fans of that?"
"The bratty-kid demand."
"Wanna talk about this?"
Ignoring the bickering second and fifth-ranked members, Helena let out a small sigh and opened her eyes. Her gaze, filled with a sort of consideration, fell upon the figure of their princess, sitting perfectly still like a doll placed on a chair.
"Iris, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. If it's to win, I will do my duty properly."
A sweet, cool voice—but the words were thin, betraying no emotion.
Those who knew the Iris from before all felt the same pang in their hearts, but they weren't close enough to exchange words about it now. If she nodded, all they could do was support her… as always.
"Then… although it hardly needs confirming at this point, a direct frontal assault against the Eastern Faction will not lead to victory."
"And this time, they've brought a top-tier hidden ace with them, too."
"Their base will likely be defended by those two again, after all."
They were members who had fought together countless times; their understanding was mutual.
The common perception that "victory is certain if the [Sword Queen] takes the field" was not correct in the slightest.
This world was a game… and furthermore, the game called [Arcadia] boasted a level of freedom that was laughably greater than any existing analog game.
Freedom equals diversity in character builds. And the strategic breadth born from combining countless unique individuals was truly infinite.
Even a player who could slay ten thousand single-handedly could be defeated by a hundred enemies.
That was a law of this world, a system that applied even to a player like Iris, who had long been called the strongest in the virtual world.
Moreover, when the opposing side possessed not a hundred, but a hand of cards capable of completely shutting her down with just two people… the reality was that Sotalm, the Southern Faction that held the strongest hand, was by no means the 'strongest faction.'
That title truly belonged to only one faction—the East, which stood on equal footing with the North and South combined.
These players understood that.
That is precisely why…
"If that's the case, our options are limited… right?"
"Yes. An envoy from the Northern Faction should be on their way here now. As soon as they arrive, we will decide on the assignments."
"It's been a while since we've done some scheming, huh?"
"That sounds bad. We're just using our heads to meet expectations."
To meet expectations—to protect—they would stage a performance of being the 'strongest'.
"Iris?"
"…No, it's nothing."
Even if she's hurt, she won't fall to her knees.
Even if her voice fades, she won't fall silent.
Even if her smile wanes, she won't look down.
"Thank you, everyone… I'll do my best."
They followed her lead; they wouldn't look down either.
Who they were here to support… that was something they'd known for a very, very long time.