Chapter 420 - The World's Buzz Never Stops
After seeing Nia off on her brisk departure, I thought to myself, Alright, time for me to head back to the virtual world, too—but of course, things were never going to be that simple.
After clearing away the leftover food and dishes with a vacant mind, my body, having reached its peak level of exhaustion, automatically made its way to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. Thump.
The hands of the clock spun round and round, and for the first time in a long while, my Monday ended without a single dive. The next day, with my body and mind both recovered, I headed off to university full of energy—
"—and that's pretty much how it went. More or less what we expected, huh?"
"Is that so..."
While taking damage from a completely different vector thanks to a lecture that was as incomprehensible as it was fast-paced... the rest of the day proceeded as usual.
Once our schedules aligned and the usual members gathered at the Shijo residence, I found myself making a complicated face as my friends delivered a sugar-coated report on the current situation.
The topic, of course, was the public uproar that had begun three days ago following the subjugation of the [White Throne].
"Well, uh... I have a mountain of things I want to say, but for now, I'm just glad I'm not being treated as an enemy of the world or some great evil that needs to be destroyed."
In the end, it seemed the public had come to a consensus—or rather, had their perceptions solidified—that my relationship with Ashe was probably like that.
That family-only nickname had been far too decisive, it seemed. Can't be helped.
"To be honest, I'm not saying there aren't voices like that. In fact, to be even more blunt, there's a mountain of 'em—it's just a mountain that gets completely buried by all the other mountains of comments."
We were in the 'workroom' that the Shijo family had prepared for us within their mansion, which had practically become our regular hangout spot instead of Kaede's room. Fully equipped for things like editing archive videos, it was the base of operations for Team Cla—er, my personal support team.
Toshiki, likely tired from staring at his PC, was spinning his chair around and around while rolling his neck. He rattled off a summary of the key points.
A pseudo-Doppler effect was at play, and his already low, exhausted voice was incredibly difficult to hear. I really wished he would stop.
"—For someone who just appeared out of nowhere, you have far too many achievements and accomplishments. On top of that, the entire world witnessed the moment the [Sword Queen] herself began to show interest in you."
"In so many ways, there's no one who can complain. And the rankers' followers aren't so cold as to silently overlook the kind of boring jealousy and envy that still pops up. And that includes your fans!"
"Ha, haha..."
Seriously... the 'fans' of Haru Kasuga—or rather, the Acrobat—are such a fantastical concept. Of course, a part of me is genuinely happy, but bewilderment still comes first.
"Let me know if you decide to start an official fan club. I'll get the plans in order."
"...When you say that with a straight face, it's hard to tell if you're joking, so please spare me."
Mizuki, who had joined the conversation midway, glanced at me over her shoulder. The usual cool beauty didn't push up her glasses, but instead gave a faint smile and murmured, "It's a joke."
I've never actually seen Mizuki do that gesture. It's becoming mysteriously rare, so I really hope she'll save it for a grand reveal right in front of me someday.
Incidentally, Shoko and Kaede were absent from the team meeting today due to other commitments.
"So, to summarize... for now, I don't need to worry about the whole Ashe... I mean, Iris thing, right? Well, I suppose I should be a little concerned."
"You'll be fine. Besides, whether it's the people making a fuss or the people watching quietly—hell, even for you, the person at the center of it all—it's not a problem you can do anything about by worrying. Or rather, it's pointless to worry... uh, well..."
"Because no matter how much attention you pay to it, she is who she is."
"Yeah, exactly."
Toshiki nodded at Mizuki's interjection as if she'd said exactly what he was thinking, then stated the conclusion with a frankness that made it sound like someone else's problem.
"When that Alicia White decides to move, there's no one in the real world who can get in her way. Well, there might be a few in the virtual one."
"And in this case, it seems she's not just walking; she's sprinting. No matter how much dust gathers at her feet, it'll just be blown away before it can even touch her."
"D-Dust..."
"Troublesome followers who can't read the room are no better than dust."
Man, she's terrifying. The fact that she says it so casually, without a hint of emotion, just makes her words cut that much deeper.
"Putting that aside, as for the details of the subjugation battle... well, the public's opinion of you is pretty much the same as always."
"Hrmm... for reference, what exactly is 'the same as always'?"
"Hm? Oh, that's—He's too fast, I can't see him, what is he even doing, stop spamming new techniques, what's that white sword flying around on its own, I'm so jealous of his cute and strong partner he should go bald, he has that much agility and firepower so he should prostrate himself before the strength-based warriors, lmao he just charged into a horde all by himself, how is he still alive, ending with zero hits and no damage is just absurd, how many ultimate moves does this guy have, he's a flying armory and a one-man encyclopedia of ultimate moves, the personification of a tuna, the way his crown just pops in and out of existence is strangely distracting so I wish he'd sto—"
"Too long, too long, too long...!"
Seriously, his articulation and lung capacity are insane. He didn't need to show off his mysterious physical prowess so suddenly.
"Well, that's the usual stuff. There's still more. Wanna hear it all?"
"I'm good."
He must have prepared a list of generic comments beforehand. I gave a firm 'no, thank you' to Toshiki, who had been reciting the 'voice of the public' from his phone like an incantation. My friend just chuckled deep in his throat and started rolling his neck again.
Just how stiff are his neck and shoulders? Maybe I should give him a massage...?
"...If there's anything you should be concerned about, Haru-kun, it would be..."
"Ah, yes. What is it?"
"It would be... actually, is there any need to say it?"
Yeah, probably not. There's only one thing I should be most concerned about right now—my cute and powerful partner.
"How are things looking for Sora?"
"It's a huge uproar. Since she didn't have a pre-existing group of followers to act as a buffer, the situation is even more chaotic than it was for you two."
"To put it simply, it's just like when you made your debut."
"Ah..."
What an incredibly apt comparison.
"So, it also means that as long as she has solid support, there's no need to worry. We don't know the details, of course... but she's going to be okay, right?"
"Yeah, no doubt about that."
Aside from the young lady of the Shijo family, who has a family connection, I obviously haven't revealed Sora's true identity to Toshiki and the others. They'd never imagine she's the daughter of my employer.
And so... just as Toshiki said, if the commotion is on the same level as when I debuted, then there's no need to worry—at least, as far as public perception goes.
In that case, what I can do is...
"If she's important to you, then you need to support her properly."
"I will, with every ounce of strength I have."
Just as she was there for me after the Four Pillar War.
Faced with the countless gazes from around the world... I'll be by her side, so that at the very least, she doesn't have to suffer alone. That's about all I can do—be her emotional support.
So many things planned. Is the fourth arc really going to end this quickly?