Chapter 464 - A Moment of Absence
“—In the end, you can’t hate him because you have to admit he’s right.”
“Totally.”
“The problem is that all the ranked guys are either nice young men or just cool dudes.”
“Guess you can’t get picked on pure skill alone.”
“Crown-kun is, well, you know. On top of all that, the fact that he’s relatively normal is what’s so good.”
“I get that.”
“His approachability, you know? It’s a type we haven’t really seen before.”
“But he’s also the type with the most insane gap between his personality and his abilities.”
“In a way, it’s almost calculated.”
“The way he genuinely seems to be having a blast is great. He has this vibe that makes everyone watching have fun too, which is a huge strength from an entertainment perspective.”
“And his combat style is super flashy.”
“The way he occasionally vanishes from sight along with the flashiness is just part of his charm.”
“He explained a lot of things carefully, but did anyone here fully understand it?”
“I got the… gist of it…”
“I kind of get the nuance…”
“I felt his fighting spirit, I guess…?”
“I understand what he was saying, but if you ask me if I can actually absorb it and do it myself…”
“It’s not as easy as he says to convince yourself it’s just a game.”
“Especially the longer you’ve been immersed in this world.”
“The courage to stomp down with all your might, knowing your body is about to launch forward at hundreds of kilometers per hour…”
“It’s not about preparedness. Normally, your instinctive safety locks would kick in.”
“Your avatar just stutters to a halt, right?”
“It’s not just him, but I think the top players are all fundamentally wired differently. Not in a crazy way, just… different.”
“Their adaptability to the VR environment… It really is a talent.”
“I heard that even ‘normal people’ can gradually have their brains adapt and eventually grow to the level where they awaken a ‘talent’ or ‘gift,’ but is that really true?”
“I want to laugh it off and say no way, but those are the words of Yotsuya himself…”
“‘Eventually’ could mean in a few decades.”
“That wouldn’t make it a lie, though…”
“Well, but it’s true that you can feel yourself improving day by day even with the same stats and skills. It’s nice that it keeps you motivated.”
“If the me from three years ago saw the me of today, he’d definitely be shocked.”
“When I started, I couldn’t even write text using thought control.”
“Seriously? And now you’re a mage? That’s impressive.”
“I couldn’t even dodge a Fool Boar’s charge at first, but now I can casually sidestep the needle barrage from a [Thornet] without thought acceleration.”
“Except when it’s a volley from a whole swarm.”
“We don’t talk about that.”
“The [Patchwork Hill] is a great spot, isn’t it? I sometimes go there with my clan members to gather honey.”
“If only it were a bit closer to town.”
“Come on, expeditions are part of what makes Arcadia great.”
“After the event is over, how about we all get together and go somewhere? Since we all met here and all.”
“Oh, nice idea. Let’s all add each other as friends.”
“...Nonomi-chan and Nia-chan are girls, so that’s too high a hurdle. But I wonder if it’s okay to ask Crown-san for a friend request.”
“Hmm, he seems like the type who would accept without a second thought.”
“But you still hesitate, right? Like, am I really allowed to clutter up his friends list with my random name?”
“You can organize your list into groups, so I don’t think you need to worry that much. That’s not to say I have the guts to ask him myself.”
“...For now, let’s hold off until right before the event ends. If, by some miracle, he sends us a request himself, then we’ve hit the jackpot.”
“Yeah, that’s the safest bet…”
“““No objections!”””
“And just like that, the connection quietly fades away.”
“Don’t say it.”
“Life is cruel.”
“That’s just how it is between normal people and celebrities.”
“Sad, isn’t it.”
“Well, even if our connection is severed, I’m still going to support Haru-chan.”
“Bwah…!”
“Dude, stop…!”
“Lol.”
“If he hears you, you’ll be sentenced to the aerial tour.”
“Can’t be helped, though. That was just unfair.”
“A young man of his build turning into a girl… I mean, in a way, that’s an invincible kind of idol appeal.”
“I don’t know what it is, like an unknown entity you can look at without any ulterior motives, or something like…”
“Stop right there before you break your brain.”
“Suspect my brain is already broken.”
“Even as a guy, my visual input just bugs out. I know, a hundred percent, that he’s a guy, but still…”
“If that ever got out to the public, it would be a disaster.”
“Isn’t there always a huge incident, disaster, or uproar around that guy?”
“My brain hasn’t had a moment’s rest these past few months, seriously.”
“The name ‘Crown’ is not just for show, huh?”
“No, really—in many ways, this group was the jackpot.”
As they passed the time, a circle of camaraderie formed, their casual words flowing freely as the atmosphere grew lively.
Watching them from the nearby kitchen, the chef—who was undoubtedly one of the reasons they called this group assignment the “jackpot”—
“…”
He had already gone ahead and gotten his own prize—a new friend, recorded in his friends list. He wondered what face that popular guy would make if he heard this conversation.
As he continued his preparations for dinner, a faint smile appeared on the face of a man who considered himself to be unexpressive.