Chapter 663 - Beside the Feast
Time in the virtual world of Arcadia flows at 1.5 times the rate of reality.
Naturally, events like banquets and after-parties are often allotted a generous amount of time… but perhaps because of the variety of extraordinary experiences that set it apart from reality, they almost always feel like they’re over in a flash.
After that, my junior-esque approach must have worked, as I managed to get along reasonably well with Ricky-san and even heard the story of his “ill-fated friendship” with Tonic-san.
Then, Maru II returned with a mortified Rinne in tow, only for us both to be grabbed by the scruff of our necks by an invading Tiger Lucky and forced to participate in a ‘Stardust Beast Race.’
After putting on a one-man show where Sapphire was so far ahead it was obvious from the start, I was unceremoniously slapped with a ban from the event I’d been forced to join in the first place.
Next came some perfectly normal events like an a cappella karaoke competition, which eventually devolved into an insane tournament hosted by Istia called [Human Strikeout: I’m the Ball, You’re the Target]. Of course, I was forcibly dragged from one event to the next—
“You look tired.”
“Don’t give me that. You’ve been watching from a safe distance with a cool expression this whole time. Must be nice, you damn Blonde Samurai…”
My now well-trained virtual body and mind don’t tire easily, but it’s a different story when I’m facing the highest-difficulty end-game content common to all humanity: socializing.
After answering a series of enthusiastic invitations and being pulled left and right, I finally made it back to the Eastern table.
The massive party, with its thousand-strong crowd, still showed no signs of quieting down. Several hours had passed since it began, and the mood was still ‘we’re just getting started’… but there was one thing I couldn’t forget.
For someone introverted at heart like me, partying this hard for this long is as mentally taxing as taking on a raid boss solo.
I was genuinely having fun, of course. But that was that, and this was this. It’s a different story in combat when my switch flips, but this is how I am normally.
And while the world outside this virtual space might not know, this part of my nature was becoming fairly well-known among my comrades-in-arms… not just the top-tier rankers, but also the high-level players gathered here—or maybe not.
“Aaaagh…”
“...If your fans—especially your more ‘devout’ followers—were to hear that old-man groan, I wonder what kind of faces they’d make.”
Consequently, I wasn’t particularly worried about appearances as I collapsed onto the table. But there was one person who had been sitting quietly at the now-empty Eastern table as the party reached its peak and everyone else had scattered.
It wasn't a rebuke, and it was too weak to be a taunt. Irori spoke the words as if to himself, a soft-spoken attempt at conversation.
As I squashed my cheek against the table and glanced over, I saw the samurai’s blue eyes, holding a cup but not drinking from it, quietly gazing at the 'commotion' from a distance.
“…Hah.”
After a few seconds of thought, I decided there was no point and kicked any sense of courtesy into the trash can.
We were just two idiots who’d fought with everything, pride and all, on the line. There was no need for reservations.
“What, you still down about it? You went head-to-head with the Sword Queen at max power and lasted thirty seconds. That’s pretty damn good, no need to be so depr—”
“Silence, junior.”
“Mphbbbl…”
As I teased him, my senior’s hand shot out, grabbed a mysterious dish from the table, and shoved it into my mouth like a cork. It was one of the many delicacies prepared by Arcadia’s top chefs, including Tesshin-san, and while my mouth was in paradise, a complaint was unavoidable.
“What was that for…?!”
“My line. Don’t casually mock the defeated.”
“I figured it was fine since we’re both losers.”
“...Neither the public nor I recognize what you did as a ‘loss.’”
“I charged in knowing I was outnumbered. Getting ganged up on is still a loss.”
“Why are you so strangely stoic about things like that?”
“Look who’s talking, Mr. Stoicism Incarnate. To be frank, I’ve never in my life met anyone who embodies ‘strict with myself, strict with others’ on your level.”
“I’m not interested in hearing about the life of a youngster.”
“Hey, watch it. You may be my senior, but we’re basically the same age. I’ve worked a ton of part-time jobs, so don’t you dare laugh off my life as a corporate slave (lol) like I’m some random part-timer.”
“Doesn’t count if you’re laughing at yourself.”
“Wouldn’t it be super lame if I said it seriously?”
“I suppose. But a clown who willingly makes a joke of his own life is something else entirely.”
“Speaking of which, Irori, you’ve had a part-time job before, right? What did you do?”
“What kind of topic change is that… Well, it was at a kendo dojo. I instructed elementary and middle school students and supported the professional instructors.”
“That’s not what I was expecting at all… Wait, as a high school student?”
“An acquaintance of mine who’s an instructor heard I was looking for a job and insisted on bringing me the offer. I turned it down at first, explaining that I was saving up for a specific purpose and couldn’t compromise on the pay…”
“And they insisted on covering that, too?”
“...Well, yes. That’s what happened.”
“How popular are you? You must have been a real prodigy…”
“...I imagine it was also their way of showing support.”
“Hah… That’s nice. Things like that make you happy, don’t they—hey, what’s with that look? Stop staring at me, it’s creepy.”
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking you’re the same as someone I know.”
“I agree. We’ve both been blessed with good people.”
“...Yes, almost too blessed.”
“…”
“…”
“...You know…”
“Don’t say it.”
“Two young guys getting all sentimental about life in the corner of a banquet is also pretty la—”
“I said, don’t say it.”
And with that, he finally cracked a half-smile.
He slid his cup across the table and it made a clean hit on my forehead—an act of violence only permissible because of our incredibly durable virtual avatars. A dull thud echoed out, but a Lv. 100 virtual body won’t lose any HP from something like that.
Not even with a ridiculous stat build like VIT: 0.
Anyway, now that the overly serious samurai’s expression had finally loosened up…
“I’ve got somewhere to be after this.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“Wanna come? It’s been a while for you, too.”
“Do you really think I would do something so tactless?”
“I’m saying it wouldn’t be tactless if it were you.”
“In that case, you are the tactless one for making such a suggestion.”
“You have an answer for everything… —Just make sure you show your face soon. It’s not really my place to say, but I’m sure she wants to see and talk with you, too.”
It was a bit of meddling, born from my position of being directly involved in their relationship. As I said, he surely knew it himself without me having to say anything.
But that was precisely why I had to be the one to say it.
“I know. I’m just letting you go first.”
“Yeah, yeah. What a kind and thoughtful senior you are.”
Whether that was the right answer or not… well, whatever.
I’ll just take the senior’s not-so-displeased wry smile as he looked at his cheeky junior as my answer.
They're so close. More of this, please.