Chapter 664 - A Visit to a Gentle Place
—It’s old news at this point, but the game systems that make up the virtual world created by the VR device [Arcadia] are insane in a number of ways.
The claim that you can ‘do anything’ in a game is a common catchphrase, but it’s a boast that usually ends in the disappointed realization that “it wasn’t as great as they said.”
But here lies the exception. While the list of examples would be endless, in Arcadia, there is nothing that cannot be done by those who play the game.
As long as it doesn’t cross ethical lines or denigrate the ‘game’ itself, this virtual world tolerates any and all forms of ‘imagination.’ While those two restrictions can certainly act as chains, it still offers a ridiculous degree of freedom that is incomparable to existing games.
Take, for example, the act of building bridges called portals across this vast world.
There are countless games that can do the same, but there are surely few online games where players can install an administrator for a feature used by all players, and where it is the players—not the developers or operators—who are permitted to take control of the game’s systems.
Currently, there are countless portals in Arcadia’s main field, the [Garden of Divine Creation], limited to a hundred-kilometer radius around the Great Bell Tower at the starting point.
And the vast majority of them—or rather, almost all of them—are open to all players without any restrictions… but the truth is, the situation is so absurd that the designated ‘administrator’ could freeze and disable all of them right now at their sole discretion.
So who is this ‘administrator’? It is, of course, none other than the one who bears the title of ‘Ranker’—the representative, hero, idol, and charismatic figure of Arcadia’s player base.
It is a great responsibility, but considering the current role of the rankers, it is merely one of many. Iris, as the representative, currently lends her name as the [Sword Queen], while the practical management is handled by Goldow, the [General Commander], and Helena, the [Lady-in-Waiting].
In any case, the most vital means of long-distance travel in Arcadia, the portals, are in the hands of the faction leaders, the Rankers. Of course, as representatives, they manage and operate them in a way that faithfully serves the general populace, never betraying the trust placed in them…
—Well, you could call it a privilege in exchange for shouldering all that trouble and responsibility.
At the suggestion of the former third-ranked member of the Eastern Faction, Goldow, a secret mechanism was implemented. A ‘key’ with conditions was set on a very small number of exceptions—twelve locations, to be exact—and by repeating transfers in a short sequence, a path to a linked location is opened.
It was for no other reason than to hide the dwelling of the secluded [Sword Saint].
The reason this became necessary in the first place… is that no matter how much of a model of morality Arcadians may be, they are still human, and there are limits to self-control.
It was a famous story in the virtual world that the Sword Saint [Ui] had opened her dojo and created a place for teaching. Even after she closed its gates, there was no end to players who would visit, thinking, ‘It can’t hurt just to get a word of advice.’
Honestly, you couldn’t blame them.
There was no malice in those who wanted to meet her, who sought her guidance. And the [Sword Saint] herself did not think ill of those who visited her out of admiration and respect—but.
It was simply that there were far, far too many of them.
Well, it couldn’t be helped. The price of overwhelming fame.
One, two, three, four… I counted a total of twelve transfers. Starting from the first one in the main player district, the [Safe Area], and repeating the process, I arrived in a bamboo forest.
I’ve gotten so used to it now that I can reach this place as easily as breathing, but back when I was still new to it… back when I wasn’t aware of my ‘Memory’ Gift and couldn’t use it properly, I messed up a few times and had to start over from the first portal. The transfer sickness was awful.
“—Still, I never imagined the destination was a place that doesn’t exist.”
I murmured to myself, taking in the scenery for the first time since my master had departed.
The sound of bamboo leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. Ah, how nostalgic this castle of perseverance feels, even after only a month… And again, I never dreamed that this entire place was a whole other dimension.
One of the secrets known only to a select few.
Kagura-san mentioned there were four in the world, or five including me, but that was likely with the caveat of ‘as far as has been confirmed’—…
…,
……………
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…………………………—Alright, is it about time?
“…You know, I thought this might be my first time being welcomed back, but am I mistaken? Are we playing ‘hide-and-seek’? Is this, like, a new training method after ‘tag’?”
I had been speaking as if to myself, but that last part was a direct question.
And the someone playfully holding her breath in the shadow of the bamboo knew that I had noticed her presence… and she knew that I knew that she knew, yet she remained hidden, sending an amused gaze my way.
However, she was not one to ignore a question posed so directly.
“—Fufu… I wanted to surprise you, but it seems I’ve failed. A pity.”
The soft sound of small footsteps on fallen leaves, and a flash of gray emerged in the darkness.
The figure that stepped out, having conceded so easily, was as petite as ever—and yet, once in view, she exuded a quiet yet overwhelming presence.
“I was surprised, though. I was just wondering if you’d also mastered that kind of playful side.”
“Oh? I feel as though I have shown you this side of me many times…”
“Hmm… I don’t know, this felt about twenty percent more… childish?”
“That… yes, you may be right. I was a bit mischievous on my long journey, so perhaps I am now afflicted with an unfitting childishness.”
“It’s not unfitting. No, it’s not unfitting at all.”
“…Why did you repeat yourself with such emphasis? And in what way is ‘childishness’ not unfitting for me? May I ask for your reasoning? Could it be my height—”
“Because my revered master is the embodiment of gap moe, in whom an invincible maturity and an innocent childishness coexist perfectly, without the slightest strain or awkwardness. Yes.”
“You said that very quickly…?”
And the fact that she sounded genuinely impressed by that is yet another reason why she is my revered master—anyway.
“Welcome back. I hope your long journey was a safe one, Ui-san.”
“Yes. I have returned, Haru-kun.”
The girl-like woman, dressed in traveling clothes different from her usual do-gi, smiled gently, her gray hair swaying and her gray eyes crinkling.
And so, I asked the question I had prepared, the one I had decided I would absolutely ask when she returned safely.
“By the way, my master, how did you get back?”
“…You heard something you shouldn’t have from Ar-chan, didn’t you?”
With overflowing affection, I threw the question without hesitation.
It's simple: find a monster you have absolutely no chance of beating and challenge it with all your might. On another note, has it really been about a hundred chapters since we last saw my master?