Chapter 773 - Meeting Up High
Alright. Paying my respects to the artisan who you could call my other half was top priority, that’s fine, but as someone who holds a seat among the rankers, I have responsibilities.
It’s a bit late to be saying this now, but my time is no longer just my own. If I leave my post or return to it, it’s only proper that I inform the right people and show my face each time.
In other words, my second destination was also a “usual” one.
“—What’s with that refreshed look on your face? Damn, I wanna go to a hot spring too.”
“Why not go with your daughter, Helena-san?”
And so, I trotted over to the Eastern Round Table. As per the meeting we’d arranged in the real world beforehand, the one who greeted me was my superior, the General Commander himself.
“…Tch, you make it sound so easy. I’m swamped over here, you know.”
He shot back a scowl at my lighthearted reply to his envious opening remark. The magnificent man who looked like a golden lion—the massive old guy so tough it was an understatement, a.k.a. Goldow—was probably the most charming character among the Eastern Faction rankers, despite his appearance.
On top of that, he’s a hard worker who takes on more than his fair share of miscellaneous tasks, like personnel matters and coordinating with other factions. I might treat him casually, but of course, I’ve never once forgotten my gratitude.
“Always appreciate everything you do, Lord Commander, for real. Want me to massage your shoulders?”
“Hah. What good would massaging an avatar’s shoulders do…?”
So, I tried a bit of a joke-laced suck-up move, only to be laughed at. Judging by his expression, he was definitely accumulating fatigue, if not stress.
Maybe I should seriously plan a vacation for him—
“Well, whatever. I’m on stay-at-home duty this time, so it’s fine. I’ve taken care of most of the troublesome stuff ahead of Saturday. I’ll leave the rest to Iris and Helena and take it easy for a while.”
But before I could get properly worried, Goldow let out a huge stretch and said his piece. And what he meant by ‘stay-at-home duty’ was, in other words…
“Oh. Are the members confirmed?”
“Damn right they are. There are only three days left, including today, you know? If we were still messing around at this point, it wouldn’t even be a laughing matter.”
“Well, yeah, but as the guy who was nonchalantly taking a trip, I don’t really have a leg to stand on…”
“Your mission was to rest. As long as you step up and perform when it counts, you can hold your head high.”
—And well, what those words meant was also, in other words, that.
“Haru, your entire clan, Azure Sky, is deploying. I’m counting on you.”
“…Okay, roger that.”
Given the nature of the elements likely required to conquer the next Colored Monster… Green Connect, Jehatreglie, I had pretty much figured this would be the case. So, no surprises there.
“You and Sora, and that Ui fellow are givens, of course… but Tetra’s been shaping up nicely lately, too. He’s worth dedicating one of the ranker slots to.”
And, he continued.
“Kanata was a real find—no, I should say I’m glad he climbed the ranks. It’s huge to be able to rely on that much fighting power without using up a slot. A real stroke of luck.”
“I’m delighted to hear my junior is being so highly praised.”
Compared to the monstrous current rankers, there are still areas where we can’t unconditionally rely on him. But it’s a fact that he stands head and shoulders above the general player pool, enough for Goldow to praise him so freely.
Besides, one of the skills deemed crucial for conquering Green Connect this time is “speed.” So Kanata, who people are calling the second coming of the Acrobat or a potential candidate, will no doubt play an active role.
…Not that I know for sure, though. Right now, the necessary conquest requirements are just player speculation, so there’s no way to predict who will truly shine.
—In any case,
“I’ve already sent the list. Take a look.”
“Yessir.”
A swift, lightning-fast search operation, scattered in all directions.
With a clear strategy decided for the Green Connect raid, there’s no doubt that the specs of our Azure Sky Clan members, who balance both individual combat power and survivability, are highly anticipated.
Sora-san is in a league of her own for various reasons, Kanata and I have our own two feet, and Tetra has the ability to ensure the safety of his companion through stealth, which is a huge advantage.
As for Ui-san, with her pure combat power, there’s no need to worry about her more than anyone else.
—Alright, in that case, what I’m curious about are the remaining six members.
Excluding the ten guaranteed slots for the artisan rankers from the Western Faction, Vestol, I wanted to know whose names were filling the combat-focused ranker slots.
There was me, the Acrobat; the Undying; and the Sword Saint, making three. Add in the Sword Queen, who would obviously be a guaranteed slot, and that’s four. As for the other members…
“…I see.”
Well, it was mostly as I expected. I summoned the system window, jumped to the message tab, found the one from Goldow, and nodded as I read it.
After quickly ‘memorizing’ not only the names of the rankers but also the hundred-odd general slots listed, I dismissed the window.
Now then, I guess it’s time to ask for some clear orders.
“So, what should I do for now?”
My motivation is through the roof. If I didn’t get any instructions, I was planning to head off and train on my own… but the Lord Commander gave me the exact grin I was hoping for and said just one thing.
“Sorry, but just like with the White Throne, you’ll have to take on a bit of a special role. And for that, I need you to get along with your ‘partner,’ but…”
“Oh, a partner.”
Then, he looked at me meaningfully… Ah, this is that thing Helena-san mentioned once. His ‘bad habit.’ In other words, he’s deliberately being dramatic and enjoying himself.
He’s a complete prankster.
“I have a message for you—‘I’m waiting for you on top of the tallest building in the Safe Area. Get your preparations done and come get me, quickly.’”
“And who’s it from?”
“That’s the fun of going to find out, isn’t it?”
“Seriously… I mean, fine, whatever.”
And besides, I already have a pretty good idea who it is anyway.
“That’s all from me. From now on, follow Iris’s instructions.”
I shot the old man, Goldow, a half-lidded glare as if to say, ‘Was that little surprise really necessary?’ He just let out his usual hearty laugh, then the magnificent man stood from his seat—
“Oof…!!!”
“Alright, give it your all again, kid.”
He delivered a massive slap to my back before cheerfully departing.
◇◆◇◆◇
—And so, and so, I made my way to the foot of the tallest building in the main player district, the Safe Area, within the Garden of Divine Creation.
It was hard to believe another player built this… though in a fantasy world with magic and miracles, I suppose anything is possible. Still, the massive clock tower was nothing short of impressive.
In the virtual world of Arcadia, the weather is fixed for each region. So if you look up at the sky from within the city, it’s always clear.
However, right now, clouds were conveniently obscuring my view of the “top.”
My avatar’s enhanced vision had already confirmed there was no one on the upper part of the building, so it was safe to assume the meeting spot indicated in the message was even higher up.
If my guess was correct… that so-called partner of mine seemed like the type to pull a stunt like this.
Not in a playful way, but more… you know—out of all that competitive spirit and stuff she’s been showing me every time we meet.
“Well, she does seem like the type to enjoy high places… Hup!”
[Rocket] activated. The hem of my deeply worn [Hide Cloak] fluttered as I silently leaped from the sea of players flowing through the streets.
I was probably spotted instantly, but since no one should have a way to follow me, it wasn’t a problem. Taking the stairs from inside was out of the question.
And so, in a flash, in an instant, I soared through the air and pierced through the clouds. Waiting for me above was a single figure of ‘white,’ silhouetted against the twilight sky.
And…無数の〝糸〟が、その身を空に留めるために白雪の輝きを放っていた。
“You’re… so… sloooooow!”
Who knows how long she’d been waiting there. Turning a merciless, reproachful glare on her junior who was, in her subjective opinion, terribly late.
Nortalia’s seventh-ranked member, Natsume the [Thread-Weaver], tossed out her complaint in a thoroughly weary voice.
Cats like high places. And with that, Chapter Five, Section Three, comes to a close.
On another note, I'm sure you've all noticed the name overlap between the maid, Itsuki (夏目), and the kitten, Nacchan-senpai (ナツメ). There's no particular reason for it.