Chapter 128 - Chapter 114 Equal Possibilities?
"No [World Announcement], I guess?"
I'll go check.
"Yeah, please."
In the meantime, I'll check the rewards...
[Fairy Guardian]
A reward given to those who earn the trust of [Fairies].
Is it for helping them in a dangerous situation?
No, it was after they came here and I gave them [Greenberry Fruit], so I can't completely rule out that it was for feeding them.
And then,
[Island Population Exceeds 10]
*A reward gained when the island population exceeds 10.
The current number of island residents will now be visible on your status screen.*
Ooh!?
I immediately opened my status screen... and it said 14 people.
"14?"
"Woof!"
"Ah, [Lupi] too, of course."
I see.
Me, [Lupi], and 12 [Fairies] makes 14 people. Okay, okay.
I'm back. It seems there was no [World Announcement].
"Thanks. I can relax for now, I guess."
At this timing, I would definitely be suspected of having snatched the [Fairies].
Well, it would actually look that way...
Is that the number of island residents?
"Yeah. They say it appears on your status screen once you exceed 10 people."
I'm happy about it, but is it okay for it to be displayed when I haven't even declared nation-building?
Is it game-like, or not game-like...?
Shou-kun, [Lupi-chan] and the 12 [Fairies] make 14 people, right?
"That's right."
...I'm not counted, am I?
Ah, well, that's certainly...
*
"I'm back. Are the President and others still out?"
Welcome back. Both of them are still playing IRO.
Checking the time, it was 15 minutes to 11.
Since it's a long weekend, they might be fully immersed, but [Seth (Miki)] is the type who breaks down when her timer runs out, so I feel like she'll be back soon.
Shou-kun, could you tell me why you're going to talk to the President?
"Oh, yeah. Well, it's more of a hunch or a guess that it's probably like this, but..."
This time, in a strange way, I ended up helping the [Fairies].
So, I brought them to the island, and when I gave them [Greenberry Fruit], they were treated as island residents, which was unexpected.
Anyway, my guess is that there's a possibility of encountering other races beyond the developing lands, for the [Kingdom], the [Empire] (and the [Principality] too?). For the Republic, it's because the Holy Nation was formed, and I intercepted...
I see. Are there [Fairies] in other places too?
"Yeah. The [Fairies] that came to my island were 'Fairies,' so there might be other types, right?"
I'm thinking of [Gnome] or [Cait Sith]. No, in IRO, aren't [Gnomes] earth spirits? Hmm...
"In any case, if they're being attacked by monsters and seem to be in trouble, it's probably better to help them, and I even got the [Fairy Guardian] reward."
3 [SP] feels like a lot if you're playing normally.
I wonder if it was okay for me to get this. [Uninhabited Island Discovery] and [First Islander] feel like [Uninhabited Island Start]-exclusive, so those are fine.
...Come to think of it, there was also [Taming Pioneer]. Well, it's no use me thinking about it.
Shou-kun?
"Oh, no, just a bit."
Just then, [Bell-san] and Seth arrived.
"Brother, I'm home!"
"Oh, welcome back."
Seth, still energetic as her timer hadn't run out, and...
...Was there something urgent that happened?
[Bell-san], overtly cautious.
Yes, I apologize. Something did happen.
... ... ...
"So, that's pretty much it."
"..."
[Bell-san] just froze easily.
As for Seth, she was replaying the video I showed her however she liked,
Hmm. My brother thinks there are [Fairies] like this in other places too, does he?
"Yeah. Shouldn't we go out and explore while we still have leeway in our defenses?"
Indeed.
She answered and sat back properly.
Does it seem difficult now?
Not really. Today's attack, though the enemies were a bit stronger, we managed to defend without any danger. For now, we have time before the next attack, but...
"It would be strange for us to go exploring as if we were the only ones who knew something."
"Ah... my bad."
That's true, of course.
Even the guys who came to catch the [Fairies] seemed to have just slipped out quietly, judging by their conversation.
Will the attacks continue?
Yes. But it'll probably end tomorrow, I think?
Indeed. The [World Quest] completion rate is just under 90%. Tomorrow night will likely be the last of it.
Both of them are logging off for today, so there are two chances, after the morning and afternoon attacks.
But it would be unnatural to leave the base, even temporarily, to go exploring.
Hmm...
Um... just a simple question, but where are the attacking monsters coming from?
"Huh?"
"...Or like, there's a spawn point far ahead or something."
It's probably just a game-side convenience or something.
The [Red Armor Bear] also suddenly spawned right next to me.
Mion-dono, is it possible to choose to "strike out from here"?
Yes. The places currently under attack are often near [Ancient Ruins], so I wondered if there might be a connection.
"Ah."
In other words, monsters might be spawning from [Ancient Ruins] dungeons on the northwest side of the [Kingdom] and the south side of the Holy Nation, and from the [Ancient Ruins] tower on the west side of the [Principality].
Hmm. If it's IRO, which always tries to find a reason for everything, it's not an impossible idea.
If we say we're going to investigate that, it provides a valid pretext.
Well, it would be dangerous to go by ourselves. Wouldn't it be better to gather volunteers?
Yes. Let's invite players who have too much time on their hands just doing defense.
And so, a strategy meeting began between [Bell-san] and Seth.
Mion and I are probably fine now.
"Well, I've told you what I needed to tell you."
Wait, brother. There's one more thing I want to ask.
"Huh? What is it?"
What is this "[Divine Tree]"? Can I go to my brother's island if I have this?
...
I completely overlooked that it said "[Divine Tree]"...
I don't know much about the [Divine Tree], but it seems you can't use it without a high-ranking [Fairy].
Mion answered with a cheerful smile.
I'm grateful for her covering for me, but her smile is somehow a little scary.
"Mmph..."
And I reaffirmed that this information absolutely needed to be kept completely secret.
"It'd be troublesome if they tried to use that to travel back and forth. Ah, no, it's absolutely impossible unless that haughty [Fairy] is there, so it's fine, right?"
In the video, we'll say the [Fairies] became friends on the island.
That's a good idea. You're also planning to keep the [Transfer Magic Circle] story a secret, aren't you?
Oh, I had that too...