Chapter 21 - Announcement and Sirloin
When I logged out of IRO and returned to real view, Yata-sensei was already in the club room.
Well, "already" isn't quite right; it must have been while I was playing IRO.
"You two are back~. Perfect timing~."
"...Something happen?"
"Before we upload the next video~, I'd like you to post an announcement on your channel~."
An announcement? What's that? I wondered, when Mion responded:
"Should I post it to the Community?"
"Yes~, I've already drafted the text, so could you please take a look~?"
So, I read through the text Yata-sensei sent. Hmm, let's see...
*"To all our channel subscribers, thank you.
Before our next video upload, there's something important we'd like to convey to everyone.
We've heard from an acquaintance that some individuals are impersonating me, Shou-kun, and our friends, spreading misinformation within the game and on various social media platforms.
Currently, I, Mion, and player Shou-kun, are not disseminating information through any channels other than this one.
Please be cautious and do not be deceived by false information.
We appreciate your continued support for this channel. Mion"*
...Seriously?
"It's gotten to that point, huh..."
"I'm surprised."
"It's a malicious prankster~. Apparently, quite a few people were led astray by completely unfounded rumors, like the importance of the name chosen during character creation~."
Reading the text again at Mion's words, the ending had been changed to "Shou & Mion." Is that really necessary?
"Shou-kun, do you have any concerns~?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Alright then~, please post it as an article in the Community~. Oh, and you can upload the video now too~. I've already checked it~."
And so, Mion began uploading the announcement and the next video.
Hmm... Personally, I want to avoid things that affect outside the game. I really don't want to hear stories about strategy guides being sold for real money.
"Should we make the Uninhabited Island Start method public?"
"That's fine, but there's something I want to confirm first."
"Whether new players can start on Shou-kun's island, right~?"
President Bell, having returned from IRO, joined the conversation. Oh right, club activities were over, so she'd logged off.
"Yes, the developers likely intended for the Uninhabited Island Start to be a solo-only option. If multiple people could join, players might rush it."
"From a game balance perspective~, it's highly probable they've limited it to one person~."
"I see..."
I hadn't thought about that at all. Does that mean the generous SP bonus I received from the special achievement at the start was also due to this consideration?
"But how would we find out?"
Mion, who seemed to have finished posting the announcement and video, asked.
That's the thing. IRO currently has a strict rule of one player, one fixed character. No sub-characters.
Players can recreate characters, but they have to delete the previous one...
Huh? That earlier conversation, did someone actually delete their character based on false information? If so, my condolences, but...
In that case, President Bell would never delete her character, and would Yata-sensei really do it?
"Mion-san, you haven't played IRO yet, have you~?"
"No. But I don't have the software."
IRO is currently limited to a total of 60,000 players from the closed beta and initial release, so new registrations shouldn't be accepted.
"I've already procured one copy of the software that allows participation in the limited open beta for new club members. It would be better if you could play with Shou-kun once he leaves the Uninhabited Island, wouldn't it?"
"Yes!"
Even if I can leave the Uninhabited Island, I might not, you know?
Putting that aside for now,
"Um, the Uninhabited Island Start is quite troublesome. How should I explain it?"
"Have Mion-san stream IRO as a group stream~, and then Shou-kun can teach her how to do the Uninhabited Island Start from character creation~."
"Ah, I see. That should probably be fine... I think."
It's just a matter of zooming in on the map and selecting one of the many islands as a starting point...
*
"I'm home~."
"Welcome back, Brother! I bought the meat, just as you asked!"
Ah, right. Today's compromise was sirloin steak.
"Okay. Then, let's get dinner ready right away."
I changed from my school uniform into my casual clothes, and then put on an apron over them.
"Huh? You bought my portion too? I feel like you could've bought an even better cut of meat with that extra amount."
"To be stared at with such envy by you, Brother, would ruin the precious A5 beef, you know."
"...Thanks."
So she was being considerate. Though it's probably just Dad's allowance that will shrink.
"D-don't misunderstand! It's not like I'm happy to be thanked!"
"Stop with the cheap tsundere act."
When I retorted, she burst into cheerful giggles. Honestly, my troublesome little sister.
.........
......
...
"Phew, I ate well. High-quality meat really hits different."
I once heard that eating beef releases happiness chemicals in the brain, and today, that felt especially true.
"By the way, Brother, I watched the new video that was uploaded."
"Oh, how was it?"
"It was clever of you to track the goblins instead of defeating them when you found them. I'm curious to see what happens next, but..."
Apparently, one or two goblins can be easily defeated even at character level 1. But there must have been about twenty there.
"Even I can't take on twenty by myself."
"If it's a settlement, there might be special goblins there too, you know."
"Yeah, it's probably a quest."
President Bell was also doing a quest to clear out goblins. I wonder if there'll be some treasure if I defeat them.
"Hmm. I have an idea, if you'd like to hear it..."
"Oh, really?"
She's a cheeky little sister, but she's clearly better at games than I am, and more importantly, it's much better than thinking alone.
After about an hour of discussion, it was past eight. Remembering that I was scheduled to do the [Uninhabited Island Start Verification], I frantically did the dishes and managed to make it just in time.