Chapter 488 - Interlude: Regular Fandom Report Meeting
Although players continued to call it the 'Necropolis,' its former appearance was long gone, and the crumbling buildings had been restored as beautifully as possible.
These were considered 'owned' by player consensus, and even land and building transactions, such as buying, selling, and renting, had begun.
The Necropolis South District. A prime location facing the main street.
What must have been a bustling shop, capitalizing on its excellent location even in ancient times, had now been revived as a restaurant beloved by many players.
"Welcome! Oh, the owner is waiting in the innermost room on the second floor."
"Thank you."
Daytron, a young man dressed like a merchant, smiled at the waitress and ascended the stairs.
The first floor was like a diner, bustling with those about to delve into the Necropolis's underground dungeon and those celebrating after emerging.
The second floor was divided into private rooms, and the innermost one was reserved for invited guests of 'Revanderi,' the players' guild that owned the building.
He gave a light knock.
"Come in~."
He confirmed the reply and opened the door.
"Huh? Everyone's here already, did I oversleep?"
"No, you're right on time. Everyone else was just early."
The Guild Master of 'Revanderi,' 'Three-Star' Master Chef, replied calmly. And then,
"It just means they're taking the situation seriously~."
"That thread is no good, is it? We need to deal with it quickly, or it'll get dangerous…"
"Indeed."
"Information from the island is one thing, but more than that, we can't have our fans' solace disappear."
'Hakuraku' Bluesha, 'Carrier' Reaper, 'Prospector' Molt, 'Librarian' Mii.
They were all prominent players who started during the closed beta or limited open beta.
"Alright, let's start with our usual reports."
The six people sat at a round table.
Starting with Master Chef, they each reported their activities clockwise.
Yes, their 'fandom activities'…
………
……
…
"So, Ice Princess Anshia isn't involved in the nonsense of that thread this time?"
"While you can't say she's entirely unrelated, the ones making noise in that thread are mostly new players who started in the Demon Kingdom. They were acting really cocky in the Demon Capital's tavern."
"Hmph. So young…"
Bluesha, known as 'Hakuraku,' tilted her head, listening to the conversation between Mii, Reaper, and Molt.
"Even if summer vacation has started, were young people really that bad recently?"
"They probably haven't played MMOs, or even MOs, before."
Master Chef said. Then,
"Well, this is a bit more of a real-life thing, but…"
Daytron explained that more people were using their summer vacation to try virtual idol activities in IRO.
"Especially university students. They're old enough to have their own bank accounts, so it's probably something like playing games while earning a bit of pocket money through streaming."
"What's that all about?"
"While that itself isn't necessarily bad, if their goal is to chase controversy to gain views or attention…"
"Then they must be taught a lesson."
Molt blurted out, nostrils flaring.
"Now, now, let's cool down for a moment. Forcing others' play styles is a problem the management should handle. One wrong step could be considered extortion."
"That's true, but~."
"It's not settling down."
Daytron tried to placate them, but Bluesha and Mii, the women of the group, maintained their displeased expressions.
The men gave wry smiles at this.
"So, what are we going to do now?"
"I think the basic approach should be to wait and see. Shou-kun and Mion-chan seem to have Bell-buchou's support, and if it comes to it, UZUME won't stay silent."
"So, if we see those 'complainers,' we just ignore them?"
"No, there, it's more like, 'You're not all talk, are you? Why don't you go to Ice Princess Anshia's island?' That kind of redirection should be fine."
Daytron replied with a faint smile.
"Are you planning something bad again? Scary~."
"The island Anshia-san found, it probably doesn't have anything noteworthy other than the ancient ruins shown in the video."
Mii answered immediately.
According to her research, she identified the island from the scenery and the appearance of the ancient ruins in the video. What was there, she said, was probably a very old type of mining facility.
"A mining facility, you say? An island where Mithril can be mined, like Shou-kun's island?"
"No. According to the documents I've researched, Purple Steel Ore seems to be the main resource. It doesn't seem to be a volcanic island either, so rather than rare ores, I suspect it's only capable of producing a fair amount of uncommon class ores."
"Hmph. So Anshia knows that and just wants laborers, huh? Well, then, let them dig. They'll probably run into trouble, but I don't care if Anshia-san has problems."
"Hmm, that's fine, but what about the possibility of phantom beasts or fairies?"
"I can't say for sure, but depending on how they handle them, they might flee the island again, like Shal's group did."
Mii replied with a troubled expression, causing everyone else to look subtly conflicted.
Apparently thinking that leaving it completely alone would be a problem,
"Should we have one of our members go check it out, just in case?"
"Please do. No need to push yourselves too hard."
Bluesha, known by the epithet 'Hakuraku,' had raised her Taming Skill, which she gained thanks to Shou, to its maximum level, and was also a Guild Master who managed stables.
With her and her companions, the others agreed that protecting phantom beasts and fairies could be entrusted to them.
"So, is that all for today?"
"No, there's one more thing I'd like to ask."
Everyone looked at Daytron, who had just spoken, with puzzled expressions.
It was unusual for him to make individual requests like this, even though he always provided and arranged necessary funds.
"It's not in-game, but I'd like you to request that the thread I mentioned earlier no longer allow anonymous posts. Please try to get as many people as possible to join."
Everyone else deeply understood the intent behind his statement.
"Understood. In fact, it might turn out that there weren't many people making noise after all."
"Hmph. It's doubtful if there are even 10 people, mate."
"Nice~. Students sure have a lot of free time~."
"They're always glued to forums, that's why their levels aren't going up…"
[Update History]
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