kscans

Chapter 160 - The Eastern Faction's Position

"Since we're on the same side now, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh? Go ahead, ask me anything."

Tonight, the virtual world's sky was a bit cloudy. Gossan and I were in the silent, starless wasteland, just two guys enjoying a chat, idly sipping from our "never-ending mugs."

…This must be a magic item too, but what the heck is in it? It’s some kind of bitter, carbonated drink I've never tasted before. To be honest, it's not good.

"To be blunt, I don't really get the different factions' stances on the war. I heard they were trying to fix the outcomes at first, but then for the last three years, it's been a stable two-on-one, with the North and South against us."

It was less about their stances and more about the current state of affairs, I guess?

Aside from the little bit I'd heard from Kagura-san at the beginning, I'd done some light research on my own… but I couldn't find the kind of detailed information I was looking for.

To the general public who hadn't set foot in the virtual world, it seemed they were purely focused on the entertainment aspect of the spectacle.

They were completely oblivious to the behind-the-scenes drama about match-fixing and saw no issue with the perception of "the conflict-savvy Istia vs. the Sotalm & Nortalia alliance."

Among the players, there was some awareness—"Match-fixing? Yeah, I heard something about that"—but they also seemed to have no problem with the current situation where one faction was being ganged up on.

—I mean, isn't that all just a little… weird?

"Ah, that whole thing," Gossan said.

Judging by his reaction, my question wasn't off the mark—of course it wasn't. In this setup, a clear villain emerges depending on your perspective.

"As for the circumstances surrounding that… yeah. It’s no rush. Why don’t you tell me what you think first, and we can see how you did?"

"Seriously…? Well, fine."

This old guy sure likes to talk…

"Alright, well… from Istia's point of view, the other factions that proposed fixing the matches are the 'bad guys,' right? The players who chose the Eastern Faction of conflict would naturally want to enjoy a massive festival like a war with all their might."

Especially since it's the only official event.

To put it bluntly, proposing match-fixing to 'Istia of Conflict' in a war is basically forcing them to endure having their biggest moment as combat players completely ruined.

Winning or losing is probably secondary. The massive reward of shifting a Blessing, honestly, isn't that big of a deal.

The very act of telling Istia, which holds 'Conflict' as its supreme principle, to hold back in that conflict is the critical problem.

…So, that's the Eastern Faction's perspective.

"On the other hand, the other factions—the North-South alliance—they're probably looking at a completely different problem."

To say they live for combat… might be an exaggeration. But in any case, the 'Four Pillar War' is an unmissable festival for Istia.

However, we can't forget that [Arcadia] is an MMORPG—a game fundamentally designed around the cooperation of a large number of people.

And why do they cooperate? To stand against powerful monsters that a few people could never hope to defeat.

"In the end, the Four Pillar War could just end up with players tripping over each other—…Hey, what's with that face? What emotion is that?"

"Don't mind me. I was just relieved to see you're not just some battle junkie."

"Ah, right…"

I hadn't even presented any deep analysis yet.

…Now, what was I saying?

"Um… so, if you prioritize conquering this world as an MMO, the North and South's way of thinking isn't wrong. It might force the East to hold back, but the 'stability in progression' that comes from it is a benefit we receive equally."

"Hmph. Then what do you think the problem is if the Blessings become unbalanced in the first place?"

Now he's asking me questions. What? Is this some kind of test to gauge the thoughtfulness of a newcomer? Whatever, fine by me.

"What else could it be but inefficient?"

The four factions' Blessings are closely tied to player enhancement, the most important content in any MMORPG.

The Northern Faction Nortalia's Blessing of Luck. This blessing, which provides a huge boon to drop rates, affects the supply rate of rare materials essential for players to craft powerful equipment.

The Southern Faction Sotalm's Blessing of Wealth. This one, boasting an exceptional earning efficiency of up to double the normal rate, is crucial for securing 'Luna,' which is needed for various purposes beyond just currency in Arcadia, and for stimulating the market that comes with it.

These converge in the Western Faction Vestol, with its Blessing of Peace. This place, which benefits all kinds of production, becomes the cornerstone of self-improvement for all players, regardless of faction…

—And then there's the Eastern Faction Istia's Blessing of Conflict.

What is demanded of our faction, the only one specialized in battle, is to hone our military strength to the extreme, combining it with the boons brought by the other three factions.

With that power, we are to become the 'sword' that carves a path through this virtual world teeming with monsters.

East, West, South, North—not a single faction is unnecessary.

"If all players are aiming to conquer the game first and foremost, the most efficient method is to divide the resource gathering without shifting the Blessings. As long as you don't do something crazy like concentrating all military strength and Blessings in one faction."

In terms of resource gathering through hunting, the North and South are similar, but enemies that drop useful materials and those that are efficient for earning Luna aren't necessarily the same. When you get down to it, it's undoubtedly best to divide the labor here… probably.

"So, that's it, right? Although they have the justification of their identity being threatened, if you prioritize conquering the game, the Four Pillar War is nothing but a wasteful indulgence—meaning from the other factions' perspective, Istia, which throws a tantrum to prioritize its festival, is the 'bad guy.'"

And to take it even further,

"…Isn't the root of all evil the development team?"

I've been through a baptism by fire time and time again here, but the content prepared in this world is astonishingly vast and powerful.

There are the hidden bosses placed in beginner areas, the exceptional monsters lurking in the depths of secret zones—and even after three years of service, there are the numerous dungeons that remain unconquered, and the Colored Monsters, starting with the 'White Throne.'

All of this 'unconquered' content shows that even now… even with all the endlessly skilled players I've met in this short time, they still haven't reached the required level of power.

To be brutally honest, if you're going to fully commit to being a conqueror challenging the world, there's no time to be tripping each other up.

In other words—the 'Four Pillar War' content doesn't align at all with the design of [Arcadia], which seems to presuppose cooperation among all factions.

…Hello, God-tier game?

"Hah, not bad. You've got a good head on your shoulders, seems you can think for yourself. That's reassuring."

It seems he was generally satisfied with my analysis so far. Gossan, happily tipping back his mug, clapped me on the shoulder.

Thanks, I guess—though the way Gossan is chugging that thing looks exactly like an old guy at a pub. Is this mystery liquid some kind of beer?

Age restrictions… it probably doesn't have alcohol in it, so I guess it's fine.

"…But, taking all that into account, I still don't get why everyone is convinced that the current situation is 'working out reasonably well.'"

If progression is the priority, it's unnatural that Istia, which is truthfully being 'selfish,' isn't drawing more hate than just for being unpopular.

And it's even stranger that this setup has been going on… has been allowed to go on for nearly three years. If they're stubbornly pushing their selfish agenda, you'd think criticism would rise even from within the Eastern Faction—

"No theories on that part?"

Still testing me, General Commander? …Let's see.

The Eastern Faction (Istia)—a group of battle junkies (Istia).

While satisfying their identity of conflict, they want to eliminate unnecessary shifts in Blessings… or if that's impossible, at least minimize them. If so—

"…………Istia plays the role of the villain."

"Yep."

"The faction that would be least affected in terms of player enhancement if its Blessing moved… well, that's us."

"That's right."

In other words, by establishing a structure where Istia generally loses more often, the delay in progression due to imbalanced Blessings can be minimized—in fact, if you disregard actual progression battles, the impact on player enhancement is virtually zero.

Having bypassed the issue of imbalanced Blessings in this roundabout way—no, if that led to a situation where only Istia's Blessing was constantly being lost, there's no way the players of the Eastern Faction wouldn't complain.

So, they can't keep losing.

Against two allied factions, they need to repeatedly alternate between winning and losing just enough.

To achieve that result without relying on match-fixing, what is required is inevitably the exact opposite of holding back—

"—…………Ah… I've reached a ridiculously simple-minded conclusion, but don't laugh, okay?"

Even I couldn't help but think, "Is that really how my faction is?" Having arrived at an answer that I was hesitant to say out loud, I asked for confirmation.

When I glanced over at Gossan… ah, please don't make that face. When someone with your looks puts on a vicious grin, you look like nothing less than a ferocious carnivore.

"I won't laugh—let's hear your conclusion."

"Yeah… well, in short—the stance is something like, 'We'll kick your asses even if it's two against one, so let's all fight for real,' I guess."

That was the answer I'd arrived at after verbalizing my thought process.

Put into words, it was a very Istia-like, brute-force way of thinking—but the incredibly satisfied expression of Istia's current leader spoke more eloquently than anything about whether that answer was correct…

"Not bad—a perfect score, kid."

"……………………"

I averted my gaze from Gossan, who was grinning with a face that would make a child cry.

As if to hide the fact that I was rendered speechless by my own faction's utterly muscle-headed approach, I brought the mug to my lips and chugged the bitter liquid, unable to even taste it.