kscans

Chapter 161 - Charmed by War, a Charmer in War

"First off, it's not like we're the 'villains' or anything."

So, a perfect score didn't mean my analysis had hit the bullseye on every single point.

It was more like I was mostly correct, and the fact that I had reached that point on my own was worthy of praise. And so began the supplementary explanation, disguised as a review of my answers.

"Just like you said, the Four Pillars is nothin' more than a detour when you're prioritizing actual progression. That's a fact that even we in the Eastern Faction accept."

"But—" he paused to take a swig from his mug, then leaned back on his hands and looked up at the sky.

His completely relaxed posture seemed to say that this wasn't a negative topic at all.

"The folks in the other factions know we accept that, too. So, even if it ain't match-fixing, the current setup is the 'best' we've got, something we've all mutually agreed to maintain."

"Hmm… so even if it's not about fixing outcomes, there was some kind of discussion?"

I gave up on the bitter liquid I couldn't get used to, no matter how much I drank, and set my mug aside. Gossan, perhaps noticing the grimace on my face as I took one last sip, chuckled softly and nodded. "Yep."

"Well, when I say discussion, it's not like we convinced 'em with words alone. We rejected the alliance proposal from the other three factions, but Istia offered a counter-proposal—and we showed them we had the strength to back it up."

Judging from the way he spoke, he must have been right in the thick of it back then. As if picturing the scene in the sky, the [General Commander] recounted the past, looking up at the heavens with a nostalgic—and utterly delighted—expression.

"The first Four Pillar War. We threw down the gauntlet to the North and South factions—and we, the Eastern Faction, seized victory."

"You guys were raising hell from the very beginning?"

It seemed that three years ago, Istia was still Istia.

"Back then, the old man—our number one—and Ui were on the battlefield too… Younger folks might call me a nostalgic old timer, but those were good times."

Number one… was he older than Gossan? The way he said "old man" suggested as much. But well, I was less interested in the First, whom I'd never even seen, and more in—

"Come to think of it, Ui-san was in the first one, wasn't she?"

It was only natural to be more curious about the name of someone I had recently met.

"Oh yeah, she was more than just a one-woman army. One moment she'd be smiling with a cool 'I'm off, then,' and the next she'd be charging headfirst into a vanguard of no less than fifty people."

Oh, Sword Saint-sama…

"She must have been enjoying herself in her own way… but something must have been different for her. Said she wasn't good with large-scale PvP and holed herself up."

"…It's just—ah, no, it's nothing."

I almost asked for the details but stopped myself. If I were to ask, it should be her I ask directly—or so I thought…

"Nah, you don't need to be so considerate about this. She just didn't particularly like fighting. She didn't feel the need to step onto a stage that drew so much attention for something she had little interest in. She just wanted to train relentlessly, so she withdrew."

"Ah… I see… Well, that makes sense."

Ui-san doesn't particularly like fighting. I found myself agreeing with an opinion I had also held, which brought with it a small sense of relief.

It was because my vague assumption that something—you know, something unpleasant—had happened to her on the grand stage of the war had been denied.

Even with the preface of "about this," I felt relieved about one thing at least. After my short time interacting with her, I could somewhat understand Irori's overprotective attitude.

"Let's get back on topic. The challenge we laid down was this: we don't need to fix matches. If we just balance the forces and fight for real, the wins and losses will even out. A slight disadvantage is just right for us, so bring on both your factions at once, we said."

"Everything you say sounds like it comes down to brute strength…"

"Hah, Helena told me the same thing back then."

Helena who…? Oh well.

"Like you said, it's best if we lose a little more often. But we can't keep losing. Lose twice, win once, lose, win twice, lose twice again, then win again… It's crucial to make it look like we're losing, but in reality, we're evenly matched."

That way, the fluctuation of Blessings would be limited to slight ups and downs for Istia. The delay in player enhancement for the sake of progression would be avoided—or rather, ah, I get it now.

"Wait a minute, that just clicked for me… You're right, it's about making it look that way—this virtual world isn't just our entertainment."

"Oh, you figured it out? Good, one hundred and twenty points for you."

As I murmured my realization, almost to myself, Gossan snapped his fingers cheerfully and awarded me extra credit.

"Focusing on progression is a given, but this is a game—we gotta have fun. Both us, the players, and the audience in the real world."

"True… It's one thing for the participants, but it would be even worse for the viewers to be shown a fixed match…"

[Arcadia] is a massive form of entertainment that has taken the real world by storm as a spectator sport—no, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's the biggest in the world.

It's probably the same reason why rankers can't show themselves looking pathetic to the public.

For [Arcadia], which has involved the real world on such a large scale and become the world's biggest content—to broadcast a fixed match during its only official event to the entire world…

"Yeah, if you can avoid it, you'd want to…"

"Exactly. So, if we can stick to our counter-proposal—if we can keep embodying the 'sword' of this world with all our might, to the point where we can fight two factions seriously and remain evenly matched… then the other factions have come to accept our selfish demand."

Well, if their will is that recognized, then it's not really selfish, it's more like—

"I see… I get it now. It's a solid cooperative relationship, so there's no reason for things to get tense."

"That's the gist of it. And in the end, the folks outside of Istia want to have as much fun as they can, too."

"That's for sure."

Okay, I completely understand now.

At least for me, there are no more questions or concerns.

"I get it… so that means as one of the selfish ones, I have to be willing to die to become a 'sword,' right?"

Now that I understood the circumstances, even as a rookie title holder, I couldn't just stand by as a bystander. This would surely add another layer of motivation to my 'training' starting tomorrow.

"You've got a passionate side to you, don't ya? I don't dislike it. Give it your all, [Acrobat]."

"Understood—I'll be sure to meet your expectations, [General Commander]."

He offered his mug with a thrust, and I picked up the one I had set beside me and clinked it against his good-naturedly.

Droplets flew. I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to imitate the great man as he豪快にgulped down the bitter liquid—then gently set my mug back down. Seeing this, he laughed heartily, "Ka-ka!"