kscans

Chapter 178 - The Eve's Gathering

"Well then, I'll be on my way."

"Yes. May fortune favor you in battle tomorrow—no, that's not quite right. I'll be praying for your success."

I bowed my head and accepted her smile... and that was it for our farewells.

We'd already exchanged more than enough words leading up to this moment. There was no need for any grand, dramatic display now.

Even a simple 'thank you for everything' was unnecessary. The bond we'd forged as master and disciple would surely continue for a long time to come.

"Well then, Sensei, I'll be taking my leave."

"Of course. You do your best as well, Irori-kun."

Irori, standing beside me, also bowed to the gently smiling Ui-san. Together, we left the dojo and stepped into the bamboo forest, which was slowly being dyed in the darkness of the fallen sun.

I just followed the back of his formal kamishimo as he moved swiftly, but I had to wonder how the hell he could navigate this pathless bamboo grove without getting lost.

—Back then, Irori-kun was so engrossed, it was as if he lived and breathed it, day and night...

"..."

Ui-san's words about Irori during my training came back to me.

Did he walk this very path, or did he, like me, stay at the dojo day in and day out? To be honest, I wanted to ask him directly about his past.

But something held me back.

He referred to her as 'Sensei,' revering her from the bottom of his heart without a hint of doubt. Was it really okay for me, who had only just become her disciple, to ask him about that?

"—Haru."

It wasn't that I was startled, but the sudden call of my name made me lose my reply as I looked up. The back slipping through the bamboo hadn't changed, but Irori had turned his head to look at me.

"I've heard the gist of it from Sensei, but I want to hear it from you, too—did your training bear fruit?"

I couldn't quite read his expression from just a sliver of his profile, but his voice was, at the very least, calm and composed.

"Yeah, I guess so... I'm definitely a different beast from who I was in the selection match."

"So you're confident?"

In response to his probing question, I nodded without hesitation.

Let me repeat myself: I'm a different person now—not just in my combat skills, but in my awareness and resolve as a Title Holder.

To prove it, I cast aside my hesitation and spoke.

"—I've become the disciple of the [Sword Saint]. I have no intention of making a fool of myself."

"—..."

I thought he might stop walking.

But Irori continued on without breaking his stride. A soft smile, different from his usual teasing grin, touched his lips.

"I see."

He uttered just that single phrase and gave a nod.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—Alright, looks like everyone's here."

It had been a while since I'd taken a seat at the Round Table. When Irori and I showed up, the other six were already assembled. We took our respective seats, following their lead, and Goldow clapped his large hands together to kick things off.

"First things first. Youngster, how'd it go?"

"No problems... I think. I've got my Master's seal of approval."

Just like with Irori, it seemed the story had already been shared. Ignoring the one crimson-haired individual staring at me as if she'd seen a ghost, no one else showed any exaggerated surprise at my words.

"Hah! If the strongest in the East right now gives you the nod, I've got no complaints. Alright, Ninth. You're officially on the roster for tomorrow's war."

As I nodded back at the General Commander's words of approval, a slender young man's hand shot out from my side.

"Congrats, senpai."

"Oh, thanks."

I bumped my fist against his lightly, and the tenth-ranked boy smirked.

"And with that, we have one more victim to be exposed to the public eye."

"...Are you a good person or not? Which way are you trying to swing?"

"What's the big deal? We're partners in crime, both of us who never wanted a title."

...Ah, I get it. You're just trying to hide your embarrassment, aren't you? What a dishonest kouhai.

"So? What's my role tomorrow?"

"Ah, you'll basically be a dedicated runner."

Runner, huh? Well, that's more or less what I expected.

"As for the details on that... you're good with it, right?"

"Of course. I haven't forgotten what you explained before, and I've even done some self-study just in case."

I watched a few beginner guide videos... and what was it, that archive thing with Hiyori-something-or-other.

"A runner—so, the point-getter who goes around hitting the pillars."

"Exactly. It's the star role that directly decides victory or defeat. Give it your all, newbie."

"Roger that, General Commander."

He shot me a deliberately stern glare, as if to fire me up, and I returned it with an equally deliberate salute. The big man, who had the shallowest of funny bones, burst into a hearty, booming laugh, just as I expected.

"If senpai is the runner, then my role is decided, I guess."

"Right. Tetra, you'll prioritize eliminating Haru's natural enemy. As long as we take out the [Full Auto], there shouldn't be many opponents left that could give this guy a real problem."

"Okay, leave the luring to me. Once I've got them, I'll do the rest."

Next came an exchange between Tetra and Goldow that I didn't quite follow—

"We're good to go as usual, right~?"

"There's no other way. You two are the cornerstone of our defense again this time. I'm counting on you."

"You got it~"

"Mm."

Then came an exchange between the red and blue pair and Goldow that I didn't quite follow—

"If Tetra-kun is acting solo, what should I do this time?"

"Hinayo, you'll be on skirmish duty. Don't stay in one place; move around and support the front-line troops in various locations."

"Understood. I should avoid any encounters, right?"

"Yeah, avoid the other side's rankers. Don't make any moves that'll waste time."

And of course, there was an exchange between Hinayo-san and Goldow that I didn't quite follow—

"As for us... well, business as usual, I suppose."

"Yep. Irori and Genkotsu, you two move to eliminate rankers based on matchups. Leave the regulars to the others and prioritize encounters."

"Understood."

"Leave it to me."

Finally, there was an exchange between the three men that I didn't quite follow—

"What's wrong? You're making a strange face."

"Well, uh... if there's anything I should understand, just give me a rundown."

It would be counterproductive to cram my head with information that doesn't directly concern me, only to let the necessary knowledge slip out.

There were a number of words and conversations that piqued my interest, but if it was something I needed to understand, I was sure my reliable seniors would give me a lecture whenever necessary. I'm definitely not averting my eyes from my studies, mind you.

"So those are the roles. Youngster—damn, that's become a habit... Haru, any questions?"

"Umm... To be honest, I can't really think of any?"

Frankly, I was short on time. Utterly short.

Up to this point, it's been a whirlwind of university and training. What little free time I had was instantly consumed by chores since I live alone, so I've only managed to install the bare minimum of knowledge.

The most I could manage was skimming info sites and videos during my commute on the train. I've only lightly glanced at information about famous rankers... honestly, I haven't accumulated enough knowledge to ask any effective questions.

"Well, don't worry about it. You won't know what's what until you've experienced the real thing at least once."

Following hisありがたいフォローの言葉に続いて、ゴッサンは二ッと笑うと指を三本立てて見せた。

Following his welcome words of support, Goldow grinned and held up three fingers.

"There are three things you absolutely must follow. First, don't die. In the Four Pillar War, 'running away' isn't a disgrace, even for a ranker. The one who flees from a disadvantage, racks up points in advantageous situations, and leads their faction to victory—that's the true winner and the strong one."

—You're confident in your running speed, aren't you? When he said that with a smirk, I had no choice but to nod.

Very well. When it comes to running, I've now reached a point where I can secure a complete victory even against my master. I shall fully demonstrate my newfound fleet-footedness.

"Second, follow the General's—well, my orders. During the real thing, I'll be giving out commands one by one with a special skill... but to put it simply, I need you to trust me. I'll be issuing orders with the expectation of an immediate response, keeping the overall coordination in mind. Even if you have doubts, I'm sorry, but we don't have time to debate every little thing."

"You're the head of three hundred people, after all... Understood. I'll fulfill my role as your hands and feet."

This, too, was non-negotiable. It's not like I, a first-timer, have the knowledge to judge the tide of battle anyway. There's no meaning or merit in defying the leader's orders. ...Wait, Goldow's playing the 'General' role?

Well, of course he is. He's the [General Commander], after all.

"And finally, the third thing... I don't need to say it, do I? If by some chance you encounter the South's number one ranker—the [Sword Queen]—drop everything and run for your life."

"That's the most serious face I've ever seen you make..."

I've heard she's dangerous, seriously dangerous... and yeah, I get it. My master told me a bit about her.

After all, this is the person who made Ui-san—that [Sword Saint]—admit, "I am not quite her equal."

"And hey, don't worry if you can't get away. Just think of her as a natural disaster in the Four Pillars. No one's gonna hold you responsible for that kind of 'accident.'"

"Well, we don't even know if she'll show up, though~"

As Goldow continued to thoroughly intimidate me, the crimson-haired girl (Mi-na), sprawled out bonelessly on the Round Table, chimed in.

"The Princess has been the General for the last three times or so. If it's the same this time, she won't be able to enter the maze block where you'll be running wild, onii-san—"

"—No, she'll show up this time."

It was Irori who cut in.

"In addition to the news of all the stunts someone's been pulling for the last two months, there's the announcement of your ranking this time. There's no way she won't be intrigued enough to come out."

"Aah... I see."

"Hey, stop putting your hands together in prayer."

From the sound of it, it seems like she'll come out specifically to hunt me... Wait, no way, right? It can't be... that a celestial being whom everyone believes to be the strongest in this virtual world would actively come to hunt down a fresh-faced ninth-ranked player like me...

"Well, uh... that's probably why I'm warning you."

"—..."

"C-Come on now... don't look like it's the end of the world. It'll be fine, you know? If she appears on the battlefield, she's bound to draw attention. With your speed, it shouldn't be too hard to move around while avoiding an encounter, right?"

Is that so?

I mean, even I have, of course, looked into the top player who's being hailed as the strongest.

But the thing is, I just don't get it. How am I supposed to find any reliable information from articles that all basically say she's insane in every single way?

I even sifted through as many videos as time allowed, but... while I understood that she was indeed dangerous, honestly, I couldn't make heads or tails of what she was doing, so I can't say it was very helpful.

There was this one video where over a hundred players were blown away by a single swing of her one-handed sword. What am I supposed to learn from that?

Shouldn't I just treat her as a boss monster instead of a player? That's about the only way I can prepare myself, isn't it?

My master is a force of nature in her own right, but the direction of her strength and that of Iris—the [Sword Queen]—are just too different, even if they're both in a league of their own.

"Ah, right. There was one more thing."

As I trembled at the sudden suggestion that I was the one being targeted, Goldow waved a hand, now holding up a fourth finger.

"It's your first time on stage—enjoy it, yeah?"

"In this context, you say that...?"

I suspected the old man was doing it on purpose, but his carefree, cheerful smile was as spontaneous as ever. Resigning myself to the fact that our General Commander was undoubtedly a natural airhead, I sank into my chair, dragged down by the weight of the anxiety I'd accumulated in such a short time.

—A hand was extended right in front of my eyes, a sight I'd seen just a moment ago.

"Tough luck, senpai."

"...Th-thanks... a lot...!!"

I bumped my fist against his in response to his amused tone. Oblivious to my feelings, the Round Table began to fill with a cheerful atmosphere.

...It's tomorrow, you know? Is this really the time to be teasing the new guy?