kscans

Chapter 645 - Peace North

“—Well, well, look at them all coming back at once.”

At the Nortalia wartime base, [Fugrigand, Castle of Tranquil Garden].

Next to a giant, faintly glowing crystal floating in mid-air—an object that had replaced the stone monument recording the peacetime ‘Ranks’—a man spoke with a somewhat flippant tone as he watched a total of twelve people tumble onto the floor one after another, as if being born from the crystal itself.

“My, my, almost the entire squad got wiped out instantly. How scary.”

“““““We have no excuse…”””””

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna blame you. So, who got you?”

His manner of speaking was soft, similar to the faction’s ‘Tiger,’ but with a slightly different atmosphere. A slender figure wrapped in a black long coat that resembled traveler’s gear, with sharp yellow eyes and mouse-gray hair tied back in a single ponytail.

“““““It was Haru-chan.”””””

“I figured as much, but why do you all sound so happy about it? You lost, you know?”

“““““We have no excuse…!”””””

His expression was light, his voice was light, his words were light—to an outsider, he might be judged as ‘frivolous,’ ‘two-faced,’ or ‘impossible to read.’ However, he had long since been recognized as a hardworking man with no hidden agenda, the very conscience of the Northern Faction.

Nortalia’s second-ranked member, the [Wolf Pack], Gin himself. In place of the extremely free-spirited number one, he, along with his right-hand man, was the one who effectively managed the Northern Faction.

Which meant, to his right—

“Just as expected, yet beyond imagination.”

—was his right-hand man, a former Northern Faction Ranker.

Though he had laid down his crown, his name, [Dog Whistle] Hagi, remained. Having publicly stated that he ‘created his character to look like a perfectly ordinary person,’ he pushed up the glasses on his extremely plain face, a rarity in Arcadia, with his fingertip and…

“As I thought, isn’t it meaningless and pointless to poke at him half-heartedly?”

—he said, not even trying to hide his weary, fed-up expression, drawing a wry smile from Gin, his boss, comrade, and old friend.

“That may be so, but it’s an order from the Princess’s faction. It’s probably better to just obey the ‘Queen’ who’s coordinating everything, right? I think the logic holds up.”

“That’s true, but… for our faction, which specializes in PvE, it’ll be tough to take him on seriously. In fact, our top PvP force just got repelled—Ah, you can all go now. If there are no issues, please return to the front lines promptly.”

If Gin’s role was to oversee the entire faction, Hagi’s role was to oversee the battle itself. Under the command of the man who was, in both name and reality, the ‘General,’ the twelve who had been watching the usual exchange between the top and his right-hand man replied in unison and ran off.

…And, from the direction they ran off in.

The sound of blatantly affectionate greetings reached their ears… Hagi, sighing as he decided to let it slide, and Gin were approached by two sets of footsteps.

—“I heard ‘Haru-chan’ and came running…!”

“You didn’t need to. You too, try to show some self-restraint, at least during the war.”

“I’m really sorry, this one’s just an idiot, really, just an idiot…”

She wasn’t the only woman among the Northern Faction’s Rankers, but for various reasons, she was the only player who could be treated as a proper idol, and thus received the fervent support and gazes of Nortalia’s male members: Rinne, the [Berumail].

And, partly due to his own personality, her childhood friend and partner who often stood out… in other words, the one known as the second-most hardworking person after Gin: Maru II.

Both were generally considered to be within the realm of common sense, and their superiors and seniors, Gin and Hagi, trusted them as reliable juniors.

Trusted, as in past tense. As for what that meant…

“Yeehaw! As expected of Haru-san, he’s in top form! Ahh, my favorite is healthy and happy today, what a wonderful day!”

“It’s not a wonderful day, Rinne-chan. Right now, he’s the enemy, you know?”

“Of course! If I run into him, I’ll go at him with all my might! Hyaaah!”

“Your enthusiasm is great and all, but when our lone flower is getting all starry-eyed over an enemy man, you know? It affects the morale of the guys on our side. …It does affect them, right?”

“Well, I suppose it’s not entirely out of the question…”

In other words, this is what it meant.

While not exactly listless, one of them had undergone a strange transformation, stepping out of the bounds of common sense with one foot… or perhaps, with both feet.

She was still reliable, but whether she could be ‘trusted’ in various senses was now a subtle matter.

“Well, it’s pretty much just me, right? In our faction, I’m the only one who has a type advantage against the [Acrobat]. When it’s my turn, I’ll do my best, you know!”

“Is that so?”

“You have your own problems too. Just because it’s been a while since the last Four Pillar War, you’ve gotten too soft.”

“Well, I mean, I don’t really get the whole PvP thing…”

Anyway, for better or for worse… no, in Arcadia’s game design, there was hardly anything ‘bad’ about it, but Nortalia was simply unfamiliar with PvP.

The players participating in the Four Pillar War, both Rankers and general members, were basically a fixed roster. Under the philosophy that ‘as the Northern Faction that sings of freedom and adventure, we should prioritize our true calling,’ many of them, aside from the chosen heroes who wished for it, knew nothing of the ABCs of PvP.

Even the second-ranked [Wolf Pack] was no exception… Although he had come at the ‘Queen’s’ order, honestly, he wasn't being very useful at the moment. At best, the presence of a beloved leader on the battlefield was slightly boosting morale.

Therefore, the fact that Rinne, a valuable PvP asset regardless of her personal preferences, was so fan-struck was a major headache. It was no wonder Gin wore a wry smile and Hagi let out a sigh—

“You really need to start reining it in, okay? Haru-san even tells me a ton, like, ‘Please, just keep her on a leash.’ Why do I have to be the one holding your leash? I get how you feel, but seriously, calm down a bit—”

“Hmph, there you go again! That’s your problem, Maru, you’re not cute at all! Why are you lecturing me with a face like you’re perfectly in control? When we’re talking together, you’re the one who goes on and on and on! Haven’t you noticed that Haru-san is a little weirded out by you sometimes?”

“Weirded… huh? Huh? There’s no way. I’m not like you, Rinne. I know my limits.”

“Well, I know my limits too!”

“Says the one with a criminal record of chasing him around screaming in the middle of the city!”

“I wasn’t screaming! Don’t make me sound like some crazy person!”

“It’s close enough! What part of that is ‘knowing your limits’?!”

“I’m trying my absolute hardest to hold back, you know!”

“That’s even worse! Keep your otaku spirit in check!”

—…and with a childhood friends’ quarrel breaking out, it was enough to make one look to the heavens. It was, in a way, utterly and completely,

“…………Well, this is kind of a peaceful war we’re having this time.”

“I suppose the new wind that’s blowing has led to things improving overall, but… honestly, it’s a bit anticlimactic. Can I go home now?”

“Of course you can’t. Who’s going to take command?”

“There’s no one but you.”

“I’ve only ever done PvP a handful of times, you know. Either way, I’m nervous, so I need you to stay, Hagi-kun. Don’t leave me alone.”

“I can’t believe the number two Ranker is saying that.”

It was, truly, a scene from a peaceful battlefield.