kscans

Chapter 663 - Beside the Feast

The time that flows in the virtual world of Arcadia is 1.5 times faster than in reality.

Naturally, events like feasts and after-parties are often allotted a hefty amount of time… but perhaps because this non-ordinary world is so rich in variety compared to reality, they always feel like they’re over in a flash.

After that, my thorough junior routine must have worked, as I managed to get along with Rickey to some extent, and even got to hear about his ‘rotten luck’ episodes with Tonic.

Then, Maru II returned with a mortified Rinne, only for both of them to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck by a raiding Tora-kichi and forced to participate in an event called the ‘Stardust Beast Race.’

After putting on a one-man show where Sapphire was the clear and undisputed winner, I was treated horribly, being forcibly entered only to be banned from future events.

Next came perfectly normal things like an a cappella karaoke contest, followed by a completely insane tournament hosted by Istia called [Human Strikeout: I’m the Ball, You’re the Target]. I was, of course, dragged around half-forcibly to all sorts of events—

“Good work.”

“‘Good work,’ my ass. You watched the whole thing from the safety zone with a cool look on your face from start to finish. Must be nice, you blond samurai bastard…”

My now-trained virtual body and mind don’t get tired so easily, but it’s a different story when it comes to the ultimate end-game content common to all humanity: socializing.

Answering the enthusiastic calls to join in, I was shuttled back and forth until I finally returned to the Eastern table.

The massive commotion from the thousand-strong crowd showed no signs of quieting down. Several hours had passed since it started, and the energy was still going strong… but there was one thing I shouldn’t forget.

For someone like me, who’s an introvert at heart, partying hard for hours in this kind of festive atmosphere consumes mental energy on the level of taking on a raid boss solo.

Of course, I was enjoying myself from the bottom of my heart. But that’s that, and this is this. When it comes to combat, a switch flips, so it’s a different story, but this is who I am normally.

And while the outside world may be one thing, this nature of mine is more or less known among my comrades-in-arms… not just the top-tier players like the rankers, but also the elite players present here—and so,

“Aaaargh………………………………”

“...If your fans… especially your ‘underground’ devotees… were to hear that old-man groan, I wonder what kind of faces they’d make.”

Thus, I wasn’t particularly concerned about appearances as I slumped over the table. But there was one person who had been sitting quietly at the Eastern table, which was now mostly empty as everyone else had gone out to join the festivities.

It wasn’t quite a rebuke, and it was too weak to be teasing. Irori simply let the words float out, as if talking to himself, just to engage me.

I glanced over, my cheek squashed against the table. The samurai, holding his cup without drinking, had his blue eyes fixed on the distant ‘commotion.’

“…………Hah.”

After a few seconds of thought, I decided ‘what the hell’ and kicked my consideration into the trash.

We were two idiots who had bared our pride and everything else to fight each other. There was no need for reservations.

“What, you still down about it? Lasting thirty seconds against her at full power in a head-on fight is pretty damn good. Don’t be so dep—”

“Silence, junior.”

“Mffble mff…”

As I teased him, my senior’s hand shot out, grabbed a mysterious dish from the table, and shoved it into my mouth like a cork. It was one of the delicacies prepared by the top chefs of the virtual world, including Tetsu-san of Ittetsu. My mouth was in paradise, but a complaint was unavoidable.

“What the hell was that for…!”

“That’s my line. Don’t go casually provoking a loser.”

“I figured it was fine since we’re both losers.”

“...Neither the public nor I recognize what you did as a ‘loss,’ you know.”

“I went in expecting to be outnumbered from the start, so getting ganged up on is still a loss.”

“Why are you so strangely stoic about things like that?”

“Look who’s talking, the literal embodiment of stoicism. Seriously, I’ve never met anyone in my life who embodies ‘strict with myself, strict with others’ on your level.”

“I don’t need a lecture on life from a youngster.”

“Hey, watch it. You may be my senior, but we’re almost the same age. Don’t you dare laugh off my (lol) corporate-slave life, honed by countless part-time jobs, as if I were just some ordinary part-timer.”

“You can’t say that when you’re laughing yourself.”

“Wouldn’t it be super cringe if I said it seriously?”

“I suppose. Though a clown who willingly makes a joke of his own life is something else entirely.”

“Speaking of which, Irori, you’ve had a part-time job before, right? What did you do?”

“What kind of topic change is that… Well, let’s see. I was at a kendo dojo, giving technical guidance to elementary and middle school students, and supporting the professional instructors.”

“That’s not what I was expecting at all… Huh? As a high school student?”

“An acquaintance of mine, an instructor, heard I was looking for a job and insisted on offering me the position. I initially refused, saying I couldn't compromise on the pay since I was saving up for a specific goal, but…”

“He ‘insisted’ on covering that too?”

“...Well, something like that.”

“How popular are you? You must have been a real prodigy…”

“…………It was also a form of encouragement, I think.”

“Haha… That’s nice, something like that. Makes you happy, doesn't it—oh, what’s with that face? Stop staring at me like that, it’s creepy.”

“I was just thinking you’re the same as a certain someone.”

“I agree. We’re both blessed with good people.”

“...Yeah, almost too blessed.”

“…”

“…”

“...You know.”

“Don’t say it.”

“Two young guys, sitting in the corner of a feast, getting all sentimental about life is also pretty cri—”

“I told you not to say it.”

And with that, he finally cracked a half-smile.

He slid his cup across the table and scored a clean hit on my forehead—an act of violence only permissible because of the incredibly durable avatars of the virtual world. A dull thud echoed, but a Lv.100 virtual body wouldn’t lose any HP from something like that.

Even with a ridiculous stat like VIT: 0.

Anyway, now that the overly serious samurai’s expression had finally softened…

“I’ve got somewhere to be after this.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You wanna come? It’s been a while for both of us.”

“Do you really think I would do something so tactless?”

“I’m saying it because with you, it wouldn't be tactless.”

“In that case, you’re the tactless one for suggesting it.”

“You have an answer for everything…—Just make sure you show your face soon. It’s not really my place to say, but I’m sure she wants to see and talk to you too.”

It was a bit of meddling that only I, who was directly involved in their relationship, could offer. As I said, he probably already knew, even without me saying it.

But that’s precisely why I had to say it.

“I know. I’m just letting you go first.”

“Yeah, yeah. What a kind senior you are.”

Whether that was the right answer or not… well, you know.

I’ll just have to guess from the not-so-displeased wry smile of the senior looking at his impudent junior.