kscans

Chapter 899 - The After-Party

—And so, for the specifics of our activity plan, please discuss them within your respective groups.

After the team assignments, we sorted out various important matters like the target deadline for reaching the hundredth floor. With that, the 'first party' of more than forty people, all gathered together, was brought to a close by Helena-san's words.

Next up, just as the Lady-in-Waiting said...

"...Um, alright. So, by the decree of our great Lady-in-Waiting and esteemed strategist, Helena-sama, I, the unworthy [Acrobat], will be taking the lead."

Inside El Faria, the royal castle. We moved to an instance area lounge, where a total of six people, including myself, settled down on soft sofas.

Naturally, Sora took the seat next to me, and...

""We look forward to working with you.""

...the other two both had beautiful, long chestnut hair. The one with her hair down was Shoh-san, and the one with it tied up was Ren-san. That was about the only sure way I could tell the two of them, who looked like twins, apart.

"........."

On my other side, opposite Sora, Gen-san was meditating as usual.

"Fufu..."

And across from me, the Saintess was smiling that same soft, gentle, and inexplicably happy smile, her eyes fixed solely on me—seriously, what kind of team is this?

Well, no use dwelling on my confusion. I just have to move on.

"Alright, it's getting late, so let's get through this quickly."

There was probably no need for pointless maneuvering, like trying to gauge their mood by saying things like, I'm the youngest ranker here, so being the leader is... etc. While they were all overflowing with vibrant, unique personalities, I no longer had any reason to doubt the character of the rankers.

Every single one of them was an incredibly 'interesting' person, and at their core, they were all ridiculously 'good' people. On that point, I had come to trust them completely.

I glanced around, and it seemed the other five had no objections. Excellent.

"First, the most important thing is coordinating our active times... but on that note, I'm afraid you might have to accommodate Sora and me."

I shot a quick glance at my partner next to me, our eyes meeting—okay, got her approval.

"On weekends, we can dedicate pretty much the full day to the raid, but on weekdays, it'll be in the afternoon... let's see. To be certain, our time will be limited to seven in the evening or later."

That was, needless to say, more than enough information to imply that we were 'students.' But just as Sora had unhesitatingly left the decision to me...

"No problem."

"That's fine, please don't worry about it."

"In that case, on weekdays, it seems best if we try to finish dinner early to secure a solid block of time for our activities. —I'm counting on you, Shoh."

"Yes, yes. You could help out once in a while, you know."

Just like that. Starting with Gen-san's terse reply, everyone present accepted my words calmly, without a hint of concern.

They wouldn't pry into our personal lives, including Sayaka-san, who was maintaining that saintly smile that seemed capable of unconditionally purifying her surroundings. They were so well-mannered it was almost reassuring.

This really is a good environment.

"—...So, let's go with that, then."

"Understood."

""Understood.""

And so, the most crucial discussion was settled smoothly in just a few minutes. We were able to put together a schedule that wasn't unreasonable yet allowed us to secure the maximum amount of time for the raid.

On weekdays, everyone would finish dinner early and gather at 7:00 PM real-world time. We would then raid for up to four hours until 11:00 PM... which translates to six hours in-game.

On weekends, our first session would be from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. After a lunch break, we would gather again at 3:00 PM and go hard until 10:00 PM, taking breaks as needed.

We made just one rule: if any trouble came up, like a sudden emergency or not feeling well, no one should hesitate to speak up, as it could happen to any of us. With that, we should be fine.

Our target deadline for reaching the hundredth floor is two weeks. With that much time, we should be able to manage.

"Okay, next up is... um... next is... what is next?"

"Haru?"

I had been pushing forward with one hundred percent momentum, but that didn't mean my brain was actually working. We had managed to set a schedule, but I was embarrassed to admit that the next topic of discussion didn't immediately come to mind.

""Haha.""

How embarrassing. Not only did my partner give me a sidelong glance that said, 'Eh?', but the two with mirror-like appearances also laughed at me—and what an elegant laugh it was.

The three of them together seem like they were raised well... I shook my head, clearing it of such random thoughts, and forced my brain to work in order to fulfill my duties as the appointed leader.

Right, the leader.

For some reason, I'm the party leader. In that case, the next topic should be...

"...Does anyone have anything they want to say about... this?"

As a junior leader tasked with leading my great seniors, how should I act? Even if it's just a formality, it couldn't hurt to hear their opinions.

With that thought, I pointed to myself and asked—and a hand went up.

To my surprise, two hands shot up at once. And in this room, aside from me, 'a pair' could only mean one thing.

"It's not particularly important, but..."

"...may we make a request?"

Shoh-san and Ren-san.

As they spoke, four royal blue eyes turned toward me.

"Of course. Anything."

When I replied, they nodded.

""Let's drop the formal speech.""

"...It's like watching Mi-na and Ri-na."

In perfect sync, they presented their 'request.'

"It's partly because you're the leader, but more than that, we're just not used to it. There's a gap with the [Acrobat] we're accustomed to seeing, and it makes it a little hard to interact with you... not that it's a huge problem, but..."

"We'd be happier if you acted more casually. We both enjoyed watching you rampage in the archive videos and took a liking to you because of it."

They followed up with a clear reason. Their words were filled with the very 'goodwill' that Ren-san mentioned at the end, and if that was the case...

"Ah... okay, got it. I'll try."

"We appreciate it."

"You can also drop the honorifics when you say our names."

"Alright, same to you. You can just call me Haru."

It seemed like the smart thing to do was to accept with a smile.

—Incidentally.

"...Wait, what about your formal speech?"

"Our formal speech is..."

"...the same kind of thing as your partner's, Haru, so please forgive us."

"Huh? Oh, well..."

And just like that, my minor counterattack was completely shut down. The same as Sora... meaning, it's just how they've always spoken to everyone, even those they're close to. In that case, I guess there's no helping it.

If I really wanted them to speak casually, I'd have to get as close to them as Shoh is to Ren, Ren is to Shoh, or both of them are to Sayaka-san. That sounds like a monumental task—

........................

"........."

Alright.

I can't pretend not to see it any longer.

"Uh... yes. Sayaka-san, go ahead."

"I would also like it if you would drop the honorifics."

"I was born under a star that prevents me from casually addressing women with such a noble air, so if you could please excuse me from both dropping the honorifics and the formal speech, I would be most grateful."

"Oh my, such a thing... —Fufu... I'm not sure whether to be happy that you've complimented me or sad that you've refused. You've put me in quite a predicament."

I turned to the owner of the hand that had quietly gone up during the twins' (?) conversation, and the expected words came floating out, so I launched a preemptive strike.

I wasn't lying. And her reaction wasn't bad, so she probably won't ask me to drop the honorifics or formal speech for a while. With any luck, forever.

—It was at that moment, after I had asked for and received words from the three people I still didn't know very well, that something else happened.

"Oh, Gen-san?"

This, I have to say, was genuinely surprising.

It was extremely rare for the martial artist, who spent every waking moment in a state of meditation—and frankly, sometimes even fell asleep like that—to raise his hand in a setting like this.

So, I couldn't hide my surprise as I turned my eyes and voice to him, prompting him to speak...

"...This isn't just for you, but for everyone."

Gen-san—the ninth-ranked member of the Eastern Faction, [Twin Fists]—spoke gravely... though in reality, his mouth was probably just stiff from not talking much. He moved his lips awkwardly.

Ever since he started helping me with my martial arts training behind the scenes, the Gen-san I know well began to speak.

"...As we'll be working together for a while... I have no intention of holding you back in the raid, but my poor communication skills and bluntness might drag down the mood."

He spoke with such earnestness—so earnestly.

"My unworthiness is a well-known fact. But as a formality, I want to apologize beforehand. My apologies."

And so, Gen-san, who bore what he himself called his 'unworthiness,' finished speaking—and all of us who heard him shared a single emotion.

Namely, a sense of endearment.

Thus spoke the [Twin Fists]—a true martial artist who openly declared training as his hobby, and the Eastern Faction's number one moe character, who desperately suppressed his extreme social anxiety behind a stoic mask.

"You're fine just the way you are, Gen-san. We're counting on you."

"Um, I'm kind of similar in some ways. Let's do our best together...!"

"If you're going to say that..."

"...our older sister is pretty out there in her own way, so..."

"Oh my, you two... Genkotsu-san, if you ever feel stressed from the unfamiliar group activity, please don't hesitate to tell us. We'll all support each other."

"...Yeah, sorry. I'll be in your care."

And just like that, we all welcomed Gen-san into the fold. For now, at least.

I guess 'Team B' has finally come together.