kscans

Chapter 357 - Interlude: The Caring Demon Lord

Lunaria and Xenobia had not planned on participating in the Clan War, their first-ever event.

To begin with, they couldn't form a clan with the other members. Had it been an all-female clan, Xenobia might have managed, but with the socially anxious Lunaria, it was a difficult prospect.

That was what they thought, until a voice chat from Amanda changed everything.

"Won't you join the Clan War? I absolutely have to get a high rank for my work at the research institute."

Lunaria wanted to refuse, but even if it concerned an institute she despised, she couldn't let her personal feelings dictate her decision.

She hadn't been ordered to assist Amanda, so she could have said no, but failing to contribute at all would be like smearing mud on the faces of Amanda and the old man who had invited her here.

Besides, Amanda had been contacting her regularly. They may not have met in person, but they spoke via voice chat. Amanda had shown her concern in various ways, so if Lunaria could help, she honestly wanted to.

"I can't really talk to people well. I want to help, but forming a clan with strangers might be difficult for me."

"Is that so? Well, you don't have to talk to them even if you're in the same clan. This is just about getting good results. If each of us can take down one person from the enemy clan without talking, we'll win. I'm planning to gather members with that mindset."

Lunaria wondered if it was really that simple, but she began to think that if she didn't have to talk, she might be able to handle it. And while it would be impossible alone, she reconsidered, thinking she might manage if Amanda and Xenobia were with her.

"Is it okay if Xenobia-chan joins too?"

Xenobia had understood they were discussing the event, but her eyes widened at those words.

"Now that you mention it, you said you had a friend you play with. Of course, it's fine. If she's strong, I'd be the one asking for her help."

"She has a fear of men, but she's strong."

"...It's more likely that the members I gather will be mostly men, but you don't have to force yourselves to talk, so it shouldn't be a problem. It would be a great help if you'd join."

Lunaria sent a glance toward Xenobia. Xenobia didn't say anything, but with a serious expression, she shook her head vigorously from side to side. Lunaria nodded.

"I have her permission, so please add me and Xenobia-chan."

"That's not what I meant!?"

"...I thought I heard you say 'that's not what I meant'?"

"That's just her being shy. In technical terms, it's called tsundere."

"Ah, I see. Well, it doesn't matter to me either way, but please don't back out on the day of the event. All right, I still have other people to scout, so I'll contact you again when we have enough members."

"Okay. Then, I'll make sure we can return to town quickly for a while."

"That helps."

As Amanda said that, the voice chat disconnected. But that hardly settled the matter.

A pouting Xenobia was staring at Lunaria with an accusatory gaze.

"Hey, Lunaria-chan!"

"Yes, I'm sorry. But I think this is a chance."

"...A chance?"

"A chance to overcome your fear of men and my social anxiety."

"I don't think we really need to overcome it."

"Maybe not, but we'll return to the real world someday. Even if we open that cookie shop I mentioned before, we'll need social skills. Amanda-chan said we don't have to talk to the members, so let's get used to it little by little."

"W, well... Now that you put it that way, maybe..."

"Besides, think about it. This is virtual reality. We're probably on the same spaceship, but we're physically far apart. It's like we're constantly on voice chat. Let's start our rehabilitation with this."

"That's true, but..."

"Alright. I'll be honest. I can't do it alone, so please help me. I might go on a rampage if there isn't someone I'm close with around."

"You should have led with that... Well, I guess what you said about getting used to it makes sense. And if you're with me, Lunaria-chan, I might be able to stop myself from launching into an unnecessary aerial combo."

"I'm not sure launching into an aerial combo out of surprise is a good idea to begin with."

"Please support me so that doesn't happen. And if you go on a rampage, Lunaria-chan, I'll stop you."

"Hmph, no one can stop me...!"

"Could you at least show the will to try and stop? Still, a clan, huh. I hope they're kind people."

"I agree. And I'd prefer it if there were more women."

"I know what you mean."

After that conversation, Lunaria and the others resumed their hunt.

A week passed, and they received a message from Amanda.

She wanted to introduce the members, so they came to the town that Lunaria had expanded. The town grew in scale every time they visited, and apparently, a place to eat and drink had been established at some point. They had arranged to meet there.

Lunaria and Xenobia walked through the town furtively, on high alert, and stepped into their destination.

The inside of the establishment was quite lively. The cheerful voices and the delicious smell of food gave it the feel of a tavern from a fantasy world.

They had apparently reserved a private room, so Xenobia asked a female staff member, who then guided them to it. The entire time, Lunaria clung to Xenobia's back.

When they were shown into the room, Amanda and seven men were there.

Their roles immediately reversed, and Xenobia hid behind Lunaria. She began muttering, "They're scarecrows," over and over like a curse.

As for Lunaria, she was somehow enduring it, driven by the need to protect Xenobia.

Seeing this, Amanda looked exasperated, but thinking they would get nowhere like this, she opened her mouth with a smile.

"Lunaria, and Xenobia... that was your name, right? Thank you for coming."

"Y, yes."

"H, hello..."

"I've told everyone about you two. Your social anxiety and your fear of men. I know it must be difficult, but you don't have to force yourselves to talk, so please relax. Lunaria, you can keep your helm on."

Perhaps she had reserved a rather spacious room for their sake, as neither Lunaria nor Xenobia felt particularly pressured. The two had been standing in a corner of the room, but Amanda gestured for them to sit.

There was a single long table in the room, covered with a white tablecloth. Amanda sat at the head of the table, with the male members seated on either side. Lunaria and Xenobia took seats at the far end of the table.

Afterward, Amanda explained various things.

She had basically gathered members who were strong solo players. They didn't need to be together all the time, just gather on the day of the Clan War. It was less like a team of comrades and more like Amanda had hired everyone for the event.

Most of the members seemed to accept this, as no one voiced any complaints, and they all agreed that it was fine.

However, Lunaria alone offered a different opinion.

"S, since we're forming a clan, I think it would be better to be together on days other than just battle days... or so I feel, maybe."

"What are you saying, with your social anxiety?"

When Amanda pointed this out, Lunaria shook her head.

"E, even if we're strong solo, I don't know if we can get a high rank. We might need teamwork, and we should practice against monsters, and maybe improve our equipment while we're at it. Also, I want to at least be able to talk normally with our allies."

Lunaria answered timidly.

And this time, Xenobia also timidly raised her hand to speak.

"I, I'd also like to get used to everyone enough that I don't attack our allies in a fight."

She was speaking while facing the wall to avoid eye contact, but the men present felt a little heartwarmed, understanding that she was trying her best.

Only Amanda narrowed her eyes as she looked at the two, but then she nodded.

"I understand. But I have things to do in the real world, so I can't always be with you. Is that alright?"

"I, I see. That's a shame, but it can't be helped."

Lunaria didn't know the details, but Amanda had another job besides test playing. She couldn't very well tell her not to do it, so Lunaria nodded.

"Also, I'm leaving the clan leadership to you, Lunaria."

"...Huh?"

"As I said before, I'm not always in the virtual world. I asked you all to just gather on battle days, but if you're going to be together all the time, you'll need a leader. That's why I'm asking you, Lunaria, as the one who proposed it."

"Wait, just a sec—"

"Besides, if you want to do something about your social anxiety, you should start by treating it as a job. It's easier to switch your mind and emotions if you frame it as the job of leading everyone. Think of it as a form of suggestion."

"Suggestion..."

"And everyone else, please help Lunaria. She's like a cousin to me from my hometown."

Though not quite moved to tears, her words seemed to resonate with the others, as they all nodded.

Lunaria felt a slight unease at Amanda's seemingly forced smile, but if she was being entrusted with a great responsibility and everyone was willing to cooperate, she vowed to do her best.

"I, I understand. Then I'll do my best as the leader of this clan. There's still time before the event starts, so let's get used to each other little by little."

And so, with Lunaria as its leader, the clan named "Ambrosia," meaning immortality, was formed.

Lunaria tried her best.

At first, she made a point of talking through voice chat, gradually closing the distance. And to befriend them, she always brought them cookies as a token of gratitude.

The men had found it bothersome at first, but seeing how hard Lunaria was trying, they began to cooperate actively. Every day, they went to various places and defeated powerful monsters.

"When that monster raises the horn on its head, it does an area attack, so it's better to move away... maybe."

"Ah, I see. So that's the tell. I was wondering why only you and Xenobia could dodge it."

The man in indigo armor, Balan Aguileo, spoke to Lunaria from about three meters away, his giant axe, as large as himself, resting on his shoulder.

"Y, yeah. It has a big opening after that, so I want you to slam it with your axe, Balan-chan. Your base damage is higher than mine, and it has a stun effect."

"...Balan-chan?"

"Y, you don't like it? Should I call you Balan-kyun?"

"I like that even less. Well, if it's you, Lunaria, '-chan' is fine. Though I probably won't be calling you Lunaria-chan."

"I'm always welcome to it. But I'm glad. My friendship level with Balan-chan just went up by five...!"

"That's a line you often see in dating sims, isn't it? Well, if you're okay with it, Lunaria, I guess it's fine."

Lunaria had been talking to everyone by using various forms of self-suggestion. She would tell herself that this was a virtual world, or convince herself that this was a mission to get along with the members, using every trick in the book.

This situation continued for a while, and Lunaria began to teach everyone combat knowledge in virtual reality. Not just how to fight monsters, but knowledge that could also be used in reality, like how to hold a weapon, how to stand, and how to dodge attacks.

At the research institute, she had intentionally performed poorly, but Lunaria was originally brilliant. As a member of the space development and planetary exploration team, she had been crammed with all sorts of knowledge, including combat techniques.

It was still difficult for her to lead everyone, but she began to teach them how to fight.

Lunaria's instructions were quite precise, and when the men realized they could defeat powerful rare monsters without much trouble after just a little coaching, they began to hold her in high regard.

And Lunaria herself was strong. The performance of her weapons and armor was a factor, but her coordination with Xenobia was so remarkable that the sight of them instantly killing monsters was breathtaking.

Xenobia's fear of men didn't go away, but at least she no longer immediately launched into an aerial combo when spoken to. Thanks to that, it became possible for her to fight in coordination with the male members.

Once Lunaria judged that she had gotten along with everyone to some extent, a certain proposal was made.

One of her companions, Grant Becker, raised his voice in surprise upon hearing it.

"You're going to build a clan headquarters?"

"Yeah. Phaul-chan was bragging that he got his Woodworking Skill to 100, so I thought I'd have him build it."

"I wasn't bragging!"

"You had a look on your face like my Cooking Skill of 90 was nothing. I can tell."

"That's awful! I'm innocent!"

Phaul corrected Lunaria's words with a laugh.

Phaul Kres, one of their companions. A portly tank who also possessed production skills. He had been leveling up his Woodworking Skill, which was said to be an underappreciated skill, and had recently reported to Lunaria that he had finally reached 100.

This Woodworking Skill had a hidden mechanic where, upon reaching 100 along with Blacksmithing Skill and Ore Knowledge Skill, it would unlock stonemason-like recipes. Stone processing would allow for things like sculpture, but it also made it possible to build stone houses.

Lunaria had her eye on that.

The clan "Ambrosia" had been using an inn in town as their base instead of building one. There was no problem with that, but they decided to build one based on Lunaria's idea that having a base would make them feel more like comrades.

Around the time the event was about to start, Amanda arrived.

She had heard from Lunaria that they had built a headquarters, but she was astonished when she saw it. No matter how you looked at it, it was a castle.

"What have you all been doing?"

She thought they were doing combat training, but they had been building a castle. It would be unreasonable to tell her not to be amazed. They could have gotten much stronger in that time.

Though there was some mischief involved, it could be said to be the result of Lunaria and Phaul's dedication. It was a fair distance from the town, but it was a castle so enormous that it could be seen even from there.

"We were just testing the limits. There's a room for you too, Amanda-chan, so don't worry."

"That's very thoughtful of you. More importantly, are you ready for the battles? The fighting starts in a few days, you know?"

"We're fully prepared. We've got our weapons and armor ready, and plenty of food and medicine. We can even aim for the championship."

"That's a far cry from the person you used to be, but you seem quite confident. Then I'll have high expectations... though I am a little concerned that you've all become a bit too friendly."

Perhaps her efforts as a leader had led to Lunaria's newfound confidence. The timidness of before was gone, and she was overflowing with self-assurance.

And then, the day of the match arrived.

They were transferred to the fortress for the Clan War, and Lunaria and the others were waiting on the rooftop.

It was a place they had never seen before, but it was just a featureless plain. There were a few trees and rocks, but not enough to be an obstacle.

Lunaria had been full of confidence, but she gradually became anxious. Unable to stand still, she paced back and forth in the same spot on the roof.

Seeing this, Xenobia called out to her.

"Lunaria-chan, calm down."

"I, I'm, I'm, I'm calm. D, do, don't make baseless accusations."

"Uh...?"

Xenobia hadn't expected such a reply, but for the time being, she suggested that they take a deep breath together.

It was unclear how effective deep breathing would be in virtual reality, but Lunaria followed Xenobia's suggestion and took several deep breaths.

Just as she had calmed down, the Clan War began.

The visualized opponents were observing them. It being their first battle, they were acting cautiously.

"There's no particular strategy, is there?"

When Amanda asked, Lunaria nodded.

"N, no. We don't know how the opponent will move, so for now, the plan is just to defeat them. I think one person is enough to defend the Clan Stone at first."

"I understand. Then I'll go on ahead."

Amanda said this and stood on the fortress railing. Then she vanished in an instant.

"Huh?"

What Amanda had used was "Shukuchi," a skill usable at level 100 in Hand-to-Hand Combat. She instantly appeared before the nearest enemy. She then swung her sword at the surprised opponent and defeated them in a flash.

Watching this, Xenobia was slightly excited.

"O, of course. With Shukuchi, you can get in front of the opponent in an instant. I'd always thought of it as just a movement skill for combos against monsters, so I never thought of that."

"But Amanda has a sword equipped, so she can't use Hand-to-Hand Combat skills, can she?"

"I think it's fine because she just unequipped her weapon for a moment to use Shukuchi. Switching equipment is instantaneous."

As Lunaria was marveling at this, a voice chat from Amanda came in.

"Are you going to make me do all the work? I've already met my quota, you know?"

"Y, yes. We're coming right now. Everyone, let's go!"

Xenobia, who disliked player-versus-player combat, remained behind to defend the Clan Stone, while the other members headed to the battlefield with Lunaria.