kscans

Chapter 452 - Interlude: Executive Meeting & Main Character Introductions

Today was the day of the AFO executive meeting.

As always, Diite was on the top floor of the luxury hotel "Camelot" in the Royal Capital Anhemudal. Several executives had already gathered, and all that was left was to wait for Ney and Jolth.

This meeting was held within virtual reality. This was for security reasons. AFO could completely grasp and track any external access, so if there was even the slightest anomaly, it would be immediately analyzed and repelled. This place could be called the most secure location in the world.

As for the executive meeting held in such a place, today was mainly for reviewing the recent event and identifying any problems. There were no major debates on the agenda, just an exchange of opinions, so it wouldn't take very long.

"Sorry I'm late. Let's begin."

As soon as Ney and Jolth logged in, the meeting began. The agenda was already decided, so they proceeded smoothly through the topics. Documents summarizing the event's scale, participation rate, and post-event reactions were distributed, and problems and points for reflection were already written down.

They went through each item one by one, considering whether it was worth actually debating at the next meeting.

One of the executives, Rauxal, raised his hand.

Rauxal, who was also a staff member of AFO, currently led the clan "Imperial" and held the position of Emperor of the Empire. He was merely an in-game emperor, and it was possible to meet him in the Imperial Capital during game events.

"It was in the news, but was it really okay for Ronios to go to Hayato's shop?"

"Well, my apologies. It was something I had to do, so I forced my way through."

Ronios said this without a hint of remorse, but it was Ney who sighed at her response.

"Listen, Ronios. I didn't lecture you too harshly because of the situation with Wilnel, but if you do that again, you'll have to return the initial investment and we'll revoke your investor rights, understand?"

"Don't say such scary things. Of course, I won't do it again. Wilnel seems to have successfully become friends with Parfait-kun, and she happily tells me what happened every day. That's enough for me."

"If you say so. But the other Foundations were there, and the ones who couldn't come are very suspicious now. It's not my place to say this, but it's not good to upset the balance between the Foundations. As an apology, and to reassure them, Gemini will co-invest in another matter."

"That's a small price to pay. So, Rauxal, there are no problems."

Rauxal narrowed his eyes and then sighed.

"I think that in itself is a problem, but I understand the matter between the Foundations. The problem is the potential for more people to pull something during a game event. Are you sure that's under control?"

"I thought hoarding ingredients was not a big deal."

"Considering a clan's financial power, I think only major clans can do it, but there's a chance of copycats in future events."

"I did it to achieve a real-world goal. I don't think others would go that far."

"That real-world goal is the problem. Hayato's house has a terminal that can communicate directly with Diite. The news didn't reveal that, but there's a high chance other Foundations have noticed. I know the security is strong, but can the same be said for access from that terminal?"

"That's not a problem, Rauxal-kun. The terminal there is one I directly control. I manage the login process itself, so I would never grant access rights to someone I don't know."

"...Conversely, that's what worries me."

"Meaning?"

"Can you say the same if Parfait is taken hostage?"

Tension ran through everyone who heard Rauxal's words. It wasn't that they hadn't thought of it, but it was something they hesitated to say out loud. And Rauxal had said it.

If such an act were to actually happen, it would incur Diite's wrath. It was easy to imagine what an AI capable of managing a colony would do to the perpetrators.

"Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just a little worried about the emotional part of you, Diite. If you make purely mechanical judgments, there's no problem, but you're not just an AI, are you?"

"...You're right, Rauxal-kun, your concern is valid. I can say that I cannot predict what actions I would take if Hayato-kun and the others were taken hostage."

"Ronios, what's done is done, but you should realize that was extremely dangerous. It was fortunate that Parfait and the others' faces weren't in the news, but there might still be media staking them out. We should put pressure on the media."

"...I'll take care of that. But this is troublesome. I hadn't considered that. I always fail..."

Suddenly, Lunaria clapped her hands, making a loud noise.

"It's fine. I won't let any trouble happen inside Colony 'Frontier'. If any suspicious people get in, me and my guards will protect Hayato-san's house, so don't worry. Of course, we'll assign guards to Parfait-chan and the others too. Xenobia-chan, increase their security detail for a while."

"Understood. I'll add more trustworthy people."

The conversation had strayed far from the game's content, but AFO's technology was a target for many organizations. They couldn't assume that Foundations weren't among them, so everyone recognized the need for maximum vigilance.

In the midst of this tense meeting, Surya, who was there as the representative of Sagittarius, spoke up.

"By the way, how are Parfait-chan and the others playing? If they're tamers, I could give some advice."

Surya probably said this in a relaxed tone to lighten the mood, and everyone went along with it.

"This is their current basic information. It's not detailed, but please take a look."

Diite, looking pleased, submitted a document with information on Parfait's group.

Once she judged that everyone had finished looking, Diite nodded in satisfaction.

"Depending on when they started AFO and their playtime, there are differences in titles and skills, but it seems they've already made a base and are having fun. Right now, they're near Azuma and struggling with land taxes. They're trying to earn money through farming, and Rick-kun's proposals are quite on point—"

Surya cut in, as if to stop Diite, who seemed like she wouldn't stop talking.

"Um, all their equipment is top-tier. Is this okay?"

Diite had an expression that said, "What's wrong with that?"

"I know what you mean, but these are basically things they inherited from family and acquaintances. It's inevitable. Other players do that too, so I think it's fine."

"That may be so, but the Creator God's Clerical Robes, while weak now, will eventually become the strongest armor if they keep upgrading it, right?"

"Gathering the materials is hard, so it can't be upgraded that easily. Besides, it requires Sewing Skill 200."

Everyone thought that Hayato probably had the materials and a Sewing Skill of 200, so he could upgrade it easily. There was no need to point that out, but they were all sure that Diite had given it to her knowing that.

And now, Ney spoke up.

"Parfait is ranked in the top hundred in PvP. When I heard she did that on her first day, I spat out my tea."

"If Benny-chan is teaching her, it's only natural. Perhaps I should join the fray and teach her there are always bigger fish—"

"If Lunaria-chan plays as the Demon Lord, it'll be an impossible game. You should stop. It'll just become a terrible game."

"Xenobia-chan is so mean..."

Ney calmed Lunaria down with a "Now, now," and then smiled.

"Well, we understand Parfait's group's situation. The agenda for the next event is—"

"I think an event that beginners like Parfait-kun's group can enjoy would be good."

"A tamer event! Let's go with a tamer-type event!"

"Diite, Surya, calm down a bit. In the first place, the Hestia Festival was entirely for your own selfish reasons, Diite. You held an event just because you wanted to eat food made by Parfait."

"I don't have a mouth in the real world, so it can't be helped."

"That's true, but... Surya, you said a tamer event would be difficult because skills are a factor, didn't you?"

"Maris is bugging me about it. Or rather, Siegfried is the one being annoying. He says he wants his children to participate."

"A smart cat is a handful."

After that, the meeting devolved into the executives just saying whatever they wanted to do, but that was business as usual. Diite watched the meeting with amusement while her programs worked at full capacity to strengthen the colony's overall security.