kscans

Chapter 500 - One Trouble After Another

Noat, also known as "The Whale That Drinks the Moon," had shown up uninvited. And with her were her friends, Parsha, Blanc, and Noir. They were wearing masks to hide their faces, but anyone who knew them could tell.

Although only Parfait’s group knew for sure, Noat also streams the songs she writes and composes in the real world, so some players either already knew her or were just now realizing who she was.

However, the one taking the most damage here was undoubtedly Noat’s daughter, Natsu.

"To sing in the same place where her daughter just performed, I think something is wrong with her."

"She probably came so I wouldn’t stand out too much."

"That may be, but I feel like my song has been overshadowed…! No one will remember my song anymore…"

Noat on stage was a true diva. It was hard to believe she was the same person who usually wrapped herself in a blanket, looking sleepy while nibbling on a donut. Her singing ability was captivating the crowd.

And the three people dancing behind her while playing their instruments had a sharpness that was hard to believe for someone who was close to being the head of a Foundation and a famous manga artist. They were so good, you’d think they could make a living that way. Not that they needed to, being Foundation-related.

"Hey, you got a minute?"

"Break-san."

Break, who had been on stage, quietly approached Parfait’s group. There were wrinkles between his brows, but he also had a slight smile on his face.

"Just to be sure, are they here through you guys?"

"We didn’t invite them, but that whale-san is actually Nat-chan’s mother."

"I apologize for my unworthy mother…!"

"Ah, no, you shouldn’t talk about your old lady like that. But I see, so that’s the connection. Then the ones behind her are—"

"They are my mother’s friends, but I want to make it clear that we did not ask them to come."

It was clear that Break knew who those three were. Break had said he wanted to use Parfait’s popularity to get more video views, but he also said he didn’t want to use his Foundation connections.

Natsu denied having invited them, but Break seemed to be holding back laughter.

"Ah, so it is true. But a high-ranking executive from Pisces, huh. My old man might have something to say about this."

Parfait flinched at his words. She wanted to believe it wasn’t her fault, but it was clear that her influence was causing trouble for him.

"I’m sorry. Um, I don’t really understand, but is this bad…?"

"Oh, no, it’s not Parfait’s fault, so you don’t need to apologize. The event is lively, and it’s not a bad thing. It’s just that, you know, between Foundations, even small things can lead to business deals, so if it gets out that Foundation people came to an event I hosted, I’ll get a call from home. And Pisces is a rival to our Virgo, so I was just thinking it might get complicated."

Pisces’ main business was in historical preservation, but in the last twenty years, they had been expanding their influence, especially in subculture, which often overlapped with Virgo’s business. As a result, they had had quite a few negotiations over which one would handle certain projects.

"The director is completely hiding her face, so I can get away with it, but those guys are recognizable to some people even with masks on. Well, I guess I’ll have to think of an excuse… Oh, really, don’t worry about it. I’m the one who asked Parfait to do the PvP match. More than I expected is happening, but that’s my problem. You guys just keep enjoying yourselves. It’s a festival, and as the host, I’d feel bad if you guys were looking glum."

Break gave a cynical smile and walked back towards the stage.

As they watched him go, Chris nodded and said, "Umu."

"It can’t be helped now. It’s our duty to enjoy the festival to the fullest."

"You think so…? Well, I guess there’s nothing we can do about it now. It’s about the Foundations, so if things get bad, maybe I’ll ask Lunaria-san to sort it out…"

Normally, it wouldn’t be right to ask Lunaria, who was in charge of the Foundations, for such a thing, but Parfait, or rather Parfait’s family, was in a position to make such requests.

She decided she would ask with a homemade parfait, and just then, Noat’s song ended. Just as Natsu had done, an emote played at the end of the song, and cherry blossom petals danced in the air. Cheers erupted from the crowd, and for the umpteenth time that day, there was a standing ovation.

Parfait thought they would fight after the song was over, but Noat opened her mouth on stage.

"The first guitar person."

"Huh? Me?"

Break, who had returned to the side of the stage, looked surprised. He hadn’t expected to be called out, and he looked at Noat with a suspicious expression.

"Your performance was good. A top-notch entertainer."

"I don’t need your flattery. There are plenty of people who can play as well as me."

"Your technique still has a way to go, but there are few people who can enjoy themselves and entertain others at the same time. The opposite is true for many, but if you keep it up, you can one day reach the top with that guitar."

"…Is that so. That’s the highest praise I could ask for. Thanks for that."

"Yes, keep at it. And the second enka person."

Noat looked at Natsu. Natsu panicked at being suddenly called out, but Noat continued as if it didn’t matter.

"You need more practice. But if you try hard—"

Noat paused.

"You might be able to become second only to me."

"I take that as a challenge! I will definitely surpass—not me, but The Whale That Drinks the Moon!"

"Kukuku, I look forward to that day. And I’ll just say this, it would be a good idea to put a donut in the refrigerator every day. Strawberry flavor is particularly good—well then, farewell!"

As Noat said that, a light fell from the sky and enveloped the four of them. The light grew brighter, and after a few seconds, it gradually subsided. And Noat and her group had disappeared from the stage. The black moon was also gone, and the sky was still clear.

"The Whale That Drinks the Moon and its friends have retreated. A commemorative item will be awarded to the Stampede participants. I repeat—"

"We get an item? Huh? A donut?"

A donut, which seemed to be a commemorative item, had appeared in Parfait’s item bag. It was a colorful donut, and its flavor was unknown, but she guessed it was a special donut that Noat had probably supervised.

"It’s a ‘Miracle Donut’ that temporarily boosts all stats beyond their limits. It’s very useful in boss battles, so it sells for quite a high price."

Ginny’s explanation made Parfait realize something. Miracle Donut was Noat’s artist name when she streamed her songs. And The Whale That Drinks the Moon was apparently the account name Noat used on a video streaming site.

"It was just an advertisement!"

Natsu glared at the donut with a "Gnnn." Parfait thought she would take a bite out of it in anger, but she carefully put it back in her item bag.

"You’re going to sell it instead of eating it?"

"I’m saving this to eat when I defeat my mother! I’ll definitely eat it with a smug look on my face!"

"I hope that day comes for you…"

Natsu was supposed to be aiming to be a doctor, but Parfait wasn’t so tactless as to point that out. Motivation was different for everyone, so if looking at a donut could help her work hard, it was a small price to pay, and Parfait decided not to touch on the subject.

The trouble, or rather, the unexpected happening, or to put it better, the surprise, was over, and they were finally back on track. That’s what Parfait and her friends thought, but they were still more worried than relieved.

However, Break, having composed himself, proceeded with the event’s program.

Now it was time for the PvP matches. First, the members of the clan "Fight☆Club" would fight. After that would be the guest PvP matches, and finally, Parfait and Kazatoki would fight.

The demand for a rematch between Parfait and Kazatoki was high, and this was a reflection of the viewers’ voices.

Besides, Kazatoki had said happily, "I got a lot stronger!" from her training with Xenobia. Their last PvP match had ended in a draw due to time running out, so Parfait was also looking forward to settling the score this time.

Her master, Benitsuru, had snorted, "You can’t lose to Xenobia-chan’s disciple!" Her senior disciple, Simon, had said something more sensible, "If you fight seriously, you’ll gain something regardless of the outcome."

"Oh? By the way, who is Xenobia-san fighting?"

"I really wanted to fight you, Parfait-chan, but since Kazatoki-chan is here, it seems I’ll be fighting someone else. Probably Ingrid-chan."

"Ah, their fighting styles are similar, so that might be interesting."

Ingrid was the young leader of the strongest clan, "Bandit Clan." She was a wonderful woman with toned abs, but after losing to Ronios, she had gone on a training journey and had recently returned. In Parfait’s mind, she was an older sister who would casually send her voice chats.

"But isn’t Ingrid-san related to the Foundations?"

Jolth, who was currently assisting Ney, was formerly from the Leo Foundation. His niece, Ingrid, belonged to the Leo Foundation. Parfait thought she might be causing trouble for Break again, but it seemed it wasn’t a problem.

"Ingrid-chan is certainly part of the Leo Foundation, but only a few people know that, so it’s fine. Break-san hasn’t noticed either."

"Is that so?"

"The Leo Foundation’s main business is exploring the dangerous zones on Earth. Ingrid-chan does her job, but she doesn’t attend Foundation meetings, and she has no public exposure, so unless you have a very strong connection, you wouldn’t notice."

Parfait could only think, "Oh," but she was relieved that it was fine.

However, that relief didn’t last long. The PvP matches by "Fight☆Club" had ended, and just as the guest matches were about to begin, everyone was looking up at the sky again.

She wondered if Noat had come back, but that wasn’t it. For some reason, a flying ship, an airship, was in the sky above them. And it had the Imperial crest on it.

And someone was descending from the airship on a rope. When that person landed on the stage, Parfait and her friends were hit with the same shock and confusion as when Noat had arrived.

A woman with red hair, a white shirt, black pants, and a harness. What was strange was the number of weapons she had. Two swords on her back, two more on each side of her waist, and a katana behind her.

From any angle, it was Abel’s mother, Cecil.

"Huh? Why?"

No one could answer Parfait’s question. Just the usual calm voice of the world announcement echoed.

"The Imperial Army Knight Commander has begun an invasion of the Spirit Country. Please engage and repel her. I repeat—"

"So this is the venue Abel was talking about? Alright! Anyone will do, let’s fight! Or should I fight all of you!?"

Cecil said that, and then, "Come on, bring it on!" she took a fighting stance.