*Online*
“Strange, why it’s not going well.”
The usual beast tamer Shizuku was folding her arms and making a complicated face.
Right now, we were at the central square of Philums capital.
Tonight, we also went to invite guild members for the impure motives of “Special Wedding” with Knight-sama.
Since I’ve no reason to help them, I just simply looked at them.
They tried to invite using their own ideas, but they ended up in failure. We were in stalemate now.
It’s no wonder, they surrounded the targeted players and acted like blackmailing them. It’s certain that no one would join the guild if they did that.
I, who logged in as Riel, half-amazedly spoke.
“Of course. It isn’t strange to misunderstand a team like that as PK or something.”
“Why are you being so stingy? Even though you’re just boobs alien.”
“B, boobs!? What you’re talking about all of a sudden!”
I checked my surroundings to know whether it’s heard or not, but as expected, it was distinctly audible.
“What is that? What kind of talk?”
Immediately the thief Hime joined in.
“So Riel is the same as Ricotta, an alien nya?”
“Well the SAGA masterpiece, it’s like a fantasy zone right?”
(TL : It seems they refer to SAGA space and science museum in Japan)
It seemed they slightly went off trail, but I would not bother.
However, I wanted to further inquire about the details of what happened after I passed out.
“It’s about the incident this morning, but-----“
“Dowaaaaaaaa, who cares about that thing! Now as you see, we’re doing members invitation right?.”
Saying something she didn’t mean, she tried to cover it up. It couldn’t be helped that she couldn’t think a way to correct her speech.
“But how are we going to do it? After all, everyone seemed to not hear what we’re saying.”
With her maid outfit which concealed her weapons, Mashu said that.
O? For the time being, we managed to drag the conversation back to track.
“That, how about you mind your manners….”
“Manners?”
Maybe my idea was too odd, Shizuku made a scowling face.
Well, I knew that I couldn’t be said to be a human with good manners but still.
“Fu~n, after all something like manners is the same as a fake mask. It hides your true face with an always smile face. By the way, the one who gets closer to you in their first meeting with a kind smile generally is a bad person.”
“What an amazing narrow-minded person! Not everyone is like that, you know.”
“Which means, there are people like that, right?"
“You know, that’s a quiddity….”
“Then what? Is there a person who approached you and said “Let’s be friends” with a well-mannered smile, and in actuality really wants to be friend with you?”
“N,no…. seems not….but, I’m not trying to to say that! It’ll be easy for you to make a trigger if you do it with well-mannered attitude, right? Like that.”
“Fu~n, In a mixer which is a trigger for making couple, there are only people who used a mask to show their goodwill, aren’t there? Because everyone hides their true faces, they will later regret it if their pair is actually a bad person. That rotten tradition had better be quickly supervised.”
“Mixer…. Has Shizuku ever gone there?”
“Of course not.”
“No, but you said that with serious look…”
“It’s okay if it’s with Riel or Knight-sama or Keita…”
“There are seems to be many attendees, but aren’t there only two people! Or rather, because I don’t have a good attitude, won’t I just get jealous? In the end.”
“….Well, that’s why manner is not an important thing.”
“You just give up!?”
Ignoring the inconvenience, she concluded it to be impossible.
“Moreover, we aren’t here for finding a true friend or guild members. Frankly, it’s okay with just head count.”
“You’re too frank!”
However, the members agreed with Shizuku.
Aa……
In the atmosphere of ‘What should we do’,
“”””U~n…..””””
Excluding me, all the members synchronously groaned.
Furthermore, they’d done that terrible plan meeting and yet, in the end their invitation method was still the same, what was the meaning of that?
Perhaps, they didn’t have talent or sense regarding that matter.
Could you all please stop inviting members? Really.
At the moment I was complaining in my heart.
“Um, it’s about orc subjugation quest in bandit fort, how about we do it together in party?”
“E?”
The one who suddenly talked to me (Riel) was a warrior male avatar wearing a bronze armor.
As I was troubled at how to reply, this time a voice came from my back.
“Excuse me, It’s a party that hunt rare monsters, but we’re in shortage of healer….If it’s okay with you, how about we form a party?”
After that, I heard more voices.
“It’s about exploring a labyrinth, how about we go together?”
“It’s about gathering of metal carving material, how about we do it together?”
“It’s about sea king, how about we fish it together?”
“Could you please let me see through you?”
Without me knowing, I was already surrounded by bunch of players.
Moreover, somehow all of them is male.
The members who saw my situation had their jaws dropped to the floor.
As time flew, they changed into that of envy, jealousy and yearning.
“What the heck is this….”
Shizuku knitted her eyebrows and pouted in displeasure.
I politely decline all of their invitations, and finally because they had dispersed, I went back
“Fu-…I panicked.”
“It’s not that!”
Hime angrily said so.
“You…. When soloing, it’s always like that?”
“Like that you mean?”
“Uh….that, you always get invited like just now…”
“E, un. Well, generally.”
“”””G, generally…..””””
All members saw me with surprised eyes.
E? W, what?
“I’ve never got invited like that….” (Hime)
“Impossible, although we’re like this, we properly hand out wish-for-party marker, you know?” (Shizuku)
“E, you don’t say that even though Riel didn’t hand out a wish, she still got invited nya.” (Ricotta)
“S, seems like that….really popular…” (Mashu)
I could hear their whispering voices.
“Aa..so, you meant that. No, this is because Cleric can use healing magic, so it is considered useful. And also because my appearance is cute….maybe?”
The latter is only a joke.
After I said that, Hime opened her mouth.
“Hey, don’t say you’re cute by yourself. Although, you’re certainly cute.”
“E, what?”
“I-it’s nothing!? I’m just saying that I am cuter.”
“Oh, okay."
After doing chit chat like that, the quiet-until-now Shizuku suddenly hit her fist on her palm.
“We can use this.”
I had a bad premonition.
“Here Rie-“
“I will refuse.”
“I’m still not saying anything.”
“In any case, you wanted to push me into their party, and asked them to join our guild.”
“Even though you’re Riel, your intuition is sharp.”
““Even though” is unnecessary right! Furthermore, even if our guild rank up, I don’t see any merit for me there. I won’t do it, you know? Absolutely won’t do it.”
“Poem”
“Uh…”
My heart was almost stopped beating at the four letters she murmured. Without saying, that was the embarrassing poetry about Mellunchan…… I’d better die.
“I look forward to your help.”
That’s why I was thrown into the central square where there are many players went back and forth.
Since it’s too risky for merely counting on me, all members also went on their way to invite members. After it finished, we would gather here again to accumulate the results.
Even if they worked together, it was unreliable. It looked like the result would be the same with a few days ago.
I also didn’t feel to get serious so for now, I would just do what I want.
I aimlessly walked to the square without any objective. Perhaps Shizuku and co. planned to invite members in a different, I couldn’t see their shadow around here.
Which meant it’s fine if I neglect my work.
After thinking so, my legs stepped towards a place in the square where a player was doing a blacksmith business. My wand’s performance was getting poorer, so I was thinking to get it fixed.
Under the eaves of pavilion, a blacksmith-like player was aligning swords for sale. At the moment I wanna ask him how much he could get its performance back to normal.
“You, are cute.”
Suddenly, there was a voice calling out to me from my back.
Again huh…..Thinking so, I turned around.
In front of me were two male avatars.
The first person was a swordsman-ish character equipping a light armor.
The latter was a sorcerer wearing a full robe with who had an unpleasant look to my eyes.
From their equipment, they were approximately level 40. In this server, it’s a pretty high class level.
While seeing their faces, I convinced by murmuring “Aaa”.
It was not good to assess a person by appearance, but from my long experience as nekama, mostly people like this had an intention to hit on girls.
In actuality, from the start of conversation, as expected it’s like that.
“Hey you, a student? High school student?”
On spur of moment, the swordsman asked that impolitely.
“Haa….Well.”
Even though it’s troublesome, since I was already hooked, I searched for a suitable response.
Then, the swordsman’s line of sight went up to my head, where my avatar name is.
“Hee-, so you’re Riel-chan. Riel-chan, you’re girl in real life?”
What a straight line! I could feel his decisiveness.
“Look here! I think asking someone’s gender in net game was a breach of manners.”
“Hmm? Perhaps Riel-chan is mentally unwavering person? Well, it’s okay. However, people who said that were generally girl in real life.”
The swordsman smirked and said that.
I didn’t have any special interests, but because somehow it’s annoying, I also at least checked their names. Incidentally, the swordsman’s nickname is,
【Ψ Cloud Ψ】
And the sorcerer’s,
【☆MASACHI★】
Cloud huh…..How come? You’re not a yankee okay.
(TL: His name is喰羅雨怒(クラウド) which means ruined rain but the furigana means cloud.)
Furthermore, what is “Ψ”? He’s too strange in head.
That one person left, why did he use romaji? Which means he is Masachi(マサチ), then it’s no different from using katakana!
Using those sickly names, maybe they were desperate. Especially Cloud.
“Nee where do you live? How about we play in reality? If it’s in Japan, I would go anywhere.”
“That’s a bit…”
“Then how about you go hunt with us? I know a good place. There are many EXP points. See, we are pretty strong, so it is safe for you to hunt.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve got something to do.”
“Something to do?”
Then he realized the existence of blacksmith from the corner of his eyes.
“Ah, so it’s like that. I have something better. I will present it to you, so let’s go to my guild house.”
Why did a swordsman like him collect a weapon that only useable for a rear guard? That being said, it’s very suspicious.
The always quiet MASACHI also unnoticed had walked to my back to seal my escape.
Since things were getting uglier, I was thinking of escape but…
What should I do.
At the time I felt conflicted,
“Wait you all, what are you doing to my Riel!”
A familiar voice sounded from nearby. Her vivid golden hair fluttered, and her elf ears perked up.
Yes, she’s Hime.
Apparently, she’s doing her invitation nearby.
“What, you.”
Cloud sent Hime a puzzled look.
“Can you not speak to me? Your stink odor will get onto me, you ground beetle!”
“Gro, gro,….ground beetle!? Huh, you also speak to me.”
“Ground beetle as in ground beetle, what’s wrong with that!”
Aa, it evolved to a fight.
See…. A blue vein started to pop out from his face.
“Chi…. What a foul-mouthed person for speaking that way in their first meeting, what is your relationship with Riel-chan?”
“Guild members. Something wrong?”
“Hee-, It’s not only that right?”
“W, what?”
“Before, you said my Riel. You don’t mean that as a guild member. I could hear your way of saying as a desire to monopoly her like she is your possession.”
“…Wh“
Hime’s face flushed in deep red.
“I know, you know? You, a nekama right? You’re aiming for the real life Riel-chan right? You play dirty huh, trying to act like some hero of justice. In that direction, we can play exceedingly better than you, okay?”
After taking a glance at the sorcerer, he winked at me.
What, don’t look here.
Hime seemed to want to say something, but she couldn’t put it into words. It looked like she was about to cry.
“I,I…I…..”
“See, bull’s-eye. Wh,aaaaat?
“Hick…..!?”
Cloud took a peek at Hime’s expression and put a pressure to her. Perhaps she was pressured by his hostility, her legs were trembling and making a rattling sound.
Just as I thought, I couldn’t let it be. That being said, even if we were to take them head on, it won’t get anywhere.
Hence, following the initial plan, I would create a gap and escape.
If I do something, we could easily shake them off with Hime’s thief skill【Escape】
That’s why I softly grabbed Hime’s hand at their blind spot.
Hime went “H“ for a moment, but perhaps she understood my intention, her face became red.
―― Became red.
――― Became red?
Huh, not right!
Really, my judgment was bad….
It couldn’t be helped so I winked at her and sent her a signal. However, her face became redder like a tomato.
It’s already hopeless.
When I was about to give up, suddenly the surrounding’s atmosphere changed greatly. The players around me also unintentionally stopped their chat.
“If there are troubles, can you let me?”
I could feel a strong intent mixed in his gentle voice.
That voice’s owner stood up between us unnoticed.
An unknown avatar with full body covered with armor and helmet.
From that unique equipment, I immediately knew that he was a game master. Perhaps a nearby player heard our quarrel and reported it.
Fuu….We’re saved!
I heaved a sigh of relief.
On GM-san’s head, there is a nickname 【Noyvelt】. That’s his name.
Game-manager-on-the-management-side GM’s main job was to settle a trouble that broke out between players.
That Noy-san faced towards Cloud and,
“A few players in the square reported there are people who do guild invitation forcibly. I want to have a talk with you two, so please follow me.”
Said that.
Do guild invitation forcibly…..
I placed my hand on my chest and somehow those words stabbed my heart.
Maybe….
That was our doing?
Not good……. While I was thinking so, I couldn’t utter any words.
Noy-san also completely thought them as the perpetrators.
Beside me, Hime also stared in puzzlement like she was irrelevant to those matters. Again, that made an additional cause to doubt them.
Certainly, Cloud and co.
“Guild invitation? No, I don’t know such a thing! We just called out to that girl over there.”
Refuted like that. However, Noy-san turned a deaf ear to them and confirm they were the criminals.
“Isn’t that an invitation?”
“Whaat!?”
“Fine, I’ll hear you at different place. If you refuse, there is a possibility you will get an account suspension penalty. Is it alright with you?”
“Urgh… I, I understand.”
“20 second later, we will forcibly transfer. Please don’t logout within that time. In case it happens, I won’t bear responsibility for your occurred data loss.”
“Don’t sweat the details, do it quickly.”
Perhaps he had an idea, Cloud complied honestly.
I wanted to say my condolences.
Probably, they were sent to an area where was isolated from this world called a sermon room. It’s a place where GM-san and co. surrounded a bunch of players and gave them scolding for a few hours.
It looked like we’re saved, but I just couldn’t get happy and felt complicated.
A brilliant white that showed transferal wrapped them.
As it happened, Noy-san told me a sentence.
“Then, please have a good ZX-Velt life.”
Just before they completely disappeared, Cloud sent a regrettable look towards Hime.
In any case, it had….ended?
After I calmed down, I turned around towards Hime.
“Hmm, well…. I’m happy about Hime’s interferen-“
“Hand.”
“N?”
Being told so, I realized that our hands were still connected.
“Aa s, sorry.”
As I said that, I released her hand.
“E!? N, no it’s not like that, I just want it to be longer….”
“Huh?”
“N-nothing! More importantly, why you seduced me on that timing! If you’re not in Riel’s appearance, it’ll be a crime!”
“How you can get into that conclusion.”
While I thought, “good grief,” I remembered her expression earlier.
The sad expression she showed after being told, “You, a nekama right?” by Cloud.
Maybe that was quite a shock for her, I tried to encourage her.
“Hey, about that thing before, hmm…”
I uttered words, but it was hard to say it. Perhaps on the contrary, it would rub salt into her wound.
Hime puzzledly looked at me with her almond-shaped eyes.
“What?”
“Hmm, that…. Hime, after being told “You, a n, nekama right?” I think you receive a shock….”
“Ha, that thing? It’s not like I care.”
“E?”
“It means that right? It’s a proof that I am more girly than most girls. Because roughly nekama is a man’s ideal girl, which means I am more girly than actual girls. That being said, just being seen as a nekama means that I am very girlish.”
“E, no, I-I see…..”
“Well, just see. With my overflowing beauty, I would bring many guild members hahahaha.”
While making an unnatural loud laughter, Hime disappeared into the crowds at the square.
It’s fine if trouble didn’t appear again….
After separated from Hime, I decided to return to guild house. Somehow, I was worn out.
Going away from the square, exiting commercial district, I entered the residential area.
I almost reached guild house. A narrow road towards the guild house. As I was about to go there, a human shadow unexpectedly appeared from my side.
Because I was about to collide with it, I avoided but that person also avoided at the same direction with me. That happened 3 times.
There was also a splendid kindness where they allowed each other to go first, but this was a bit different.
I could only thought it as this person deliberately made me couldn’t pass through.
Maybe, that’s what happened.