No enemy in sight.
Let's move on.
　Naotsugu returns the hand sign to Akatsuki's hushed voice.
　This is the Deep Place of Palms. It's an ancient underground passage that spreads underneath the Tierstone Mountains. It's already been fifteen hours since I entered this dungeon.
　On the map I'd drawn as a memorandum, we'd already traveled about 20 kilometers in a straight line.

　Shiroe had been here before in the days of the Elder Tail games, but he hadn't realized that it was this vast.

　It had been three days since they had left the city of Akiba.
　The journey progressed at a fast pace.

　I'm not sure I'm going to be able to say that the gryphon is simply three times faster than a horse, but if you take into account the fact that it can ignore all obstacles on the ground, its speed per hour is ten times greater.
　I'm not sure if I've ever heard of this before, but I'm pretty sure I've heard of it.

　It was only yesterday that the journey had reached an impasse.
　Although they had expected it, Shiroe and the others who arrived in the Tearstone Mountains were forced to reaffirm that this was the home of the Steel-Tailed Dragon (wyvern). The wyvern is a subspecies of the dragon race called sub-long. They look much like dragons, but they have no forelimbs and no ability to control magic or fire breath. They are a fairly inferior type of dragon race.

　They're not the easiest of monsters to defeat.
　They have the highest physical strength, defence, speed and attack power of all monsters, and in some individuals they are highly intelligent and even have the ability to control magic. In the Elder Tail, as in many fantasy stories, the dragon is the adventurer's greatest enemy.

　Even though Wyvern is a lowly sub-species, he is a member of that dragon family.

　They have no magical abilities, but their tails are sharp and steel-like, and their razor-like wings give them a speed comparable to that of a giant eagle (rock bird).
　Of course, Shiroe and his team are also the best and most talented players. If they were to fight a single wyvern on the ground, they have the combat ability to bury it without difficulty.
　However, if they are attacked by a group of wyverns while riding a gryphon in the sky above the mountains, it will be difficult for them to win.

　It has been true since the days of the Elder Tail that the Tearstone Mountains are the home of wyverns. Since Shiroe was prepared for this situation, it was only fortuitous that he did not plunge into the mountains without thinking about it.
　If they were to engage in aerial combat without a plan, they might have been able to repel a few wyverns, but they would have been knocked down to the ground by a group of dozens of dragons in a wave-like saturation attack.

　There is no such thing as a graceful pull-off in aerial combat.
　The loser is doomed to be deported to the execution site a few hundred meters below ground level.

　Shiroe and the others who avoided such a trap and hid their breath on the ground had four paths to choose from.
　They could make a detour over the ocean, traverse the deep forests of the Tierstone Mountains, or head further north through the deepest part of the Palms, an ancient tunnel-and-tunnel complex that lies deep beneath the Tierstone Mountains, or climb the mountain roads.

　After much deliberation, Shiroe and the others decided to break through the tunnel.
　It seemed to be the quickest and safest way to get through, given all the circumstances.

　Fifteen hours had elapsed since they entered the tunnel from the ruins of a huge construction site built into the rocky foothills of the mountain. The tunnels are not crude earthen masonry as one might expect, but wide, light gray underground passages made of concrete that lead into the magical light.
　Like the widest water-flow passages of an underground sewage treatment plant, narrow connecting passageways periodically extend to the left and right, revealing in places tacky square rooms that were used for whatever purpose they were meant to serve.

　The intentions of the designer and the traces of the user must have weathered over a long, long time, and everything has been sealed up underneath the dust and debris.
　The current master of this vast, underground water-filled cave was the Ratmen.

　Ratmen.
　They were a fairly lowly race of sub-humans that inhabited this world. They were about halfway between a human with a rat's head and a rat that stood upright. They are about middle school height, but their fur makes it difficult to distinguish their shape. His entire body is covered in damp, smooth fur, and he can use simple tools.

　Their fighting ability is not at all threatening to high-level players such as Shiroe and his team. Ratmen are often even weaker than goblins and orcs (depending on the individual). Still, the Ratman's two most troublesome weapons remain: numbers and plague. Numbers and plague.

　The Ratman's fertility is astonishingly high. The rats were concentrated in a small area and were in considerable numbers.
　In fact, even after entering this tunnel, I have seen more than 20 ratmen swarming in a room only a few meters square.

　If a creature is found to be overwhelmingly more capable of fighting than its opponent, it will try to escape. This is especially true for wild animals, and naturally, Ratman is no exception. Shiroe and the others are high-level players, and their abilities are probably known to those around them.
　The proof of this is that Shiroe and his friends have traveled from the city of Akiba to this place without engaging in any sort of combat. The mission of this trip is to rescue a girl named Serara, a member of the Crescent Moon Alliance. Shiroe and the others had traveled so far in one fell swoop without any extra combat training or searching, and for that purpose, it was convenient if the monster side could escape.

　However, when dealing with dense monsters like Ratman and the others, and encountering them in a narrow dead-end passage or room, it was a different story. There was nowhere for them to escape, even if they tried to.
　When that happens, even if Shiroe and the others try to pull him away, he often goes upset and attacks them. This is exactly what happens when you bite a cat in a corner.

　I don't think you'll lose in battle, but it will take some time to defeat the many ratmen. It's not very good for your mental health either.

　The other problem is the plague.
　Rattlers carry the plague, just as rats did in the Middle Ages. If the specifications of the Elder Tail are to be faithfully reproduced here, the disease should be of a poor quality, preventing recovery and causing lasting damage.
　The Ratmen in these tunnels were at around 40 levels.
　The plague to be transmitted also has a level, which conforms to the owner of the plague. In this case, the level of the plague should naturally be around 40 or so, and it could only be easily cured by one mid-level rescuer, but Siloe and the others didn't have a rescuer at the moment.
　Although they were taking the Anti-Disease Poison that they had purchased in the market, this was a preventative measure, and could not be used as a cure. In a situation where there was such a level difference, the chances of eating such an attack in the first place were quite low, but it was still a good idea to be careful.

''This room looks pretty safe there. --What do we do, White?
Well.... Right. Let's take a break. Naotsugu went to the door. I'll call Miss Mari on time. Akatsuki will be...
I'm gonna go scout.
　Without waiting for a reply, Akatsuki's figure melts into the darkness.
　This kind of division of action between Shiroe and the others was already becoming a standard practice. Both Shiroe and Naotsugu were initially reluctant to send the small girl out to scout alone.
　However, Akatsuki has the ability to do so in spades, and her pride makes her want to contribute to the party that way. Once she understood that, she came to accept this division of labour (though not with open arms).

　It is true that reconnaissance is Akatsuki's strongest genre of action, and it's the right way to divide up a handful of activities. The earnest girl is only loyal to her mission.

　Dragging a reasonable steel box out of the junk, Naotsugu took up a position near the door, sword in hand, and listened intently. If Ratman or any other monster were to approach, he would be ready to return fire at any time.

　Shiroe confirms this, his eyes are half-lidded and a menu unfolds in his brain. He calls up the telephonic function and contacts Marielle. It's only four days since he left on his journey, but Shiroe was in regular contact with him at least once a day. Marielle seems to understand that and she replied immediately.

It's a good day for you, Shiroko. I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.
'It's all right over here. We made camp after that yesterday and went into the 'deepest part of the Palms' early in the morning.
So, you're in a dungeon now?
Yes,
You're so fast. She's so scared, I can't stand her!
Yes, sir.

　Marielle's warm words tickle me.
　I really wish I could say something a little more thoughtful in return, but it's not going to work. Shiroe thinks so, but replies politely.

　Marielle doesn't know the means of transportation for Shiroe and the others - the griffon.
　The most common means of transportation in this world are horses with summoning whistles.
　There are some very expensive items, such as trained "battle boars" (war boars), and in some Chinese servers, "large wolves for riding" (dire wolves) are also used.
　Summonsmiths can also summon several types of summoned creatures for their own transportation, including unicorns. However, only a high-ranking Summoner can summon a creature that can move through the air, and for an ordinary player to imagine that an enchanter, a warrior or a weapon attacker would have this ability is beyond the pale.

''It's true. If we were headed there, I don't think we'd have made it halfway through that half. You're right, thank you.
Never mind. Well, sir. What's the situation?
We've been trying to reach you.

　This is one of the reasons why they're in regular contact with each other.
　Shiroe and his friends are on their way to the city of Susukino in the Ezzo Empire to rescue a girl named Serara. However, Shiroe and his friends cannot contact Serara by telephone-based communication.
　However, Shiroe and her friends can't contact Celara via telephonic communication because they can only talk to people who have registered on their friend list. And you can only sign up for the friend list with people you are actually meeting in person.
　In other words, Shiroe and the others who did not have the girl Serara on their friend list could not contact her directly.

'The situation is still the same?'
Yeah. I heard she's hiding out with that nice guy. He says it's not as bad as it was, and he's okay with it for now.
Yes, sir. I can't believe there's a guy like that in Susukino.
Hey, yeah.

　A young girl named Serara is being recruited by a group of malicious players, who are threatening her. At one point, she was locked up and even nearly s*xually assaulted. However, she has managed to escape and is now hiding in a place in the city of Susukino.
　The town of Susukino is about the same size as Akiba's, but right now there are about 2,000 players working there - about 1/8th the number of Akiba's. That's relatively speaking. That means that each player is relatively more conspicuous than the others.
　Even going to the market to buy food, for example, would be many times more difficult than trying to sneak out of the crowd. It's not a bad idea to have a few people in your life.

　However, Serara seems to have found a collaborator.
　I haven't heard the details, but he is a bona fide player, and the reason why Serara was able to escape from the vicious guild called Brigantia is because of his help.
　If there were collaborators whose identities had not been cracked by the enemy, it would be much easier to purchase goods. If that's the case, it would be possible for Serara to hide out until they went to the rescue. If there are about two thousand players in the city of Susukino, there is plenty of room for people to hide. For exactly the same reason as before, the logic is that they can remain safe if they are just hiding out.
　Thinking that, Shiroe is a little relieved.

''Right now we're in a dungeon, so I can't see the plans for the future for a bit. So I'll contact you once we get out. The Tierstone mountain range was the most difficult part of the dungeon according to our prior estimates, so--''
"What about the straits?

I'm going to go and think about it.
　In fact, I'm going to plow through it with a griffon, but Shiroe somehow fools me. Akatsuki took it in stride, but possessing a riding creature capable of flying and moving would be nothing more than an object of envy for the average player.
　And for those who know how to get one, having the gryphon is proof of victory in the great battle of Dead Spirit Field. The fact that a non-guild member has achieved "it" (high end) is unforgivable for some players.

"Shirobo and the others should be able to do it.
　Marielle chuckles at Shiroe's haphazard sounding statement.
(You should be pushing it. Miss Mari is so strong.)

We haven't suffered any major damage so far. We haven't done much fighting.
Yes, sir!
So long.
"Yes, sir!　I'm praying to the God of Yulara. I'm praying for Naotugu-yan and Akatsuki, too. Henrietta will miss you!
　In the end, the telepathic conversation was cut short when he uttered words that were typical of the priests of this other world, such as the God of Eulara.

(So far, so good...)

How's the situation, my lord?
"~!
　I was so focused on telepathic communication that I didn't notice it at all, but before I knew it, Akatsuki was back. When I turned around, I found Naotugu munching on some preserved food.

'The city of Akiba is no different. Our target, Serara, is currently hiding out in Susukino, no trouble. The situation is ongoing.
Yes, sir.
　Akatsuki replied in a few words and took out a large water bottle from his luggage.
　The size of the canteen is the same, but it looks bigger when Akatsuki holds it.

　Shiroe hands Akatsuki an orange from his backpack. In this world where all food items only taste the same, the fruit that is eaten as it is is is the only valuable item that can be tasted differently.
　The backpack they carry is a magic item, capable of holding items weighing up to 200 kilos. Except for the weight of the bag itself, that is to say, the weight of all items stored inside is eliminated as long as the item is stored in the bag. As a result, it feels only about as heavy as a small knapsack to carry around.
　This type of "magic bag" is a typical Elder Tail magic item, and is divided into several classes based on the types of items it can hold and its weight limit, but it is so convenient that most players must have one.

　Thanks to this backpack, even if you find treasures in dungeons and other places, you will be able to continue fighting, and you will have no trouble carrying food and camping gear.
　It can be said to be an essential item for survival in this world.

I'm not sure if this is a good report for a scouting mission. "I'd like to compare the terrain.
I know.
　Akatsuki reports the results of his reconnaissance, dexterously peeling the orange with his knife. The main body of the tunnel, which is large enough for even a dump truck to enter side by side, is impossible to get lost in, but there are countless branch roads crisscrossed against its main road.
　If you cut through the main road, you can accomplish your objective for the time being, but in some places it's better to take a detour because the Ratmans have established settlements, and Akatsuki's scouting information is valuable.

　While listening to Akatsuki's report, Shiroe scribbled down a new branch path on a stack of paper at hand.

''Like this?''
'Yes, I think that's accurate. My Lord is good at this sort of thing.
　Akatsuki stood tall and looked at Shiroe's drawings, and when he inspected the newly added parts, he said with admiration.
It's just like CAD, isn't it? And I'm a transcriber.
What is CAD?
'Drafting done on a computer. It's done at the university. It's in the engineering department.
Are you in college?
　Shiroe nodded and replied, "It's time to graduate, though. The real world seems somewhat distant and the realization is fading.

I'm sure you're right. So you're almost the same age as me?
What? Really?
　Akatsuki's words were simultaneously followed by Shiroe and Naotsugu's prodding.

''Is it that surprising?''
　Sorry to Akatsuki, who returned it calmly, but Shiroe thought Akatsuki was at least three or four years younger than him.

You've got to be kidding me, Chimichu. You're joking, Chimichu, because you're not tall enough.
　A sharp flying knee kick hits Naotsugu in the face as he slaps the words away.
''My lord. May I kick the stupid Naotugu?
So let me know before you do!

　Aside from the fact that the two of them are performing a comedy act, Shiroe also broke out in a cold sweat. The reason why Shiroe had imagined Akatsuki to be younger than her is because of her height, although she never said so.

In fact, it's a good thing that Naotsugu is too much of a prude about his height.
Your breast size is even more devastating!
　This time Naotsugu eats a beautiful flying knee kick to the left. Based on the difference in height between the two men, Akatsuki should have been flying nearly two meters in a vertical leap, but he landed with a brilliant aerial posture, fluttering backwards like a cat.

''--Akatsuki?　Naotsugu is going to die.
"If my lord says so...
　Akatsuki reluctantly keeps his distance. Even as Shiroe secretly thought he was younger than her, she had no choice but to follow up with Naotsugu, though not openly.

''Don't tell me your lord also thought I was underage?''
　It's a good thing that you're able to do that.

I'm not saying that I'm tall - let's call it my age. ........that's not what I'm talking about, but........
Hmm, what's it like?
Well, we've been talking about that.

It's not like we're in a relationship. -- can we talk about it on the way?　And this tunnel looks like it has a long way to go.


　You're not going to be able to do that.


　Shiroe met the twins, of course, when this other world was not yet another world and Elder Tail was just a game in the world.

　Shiroe is a bit of an oddity - a high level enchanter is nothing more than an oddity - but as a solo player, she uses the city of Akiba as her base of operations for her daily He spent his time playing the game.

　When the Prodigal's Tea Party was no more, Shiroe was rootless in the truest sense of the word. Of course, that wasn't a bad thing, and Shiroe himself was enjoying such a game life in his own way.

　Party recruitment here and there.
　If you were in the plaza in Akiba, you could hear them shouting out invitations, and Elder Tail, which at the time was still just a game, had a system called the "recruiting channel" that transmitted messages to the entire server.
　There were times when I would join a party of strays to fight in a battle, and there were also times when I would be invited to join a dungeon by a familiar face like Marielle. Of course, there were times when I would go it alone, examining the zones that interested me and collecting items.

　As a transcriber, Shiroe was also a productive worker. The Draughtsman's primary ability in the game is to copy books, drawings, and magical texts. Production jobs are like anything else, but in order to create the final item to be produced, they need the raw materials to be used.
　In the case of cooking, the equivalent of ingredients are paper and ink in the case of the calligrapher. However, not just any paper and ink will do, as long as they are available. For ordinary manuscripts, you can use the ink sold by non-player characters, but in order to duplicate high-level magic books and profound instructions, you'll need ink that contains a certain amount of magic.
　Creating such ink was also the job of the scribes, and for this purpose, they sometimes needed dragon blood or rare minerals.
　In order to do this, they needed to go out to various zones and fight to find rare items.

　It was the twins who approached me first.

''Brother, brother. Hey, Sutopu!
Excuse me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. May I ask you a question?　I was just trying to ask you a question, sir.

　The ones who called out to them were a pair of guys who were a little taller than Akatsuki, but not quite to Shiroe's shoulders.
　The boy one wore cheap armor and carried a sword on his back.
　The girl is wearing a white robe and a long staff with a bell on it.

''Okay, but what's up?''
　Shiroe replies in the crowded streets of Akiva.
　Just by looking at the equipment, I could tell that the two of them were clearly beginners. That would be the first period, a complete beginner. The voice coming from the voice chat could be that of a junior high school student or an elementary school student. Anyway, they are young.

I'm not sure if it's because my magic is so weak that Touya's wounds can't be healed. I asked about it and was told to buy a more expensive one, but I didn't know where it was sold. Do you know where they are sold, perhaps?
　The girl's tone coming out of the voice chat seemed to be very disciplined.

'I want my skills, too. Let me know if you know, brother. Please~
　The notation of their names floats above their heads in blue letters. The girl is Minori and the boy is Touya. They are both level 6.

　Their first quest in the Elder Tail is a tutorial. Players who choose the city of Akiba as their starting point are forcibly sent to a special zone called the "Major Colonel's Battle Training Zone" where they will be given basic training in the game's controls.
　Incidentally, Major Kernel is a non-player character with a white beard and a mild-mannered gentleman's appearance, but once he's out of it, you never know what he's going to do, and he has a reputation among some people for not knowing whether he's a major or a colonel.
　Since Major Kernel's hour-long training is completed at level 4, the two of them are probably complete beginners who started playing the game yesterday or today.

'Could it be that today is your first day?
Yes. - Yeah.
　The two voices chant.

　Even though Shiroe is not that good at socializing with people, it doesn't mean that he doesn't like people. It's just that he is prepared for others who approach him with feelings of gain or loss.
　In that sense, Shiroe does not dislike novice players.

　As a player who loves the Elder Tail, he wants to welcome newcomers. Considering the responsibility of being an old player, even more so.

"I see. I'll show you around. It's this way.
　It's not so much labor as it is showing them around town.
　With that in mind, Shiroe started walking ahead of them.

　This is how Shiroe got to know the two twins, Minori and Touya, and she continued to hang out with them often.
　Whenever I saw Touya, he would call out loudly to Shiroe, while Minori was more polite and would occasionally come to thank him.

　The two are twins, and their birth times are not far apart, which makes Minori the older sister. The older sister, who is more mature and has a committee chairman's personality, takes care of her younger brother, who is cheerful but daredevil and unassuming. That seemed to be the basic style of their activities.

　The two are in the eighth grade, young enough to be considered young, and this Elder Tail is their first online game, and both of them are completely excited about their first experience with it. The two of them explained this to me on our first trip to the Field Zone.

　That first adventure was quite a big deal.
　Whenever they saw a monster, Touya would rush into it as if it were a guided missile. Minori hurriedly pursued it in a hurry. The two of them struggle with each other and almost cry.
　Such smiling scenes were repeated over and over again.

　In Elder Tail, there is a system called "Master Teacher".
　Simply put, it is a system that allows high level players to play alongside low level players. When Shiroe uses this system against two players, the level of Shiroe, which should be 90 levels, is temporarily reduced to match theirs. Of course, in addition to her level, her overall stats, such as HP, ability value, and attack power, will be greatly reduced.
　This is a system that allows you and your low-level companions to explore together at a similar level of strength.

　Of course, Shiroe has the knowledge of the game as an old player, and despite being weakened, he's still quite wealthy and equipped, so he's still powerful compared to the average novice. However, the difference between them would be one or two in terms of levels. It was a convenient system that would be just right for playing the 'Master Teacher' role.

　Shiroe made use of that system to chase after the two of them.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it. But even so, it still seemed to be a reassuring backup for the two fledgling players.

''It's not a good idea.　Brother!　See, let's charge at the enemy over there!
Wait, Touya!　Look, I'm losing HP!
　These two dragged him around the hunting grounds all day long.
　His younger brother, Touya, is a samurai.
　He is one of the three warrior-type jobs. In the Elder Tail, both magic and swordsmanship are referred to as "specialties". In addition to their unique names and effects, each feat has a specific MP consumption, activation time, and reuse restriction time.
　The activation time is the time between the decision to use the feat and the activation of the feat. It's the time between the decision to use and the activation of the special skill, which corresponds to the so-called "tame" time. The reuse restriction time is the amount of time it takes to use the feat again after it has been used once.
　Many of the techniques in the Samurai's speciality have a long reuse restriction time.
　Although powerful, few techniques are able to be used in rapid succession, most of them are big moves that can only be used once or twice in a single battle. This is the opposite of the "martial artist" (monk), which is a series of finely tuned moves that are used to create combos.
　Because the Samurai has many powerful techniques, if a soldier's time in battle is short, his attack power is the highest among the warrior-type professions. In this sense, it is an exhilarating and popular occupation.
　On the other hand, if you can't master them, you will use up all of your specialties, and all of them are in the process of being reused, leaving you with no way to hit them. It is also characterized by the loss of instantaneous responses and insurance, making it a very difficult class to master.

''Go!　Split helmet!
　Touya lunges forward and swings his taijutsu at a lone goblin from the front. The attack cuts through the goblin's halfway armor and deals a large amount of damage in a single strike, but Touya himself is rigid after the technique, creating a large gap.

''Ggaah!'' "Gaff!　Gaff!
　The swarm of goblins does not miss the opportunity and rushes in. Touya is in a panic, but he can't even take evasive action for hard time.

The only thing that matters is the fact that it's a good idea to have a good time. Touya! Get back, it's dangerous!　Ugh. Lack of a barrier!
　When Minori waved her bell-clad staff, a mirror-like effect appeared, glowing light blue, and the goblin's attack was met.

　Her sister Minori is a (Kanagi).
　She is one of the three recovery professions. All of the recovery professions recover HP and heal companions from their condition. They also possess a number of spells that increase the abilities of their companions in various ways.
　All recovery professions have similar spells in terms of restoring the HP of their companions, but they also have other unique recovery skills that help to characterize them as well.
　The Apostle of the Old Gods, the Shigi-kan, has a unique recovery ability called "damage blocking". Targeting a specific comrade or the entirety of a comrade, this spell creates a sort of ward that absorbs all damage below a certain amount.
　While it is relatively inferior to the three jobs in terms of overall healing ability, the special nature of "damage itself" is a very powerful advantage in some cases.
　On the other hand, however, it is also difficult to master, as it requires you to anticipate the type and extent of the enemy's attack, making it difficult to use.

　The Elder Tail, like all main occupations, is not designed to be a simple matter. It's the "deep" part, so it can't be helped, but Touya and the Minori twins seemed to be genuinely enjoying the game without regard to such things.

　Shiroe showed them around the various zones in the suburbs of Akiba, accompanied them on their shopping trips, and answered various questions.

　Shiroe once asked, "Do you want me to give you some more good equipment or something? I have asked. Even though it was a good piece of equipment, as long as it was level 10 or so, Shiroe could get any number of things and could easily buy it in the market.

　But Touya said, "Eh. I don't need it. Because I'm playing the game all the way through, you know?　The most interesting part is collecting them, so if you give them to me, you'll be losing money just playing with them~" I said no. Minori said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry that Touya got impudent. But Shiroe has been really good to me," she said, bowing again and again.

　Because of the two of them, Shiroe was able to play the role of a teacher without worrying about it. Playing with the twins, who didn't treat Shiroe as a handy old player, was a fun experience. And this continued until just before the "great disaster" of "that day" occurred.


　◆


Oh, I didn't know you had a twin. And?
And then what?
You don't know what happened to those twins?　My lord.

　The three of them proceeded to illuminate the interior of the tunnel with magical lights. The ceiling, which seemed many times taller than Shiroe's height, melted into darkness, and even though it was underground, it was like the inside of night.

　The three of them stopped killing the signs and proceeded to chat like this, hoping that if they proceeded while talking, Ratman and the others would notice them beforehand and escape. Apparently, that strategy was a winner.

''I'm on the friends list. ....Actually, I saw him a few times after that 'catastrophe'.

So you're in the loop.
I was with you until just before. I was with them right up until the last minute, so I was probably taken back to Akiba, and that's why I fell apart.
I, too, have been transposed into the ruins.
　After all, it seems that at that moment, the player was made to wait for the city at hand.

You should've tried to talk to him. You know, I bet you had a hell of a time doing that. I'm just an amateur, and I'm already in a mess.

　So says Naotsugu.
　Shiroe recalls that while his companions at the Tea Party of the Prodigal were more or less caring people, Naotsugu was the one who took care of the most junior members of the group.

(A guardian who protects everyone is not something you can do unless you are good at taking care of people, right?
　Shiroe secretly thinks.

　The fact is that the best thing to do is to do everything in your power to keep your friends out of harm's way once a battle breaks out, no matter how much they treat Akatsuki as a little guy or how much he kicks you in the knee for it.

"The first few days, we had our hands full, and we didn't have the luxury of time,
　To be precise, it wasn't just Shiroe and the others, but all the players had no time for that. All of them had lost the time to think about anything but themselves.

''Besides, the next time I saw them, they were both in the guild.
Oh, really?
They were heavily recruited back then.
　Naotsugu nodded in agreement with Akatsuki's words as he spoke.

''Was it level 20?　That's about it.
I think he's a little more mature now.
Well, I guess there's nothing better than joining a guild. You don't know what's left and right.
　When Naotsugu said that, he spun around with his body and swung Shiroe around, stretching wide.

So, is this Minori girl pretty?
...What?
　Shiroe recalls. ........But now that I think about it, the last time I saw them properly was in the game Elder Tail. At the time, they were just polygonal puppets on the screen, so there was no way I could understand how cute they were. After the catastrophe, we didn't talk face-to-face, so this is not something you want to hear.

I don't want you to ask me that. "No, that's okay. I mean, didn't we do this whole voice chat thing?　You can tell by the sound of his voice if he's pretty or not.
　Naotsugu bites back, despite Shiroe's words of disbelief.
　Akatsuki, stunned by their conversation, walks a few meters away in silence.

Hmmm. I'm not sure if she's cute or not, but.... I don't know if she's cute or not, you can't tell. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.　I guess. I think we're a disciplined family, in a different way than Miss Henrietta is.
　Each and every one of the words that Shiroe explains while remembering, Naotsugu nods yes and no. He looks very happy.

''That's right. That's right, junior high school girls' panties have to go like that!
What's with the panties in the air?
'What? White likes "Junior high school girls without pants" better? You're just so sullen.
"I'm not a monster in pants.
　Shiroe, as expected, retorts to Naotsugu's too much discussion of the panties.
Hmph. Shiroe, do you mind?　It's fun to take it off yourself. You know that, right?　It's like a gift. What's the point of not having them on in the first place?　Or does Siloe prefer to play with you to make you wear them?
Don't make the assumption that I'm a pervert.

'My lord. Can I kick this fool...?
　Akatsuki moves away from Shiroe and Naotsugu to stare at him. Normally he would have kicked her before checking her out, but the fact that she looks like she's subtly pulling back has done deep damage to Shiroe.

'Wait a minute Akatsuki. I don't have any weird taste, you know.''
I can't call it a strange hobby to be interested in the underwear of the opposite s*x. I think I understand that.
　Akatsuki speaks to Shiroe in a comforting tone, with a genuine expression on his face.

''Hey, just for a minute, Chitty. Then why do I usually get kicked in the face? It's a striking technique combo fest, isn't it?
I'm personally annoyed.
'Yeah, that's right. Isn't that the reason. Is that the reason?
　An argument between Akatsuki and Naotsugu.

(You'd have to be at least knee-deep in a lunge at Naotsugu to catch up with him, he's hard. --I'm not... No, no, no. This isn't good.

Anyway, Akatsuki.
　Shiroe walked up to Akatsuki and said from the front with a firm hold on his shoulder.
'I'm not interested in the underwear of the opposite s*x.
'You only seem to be interested in same-s*x underwear, eh?　White.
'Don't grin and mix it back, Naotsugu!
'Was that so...?　My lord.
　Akatsuki makes an unusually frightened sound.

''Oh, that's not it anymore!
　Naotsugu and Akatsuki continue to tease their chiefs until the rather pure-hearted Enchanter turns red and repeats his denials and their willpower is exhausted.


　◆


　The first light of dawn came through the long, long tunnel when the first rays of dawn framed the ridges of the mountains that adorned the horizon in a purple line. After being underground for a long time, Siloe and the others stretched out wide in the cold but fragrant breeze.
　Although they weren't in a small cave that required them to bend over for any particular reason, the presence of hundreds of millions of tons of earth and sand above their heads was still an unexpectedly heavy experience.
　Right now, I'm just glad that the early summer sky is overhead at dawn, with the indigo darkness still lingering.

'The wind is cold,'
　Akatsuki said as he jumped nimbly onto a large rock overlooking the forest and the sea, "but it feels good.
But it feels so good," he said. We're finally out of here. We've made it through the gauntlet.

　Shiroe followed them up to that large rock.
　The wind was certainly cold, but the view down there was overwhelming. Rose-colored light dyed the nearly black, dark green virgin forest like a broad sweep of a brush.
　Even the fast-paced clouds, swept away by the dawn wind, cast shadows over the forest treetops, beautiful even as they crossed.

'It's beautiful,'
Awesome.
　A brief comment from his companion said it all.

　Come to think of it, this is a first for me, Shiroe thought.

(We're the first to see this view.) (We're the first to see this view.) -- No one has yet crossed the line between Akiba and Susukino in this other world. We're the first to see it.
　In the game Elder Tail, many players would have passed through this place at dawn.
　But in this alternate universe, we're the first, and by first, I mean...

--It's the first time I've ever been on an adventure. That's what I'm talking about, a nervous wreck. You know what?　What?　Don't pee?　It's okay to pee your pants because it's fun. Aren't you having fun?　Isn't it fun? I mean, it's a win-win situation.　Hahahahaha!

　This reminds me of what she said. She was blindly confident, full of conviction without any basis, and composed of spurts, bluffs and spurts of energy only. And yet, she always knew what the right answer was.
　If it were her, she would have gotten a medal for this view.

We're the first.
　So Shiroe followed his feelings and called out to his two companions.

'We are the first adventurers in this other world to see this view,'

　It was only when Shiroe was aware of it himself that he could say it was another world.

　The overwhelming nature in front of him conveyed more clearly than any small theory. This kind of scenery can't be seen in a game. The dawn wind, the cold air, the faint sound of the trees, and the scene of the dawn changing in milliseconds, which cannot be seen in cocky VR.

　Even when he came to this world and everyone around him was panicking, even when some players were losing sight of their purpose and making the security situation worse, Shiroe was somewhere in the middle of it all, calm. It's safe to say that he felt right at home.

I also wondered if Naotsugu's presence and mischievousness helped me to forget my pain. I also wondered if joining up with Akatsuki made my days more noisy and that saved me...)

　Not that he didn't have those elements, but Shiroe could see that there was more to it than that. The beauty he had felt in the ruins buried in the old trees of the city of Akiba when he came to this other world. Just as I felt otherworldly in it.

(This is another world, and I'm an adventurer.)

　Akatsuki, who looked at Shiroe with a dubious expression for a moment, nodded firmly to see what he was convinced of. Naotsugu gives a grin and a masculine smile and takes a deep breath.

''That's right. We're the first to go. I've never seen such an amazing view, even in the Elder Tail.
Our first spoils of war.

　The two of them looked at the scenery charitably and then signaled to Shiroe.
　Shiroe responded by blowing the gryphon's summoning whistle high into the eastern sky.