Touya roughly wiped the mud from her cheek with her left hand.
　The battle cage was made of animal skin and steel wire and the scraped cheeks ached, but it was just as well.
　The more painful it was, the less likely I was to spill my oozing tears.

'Hurry up. Stop leaning back!
　The party leader yells in a grating voice.
　He wasn't happy that the battle lines had collapsed again today.

　That was not unreasonable. The only person who seems to have experience is that party leader. Although Touya doesn't want to endanger the party as a wallflower. After all, he was still only level 24.

　The role of the wall is to support the battle lines at the front.
　There are two elements to this. First, they must not die. Secondly, to draw the enemy's attacks to you alone and ensure the safety of the other party members.

(Brother Shiroe trained me in this, so I understand the basics, but...)

　Then again, harmony is what it is.
　It is certainly the duty of a wallflower to support the battle lines. You can call it the reason for existence. But it wouldn't be possible without the support of your fellow party members.

　In order for a warrior to continue to support the front line without dying, he or she needs to recover from the rear line. And at the same time, the warrior position must support the front line so that the healers can focus on recovering without worrying about the surrounding enemies.
　These two are two sides of the same coin, and if either one is missing, the frontline warrior position, Touya, will fall - and if it is missing, the battle line will collapse.

　In order to attract the enemy further, they must be watched more than anyone else in the party to incite hostility against them. The warrior position has a number of specialties to focus the enemy's attention and gather attacks on you. Many of them are provocative techniques called taunts. The warrior's specialties, which can be described as a form of mental manipulation, cause the warrior to forget all but himself from the enemy's field of consciousness.

--After attracting them, they have the guts and calmness. And it's just a matter of having the strength of will to believe in your fellow heels. Touya believes in Minori, so it's easy, right?

But as Brother Shiroe said... That's not good enough...

　Normally, the provocation skill of the warrior position works without any problems as long as the enemy and allies are of roughly the same level of ability. However, this is not the case if your other allies are significantly higher in level than the wall players, or if their attacks are too intense.
　In other words, the attacker or healer is considered more of a "threat" in the eyes of the enemy than the warrior who is supposed to draw the enemy to the front line.

　I could say that Touya's current party is a case in point.
　The man in charge of the leader is level 46, which is right in the middle level of the Elder Tail. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

　As a Summoner, Touya's ability to control the front line was far less than his offensive abilities. From the point of view of the enemy monsters, the Summoner is the preferred target of the attack, rather than Touya, who supports the front line.
　Naturally, his excessive attacks would draw the ire of the enemy monsters, and their attacks would be directed at him instead of Touya. However, the leader is only a Summoner, and even though he has twice the level, his defense ability is only inferior to Touya's.

　Moreover, if the enemy's attacks are spread out between Touya and the leader, the healers' awareness will be divided. If two victims are attacked by the party, the amount of recovery will be dispersed, and in the worst case scenario, "neither recovery is enough to meet the need".
　If their footsteps are disrupted, their pre-arranged formations will be disrupted and the attackers will not be able to decide which enemy to drop first to get things back on track. Should they take out the enemies in front of Touya one by one as planned, or should they switch targets to a swarm of enemies to save their leader, the Summoner?　If the will of the attackers is disrupted in such a way, they will be unable to concentrate their offensive power or destroy each one of them.

　As a result, the battle would be prolonged, and the already crumbling battle lines would be left with even more wounds. ........It's a vicious circle.

(That's why Brother Shiroe was using the 'Master Teacher System'. If he did it properly, the monsters would come towards him...)
　Touya had only recently come to that realization.

　It's not that Shiroe was a dandy or a drunk, or that she was adjusting to their level of sympathy, but that she was preparing the foundation for group combat by doing so.

　When you go there, the current leader, the Summoner, is different.
　The target monster level of today's hunt was 25, and Touya and the rest of the novice team were up against lizardmen, who were too powerful and overwhelmed to take on.
　However, if he was the leader, he was a small fry monster that was more than 10 levels below him. I can't bear to fight such a small fish with a dick. --I'm not supposed to match you guys, you're supposed to match me. I'm not going to be able to fit in with you, but you have to fit in with me.
　In the first place, for him, it was just a babysitter imposed by the guild master. If he couldn't meet his quota of harvesting and earning, he himself would probably receive some kind of attention from the guild's upper echelons.
　To him, Touya and the others were nothing more than 'slowdowns'.
　The dark red robed leader made no attempt to hide his irritation.

　The companions were all exhausted, their eyes empty and lifeless.
　Four of his companions had died today. It seems that each time they have to start over from the Great Temple, it makes the leader even more frustrated.
　But he still won't change his own ways. It's a good idea to use the Master Teacher System to match the level of Touya and the rest of the newcomers, so that they can balance the coordination of combat, but "that would slow down the already slow pace of combat even more and we wouldn't be able to achieve our quota," he said.

　In an alleyway in the city of Akiba, a bard's companion stumbles down a nondescript alleyway and nearly falls over.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
　The boy apologizes to Touya for his support. All you can see in the boy's eyes is a tired and stagnant murk.

"We're almost there. Let's get on with it.
　Touya encourages her, lending her a shoulder. The bard, who must be a level or two lower than Touya, weighs less. You can smell the sweat and grime from her cloak. I'm sure it's the same for me. There's no time or space to wash yourself.

　The party is led by the leader to the central square and is asked to prepare their ranks. The leader glares at Touya and the others with a twisted mouth, and then retrieves the material items obtained from today's hunt from each one of them.
　Even though there is a guild hall, it does not mean that we can store an unlimited amount of items. It's the way of Hamelin' to sell halfway through a hunt for unwanted items in the market right afterwards.

You're a hoarder, Touya.
　The leader gets involved in a persistent voice. Touya is a warrior occupation, albeit at a lower level. It's a good idea to be able to have a lot of muscle power and carry a lot of baggage than other professions. It's just a result of trying to alleviate the fatigue of my companions as much as possible.

'I did my best to carry it.
　I'm sure even the leader understands that. Touya replies without making eye contact. I'd like to punch them in the face, but this is already a no-fly zone. I'm sure my friends are at the end of their physical strength. I don't want to cause a ruckus here and reduce the little time I have to rest.

''Hmph.''
　The leader, who sniffed at Touya as if he was a fool, flushed all the items he collected into the market.
I'm sure you'll be able to collect these two or three items with your abilities at best. But even so, it's nice to know that you'll be provided with food. "That's what the pot is for, by the way.
　Touya's back teeth snapped unconsciously.

　Minori.
　If Touya's sister hadn't been under house arrest in the guild hall, I wouldn't have let this slack-jawed little scoundrel say whatever he wanted. I could see the hostility in my own gaze, and I could feel the anger rising like heavy oil. Touya averted his gaze to the dusty streets so that he wouldn't be aware of it.

　The leader is only a middle manager after all.

(Such a scumbag. If I cut him, my sword will get dirty. ...But how long is this going to go on? How could we let this happen?
　...the pot don't belong to us. We don't want the pot, at all. I can't take it anymore, and Minori can't take it anymore either. If only I hadn't joined this guild.

I'm home. Yes, thank you. Yeah ... no problem.

　A bright white light suddenly appeared in Touya's gray and smoky vision.
　It was a voice that I had missed in just less than a month. A somewhat thoughtful, slightly troubled way of speaking that Shiroe had almost forgotten about.

　He looks up and runs his gaze across the square.
　Market, different. A street vendor, different. Blacksmiths, no. Weaponsmiths, seamstresses, taverns, innkeepers... searching and searching for the faces that should be there... almost despairing. Touya does not know the face of the owner of this voice.
　The only time she hears this voice is through voice chat. When Touya realizes this, she feels a crushing sensation in her chest.

　But as a noisy group of a dozen or so people entered the arched gate connecting the square and the main street, Touya's eyes were drawn to it. A number of city-dwelling guilds surrounded the small group, which looked as if they had just returned from a long journey.
　Despite being in the center of the group, a young man with a slightly troubled and sultry expression, with no signs of buoyancy, convinced the one young man Touya had remembered.

'Do it alright!　My colleague, the chef, was amazing ever since he heard about it. There's a storm of tastings every day. That's like a storm in English. When they said they were coming back, they were preparing for the party.
Wow, it's a feast. It's a celebration.
That's great.
'You didn't have to make such a big deal out of it. Miss Mari.

　Touya hurriedly opens the menu in his brain to the point of frustration. To confirm the name of the person in front of her, she hovers over it to call up the name and affiliation guild display. Guild, unaffiliated. Name, Shiroe. Occupation, Enchanter.
　It was a skilled player who spent a brief period of time with Touya and Minori before the Catastrophe, learning the basics of the game. Even today, Touya and his sister call him "big brother".

'Niicha--'
　However, Touya's voice froze as if it had been coughing up in the middle.

　It was as if Shiroe had turned to me.
　It may have been an illusion, but in the expression on Shiroe's face as she turned toward you, Touya felt something much more robust than before.
　I'm sure you'll find that Shiroe is also "living" in this world after the catastrophe.
　The moment he felt this, his words froze in astonishment.

　The world has changed.
　The catastrophe has changed the situation irreversibly and decisively.
　Every dreamy boy or girl has dreamed about being summoned to another world at one time or another. Moreover, it is a joke that the world of the game will come true.
　However, it was a gray prison when the lid was opened.

　"A guild to help beginners" -- maybe it was wrong of Touya and Minori to have fallen for such words. But even if you discount that, Touya thinks that this world is a world where the 'haves' are powerful.
　Gold, items and experience. All resources give their benefits to those that gather them. He who has more gold coins gets more gold, and he who has more items gets more items. And the more experience - that is, the higher level players will fight stronger enemies and gain more power. That is the truth of this world of the weak and the strong.

　The Haves gain more abilities, and the Haven't got no choice but to watch the backs of the Haves as the eternal latecomers. This is part of the truth of the world of Elder Tail - the world of online games.
　The game that has become reality makes that brutal truth even clearer.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future.

　Both Touya and Minori were novice players.
　A novice player has low war power, little knowledge of the world, and no wealth. ........and that means they are baggage. If all the players around you are beginners, that's fine. You can compete on a level playing field.
　But if not, the weak have no power to protect themselves. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

　The word Touya swallowed was "help me" or "save me". Now that it's cut off, Touya himself doesn't know.

　In Touya's mind, Shiroe was a master of the game. It seemed to me that he knew this Elder Tail better than anyone else. Maybe they thought that Shiroe would be able to save them from any predicament.

　But how could she say that?
　To a mere acquaintance who had played with me for a week or so before the Catastrophe, when the Elder Tail was nothing more than a game. Do I have the right to seek salvation?
　To an acquaintance who may be desperate for his own survival in this unforgiving other world. I'm sure that even Shiroe must be paying the price to survive in this world.

　Touya lowered his clenched fist as he thought about it.
　Before he knew it, a fine rain had begun to fall in the square.


　◆


　There are many different types of guild halls.
　For example, the guild halls rented out at the Guild Hall in this Akiba city can be divided into four main classes: 3, 7, 15, and 31 rooms, respectively. Larger, more prestigious guilds have even rented out entire buildings instead of guild halls, making it possible for guilds to have their own headquarters in a variety of ways.

　The Crescent Moon Alliance's guild hall is a class B guild hall in Akiba, with seven rooms.
　It's not a vast place, but for a guild of this size, it has four rooms, a workshop, a warehouse, and a medium-sized conference room, which Marielle says is "very convenient" to use.

　But even that meeting room is full of at most fifteen people, and although it's not very large, it's not big enough to hold a banquet for more than thirty people, including Shiroe and his friends.

　That's why Marielle and the rest of the guild had decorated every room in the guild hall except for the storage room for this party for Serara's return.

　The room was decorated here and there with hearty fresh flowers, and the tables that were usually used for making and working on small items were covered with clean cloths. Every inch of the guild hall had been swept clean and clean, and in some rooms there were short rattan candlesticks and many cushions for sitting in a wheelchair and chatting. Even the corridors were lined with temporary rattan chairs.

　They were not expensive, but rather the result of the artisans of the Alliance of the Crescent Moon, who had made what they could with what they could afford.

　When Shiroe and the others returned to town after rescuing Serara, Marielle and the others who had come to pick them up on the outskirts of town welcomed them into the guild hall with great joy. The members of the Crescent Moon Alliance had known for several days that Shiroe and the others would be returning, since they had been in daily contact with each other via telephonic communication.

　The Crescent Moon Alliance's chef, who had also been taught the secret of "real cooking" by Nyanta through telepathic communication, had spent the past few days putting together a number of ingredients to create a party-ready dish.
　According to Marielle, the Crescent Alliance's cooks would work even without sleep to get used to the new way of cooking, the way they had been taught to prepare food directly without the use of a menu of items, and so the Crescent Alliance's cooks would work even without sleep to prepare many dishes.

　Even these tastings were very popular with the members of the Crescent Alliance, who had been fed only the depressing and monotonous food they had been fed up to this point, and they were delighted to hear that the return of Serara had brought great joy to them.

　However, this new cooking technique is not without its problems.
　First of all, the new method required some time to actually cook the food. Until now, cooking with the item creation menu took 10 seconds to complete, whether it was a stew or a pickle, but with the new method, stewing takes more time than stewing, and fermentation takes more time than fermentation.
　Also, when creating from the item creation menu, the number of ingredients needed was limited to about five at most. Fine seasonings, oils, and secondary ingredients were probably omitted for the convenience of the game. However, with the new method, the ingredients that weren't prepared were not even included in the finished product, although that's very common. There are no carrots in a curry made with only meat, potatoes, onions and spices.

　I also learned that the cooking skill is judged when a person tries to make a more difficult dish. If the cooking skill test fails, the dish will fail, no matter what ingredients you're using, and you'll end up with a strange, blackened object or a slime consistency. The overall trend was that the use of special cooking utensils such as deep-frying, roasting and steaming tended to increase the value of the cooking skills required, but the details are still elusive.

　However, there was also a more fundamental problem.
　Until now, as long as you used the same ingredients and selected the same objective item from the item creation menu, anyone could make the exact same food item, no matter who made it. Of course, they looked the same and tasted the same (albeit in a unique way, as wet rice crackers).
　However, because the new method did not use a menu for creating items, the quality of the finished dish varied widely, even among cooks of the same level and skill level. Regardless of their cooking skills, the player is the one who actually prepares the food. The question is, "How difficult can I make a dish? It's a number that represents the upper limit of "What kind of food can I make? It can be said that the new method no longer represented a guarantee that the system would work.

　Although this new method had many limitations, it was not without value. Rather, it was a discovery of immense value.
　The fact that it took a long time to prepare, required a variety of ingredients, and tasted different depending on the person who made it, was a matter of course, considering the common sense of cooking on Earth.
　Like Shiroe and the others, the members of the Crescent Moon Alliance had grown tired of those tasteless, factory-produced food items that resembled nutrition bars.

"No! We've been so trained by the food items that we've completely lost sight of them. There's a difference between feeding and eating!　This is what we're eating now. That's what you call a meal!

　As a young sorcerer from the Crescent Moon Alliance said during the banquet, "We have to eat good food to realize how bad our diet is. It was only after they had eaten the delicious food that they realized how badly they had been eating.

　After a stormy, hectic preparation period of preparing and decorating the food, the Guild Hall, where Shiroe and the others had been invited as the main guests, was completely in a festive atmosphere.
　Shiroe and the others were led to a large table that had been built in the conference room, "In another hour, the food will be completely ready! First, they were offered an aperitif. Shiroe and her companions, who had been undressed for the trip, were each given a warm welcome.

　While Shiroe and her friends were treated with hospitality, the members of the Crescent Moon Alliance were treated to a joyous feast. It was the first time since the catastrophe that the feast was so lavish and glamorous, and the food was so delicious and festive.

　For a while, the conference room was filled with words of thanks, but then Nyanta said, "I'm going to go see what's going on," and stood up. Serara hurriedly follows the nyantas.
　The two men, who seemed to be smiling, later told me that they had gone to the makeshift kitchen, which occupied the entire workshop, to join the Crescent Moon Alliance's cooks and cook together like old veterans in a fierce battle zone.

　The list of food items in the Item Creation Menu is useless if you're trying to use a new cooking technique. The chef can only practice what he knows how to cook. The cook can only practice what he knows how to cook and how to cook, and this is largely determined by what kind of cooking he has done in the real world.
　So Nyanta and the Crescent Moon Alliance's Chef would share their culinary knowledge and recipes with each other, adding more color to the feast.

　In every room except the conference room, the members of the Crescent Moon Alliance, who could not fit into the conference room, would also be enjoying their drinks.

　The dishes were brought in one after another.
　Fried wild birds, an omelette with lots of tomatoes, a corn and lettuce salad, a paella with saffron and lots of seafood, unfermented bread similar to naan, and lamb soup with spices. Venison roasted with rock salt and herbs. A platter of colourful fruit and thin biscuits with a generous dollop of custard-like cream.

　With a platter of such food, Serara walked from one room to another, going from room to room to serve. In every room, Serara was told that this was a party to celebrate Serara's safe return, so she should just sit back and enjoy it.
　However, she laughed at those words and said that she was returning the favor to everyone who had saved her, and went around serving her blistering food.
　Serara was a tease, and she had gained a great deal of admirers within the Crescent Moon Alliance, and it seemed that she was completely drunk, as she was accompanied by a toast in every room.

　Shiroe and the rest of his friends were also pulled in from all over the place.

　Naotsugu was surrounded by young players, chatting about battle.
　The Crescent Moon League is still a young guild, and only a few of them, including Marielle, are at the 90 level. Even for those Marielle and the others, just because they have reached the 90th level doesn't mean they have seen the 'beyond'.

I'm sure you'll find that the level is only as good as your friends. What is important is not the level, but what lies beyond the level.
What is it?　It.
　As Naotsugu nibbled on the sweet and spicy chicken that was roasted on a spit, a red-faced koryu, perhaps intoxicated by alcohol, asked him about the Thief Swordsman. Koryu is a young man who organizes battles and hunts in the Crescent Moon Alliance, and he had gone out with Naotsugu many times. From his point of view, Naotsugu must look like a hero.

　The room, decorated with potpourri and mirror stands, is simple but clean and somehow feminine. In the room, Akatsuki is surrounded by five women.
''Come on, Akatsuki. It's time for you to get ready.
I refuse.
　Akatsuki, whose expression is so earnest that he looks a bit grumpy as usual, still runs his gaze from side to side, looking for a place to escape, but he is completely surrounded and doesn't see an opening for it.

''Don't be so frightened, I'll be gentle with you.
You know that's a bad line, right?
　Akatsuki took a step back, afraid that the leader of the women, the lovely Henrietta, the Bard, with her bright honey-colored curly hair, would come at her with her hands outstretched. But that step back resulted in a hug from the taller woman behind her.

'So small and pretty,'
Don't be so nitpicky. I'm older than you, by a long shot.
　The guild master of the Crescent Moon Alliance is Marielle.
　It is quite unusual for a guild to be headed by a woman. For that reason, the Crescent Moon Alliance has a larger number of women than other guilds. It's not uncommon for players to have an eye for pretty things like Henrietta, the guild's treasurer - this bard's woman.

　Akatsuki's short stature and doll-like face have earned her a following in the Crescent Moon Alliance. Of course, there were boys who were secretly in love with her, but it was the women's fan club that was more enthusiastic and unmanageable.

The first one is the women's fan club. I have prepared three types of summer dresses for you today.
Wait. What kind of a battle suit do you wear to?
　Akatsuki is quick to butt in on Henrietta, who begins to introduce a gorgeous dress dress for girls, with her cheeks stained with shame at what she misunderstood.
　Since it's a woman, she can't even give an aggressive response like she would in a direct connection, and Akatsuki can only flail about. However, Akatsuki's flailing appearance is called cute, so Akatsuki's energy and methods of resistance will be reduced.
　It's a good idea to have a violet cotton dress or an organza dress with lots of lace and frills, which is too girlie and makes you dizzy.

It's not just a matter of time before you get your hands on it. You can't wear such frivolous clothes.
I got permission from Shiroe. Come on. Give it up!
You're scheming!　My lord. You schemed!

　Half in tears, Akatsuki was doomed to be squirreled away by the women who had changed the color of their eyes.


　◆


　And now that the feast was over, the good times passed in repeated thanks and congratulations, toasts and compliments for the feast.

　We ate like crazy, drank like crazy, and made a lot of noise.

　The moon must have set.
　The guild hall of the Crescent Moon Alliance, which is still faintly hot from the party, is filled with a happy and peaceful atmosphere, a sense of contentment and regret, typical after a festival.

　Tables here and there are littered with bottles of wine, icy bowls for cooling drinks, and plates of food scattered about like the shoreline after a typhoon.

　Guild members lay here and there, huddled under tables or on couches, hugging cushions.
　Naotsugu was snoring in a large figure in the conference room, and Akatsuki, who had been decorated by Henrietta, the 【Crescent Moon Alliance】's proud ace of girlish taste, was now asleep as if buried in a large cushion from the exhaustion.

"--two.
　Shiroe catches a bottle of liquor that wobbles on the edge of the table and tosses it and several others together into a backpack. This magic item, which eliminates the weight of the items inside, is also very effective when cleaning the room.

　Right now, Shiroe and Marielle are the only two people awake in this sleepy conference room.

　The table pulled into the corner of the room has several large plates stacked on top of each other and leftovers, but they've cleaned up everything that they might drunkenly bump into and wind up in the room. Marielle, who had gone around draping a wool blanket over her fellow conference room miscellaneous sleepers, put her hands on her hips and stretched them out and called out to Shiroe.

'Is this how it's supposed to be?'
Oh, yes.
　A small, sleepy voice comes from somewhere.
　Shiroe answers Marielle, laughing at the voice. Of course, she keeps her voice low so as not to wake everyone up.

'What do we do now?　Do you want to go to bed too, white boy?
'I'm not that sleepy but...'
"Ho-ka!
　As Marielle approached Shiroe, she looked into his face as if she hadn't seen him in a long time.

'Then. Let's make some tea. Since we're not here, let's go to the Gilmouth Room.
　Marielle invites Shiroe to leave the conference room. Marielle whispers, "Wait a minute. You'll find guild members who have eaten their fill of the feast in every room, sleeping on sofas, cushions and cushions, or on the floor. I'm sure you'll find them sleeping on the couches and cushions or on the floor.

''Tomorrow we'll be cleaning up.''
I'll help.
I can't let my clients do that.
　The expression on Marielle's face as she looks at the members is kind and warm. Just by being able to see Marielle like that, Shiroe is glad to have accepted this mission.

　After putting away only the dangerous-looking liquor bottles and platters, the two of them head to the guild master's office. It's that fancy guild master's room where they decided to leave after hearing from Marielle before heading to Susukino.
　The only thing worthy of the name "office" is a large document desk, the rest of the room is coordinated in pastel colors, so much so that it could be called Marielle's private room.

What's more?
Anything.
Well, that's something. ...let's see.
　Marielle brings the black leaf tea from the beverage left in the kitchen. The tea, made from black tea leaves, can be drunk warm or cold, and the fruit blend is particularly refreshing and refreshing to drink.

　They sit down on the couch and finally take a breath.
　After all this fuss, Shiroe is always the last one to stay up. It's not that she doesn't like parties, in fact she loves them, but for some reason the more fun she has, the more important she feels, and she's always had a habit of watching until the very end, and Nyanta and others have always teased her about it.
　Only today, that feeling was the same for Marielle, and it left a lasting impression on Shiroe as she looked lovingly at each and every one of her companions and then draped a blanket over them.

　From inside the guild hall, the sounds of people sleeping and turning could be heard quietly. That sound was much more reassuring than total silence.

'You really took care of me this time. Thanks.
That's enough. I didn't do much of anything.
　Shiroe replied in a fluffy mood, hit by the heat of the festive banquet. I never expected to be so grateful. I'm sure you're not the only one, but I'm not the only one.

　It reminded me of the pleasant smiles on the faces of the members of the Crescent Moon Alliance.
　I remember the smiling faces of the members of the Crescent Moon League, all of whom came to the shy, dumb and somewhat awkward Shiroe and offered her food.

(I never thought they'd be so happy to see me.)

　Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I was prepared for the possibility that people would say, "Who the hell do you think you are, an outsider? As for Shiroe, she was taking it out on him.
　He couldn't allow this world to become "that way," so he went out of his way to tell his frustration to Susukino, and that was nothing more than a very personal imposition of Shiroe's standards.
　Shiroe is aware of that arrogance.

(Not that he's sorry. I know it's not something to be thankful for.

　That's why I'm at a loss for an answer when people thank me for my gratitude.

If that was no big deal, then what was the big deal? I'll have to think of something to thank you for it.
I don't mind that, but.... How was this one while you were gone?
There you go.
　At Shiroe's question, Marielle made a subtle expression.
　Instead of questioning that expression, Shiroe just shook the tea in the glass at hand and waited.

''The streets of Akiba........are calmer than they were a while ago....
Have you settled in?

Yes, the number of penalties has decreased a lot. And the safety of the city is...not too bad, I think. No, it's just a matter of where I compare it to. At least it's better than the worst time we had. It's better than the worst.
　Marielle continues to speak, searching for words.

'But. But the atmosphere is still bad. I can't say exactly what it is, but.... I mean..... Hmmm. I can't say it's bad because there's something wrong with it, but....
　But still, something is broken.
　I'm tempted to do something about it, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm sure that means I'm going to make a statement even after the rating is done.

　-- rating.
　It was a word that sounded somehow uneasy and sinister.

''We're a small to medium-sized guild of less than thirty people, right?　And there are 4 of them are in the 90 level, and half of them are below the 50 level. That's not to say that's not true, but it is a fact.
　It's a fact. It's not something that can be moved objectively anymore.
　For example, D.D.D. is the biggest fighting guild in Akiba. It's said to have over 1500 members. There are probably even more than 90 levels in comparison.
　This is also an objective fact, so we can't move it.
　Marielle put her glass down on the table and continued with her fingertips together.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that.
　─ I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that.
　But they accumulate and become untenable..... It's only natural that the big, well-equipped guilds are more powerful, and the atmosphere and rules of the city are set by such a guild.
　For example, the priority use of the marketplace.

You can't be...

There's no clear-cut rule. But when there are so many of them, you know. It's the major guilds that have the biggest presence in town.
　They're more powerful than the big guilds. The players who belong to those guilds will be able to get away with it, even if they put on a big face, and I think it's only natural.

　--ridiculous.
　Shiroe thinks. It's only natural that a major guild would have more people and be more efficient at various things. For example, when it comes to hunting itself, even when it comes to the effective use of material items that are the rewards of hunting, there are many aspects of advancing to your advantage if you have a large number of production jobs and friends on your own.
　But that doesn't mean that each individual member of the team has become stronger, much less greater.

　If it were her, I would have laughed it off.
　She would have laughed it off, smiling broadly at the players who had no choice but to live in a huddle, and declared. You guys aren't cool at all. You're not cool at all.

She would have laughed at the players and declared, "You're not cool at all.　It's the same logic.
　Every guild is stronger than every other guild. If not, they are weak. Now that this is clear, there's no point in trying to make combat even more black and white.
　You wouldn't go near a guild that was biting you if you knew it was going to lose, right?　Going out to other hunting grounds.
　The number of PKs is decreasing, but it just means that guilds have been able to segregate themselves into different zones.
　The strongest guilds have their own territory in the best hunting grounds.
　You can't fight in a town. So in that sense, it's not like we're fighting each other's horns.　But even so, the invisible territory is gradually built up.
　That's what we think of as a rating," he said.

　Although he wasn't drunk to begin with, Shiroe felt a chill go through his head. It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to get a good deal more than you thought. It's not a bad thing; the number of penalty kicks is down, and the number of conflicts is probably down as well.

But I don't like it. I don't feel good...)
　-- that's not the least bit cool. Shiroe thinks so.

　But that doesn't stop the disgust from swirling around.

　--You can't say it's bad because there's something wrong with it. It's not just because they are bad, it's because they are bad. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. But it's not as bad as it sounds. At least in this world, there are no laws, and in that sense, it cannot be legally called a sin.
　It's a common practice to patrol a certain area in order to get the most out of it, and the more experience you have in the area, the more efficient you will be. In other words, it is not a bad strategy to become an expert in an area.
　Moreover, the major guilds consume no small amount of resources in order to implement that strategy. It's a good thing that they've invested in their members to patrol the area.
　I have no intention of criticizing that strategy out of hand.

　If the weak are allowed to criticize this strategy, there will be a phenomenon called "reverse exploitation" by the weak.

　So I can understand Marielle's argument that it's not anyone's fault. In fact, this is just the way things work.

　But even so, there is a feeling that is hard to divide.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find it in the same way that you're able to find it in this other world where there are no laws, so is it acceptable for a competent person to reign over something that doesn't exist?　If you're wondering if the answer to that question is this uncool, the answer is "no". It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for, but the reasoning behind the "no" answer is, to put it bluntly, your own personal preference.
I'm sure the small guild didn't make a move to do something about it.
There have been a number of things. For example, in the past two weeks, there have been talks about forming a liaison group with other small guilds to seize the hunting grounds and deal with it.
　But it didn't work out.
　The number of people in a small place is different, even for a small guild.　It's a very good idea to have a small, but not too big.
　So a number of small guilds were absorbed by the big ones or joined forces with them, just because they were willing to do that.

　That's true, Shiroe thinks.
　I'm not sure what to do about it. It's a good idea to have a good hunting ground, but the best hunting ground is different for each level. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with the guild.
　If you want to maintain some of the hunting grounds by working together, you will need a lot of people to push their egos and cooperate with you. In a weak guild, a small group of people with different profit goals, it's no wonder that it's hard to get a cohesive story together.

　If you think about it, this is where the shutdown of the transport gate and the "Fairy Ring" (Fairy Ring) problem comes into play. The number of zones in the Japan Server Management Area is in the tens of thousands. Normally, with a thousand or so guilds, it is hard to imagine that there would be a shortage of hunting grounds.
　But now that the inter-city transport gates are no longer available and the timetable for the Circle of Fairies is no longer known, the number of hunting grounds that can be reached on a day trip from the city is significantly more limited than in the days of the game.
　In Akiba, that's about 50 zones in the outskirts of the city. In Akiba's city, that would be about 50 zones in the outskirts of the city, and in terms of the number of hunting grounds, there are probably 300 or so. If you rank all of them according to how profitable they are, how close they are to the city, and how safe they are, you can predict that the most popular places will be the ones you'll be fighting over.

And you know what? The Black Sword Knights and the Silver Sword are aiming for 91.
What?
　91. that would be the level. If the Cultivation of the Nowasphere had been introduced, then the level limit should have been released, so there was no surprise in itself. If the level limit had been released, then the logic was that he could grow past his previous level limit of level 90.

　But wouldn't we need to hunt monsters that are at least 85 levels or higher to do so?　Shiroe wondered if he would be able to cross such a dangerous bridge in this current otherworldly battle.

'The big guilds are still strong, but we can't expect to see more players in the future, right?　It's like, the competition for numbers is one thing, but how many high-level people you have on your team has a big impact on your power. You see, the Black Sword Knights have always had an elitist orientation...
　Shiroe nodded at Marielle's point.

　The Black Sword Knights were an elitist fighting guild that was proud in Akiba's city, and seemed more than a little exclusivist.
　There is no one below the 85th level in their ranks. In the first place, they do not accept members below the 85th level to join the guild. A pure-blooded fighting group. That was the Black Sword Knights.

The Black Sword Knights still has a level limit for membership. Of course, the Black Sword Guild is still a major guild. It's not even close to our Crescent Moon League.
　But D.D.D.'s 1,500 members have been overwhelming us. After the Catastrophe, they've swallowed up a bunch of smaller guilds. There's a level limit to join the Black Sword Guild, so small places can't be absorbed.　
　So we're aiming for levels over 90, and trying to turn the tables on quality rather than quantity.
But how did you--

　That was the heart of Shiroe's question. I understand the motive. I understand the feeling and the strategy. But is there a way to achieve it?

You know, with the EXP pot and all.
The EXP pot.

　It was a famous aid in the Elder Tail. Drinking this potion-like item would slightly increase attack power and self-healing ability, and nearly double the experience gained from combat.
　Also, as a side effect, he would normally not be able to gain experience points from monsters five or more levels below him, but he would be able to gain experience points from monsters seven levels below him, albeit only slightly.
　The effect of this potion only lasts for about two hours, but as a result, it is very easy to gain experience points while it is in effect.

　Despite its power, this powerful helper has been used by almost every player.
　The long-running Elder Tail has a history of ever-increasing level limits, making it difficult for newcomers to catch up with their predecessors. That's why the game's management offered a variety of ways to help newcomers, and this potion is part of that structure.
　Specifically, players below level 30 were given one potion per day. It could be said that this was a service provided by the game's management to encourage players to get to mid-level and enjoy the game.

But those potions...

There's a guild called the Hamelin. After the catastrophe, they recruited a lot of newcomers to the guild.
　Everything was in turmoil, and it certainly wasn't a time when we could help the newbies. We couldn't do anything about it either.
　But Hamelin is selling the EXP pots we've collected and selling them. Hamelin is making money, and the big guilds are using the EXP Pots to raise their levels.
　Who is to blame? I don't even know if there are bad people.
　It's just the way things are going, and no one can stop it...