Is this a reaction to the repression of the old century?
　Even though the model is Japan, this world's vegetation is vigorous and fresh. This forest road was originally paved, but the pressure of soil, humus and greenery coming from both sides has turned it into a tunnel of trees.

　So much so that the view of the greenery being cut off was wonderful.

'Wow.'
　Minori cheered self-consciously.
　The same seemed to be true for the thirty or so friends who were around.

''Hee-hah!　Awesome!　Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
　His brother Touya was the first to take the lead and galloped his horse down the slope from line to line.

　A strong, tidal wind blew Minori and the others up that same slope. The dark green slope was heading towards the coastline from the pass they had just crossed. What was the name of the river that crossed thickly across their vision?

　On the hill overlooking the shore beyond, there are several windmills about a dozen meters high, although I don't know if they are huge remnants of the old century or if they are still in operation.

　Is there a white sandy beach on the coast?
　From this place, which must still be about ten kilometers away, it's just impossible to get a glimpse of the sparkling sea and its details.

"Ho ho ho!　Hey, guys. We'll be happy when we get there. If we don't find a place to camp early, we'll skip dinner!
That's right. You guys, skipping meals on the road is a pain in the ass!
　Naotsugu mixes Marielle's voice back with a tease.

　The new players responded cheerfully, and then they re-mounted their horses, which they had dismounted on the forest road, and started down the hill in two lines.

　The Zantorif region.
　In the real world, that's the region centered on the Boso Peninsula.
　In a world reduced in size by the Half-Gaia Project, the distance from Akiba's city is less than 50 kilometers. Three days have passed since my departure on my journey through this devastated and monster-infested world.

Are you alright?　Minori-chan.
Okay.

　The slender, slender figure blocking out the sunshine through the trees is a Nyanta from the same guild as Minori, the Log Horizon. Minori hurriedly replies in the affirmative to that narrowed, gentle gaze.

　When I look at him, I see that Naotsugu, the Guardian, who is near the front of the line, also looks back at me. Minori gives a small wave of her hand to reassure him. It was very reassuring to be surrounded by fellow members of the same guild like this.
　Guilds may be guilds, but they're completely different from 'Hameln' and other guilds, Minori realized once again.

　That said, this line doesn't consist of just the "record horizon". It's a large, mixed band formed by volunteers from many guilds. The total number of members is approximately 60.

　People were also dispatched from Akiba's most prestigious large-scale guilds, such as the Oceanic Organization, the Black Sword Guild, and the West Wind Brigade.
　Since some of the participants were supposed to have arrived there ahead of time, there were only around 35 people here in the main unit, but eventually they were going to be able to meet up at their destination.

　What happened was that it was Marielle, he said.

　Minori wasn't there, but her good friend, an older friend of mine, Isuzu, said that this is what it seemed to be about.

--I want to go to the beach. I want to eat shaved ice, long noodles and curry rice at the beach. If I want to eat it, I want to eat it!　Hey, hey!　No?　No?　Wanna go to the beach?

　The guild master of the Crescent Moon Alliance, Marielle, told him that he was not the only one.

I think I know what he meant.

　Minori belongs to the Horizon of Records, but for a short period of time before she joined it, she slept in the guildhouse of the Crescent Moon Alliance. It was a hectic time right after being freed from the rogue guild Hamelin, which has now disappeared from this world.
　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it. So it's easy to imagine Marielle saying that kind of selfishness and Henrietta making a troubled face, which is a commonplace scene I've seen many times.

(I'm sure she flinched on the couch.)

　When I think about it, I smile as I picture Marielle holding a large cushion to her chest and flapping her feet in my mind.

　Of course, this world is free.
　It doesn't require a lot of money if you just want to live. Minori knows that many players are still working hard "to get back to the world they came from," but even so, their efforts are not likely to be realized overnight. I haven't even heard any rumors of a clue or a solution being found.

　So, if someone wanted to go on a summer vacation, there would be nothing to stop them from doing so....

　But Marielle and the Crescent Moon Alliance were in a special position at the moment. They were one of the eleven guilds in the Round Table, an organization established by Shiroe in June of that year to deal with the autonomy of Akiba's towns, and Marielle, the guild master, was one of the eleven council members.

　Since its inception, the Roundtable has been at the center of the conversation in Akiba and a leader in reform.
　As one of its elected members, would it be a bad idea for Marielle to go on a vacation for a week, let alone for two or three days?　After all, it's only been two months since the Roundtable was established. New information is flying around every day, and the city of Akiba is changing by the minute.

　At the three major producers' guilds, led by the Japan Marine Organization, experiments with steam engines were nearing completion. When the charcoal type was replaced by a salamander type operated by the Summoner, the equipment became much more compact, and this was a technological breakthrough.
　In addition, ovens and water systems were designed to support the new method of cooking, hitherto unseen types of clothing (mainly underwear) were developed, huge hot springs appeared in the city, and other new discoveries and plans were made every day during these two months.

　It's not very nice for a council member to be away for a long period of time (and on vacation) at such an important time. ........However, Marielle didn't seem to give up, and she made a plan to persuade Henrietta and the little dragon to make a plan.

　That was the subject of the 'summer camp to train the new players entrusted to their care'.

''It seems that this area is being used as a field.

　As Nyanta had told me, the downhill slope from the low mountains soon turned into a path surrounded by terraced fields. Pumpkins, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers... I wondered if the trees over there were fruit. A sweet scent mingled in the wind.

'Minory!　Minori, that's a pear!　Awesome!
Oh, come on, Touya!

　Touya, who had turned off the road and was climbing up a rustic stone wall that had been tiered, let out a cheer. How long have we not eaten a pear?　I can't remember the name, but it sure looks delicious.

You can't take that away from the Daichijin because they're making it!
　Minori continues to be pensive while scolding Touya for his actions.

--It is the summer training camp for training new players.

　In the first place, releasing the rookie players from the Hameln was a discretionary act by Shiroe and the others, and had nothing to do with the Round Table. Officially, it is stated that when the Round Table was established, Hamelin's punishment was already over.
　However, this was a sensitive time, and the support of new players was an issue that was also brought up at the Roundtable.

　That's why the Crescent Moon Alliance's proposal was readily accepted by the Roundtable. Nineteen of the thirty-five new players who had left Hamelin had joined the Crescent League, which was, in a sense, a training guild for new players.

　However, there were some newcomer players who had also left the Crescent League who did not join the League.
　They were mainly players who wanted to work in production and had joined a highly specialized production guild.
　There were also new players who hadn't joined the Hameln from the beginning, and were, in a sense, the lucky ones. They had joined various guilds in the city of Akiba.

　If the summer camp was to be sanctioned by the Roundtable, it would be unfair not to call on those new players from other places. As a matter of course, new players whose whereabouts were known were sent letters asking if they would be willing to participate, and a notice was placed in the plaza of Akiba, announcing that a summer camp would be held as part of the support program for new players below the 40th level.

　Then there was also the issue of menswear between the guilds.
　There were even those who thought that if it was an event approved by the Roundtable, they couldn't just leave the burden to the Crescent Moon Alliance.

　You can't get away with it. --There are some council members who cannot say such a thing because of their position. It's a good idea to send one or two people to lead a guild with a hundred or two hundred members.
　At the same time, food and clothing aid was also given to the guilds as well as a large scale donation of new equipment that would be automatically required as the level of the guild increased.

　In the twinkling of an eye, the story grew on its own and ended up with a large group of about 60 people.

　Before I knew it, the slope had become gentle, and they had entered a town of ruined rubble on a gentle hillside that seemed to have been a city in the old century. Despite the ruins, this area of the old century had many single-story buildings, and was probably a farming area. Compared to buildings and other concrete structures, wooden houses weathered faster.
　There are no noticeable remnants of buildings and only a few decaying houses here and there. Most of them are buried under the weeds.

　The peninsula in Zantorieff seems to be full of nature, with forests, mountains, and gently rolling hills.

　The wide river in sight is called the Zantorif Great River. The area where the river flows into the blue sea was called Choshi in the old century. The Pacific Ocean in August was so blue in this other world that it seemed to melt into the blue of the sky.

　When we reached the banks of the great river, we found several huts standing there.
　Looking around, we saw that there were many huts of that kind scattered along the river. According to my brother and his companions, who had done the scouting ahead of us, these huts were used to haul out and store small fishing boats.

　In this part of the world where the sea is nearby, they would go fishing down the river.
　It may be the wisdom that if they stored their small boats in the huts a little further up the river, they would not be damaged even if the sea was rough. According to Marielle, the fishermen of the land lived along the river, and a little closer to the mouth of the river, the town where the landmen lived could be found.

　Leaving the banks of the river again, Minori and her team bypassed the dense cedar forest and arrived at a reservoir that looked as if it was 500 meters long. Beside the pond, a reinforced concrete ruin, a rarity in this area, stood in place without looking old.

I said to myself, "Wow!　This is a school!
　As Touya had said, it looked like a school building from the old century. If you think about it, the flat area in front of the ruin was probably the ground. The wire fence and the attached gymnasium are nowhere to be seen, but they are certainly a reminder of that.

''Ouch!　Everybody!　This will be our bunkhouse for a while from today!　As we had previously divided into groups, today we're going to clean three classrooms, three from the east end of the first floor. There will be twenty people sleeping in each room. .........If you want to have room to spare, we'll start cleaning tomorrow and make it livable somehow!
　Marielle let out a loud voice with that cheerful and unafraid smile.

　From inside the school building, the members of the big guilds, who had been scouting ahead and getting ahead of the others, came out and began to work with the new players.

''Tonight's meal is a barbecue on the grounds!　So I'll have to eat lunch with bento bread. And, um, Group 3. and the skilled cook will join us in going to the village to buy food!　I'm going to say hello to the village chief, so don't be rude. We'll leave in 30 minutes. Then let the mission begin!



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



　The sound of cicadas wafts through the countryside as Marielle and her team of scavengers walk down a noisy country road.

　Each of the new players Marielle is leading proudly wears a 'summoning whistle' from their necks or hips. This item is used to summon the rider, Uma. Of course, there are many different types of summoning whistles, and the one they have is only good for summoning a lesser rider for a few hours a day.
　However, to a new player, it would be a valuable magic item. They were proudly wearing it.

　It was distributed to the newcomer players as an advance support item for this summer camp.

　But now Marielle and the others are on their way to the city on foot.
　You'll be able to find a lot of people doing farm work along the way.
　You'll be able to see that you're not the only one who has the ability to do this.

　Of course, each of us has our own summoning flutes, so we'll probably ride back home on horseback. It is expected that there will be a lot of luggage. However, the distance to the town is about three kilometers. It's not more than an hour's walk, and I wanted to check the surrounding terrain while I still had time to do so.

Hmmm. It smells so good!
　There was a faint scent of pears in the air around.

That's right. If you have a good point about pears, I'd love to hear it.
Yes, I would love to eat a pear!

　Nyanta, who was also following along with the food procurement spotted in tow, and Serara, who was waiting next to her. In addition, Minori also nodded modestly. Also, some of the newcomer players who have chosen to become cooks seem to be looking at the field and assessing the summer vegetables.

　In the summer sunshine, the tomatoes and eggplants were shining like jewels. The tomatoes look like garnet and the eggplants like onyx. They both sparkle with drops of water and look delicious.

　In the old way of cooking, no one cared whether the ingredients were good or bad. Whether they were a little small or shriveled or, in extreme cases, on the verge of rotting, as long as you could see the name of the ingredient on the menu, it didn't affect the dish after it was synthesized.
　A tomato salad made from fresh tomatoes and a tomato salad made from shriveled tomatoes are perfectly identical (and taste like wet rice crackers, of course), and there is no margin for error.

　However, the new cooking method, in which the ingredients are cooked by the chef's hands, does not allow him to ignore the choice of ingredients. A dish made with rotten tomatoes is, in every respect, a dish made with rotten ingredients. Of course, the skill of the chef is important, but in order to make a good dish, you need to have fresh, large, well-shaped ingredients.

'I'd love to bake pizza with that!
The tomato sauce looks good, too.

　The new cooks seemed to be walking around the fields with great interest.

　It was only a short time after noon, and here and there we would find the farmers of the Daichijin resting or taking a nap in the shade of the trees. Sometimes they would wave to us and we would ask them what they had picked. Or we would promise to buy some for them on our way home.

　In the town we are heading to now, the Karashin of the Eighth Shopping Arcade should have greeted us beforehand. Perhaps it was because the rumors were spreading, for the farmers of the Land People were all very friendly.

It's going to be a good vacation, isn't it?

　It's a summer camp," Nyanta corrected Marielle's cheerful tone. The rumors that have spread among the members of the group make it quite obvious that Marielle's intentions for this trip are well known, but as an elder, you have a duty to be careful.
　However, the caution is rarely serious, but rather a poke in the eye.

　The town was located near the mouth of the Great Zantorif River.

　The town is located near the mouth of the Great Zantorieff River, perhaps as a precaution against flooding, and is set back from the river's edge.
　The land around here is flat, and the gently undulating ground is divided here and there into squares like tiles, with fields here and fields there, rice fields here and orchards there. When I thought the mosaic was getting finer and finer, a hut for storing farm tools and a warehouse appeared, and before I knew it, I had the impression that I was inside the town.

　There was no image of an armed township surrounded by fences and walls, as in medieval chivalry tales.
　The town's central street is a thick asphalt road that runs parallel to the irrigation canal, probably inspired by the old world national road. There are many stone and wooden houses lined up between the streets. There are not many buildings made from the ruins of old century buildings like in the city of Akiba, and as far as I can see, the only buildings seem to be the huge warehouses towards the river.

　Five or six shops with signs could be seen in the streets.
　Marielle had heard from Shiroe that the shops were not part of the village scenery she had seen during her trip to Susukino.

　In farming villages that are based on self-sufficiency, or in larger villages that combine farming and stockbreeding, the basic principle is mutual aid among the villagers.
　As long as people lived there, there was little need for "money". That's why there is no need for a specialized facility called a "shop". At least that's what Henrietta had told me.

　But this "town of Chowsi" is so large that it could be called a small town rather than a village. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have a store in this class.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to find it. This is quite......... This place is even more magnificent than I imagined it would be.
　Nyanta couldn't help but feel the same way.
　Of course, I can't compare it to Akiba's town, but I'm sure there are thousands of people living here.　It was a town that gave me that impression.

　When I stopped in the middle of the thick street, the members who had followed me surrounded Marielle. I've been told I'm good at taking care of people. I'm sure it's not a bad idea to feel like a big sister, but it's not a bad feeling.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one. What do you think? What do you think? I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to find anything else. As for the rest, was it Luxea?　I'll give you some money, and we'll split up. We'll talk about what we'll do. Do you have the note in your hand?
'Of course, of course,' assures Nyanta.

　Nodding at that, Marielle checked her magic bag for once. After checking the souvenirs that had been prepared, he looked around at the members of the group. As a matter of formality, I'm going to go greet the mayor of this town.
　Since it's just a greeting, we don't need a large number of people, but for the sake of appearances, it would be better to bring at least one more person with us.
　When I thought about who I should bring along, I met Minori's gaze.

(Yea. She's a solid-looking girl.)
　When I opened my mouth to say so, Minori said, "I'll go with you.

She's got good instincts, too.

　That's why the group decided to split up.
　Nyanta and the others seem to be going towards the port for now. In a group of warehouses built along the riverbank, they seem to be selling inshore fish. When you think about it, fresh meat is familiar to Marielle and her friends as adventurers, but I don't think they've had fresh fish recently. Thank goodness there are treats on offer.

Then we will...
Okay, let's go say hello.

　You may be a firm daughter, but that's still junior high school as I've heard it said. It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends and family.

(Shirobo's boy took her away, but this girl is so cute.
Oh, um.
What?　Minori.
Why do you pet your head?
Of course it's because I want to pet him!
　Laughing at the slightly bloated Minori, they walked down the main street of the town like two sisters separated in age.

　On the way, they asked a housewife carrying a package, who seemed to be a housewife, and she told them that the mayor lived in a large two-story house at a crossroads just ahead. He was an old man in his fifties who was in charge of organizing the area, but he was a friendly man, so I didn't have to worry, he said.

All I have to do is say hello, right?
Well, we'll just say hi, give them a little something...
　Marielle itemizes in her mind what she's going to say.

　In her luggage is a barrel of cherries brought from the streets of Akiba. Weighing close to 100 kilos, it would normally be impossible for Marielle to even lift it, but she is truly grateful for her magic item, a "backpack," so she can walk around like she's empty-handed.

　Besides that - I'll be allowed to use the ruins for about two weeks. It's about five kilometers away from the town, so you won't have to worry about it too much. The only thing is that he'd like to come over once every few days to buy some food.

He said, "Well, we'll just say hello to him and let him know through his sense of duty. He said, "Well, we need to say hello to them and ask them about their food supply. We need to talk to them about it," he said, "because if we buy from one farmer all the time, it might cause a fight in our town.
Oh, yes.

Well, I think we should just listen to the mayor. The rest of the time, we just need to chat with the mayor and get some information about this area, if he has it.
"Information, sir...?

Say.
　Marielle nodded.
　This world has changed since the . The non-player characters are now the earthlings, and it's strictly unknown if they still have the functions they had in the Elder Tail days.

　The Earthmen working in the markets and banks are still doing their jobs, but some of them have changed their ways, such as the hiring of new administrative staff for the Round Table.

　If I were to put together a hypothesis, I would say that I don't know if the system of quests, which was so important in Elder Tail, is still functioning properly today.

　Quests are a kind of mission, and the narrative of the Elder Tail relies heavily on the quest system. For example, in a place like the town of Chowshy, it could be something like, "There is a ghost in a field on the outskirts of the village and I need you to get rid of it," or "I'm going to an island off the coast to catch some fish and I need you to escort me," and so on. There must have been two types of quests.

　Sometimes quests start with some mysterious item or location, but in most cases, they start with a request from a non-player character.

　Now that the main non-player character has been turned into a Daichijin, is that function slowly disappearing?　That's the question that comes to mind. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.

　--It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you can get to know each other.

　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of your time with Elder Tail.
　One of them was a quest that rewarded a magic bag with weightlessness. All veteran players, including Marielle, use these bags. Anyway, they are useful.
　If this quest were to eventually become unavailable for some reason, this magic bag would be out of the hands of newer players. I'm not sure how much of an impact this will have on me.

I've been asked to gather as much information as I can about this town. He asks me to gather as much information as I can about Choshi Town and the Daichijin," he said. You guys seem to know a lot, but you don't know much.

'Well..... Yes, right.
　Minori nodded honestly, as if she had learned something.

'I wonder what he's doing right now, Shiroe-san?
Let's just be a white boy and collect information. No, I don't think so.
　Marielle noticed what she was doing and chuckled.

'Maybe not as much as you might think, though.



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



　Elegant and flamboyant, the music is a quartet of strings.
　The huge hall is gaily decorated and filled with the laughter of ladies and the murmurings of gentlemen. Even so, I'd say it's only 40% full.
　There is no sign of people in the center of the hall, with only small groups chatting here and there around the sofas by the wall and round tables for refreshments.

　It's still before the official start time.
　Apparently, coming in a little late is the norm for this kind of party. This is especially true for royalty and nobility. Shiroe lets out a small sigh when she hears this from the waiter she just caught.

(Did I just do a country bumpkin thing?)

　They didn't know that, and with the sadness of inexperienced people, it seemed to backfire on them that they had arrived a little earlier than time, as they didn't want to be rude.
　Shiroe and the others had no choice but to gather by the wall, each moistening their lips with a drink.

　This was the 'Old Court of Eternal Ice'.
　It is a castle that was built by the Old Arv tribe just two hours away from the city of Akiva. The Old Arv are a past race in the world of the Elder Tail, and are thought to be extinct. They had excellent magic and a variety of skills, but in the course of time they have been forgotten. The Half-Arv, one of the eight races the player can choose from, is the only remaining remnant of the Half-Arv.

　In the real world, the Ancient Court of Eternal Ice, located in the southern part of Tokyo - the equivalent of Minato Ward, is a massive structure with no master. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on it.

　--The Free Cities Alliance of Eastar.
　It is the alliance that governs what is known in the old world as "Eastern Japan". This otherworldly Japan server administration area is divided into five major countries or cultural regions.

　In the real world, Hokkaido is the "Ezzo Empire", and Shikoku is the "Duke of Falland".
　Shikoku is the Duke of Falland, and Kyushu is the Nine Tail Autonomous Region.
　Kyushu is the "Nine Tail Autonomous Territory," and the eastern half of Honshu is the "Free Territory.
　The eastern half of Honshu is the Free City League of Eastar, and the western half is the Holy Empire of Wales.
　The western half of the country is the Holy Empire of Westland.

　The game's management company probably wanted players to enjoy a wide variety of adventures, and the different ethnic customs and artwork are all gathered in the shrunken Japanese archipelago, which was reduced in size by the Half Gaia Project.

　The Free City Alliance Eastal, which governed the eastern part of Japan, was an alliance of mainly city-states. Some twenty or so nobleman's estates and cities have formed an alliance to oppose the Holy Empire of Westland in the west.

　The number of humans in this world is far fewer than in the old world. This is even if you take into account the fact that the number of Earthlings, which is now ten times larger than the number of people in the old world, is still very small.
　Human territory in this monster-infested world does not account for a large proportion of this. The areas governed by the lords of the Free Cities Alliance Eastal are, in the eyes of the entire eastern part of the country, little more than a safe zone of bubbles floating in an untamed wilderness.

　But even if they are small, there are probably around two million of them in the Japan Server.
　The Free Cities Alliance Eastal only controls the eastern part of the server, but it will need to have its own formality and governance structure.

　In the League of Free Cities Eastar, the governing structure took the form of feudalistic aristocratic rule. In the Elder Tail, which is based on a medieval European fantasy worldview, the lords of the Eldar Tale all call themselves nobility.
　They have their own residences and mansions, and they wear crowns, cloaks, tiaras, and dresses, a typical nobleman's image, to rule over the Earthmen.
　The lords of the Free Cities Alliance of Eastar gather once or twice a year in the ancient court of Eternal Ice for various political meetings. They also renew old friendships, show off their sons and daughters as noblemen, hold horse fights, and even form relationships.

　It may look elegant, but it is also true that the Free Cities Alliance of Eastar, threatened by monsters, desperately helps each other.

　In the old world, the court built in the southern part of Tokyo - the Hamarikyuu Palace, supported by magical ice, is thus a place of socializing and consultation for the Earthmen nobility.

　In the great hall of the Old Court of Eternal Ice, Shiroe and the others are standing idly by.

Hm. It's quite a spectacular sight. This is tense.
　It was Michitaka of the Marine Organization, a member of the production guild, who said this. He must have meant what he said. He stared at the facilities and decorations of the court, unassuming and unassuming.

'I'll be calmer if I think all around me are monsters.
　Krusty, the leader of the D.D.D. fighting guild, replied that he was wearing a tuxedo. Despite the two names, Krusty is a beautiful, white, thoughtful, and thoughtful young man, and he looks great in a tuxedo today.

You're the only one.
　Michitaka responds with a teasing smile.
　This one is also wearing a tuxedo, and its power is no less than Krusty's. Originally, tuxedos were Western formal wear. It looks better on a somewhat stocky figure than on a thin line. It was also the perfect sundress for the two warriors.

　He is the head of the largest production guild in the city of Akiba. Not only is he the head of the largest fighting guild, D.D.D., he is also the head of Akiba's self-governing organization, the Round Table.
　Considering the purpose of his participation in this event, there was nothing better than being powerful.

That's right. You're the only one who feels more comfortable surrounded by monsters. ''Milord,''
　Nevertheless, Krusty's statement was probably too gruff. The tall woman who was standing by his side was nudging him while handing him a small glass of bubbly. She was a member of the 〈D.D.D.D〉 and her name was Liese, Shiroe had heard.

　It's not a bad idea to have a ball if you're not good at it, though I expected it when I heard the dress code. The three representatives from the had each brought a partner with them in the accompanying group, as if such a thing was necessary since they were going to be socializing.

"....my lord.
　Thus, the petite girl at Shiroe's side is also wearing a wonderful dress. As if she couldn't hear the two masters of the 11 Guild, she spoke to Shiroe with a heartfelt, heartbroken voice.
　Shiroe looked down at that Akatsuki.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world, and I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world.

　I'm not going to be able to get a good look at it, but if I crouched down to talk to him, he would say, "Don't treat me like a child, my lord! I have no choice but to give up on this one.

'What's the matter?'
Well, I mean..... My outfit....oh, my God.
　Akatsuki's voice sounds like a buzzing mosquito, which is unimaginable from his usual demeanor, as he appeals to me.

　Shiroe nodded his head, not understanding what on earth he was saying.
　There is nothing funny about Akatsuki's attire. On the contrary, she is dazzlingly pretty.
　Her beautiful black hair was trimmed and her petite, slender figure was wrapped in a dress. The whole thing was pearly, but half of it was dyed turquoise blue from the hem of her softly fluttering skirt, and that color fused with the pearly white as it moved upward.
　The shade complemented the color of her dark eyes and dark hair in the best way possible, creating a dignified beauty.

''Hmm.''
It's not weird. It's rather pretty. It's beautiful. I'd like to take it out. Yeah, I did.
I said it, now.

　It's a good thing that the Crescent Moon Alliance's proud treasurer, Henrietta, spoke up while Shiroe was confused. She is dressed like a noblewoman with her honey-colored hair tied up and her neckline neatly visible.

　She has a hard, too-formed good looks, but she usually wears clothes (gothic Lolita) that are a little too girlish for her appearance. It's a very good thing that it has a bewitching charm to it, and it's very popular with some of the connoisseurs, but when you see an evening dress like today's, its inherent elegance is blindingly obvious.

I'm not so sure. I'm uncomfortable. It's hard to keep your weapons concealed either.
Where are you going to get that f*cking hidden weapon from?
My lord.
　Akatsuki walks around to Shiroe's back as if in trouble.
　He's troubled by Shiroe's gaze, but he has no intention of leaving Shiroe.

(You're too disciplined with the word "escort," Akatsuki.)

　While taking care of Akatsuki like that, Henrietta has a familiar manner. I asked her about her experience at the ball, but she said there was no such thing. She said it was a bluff that she looked calm, but from what Shiroe saw, she was just too preoccupied with Akatsuki to see anything else.

　Akatsuki is a petite, dark-haired beauty with an impression of a swallow.
　Henrietta, an intelligent beauty with honey-colored hair.

　These two were the ones who accompanied Shiroe's staff this time.

　In the first place, it would be necessary to talk about why Shiroe and the others were in the great hall of the 'Ancient Court of Eternal Ice'.

　It goes back a month or so from now.
　It was July, when the city of Akiba was in the throes of reformation, and the city was like a veritable popcorn of popcorn.

　A letter addressed to the Roundtable was written by a series of lords of the Free Cities Alliance of Eastar. It was written in the name of the first lord, Sergiad Corwin, and was an invitation to join the Free Cities Alliance Eastar as well as an invitation to attend a meeting and a ball at the Old Court of Eternal Ice.

　The League of Free Cities of Eastar is an alliance of lords of the eastern part of the old world who control the region. Needless to say, the city of Akiba is one of the cities that exist in that area.

　In theory, once the autonomy of Akiba was established, it was only natural that the Free Cities Alliance Eastal would contact them. This was one of the developments Shiroe had anticipated.

　A meeting of the Round Table was immediately convened.
　This would be the first time Shiroe and the other adventurers (players) were invited by the Daichijins (non-players) in this manner. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what to expect.

　--The United Way of the Free Cities Eastal, part of the world's social governance structure, is attempting to recognize the Round Table as a member of its own, and to make its position clear.

　The buzzing members of the Roundtable carefully analyzed the situation.

　What would happen if this request was accepted?
　Perhaps the request is to recognize the Roundtable, which controls the city of Akiba, as a member of the Free City Alliance Eastal Lords Council. In that case, the lord (in this case, the head of the Roundtable, Krusty, would be the head of the Roundtable) would be given some kind of nobility.
　In addition, he would be asked to participate in the conference on a continuous basis. The advantage of this is that he will be able to gather information on the Daichijinshi and negotiate with them on a large scale. The disadvantage would be that they would be involved in the politics of the Dairyman.

　What would happen if we refused the request?
　At that time, there would be no benefit to be gained from receiving it. In other words, the bargaining line with the Daichijinshi would be severed, and they would not be able to join the League of Lords. But on the other hand, they wouldn't have to get involved in the politics of the Daichijinshi.
　Also, there will be specific disadvantages - for example, will they incite the lords to anger and start a war?　I've also considered this point.
　However, it is unlikely that this will happen, is what Shiroe and his team are guessing at the moment.

　The city of Akiba is a player town.
　The city of Akiba is a player town, with a decent amount of commercial facilities, and with this many adventurers here, it's not a bad place to be. In the real world, with the development of modern firearms, each soldier's ability to fight individually is no longer a critical factor in victory or defeat.
　However, in this fantasy alternate world, due in part to the existence of magic, the disparity in individual combat ability remains a factor that has a major impact on the outcome of the entire war. This is a world where victory in single combat or a localized victory can have a huge impact on the entire war.

　Generally speaking, non-players are much less capable of fighting than adventurers. A simple farmer, even a resident of a remote and dangerous frontier village, can fight at a level of 40.
　Most farmers and hunters only had a level of around 10, and for merchants, women and children, it was only one to five levels.

　Of course, the Daichijinshi also have the power to fight on their side.
　The lords will have soldiers, knights and magicians. Those armies, which are reasonably well-stocked, are, as far as Shiroe knows, about 50 to 60 levels of elite soldiers.
　In addition, there seems to be 'earthlings' with special abilities like the city guards. Instead of reaching level 100, they use a special type of armor called "powered armor" (movable armor) to protect a specific zone called the city.
　The armor is an elite piece of magical engineering armor that transmits magic power from the magical corridor that covers the entire city, giving it a high-powered magical fighting ability.

　There are also non-player characters with combat abilities far beyond those of the elite armor. In the world of the Elder Tail, they are known as the "ancient species". Shiroe does not know the details of the lore on this subject, but it seems that the Daichijins consider the Old Ones as one of their own, while at the same time they view them as a special species.

　The meaning of the game is simple, if not the lore of the Old Ones, then the meaning of the game is simple.

　In this world, the Earthlings are inferior to the Adventurers in many respects.
　As the adventurer (the player) progresses through combat, he or she becomes more and more skilled. His level rises, expanding his initial combat abilities dozens of times.
　Even if fatally wounded, the adventurer will not disappear completely, but will return to the Great Temple to revive. He finds and retrieves powerful items from the ruins and monsters left behind in various parts of the world to enhance his combat abilities.

　From the point of view of the ordinary earthlings, the Adventurer is a kind of superhuman.
　Of course, that's the right way to play the game. In an RPG-like system of growth, it would be humiliating and stressful to have almost every character you encounter be stronger than you, the player.
　The fact that the Daichijinshi are vulnerable in the game makes a lot of sense. On the other hand, when you're creating a story, you'll need to cast a superhuman humanoid in the role of the Earthling.

　In the days when Elder Tail was a game, there were countless stories interspersed throughout the game as tales and legends, as backdrops for adventures, and even as quests.

　There were many different stories, but some of them required a "hero" as the storyline. For example, "Go save that hero in distress! There is a storyline to be told, such as: "The player is the one who saves the game, but if the level of the non-player character who is saved is too low, it will motivate the player to play.

　In a game, it is the player who saves the game, but if the non-player character being saved is too low level, it will affect the motivation to play.
　For example, in a story where an adventurer, who can slay a 90-level dragon, goes to save a hero who is headed to Rich, the evil spirit king, if that hero is at 15th level, it doesn't look good for the story.
　That would make it difficult for a weak guy like you to show up here at the beginning.　Don't do the fighting. People will say, "It's stupid to help them.
　Or at least, "I'm here to reinforce you!　Let's join forces and take down the enemy! If you don't have the ability to say "I'm not good enough", you won't be able to make the story exciting.

　The setting of the "ancient species" was created at the request of the designer who created the story, and that's what we can expect.

(I'm getting sidetracked...)

　Anyway, the Daichijinshi have a certain amount of strength.
　For one thing, it's the Lord's Army. They're not that much of a threat, but they're all there. The second is a special mechanism of magical civilization, such as "powered armor," which is not available to the player. Lastly, there's the Ancient Species.

　If a player refuses to join the League of Free Cities Eastar, there is a possibility of conflict. But as I mentioned earlier, that possibility is not very likely.

　The three forces on the Daichijin's side all had their strengths and weaknesses.
　Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but as a comprehensive fighting force, the Alliance of Free Cities Eastar could not compare to the Adventurers in Akiva's city.

　Nevertheless, the Roundtable wavered between participating and not participating in the Alliance of Free Cities Eastal.

　The main argument of those who participated was that there was no advantage to not participating. If you participate, you will at least open a formal line of communication with the Earthlings. If we are not worried about our military strength, we are unlikely to be forced to make unreasonable demands by force, so the disadvantages of participating in the event are not too great.

　The main argument of the participation naysayers was in the area of taking a seat in the ranks of the nobility. They argue that it is emotionally unacceptable that they, as players, will be "decorated" by non-player characters and recognized as friends.

　As soon as the point was clear, the majority of the meeting was in favor of participation.
　It was obvious to everyone that the arguments against participation in the conference were emotional. It is true that this sentiment was not easy to deal with, and there was more or less sympathy in the minds of the majority of players.

　The Roundtable took this into account and posted a simple report in the town square. They put up a sign stating that they had decided to join the League of Free Cities Eastar in order to exchange information with the lords of the League of Free Cities.

　Thus, in August, the members selected from the Round Table were to come to the Ancient Court of Eternal Ice.