Huh ... huh ...
　Touya, who was breathing roughly, gulped down water from his water bottle.
　Serara, who looked at it from the side, said, "Are you okay? He called out to them.

　Minori and the rest of the group had entered a small genroom on the right-hand route of the "Raglander's Company". Scattered on the floor are countless skeleton bones.
　They had survived the battle in the passageway earlier, dealt with the reinforcements and holed up in this genroom to survive the crowded battle.

　The members' fatigue was deep.
　In this other world, their physical strength is also greatly enhanced depending on their 'status'. The fact that Minori, a mere junior high school girl, is able to continue walking in the mountains and exploring dungeons all day long is proof of that.
　However, that's not how mental fatigue works.
　The long hours of battle were draining away her concentration.
　The more chaotic and turbulent the situation becomes, the greater the mental fatigue is. Minori, too, has been getting a huge headache since a while ago.

(Come to think of it, I haven't had any water since this morning...)

　I didn't feel thirsty, but I would drink a gulp of water from my water bottle. If dehydration impairs your ability to think, it's all for naught.

(The situation is bad...)

　Minori looks around at the members.

　Touya is sitting down, holding his sword. His breathing seems to be getting better and better, but it seems that the fight just now was tough. There was a moment when the blood flowed a lot and his HP was reduced to about 30% of his maximum. It must have been hard for him to recover from the numerous bad statuses and there were phases where he couldn't keep up with his recovery.
　Even so, it seemed to be because of Touya's mental strength that he was able to take up a position near the door and be the first to be targeted by the monsters when it came to the battle.

　Serara began to rummage through her bag, even though she was still out of breath. Minori guessed that she was adjusting the position of the potions in her pack in preparation for the next fight.
　It's strange that she and Serara, as recovery workers, rely on potions, but even bad-status release spells, for example, have a 'reuse restriction time'. In Minori's case, it's the Congratulatory Message of Exorcism, but the reuse restriction is 20 seconds. This means that as long as you stick to the Shasho of Exorcism, you can only clear your bad status once every 20 seconds.
　If everyone in the party was poisoned, the last person in the party would only be able to recover - in a nutshell - after 80 seconds. In order to eliminate that loss, you can at least use Potions to release your own poison. That's what he's thinking.

I'm not going to be able to get it for you. I'll prepare for it next time, too.
　Minori writes in her mental notepad.

　But it also showed that even Serara, a recovery position higher level than his, was unable to take effective measures against the current situation. Potions and other such things were still only a burnout.

　Rundelhaus closed his eyes tightly now.
　That posture was something that came to mind. He probably opened the status screen and stared at his remaining MP level.
　Minori's MP had been trapped to about 25% remaining after the series of battles from earlier. Since this is the resting time outside of battle right now, the MP will recover at a constant pace. Probably if you wait for 10 minutes, 70 to 80% of the MP would be recovered and ready for battle.

　However, Rundelhaus was throwing out an incomparably larger amount of magic in rapid succession than Minori. If Minori's status monitoring was correct, Rundelhaus had completely used up his MP in every battle. To him, even waiting patiently for him to recover like this might be part of the effort to annihilate the enemy.

　Minori had heard Rundelhaus let out a muttered "Why......." on more than one occasion over the past two days. Perhaps it was "Why is it so painful?" or "Why can't I win?" or "Why am I so weak?".
　Maybe it's because I have a sense of pride that I'm muttering to myself.

　I understand that. The same is true for Minori.

('Why'........) I really understand that feeling, and I can't do well what I was able to do when I was working alone. We are limiting each other's power. (Something has gone very wrong...)

　But if the word comes out, and if you swallow it.
　I think that Rundelhaus is not just a brainy lad. I think he is serious about what he is responsible for: the defeat of the enemy. In fact, he hasn't compromised on that one point.

(Perhaps. It's hard to tell, but he's serious in his own way.

　Isuzu has remained silent.
　Minori is a little worried about her. Isuzu is usually cheerful and not very talkative. However, she is sensitive to the atmosphere. I guess she can't make a scene in this situation.

It's a good idea to have a good time. I'm also........

　I know that something went wrong and things are going very wrong.
　Minori is aware that she is probably the one who knows most about this, and this is one of the "crises" that Shiroe had repeatedly mentioned.
　This was one of the "crises" that Shiroe had repeatedly mentioned.

(But.......... I knew it........)

　Minori draws her mouth tightly shut. The situation is certainly critical right now. I think it fits in with some of the cases that Shiroe warned us about.

'Why are we in so much pain?

　Rundelhaus announced as he caught his breath.
　It wasn't a loud voice, but it resonated strongly in the silent group.

''.........''
　Serara bites her lips and turns over. Isuzu is still unable to look up.

I'm at level 24. The enemy's level is 17 to 21, so that's about it. I'm not sure why I'm struggling so much with it. Isn't this strange?

It's...

　That's probably because we haven't been able to show our ability. Minori thinks. Or is it 'divided so that it is not possible to show one's ability'?
　........Of course, there is no way that undead have such intelligence. Unless they are high-ranking undead, the skeletons, wisps and zombies we've encountered so far have no self-awareness or tactical intelligence.
　In other words, Minori and the others are limiting their own possibilities.

　But they cannot talk about it.
　Minori's level is 21, the lowest level in the party, and a drag on the party. Also the highest level is his brother Touya, who is 29.

　If Minori says anything, it will sound like the least competent person in the party is making excuses. Also, if Touya opens her mouth, it will inevitably sound like she is defending her sister, Minori.

''........''
"I'll just have to repeat my training........
　Rundelhaus' words sounded as if he didn't believe them himself. And that was true for everyone's ears.

　Only, no one could say it, and Minori and the others had no choice but to remain silent.



　◆



　The sound of cool water danced in the dark courtyard.
　Even at this late hour, water was flowing freely from the fountain in the center of the courtyard. The water rushed through the beautifully carved waterways, splashing up and down every time it fell down the calculated steps.

　Whoever designed the Ancient Court of Eternal Ice was apparently well prepared for the summer heat. To begin with, the palace was built from 15 metres in the air on perpetual icicles, which, due to its altitude, is less humid and cooler than on the ground.
　It is unclear what kind of technology was used, but throughout the palace there are channels similar to those in the courtyard, which follow gravity to circulate limpid water from the upper to the lower levels.

　That's why the night air in this palace, even though it was August, was pleasant enough to feel cool and cool.

　In the cool courtyard, a young girl was silently practicing her body arts. It is not a violent movement, but the viewer can tell at a glance from the skill and sharpness of the body that the girl has made an effort and the training of the martial arts.

　Long black hair swaying in the wind every time the body moves. The body, wrapped in an austere, pale shadow-colored outfit, is petite and still lacking in ups and downs, but its delicate, girlish curves are sufficiently attractive to draw lines.

　It was Akatsuki, the girl assassin from "Log Horizon" (Log Horizon).

(Right sending foot, left sliding foot. One beat...... Left feed foot, right body judgement, half turn........ (One beat.)

　The girl was practicing a strange kata practice.
　In karate and kobudo, the emphasis is on the coordination of the upper body as well as the movement of the feet. It is the same in almost all martial arts. I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.

　My impression was that it was similar to some of the Chinese martial arts practices. The way they used their knees and ankles in a relaxed manner without dropping their center of gravity is vaguely reminiscent of Japanese swordsmanship. It was a curious movement.

(Left foot, right katagami, half-rotation...) Twisting the upper body, another rotation.

　Akatsuki was absorbed in repeating the mold.
　The series of movements repeated to the point of forgetting the passage of time, and when the series of movements began to melt together and flow through the body like blood, Shiroe was there in the gaze that I suddenly raised.

''My lord!''

Akatsuki, aren't you going to sleep?
Since when?
Well, you know.
　Shiroe approaches with a slightly troubled look on her face and hands one of the glasses in her hand to Akatsuki. It must be a lie to say "just now" or something like that. Otherwise, there is no explanation for why he has two glasses.
　How long have they been watching us?　Thinking about it, Akatsuki can't suppress his dismay. But he tries hard not to show it on his face as he accepts the glass.

Thank you.
　The glass I received was filled with cold tea (garnet tea). It was monotonous in taste, but moderately cold and pleasing to the body after a workout.

　Shiroe sits down on a carved chalk bench at the edge of the fountain. Next to it, there was still enough room for three people to sit on it gracefully, but Akatsuki was a little less brave to sit down.
　Akatsuki stands near Shiroe, standing and sipping tea without a care in the world. He stands close, but at an angle of about sixty degrees, because he doesn't want to stand in front of her.

(A ninja must always be so.)

　And so on and so forth, Akatsuki thought, but it was also because if he stood in front of her, especially now that Shiroe was sitting on the bench, their gazes would meet straight away.

　That's something Akatsuki wants to avoid.
　It's not that they are subordinate to you just because you are a ninja, but they are afraid or embarrassed, and Akatsuki has a feeling of being terribly embarrassed to face Shiroe head on.

''........''
　However, Shiroe didn't seem to imagine that Akatsuki was thinking like that. She had a slightly puzzled expression on her face, as if she was staring somewhere in the distance. The way he looked, he looked somehow terribly mature.

　Shiroe is a stubborn young man with a trinitarian stare, and he has a habit of furrowing his eyebrows when he stares at things (and indeed, he often does), giving him the impression of being stubborn. His winsome round glasses may fool some people at first impression, but once you get to know him a little, there are few people who don't notice the depth of his thoughtfulness and the breadth of his imagination.

　Nevertheless, there are some things that only Akatsuki knows.
　Akatsuki is a short man, but if you share your life like a family in a guild together, you'll see him in many different forms. The same is true when he's sitting on a bench, as he is now.

　Shiroe's dark hair is right in a whirlwind.
　Akatsuki thinks it's very pretty.
　At least the tufts of hair that extend from the back of that whirlwind, curled up like a sleeping habit, are very cute, like the rat's tail in the illustration.

　The sleeping habit still bounces around and makes me want to touch it with my fingertips. Of course, Akatsuki and Shiroe are both college students in the real world. They're not old enough to be able to do even such trivial touches without a second thought, so I'll put up with that desire.

(But my lord's whirligig is cute.)
　That's what Akatsuki thought.

What do you think, Akatsuki?
What's that?
...the people of this court and their reactions?
　Shiroe ties the words together vaguely. It's an impression that he can't specify clearly. I'm sure you're not the only one who's interested in this.

I'd say it's very interesting. It's a 50/50 split between goodwill and hostility. Fifty-fifty.
Well....
But I suppose it helps that the hostility is there, but not the harm.
?
　Hostility is hostility. It can be directed at an adversary, even a potential adversary or rival. Harmful intent, on the other hand, is more explicitly "the will to harm the other person".
　When this is explained to Shiroe, he mutters, "Well, it's not like you have a concrete plan yet, is it?

'Even if you say hostility, isn't the content of that hostility jealousy and envy?
'Well..... There seems to be a lot of distrust.
　Shiroe nodded several times in agreement with Akatsuki's words. I'm sure Shiroe was observing the surroundings in his own way, trying to figure out the meaning of his words and gaze. The reason I asked Akatsuki was to match his answers, or rather to reconcile his impressions.

　For the past few days, Akatsuki and his party have been the center of attention everywhere they have gone in the court.
　On the first day of the ball, Henrietta and Shiroe are the center of attention for their dancing. They changed partners and danced at least five songs with each other, and were accosted by many noblemen and wives of the nobility. It was the perfect way to storm into the social circles of the League of Free Cities.
　At that ball, Shiroe and Henrietta, and Krusty and Michitaka, to put it another way, were actively interacting with each other and selling their faces to the aristocrats.

　The petite and pretty Akatsuki seemed to be looked at quite strangely in the beginning.

　In their common sense, as long as they appeared in this great hall, they were either a member of the nobility themselves, or a member of their family or retinue. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect when you're in a position to make a decision.
　However, as a result of Shiroe's dance with Henrietta and the prestige of the dress Akatsuki was wearing, they seemed to have decided to treat her as a member of a noble family rather than a 'nobleman's squire'.

　If that happened, there would be many who would call on them.
　The sons of local lords, knights and others came to greet Akatsuki one after another. They offer him drinks, ask him to dance, etc. That's fine with me, but I obviously couldn't stand being treated like a child.

　You are already an adult.

　Why should I be treated as if I were speaking to a schoolboy? The only people who saw Akatsuki as an independent personality of equal age were the daughters and sons of noblemen in that hall, who were clearly low teens.

(Why should I be bothered by a child's companionable face?)

　It's annoying and searing in the pit of my stomach even as I recall it.

　Such responses were an everyday occurrence in the real world as well.
　I would be refused entry to an izakaya. They pat you on the head and tell you it's fine for child fare. I can't ride the roller coaster. I'm sick of it. I'm so sick of it that my character in Elder Tail, a tall, silent man, was all but wiped out by the disaster.

　He doesn't like being treated like a child and almost pulls out a hidden weapon (a kunai), but he restrains himself and runs away. I didn't want to be bothered with them anymore, so I retreated from the hall with my concealment technique and silent movement.
　In the days since then, he has used essentially the same technique to poke around inside the court.

　He lurks in the shadows of velvet curtains with plenty of drapes and carved pillars and eavesdrops on the stories of the nobility. Of course, he can't approach them blatantly. As a burglar, Akatsuki's senses have revealed that the Daichijin's secret agents are also hiding in this court. In this kind of hide and seek battle, unless one is carefully prepared, the one who finds them has an advantage over the one who is hiding.

　It's just a situation where peers "tolerate each other as long as they don't get into mischief". It's a "let's not get in the way of each other's business" mentality among spies.

　However, even with their sketchy reconnaissance, the aristocrats have discovered that they are sending far more secret agents into Akiba's streets than they expected. It seems that Akatsuki and the other adventurers and the Round Table are of great interest to them.
　Furthermore, the Daichijin are already well aware of the catastrophe, and they believe that it is the first step in a massive change that will shake the world.

The hostility, I suppose, is a matter of strength.
It seemed that way.

　The strength of the Adventurers is significant. About half of the 15,000 people in Akiba's city are probably at the 90th level. Even if we lower the average level to 70, there are still 15,000 70-level Adventurers.
　Their strength is far more than most lords have, according to what I overheard during my reconnaissance.

　Of course, these lords would never disclose all of their cards without thinking. However, a provincial lord, for example, said, ''My territory has fifteen thirty level knights and the rest of the guards, and about a hundred peasant soldiers. About 100 peasant soldiers........ Other than that, we'll have to hire mercenaries.''

''I see. I don't think that number is so false. If it's a weak lord in the Northeast, I think it's something like that.''
Really?

　Shiroe seemed to have done some research on that area beforehand. He affirmed what Akatsuki had heard.

'It's because of forces like that that we can't stop the brutal actions of an insolent 'adventurer's guild like Brigantia, for example. That can't be helped.
Yeah.

　The city of Akiba and the Round Table have no intention of waging war at the present time. In fact, they would rather cooperate with the Daichijinshi and live in peace in this world.
　Of course, if, for example, a war with the Daichijinshi is necessary for them to return to their home world, then there will be another discussion. However, the players would have no advantage in waging war with the Daichijinshi at the present time.

　But it would be too dangerous to blindly believe that the same logic applies to the Daichijin. First of all, Akatsuki and the Adventurers and the Earthlings have a different view of this world. They've been in the same boat for a long time. The Adventurers are an eyesore in their activities.

　The biggest problem is what Shiroe is talking about.
　How would you feel if there was a man in the same room with a machine gun if you could trust him, for example?　Living in that room would be a terribly stressful life.
　It doesn't matter so much whether the man with the machine gun is trustworthy or not in terms of character and personality. No matter how virtuous your character is, it's impossible to understand it when you haven't spent time with him before. The mere presence of a man with a machine gun in the immediate vicinity is unsettling enough.

'We haven't finished accurately assessing each other's abilities, you know.
　Shiroe has a point again.

　To use the earlier analogy, the man who lives in the same room as me is carrying a "somewhat scary weapon". He does not know whether it is a machine gun or a chainsaw. Maybe it is an insignificant weapon such as a fruit knife or disposable chopsticks, but in the worst case it could be a grenade or even an anti-tank missile. In that case, the whole room would be pulverized.

　Since they don't know what weapons the other party has, I don't think the nobleman knows whether "we will be safe if we take them down by surprise" or "we must live in such a way that we will never offend them, no matter how humiliating".

Do you want to engage in a showdown?
No, it's a ploy. You can't throw out too much fear. I mean, it's a hundred times worse, even if it's for two reasons.
Well....
　Akatsuki's suggestion was summarily rejected by Shiroe.

　However, Akatsuki is not too depressed about this sort of thing. He's a man Akatsuki recognizes as his lord, and he wants him to flap his wings so high that Akatsuki can't catch up with him in his specialty of thought combat (field). Akatsuki can just support Shiroe with his special skills that only Akatsuki can do, and he's happy with that.

(Huh...?)

　I'm happy with it.
　I'm supposed to be satisfied.
　I feel like I'm stuck in something, and it makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I don't know why, though, so it's a slight discomfort that I have no problem ignoring.

(No problem.)

　It's getting late.

　Any more late nights could have an adverse effect on the many intrigues and intelligence battles that would begin at dawn. It would be nothing if it was Akatsuki himself, but Shiroe was in charge of the general staff. When Akatsuki was about to recommend that she get some sleep, she felt a slight shake of magic around her.

　Shiroe must have felt it almost at the same time.
　He rose from the bench as if being played, and before he knew it, he had a short wand (wand) in his hand.
　Akatsuki and Shiroe, who were also holding their small swords, were met by a skinny man.

　A scholarly robe. An amethyst head ring stuck to his forehead. A scrawny figure with skin plastered directly over minimal muscle. If that had been all it was, it would have seemed sinister, but the man's expression revealed a twisted sense of humor, which seemed to be somehow charming or endearing.
　The man bowed his head in a theatrical manner, and then spoke up.

"You must be Mr. Shiroe from the Log Horizon, I presume. I am Li-Gun of Miral Lake. I am a sorcerer. Henceforth, please get acquainted. "I have come before you tonight to have a word with Master Shiroe.




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



"Yippee!
　A cloud of sand smoke rose in a heap, and the boy who spun around neatly flew through the air. The boy did two or three spins in the air and then with a bang, he plunged headfirst into the sea.

'Ooooh!　You're doing it with a lot of flair!
　Relaxing in the shadow of a beach parasol, Marielle looks at it and then laughs.

　This is the "Maynion Coast".
　It's one of the most beautiful white sand coastlines on the Zantorif Peninsula. By the way, it's a convenient 30-minute ride from the school building where Marielle and her friends are lodging.

　Marielle took out an iced soda from the cooler box and table beside her and quenched her throat. She took off her tank top to reveal a brightly colored bikini, just like a vacation fashion.
　Her equipment, including beach parasols, deck chairs, and a leisure seat, was flawless.

(Haha. This is it. This is it, isn't it? I'm in heaven.
　Marielle has been praised for her smile, but this is the first time she's worn a melting angel smile that's ten times bigger than her normal one.

　I don't have Sun Oil, but my body in this world seems to be pretty tough. I'll be able to handle it. I even got my swimsuit the hard way.

　In the days of Elder Tail, clothing was almost synonymous with equipment. In the combat-focused RPGs of Elder Tail, equipment was a synonym for armor and weapons, but not for underwear.

　Of course, if you exclude all equipment from the polygon model, underwear would appear, but this was mainly to hide the important parts of the game from the user's eye, and was meant to be a protective feature (age restriction), so all you could see was a pair of monochromatic underwear with no s*x appeal.

　This underwear is only "visible" on the character screen, but it doesn't exist. Nowadays, they don't even appear on the screen, so if you are naked, you are naked on the character screen.

　However, in the otherworldly Elder Tail, underwear is very important. Japanese people, who have lived in a normal, civilized society, cannot bear to be without underwear.
　I knew that they could change their clothes (or equipment) if they were prepared, but underwear is something that requires a very high level of sewing skill. The residents, who had almost given up on the idea of producing them, were given a breakthrough.

　The "seamstresses" in Akiba caught the attention of the city's "seamstresses" with their "swimsuits".
　The Elder Tail, which was known for its beautiful graphics, had many special items of equipment, including changes in appearance. The "swimsuit" is one such item, and in many cases, it exists as a rare recipe, and special recipes were sometimes given away as gifts at events.

　Of course, "swimwear" and "underwear" are two different things.
　There are differences in moisture absorption and skin slippage when worn for long periods of time. But the situation tells us to ignore the small differences. This is why the underwear situation in Akiba was eased by the excellent seamstresses.

　On the other hand, after the formation of the Round Table, new item creation methods allowed the seamstresses to produce better-quality cotton and silk underwear.
　Naturally, the demand is high, and the number of "underwear" items created by seamstresses is gradually increasing. After all, the common sense developed in the old world is strong, and even Marielle would like to change her underwear regularly, and she would like to have a few pairs of underwear. Nowadays, underwear is one of the most profitable items for the seamstresses in Akiba.

　Materials such as hooks, lace, and elastic can be obtained by creating and disassembling "clothing items" from the menu, so the trick to perfecting an item is to be creative in this area and to sew it with care. Since it's hand-sewn, the price is about a bit of an intermediate magic item. More than 300 pieces of gold coins are hard to come by.

　The "swimsuit" can be made in a short period of time if you make it with the original recipe that is implemented from scratch, so the price is cheap. But it's a modest one that doesn't consume rare items. The high level fashionable items cost a good amount of money, but Marielle, as a veteran player who loved things, also possessed several outfits. This time, he turned over the junk that had been lying in the safe deposit box and searched for it.

　Marielle's swimsuit was an aggressive bikini that would have been a bit of a marvel if she was on the beach in the "Old World". It's not a particularly small amount of fabric, but Marielle's foul body line and sharp cut lines make her look sensational.

　Marielle may be aware of this, but she was also wearing a short cotton cape over her shoulders instead of a hoodie.

(Well, in such a public place........ (Well, in such a public place........) And that's embarrassing in its own way...)

　Marielle is reassured that she is safe as long as she wears her cape. The fact that the view of the bikini bottom peeking out from the bottom line of the cape is disgusting to her, but she doesn't realize it. Marielle is completely at peace as she enjoys her vacation with a smile on her deckchair.

"Mr. Marielle, Mr. Marielle!
　The boy who had just flown in the air comes running up to me.

　The boy, holding a spear-like weapon with a spear on each side, could be a samurai. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one, but I'm not the only one.

'Please treat me!'
　If you look at the boy, he's bleeding profusely from the head.
"Yes,
　Marielle nodded vigorously and activated the Healing Light spell, raising only her upper body. A white light shaped like a hexagram born from Marielle's fingertips was sucked into the boy, and his HP quickly recovered in a flash.

''Yada!　I'm cured.
　The boy happily runs his hand over the wound. The bleeding on his head seems to be completely healed. The Healing Light spell is a low-grade immediate spell with a relatively small amount of recovery, with a short chanting time in Marielle's possession.
　Originally, it was a small recovery spell used as a stopgap when the reuse restriction time for large-scale recovery spells was not enough, or when there was no time for "Reaction Activation Recovery" and the like, but even so, it was apparently capable of recovering all the HP of a 10th level "warrior".

''Thank you!''
Yeah, yeah.
　Marielle smiles at him.

'Anyway, go ahead and do it again!　Catch a lot of crabs!　It's recommended to attack in a way that makes you hide to the side as much as possible. Consult with the recovery status of your special skills while you're at it.
Yes!　Yes, sir.
　The boy energetically kicks the sand and runs off.

　When you find an apple-red giant crab that has come ashore from the shore at the end of Marielle's vision, you change your course. I'm going to be able to get my spear ready and close the distance at once. The size of the crab is about one meter, and if it spreads its legs out as far as it can, it will be close to two meters. It is truly "huge".

　The boy dives in with all his might and slams his spearhead into the crab's flank as if he were flipping it over. This time, he seems to go into a well-controlled motion.

　There were five or six such new players around Marielle. They were the least adventurous players in this summer camp.

　Marielle had come to this coast as the leader of such players.

　During the summer months, countless giant crabs (ascot crabs) come ashore on the Meignion Coast. If left unchecked, these crabs would come ashore from the shoreline in droves, damaging livestock and fields, so the earthlings were not very happy to see them.
　However, their threat is low, with a monster level of 4 to 8. Individuals vary, but they're just right for training newcomers.

　If you spend all day fighting like this, coupled with training your feet and legs on the beach, you'll gain enough experience. If you take too much damage, you can come over to Marielle and get a recovery spell.
　　If you run out of MP, take a break.
　This means you'll be able to train in a very dense training camp.

　Of course, this is also Marielle's big vacation mission.

Torya!
d*mn it!　You son of a b*tc*!　Down!
It's gone!
　Marielle lies down again on the deck chairs, listening to the brash newcomer's voice. The soda from the cold glass cooled her sweat as it slowly boiled over.
　It was truly a heavenly time.

　I can't stop my face from smiling on its own.

　Many of the new players here are hoping to become production professionals.
　Even though it's already about to enter the third month since the Great Disaster, the fact that they are indulging in such a low level is probably a sign that they have an aversion to combat.
　That in itself is fine. The fact that combat freaks can go to work because the production hobbyist players are backed up in town is present.

　However, in this other world, a full production job is risky. Not having any fighting ability at all would be too lacking in survival skills in times of crisis, and above all, a certain adventurer level is also effective as a producer. If it's just a bit of material, there are many aspects of the game that are quicker if you can go and collect fields yourself.

　It may be that such persuasion has worked.
　Or maybe they had felt that way before, but the producers' guild had given up because they didn't have an adequate backup system for combat training. The low-level players gathered on this beach seemed to be eagerly repeating their crab hunting practice.

　Once the seeds were revealed, every time they were about to falter, Marielle would cast a recovery spell on them with a smile like a sunflower, making it impossible for them to retreat. A boy's pride is a sad thing.
　It's a good thing that you have a good idea of what you're doing.
　The only person who doesn't dream of having such a reason is Marielle herself.

(Everyone's such a hard worker........ (Wow, nice weather)
　It was Marielle who was enjoying her vacation with her munchies.

　The sandy beach is also patrolled by mid-level players dispatched by the Kiel and the West Wind Brigade as instructors and guards. Marielle's only job is to wait here in charge (for her part, she enjoys her vacation) and to heal the occasional wounded person who comes by with a recovery spell.

　Marielle, frazzled with leisure, turned over for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
　The damp air was crisp and dry, and while it was quite hot, it was less uncomfortable.

　So it was a coincidence that he recognized a white, bubbling line off shore that he had casually looked at. It was just a whim that beckoned to a small dragon that was passing nearby.

"Hey, Koryu. That's what it is, isn't it?
　Marielle points to a white line offshore.

'Hmm. What is it? ........bubbles?　Wake, I guess. Hmm.

　But the topic eventually stayed on.
　Because after a while that white line disappeared and, apart from that, nothing happened after that. The group continued to hunt for crabs until the sun went down, resulting in a large amount of crab meat and crab shells.

　The mysterious white line had all but disappeared from the minds of Marielle and the others as they returned to the abandoned school building to prepare for the production training in the evening.