It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with your friends. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. Touya smiled at me and lightly kicked an improvised drum set with cans and boxes strapped to it to greet me.
　Isuzu gives a smile that Isuzu herself seems to find fearless and lifts her lute a bit. It's the lute of the Spiritual Game, "An Di Froide", built by Marielle and modified by the Roderick Trading Company.
　It's a small, tiny stage, at the center of the store, the space is ten meters square. It was the Bloom Hall, one of the many restaurants on the central street in Akiba.
　Originally just an abandoned building in the area, it was the subject of an experimental renovation by the Organization of Oceanography, and was given to the Adventurers. It has undergone several renovations since then, and is now owned by the Seventh Drum and Bugle Corps. Many of the staff members who run the restaurant are Daichijin. Many of the adventurers are too busy to run the store or do any administrative work. The mainstream of Akiba's shops are now run as a symbiotic joint venture.
　The interior of the country-style store was brightly lit with magic lights.
　When Isuzu bowed his head in the light, he was met with loud applause.
　There would be about seventy seats in the restaurant. It was almost full.
　There are sturdy canvas-covered sofas and candy-colored tables, a menu on the wall, and handwritten event schedules scattered around.
　The adventurers and the earthlings huddled together in the city of Akiba pooled their wits and put their heads together to create a restaurant that was neither like this nor like that. Unlike the original world, there are no commonplace, simple interiors and efficient architecture. Every single guild hall, residence and shop is handmade.
　The shop, which has a miscellaneous atmosphere, has a stage the size of a small veranda and operates in a form somewhere between a restaurant, fast food and a live music venue. In a fantasy novel, it would be a speakeasy, but the adventurers of Akiba don't drink as much as the adventurers in those novels. They tend to focus more on eating than drinking. This restaurant reflects this trend, with its cheerful atmosphere.

　Looking around the restaurant, Isuzu tries to diminish her nervousness as much as possible, and she finds a few familiar faces in the seating area and decides to prepare herself.
　Being nervous is a good thing.
　If it makes you feel like you're having fun, you'll be better at it.
　Isuzu boldly stirred the first note.
　It wasn't until the performance started that he thought about many things. After that, I know I'll feel like I'm bursting at the seams.
　The time we were given was for six songs. It's long enough to make any dream come true, and short enough to end in three blinks.
　The sound of Isuzu's heart racing in anticipation of the song is what seems to be jumping out of her throat.
　Smiling at her heartbeat, which seemed to match perfectly with the rhythm of Touya's kicking drums, Isuzu scattered the eighth note (tadpole) in the air.
　The production-grade item Shiroe gave me, the "Claws of the Amber Dragon," slid over the strings. It's not the way a lute was meant to be played, but it's a flashy way to play. It's like going around a skating rink, Isuzu thought in a corner of her mind.
　The joy surged through me like a wave.
　Each strumming of the tightly packed strings makes the resistance and vibrations seep through the fingertips and into the wrist. It was a popping stimulus, like hundreds of times stronger than a burst of soda water. It was a joy for Isuzu.
　Isuzu's cheeks loosened sluggishly at the mere thought of having the instrument in both hands. The instrument is giving birth in response to Isuzu's request. The lute spun a crisp riff in response to Isuzu's request. Now it's Isuzu's turn.

　Feeling like a birthday greeting, Isuzu puts the first word on her lips.
　My voice, which should be ordinary and unremarkable, echoes through the store more cheerfully than I expected. It's a live voice because this world has no electric loudspeaker technology. Even so, it was enough to fill this not-so-large shop.
　Isuzu always feels very strange. Did her own voice, which was nothing more than that of a country girl who could be anywhere, sound like this?
　It is only in the last month that Isuzu has been performing here, not surprisingly. Isuzu's experience on the stage is more than one handful of times, and there is no way that the suburban hometown she lived in before the disaster could ever have had a similar experience. At best I knew it as a container-like karaoke box on a main road surrounded by vacant lots and fields.
　So I'm always amazed at how sweet and full of life my own voice is.
　But it's only a breath or two away.
　The flood of sound swallowed up my pondering and hesitation.
　I move my arms, which tremble like a hot flash, like a chunk, and shake my voice with my chattering throat.
　It was a rock number that was nothing out of the ordinary, a commonplace rock number on earth.
　It was a song that Isuzu had listened to since she was a little girl, a song that she had learned from her father's collection.
　Isuzu played and sang that familiar tune with a raging momentum. Isuzu's aura of a minstrel was so strong that Touya was providing the drums, but there was no other instrument. In the original world, this was a small, awkward stage, not even a band.
　But such apologies were meaningless in the face of the joy that bubbled up like a summer cloud.

　Isuzu was singing on Isuzu's stage.
　It was a much more intense and moving experience than Isuzu had imagined.
　In the light of the magic light, Isuzu became something other than Isuzu. Gone was the frizzy-haired high school girl with a crisp body that was only thin and lacking in ups and downs. She became the Isuzu of the troubadour, the confident, shining smile of the lute strumming minstrel.
　The burst of joy brought clear vision to Isuzu.
　In the tightly packed seats, various people were watching the Isuzu.
　Everyone was smiling.
　The dwarf, the manager, who had become a familiar face, had his big mouth tied into a helix and was still happily tapping his toes in rhythm. Isuzu, as if in return, stuck out her lute with her body and delivered the F sound like an arch.
　Nyanta and Serara, seated at the counter, were watching us as we twisted around and looked at the stage. Serara's cheeks look like they're on fire, and Nyanta is smiling at them. Serara was really cute with her little fists clenched in front of her chest. She was the most Otojo-like girl Isuzu had ever known. Calm and gentlemanly, Nyanta seemed to enjoy playing slowly, her silver whiskers swaying.
　Their soft atmosphere flows into the Isuzu and gives the lute an extra sparkle.

　The first song was over and most of the people in the restaurant were banging on the table in time with the drums. It was fun. Isuzu was now in the belly of the bass drum. It was one percussion instrument in the restaurant. Isuzu was so happy that she was spinning around in circles. Chasing the tail of the pigtails in her vision, Isuzu's heart beat as it bounced on her ankles.
　It was frustrating and sad. Would Isuzu's happiness be felt by everyone?
　Thanks to the lute, which can still spin precise phrases in the midst of the dizzying dizziness. This lute is Isuzu's partner.
　Isuzu was freed from Hameln, but didn't know what to do with it, but she found this lute in the Crescent Moon Alliance. It is said that Marielle, the guild master who was a woodworker, made it in the past. It has been modified and remodeled here and there, so it doesn't have any trace of its first days, but it is certain that this lute has helped to heal the loneliness of the other world's exile.
　Isuzu and Lute were no longer one and the same.
　In the life of this world where there is no school or club activities, Isuzu's life is limited to doing guild chores, hunting with her friends, or playing the lute.
　In this world with no TV or web, no wires or movies, if you want to listen to music, you have no choice but to strum your own lute.

　At the end of the ribbon-like cable extending from a reassuring partner, a spirit that resembles a teru teru bozu is bellowing at the end of the cable. It is a spirit that picks vibrations from the body of the lute and magnifies them. This is an ingenious idea from the Roderick Trading Company, which converted a low-level item, the Siren's Shell, which allows for the summoning of a squire. The lute, an ancient musical instrument that originally had a delicate and elegant tone, has evolved into a mysterious instrument that has increased its range of expression through its ingenuity. However, Isuzu is very fond of her partner.
　The magic light I was looking at blinked and smiled at me.
　I'd forgotten about it. Thank you.
　With that in mind, Isuzu nodded.
　What song is it now?　It's dizzying and I'm not sure. I think we did three or four songs.
　My hot body feels like it's going to fly away. It's like growing wings and not a shred of fatigue.
　Could this be because of the increase in physical strength that comes with being an adventurer?
　It feels a little different too.
　Rather, it felt like there was a cable attached to Isuzu's back, from which more and more energy was being charged. It was a viciously raging avalanche of joy, with the sound of kicks ticking down the beat and the stomping of feet filling the store. Isuzu bellowed a cheerful and silly rock number. It was an oldie from his father's collection.

　It wouldn't be a good performance, Isuzu thought.
　After all, Isuzu had no musical talent.
　Isuzu had grown up hearing that dozens of times from her father.
　Isuzu is a mass-produced country high school girl. She can only play a few instruments at the school festival, and her singing is at the level of after-school karaoke. Neither of them were educated, and neither of them could match the skills of their musician father.
　But that doesn't mean that these circumstances have nothing to do with the present, right now, in this glorious moment.
　Joy is not a feeling, it's not a vague one.
　It's not a vague thing, it's the energy of the present.
　This colorless and transparent power, which is usually invisible and untouchable, lies dormant within everyone. It's in Isuzu, in Touya, in Nyanta and Serara, and in all the people who are gathered here at the moment.
　It poured out and poured onto the stage, connected to Isuzu, and made her play the lute. So it doesn't really matter what your talent is. It's fun, it's happy, and everyone is happy, which is proof of that.

　I saw a golden glow by the entrance of the shop, the furthest thing from Isuzu's view.
　The doggie prince, his cheeks stained with excitement, was waving his arms at Isuzu.
　Just by looking at it, Isuzu's lute became even more brilliant and lightly broke through the limit.
　Isuzu, filled with an incomprehensible feeling, gave up the cheeks that were about to loosen, smiled broadly, bared her teeth, and wiped the neck of her lute as a return gift. I was embarrassed and embarrassed, and I couldn't help it. The pinkened notes are about to overflow.
　The next number would be in such a good mood that it would blow everything away.
　It's a slow ballad that Isuzu's ally, colleague, resident baggage handler, walker's guard and prince, Rundelhaus-Cord, loves to play.
　Since it can't be helped, let's make this song a reward for Rudy.
　Isuzu took a deep breath at that thought.
　In the glow of the magic light, which was softly squeezed out of the air, Isuzu began to sing the next song.

　It was one of the more special performances of the day.


　◆


It's a little warm tonight, isn't it?
Yes, kitten.
　A short walk away from the store, the night of Akiba still shows its true face.
　This is a world where there are no radios or wired broadcasts, no cars or even railroads, and no connection to the hustle and bustle of the city. Unless there is a festival like the Balance Festival, but at this time of year when February has just begun, the morning and evening temperatures are still very cold, so the city is quiet at night.
　After leaving the Bloom Hall, Isuzu, Rundelhaus, Touya, Nyanta and Serara were smiling as they headed back to the guild.
　Milky-white lights were lit here and there by the Hotarubito, and the group was also led by Rundel House's Magic Light.
　Everyone was in a good mood.
　Rundelhaus, who was leading the way, seemed excited to be talking to Touya.
　Serara and Nyanta also seemed to be enjoying themselves. Isuzu followed behind in fluffy happiness.
　Touya and Rundelhaus are carrying a large package, but Isuzu is just carrying her lute in her chest. Today, as we only walk through the city, everyone is wearing normal clothes and not even carrying weapons. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time in the city. Come to think of it, half a year has already passed since the defensive battle for Choshi Town.

Miss Isuzu. Are you okay?　Aren't you tired?
I'm totally fine. I'm full of energy!
　Rundelhaus turns around and asks him, worried about Isuzu, who was walking slowly.
　He had misled her.
　Isuzu just wanted to stare at everyone in a satisfied mood.

''Let's go back to the guildhouse before our bodies get cold.
I'm so hungry!
　Nyanta and Touya exchanged such an exchange as they crossed one small intersection.
　All of their friends walking down the street at night have peaceful expressions on their faces.
　Both Rundel House and Isuzu are now completely at home in the "Horizon of Records".
　The Horizon of Records is a calm and comfortable guild. Isuzu has become a close friend of Minori, who is not present here. It's even as if she's been with her healthy, sincere, younger friend for years now. The same goes for Serara. Isuzu also loved her with her melting smile next to Nyanta.
　Isuzu's ally, Rundelhaus, also seemed to have relaxed the tense expression he had shown at the Forest of Raglander. Isuzu and Touya, as a group of young boys, have become friends. It's really noisy when they're together. Isuzu learned that boys, when they acted in a group, their mental age decreased.
　She gradually became friends with the older members of the guild, such as Shiroe, Nyanta, Naotsugu and Akatsuki.
　Nyanta was the oldest member of the friendly guild. He was a calm, stylish dandy, and the guild's kitchen was his domain. The younger group, grabbed by the kryptonite called the stomach, became dazzled by Nyanta in no time.
　Naotsugu is a young man who has come to understand Touya and Rundel House. He's the mood-maker for the older group who always talks back and forth, but Isuzu thinks he's surprisingly attentive. If there are any problems with the guild's interior or facilities, Naotsugu is the best person to consult.
　Lately, Naotsugu, Touya and Rundelhaus (and sometimes Nyanta) seem to be developing something of a male friendship. They're training for it. It's a bit childish, but Isuzu and Minori are pretending not to see it. Rundelhaus and Touya followed Naotsugu's lead and went out here and there, often coming back covered in mud with a smirk on their faces. Minori and Isuzu would prepare to take a bath each time with a bitter smile.
　Akatsuki was a quiet, bitter and mysterious woman. She may be shy and shy of people, but when she spoke to them, she was often met with a blunt response. Isuzu was once thought to be a bit of a pain in the ass when she first joined the guild, but in truth she was kind and hidden. But in truth, she's a kind person with a hidden sense of humor. She loves to do laundry and clean up, and has a habit of doing so on a large scale without help. If you see the sheets of the guild fluttering on the balcony when you're not looking, it's because Akatsuki has done it.
　The one who joined the Horizon of Records at the beginning of the year was a priest named Tetra. Isuzu was embraced by him from the first meeting, as he seems to be a fearless person. Isuzu wasn't the only one who was embraced. I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on. The lively Tetra is bright and cheerful and has quickly become a mood-maker for the guild.
　On the other hand, the one I didn't understand for a long time was Shiroe, the guild master.
　He's not at all seen the amazing parts of his life, such as when he's usually eating, he's in a daze or handing out condiments and small plates to everyone. The part where he's napping on the sofa in the living room looks exhausted. Naotsugu and Akatsuki treat him wickedly, telling him to go to his room because he's useless when it comes to cleaning and shopping.
　The rumors I've heard on the street are that he has a bad eye, an evil schemer, a demon that holds the number of lives in Akiba, the mastermind behind the Round Table, and so on and so forth. Even Isuzu agreed that he had bad eyesight, but isn't that a bit of an overbought assessment?　Many of them think that this is a good thing.
　Not only that, but according to Minori, a close friend of Shiroe's, who has known him longer than Isuzu, Shiroe is a really nice young man. He is kind, caring, intelligent, gentlemanly and can do anything he wants - that's what I've been told.
　He's such an incoherent figure that it's as if there are three different types of Shiroe on a daily basis.
　Isuzu came to know Shiroe a little better when she said to Nyanta one day, "Shiroe's family has eldest son disease. Shiroe is an incredibly hard-working person, to the point where Isuzu can't believe it, which is beyond the norm. And while there are areas in which she shows tremendous talent, Isuzu thinks she's also clumsy in other respects.
　After understanding Shiroe a little better, Isuzu was able to support Minori honestly.
　Isuzu and Isuzu slowly built up a rapport with the "Record Horizon" as time went on.

　Every day is a forceful one, Isuzu thinks.
　People are hungry in the morning, noon and night without doing anything.
　When they are hungry, they need to eat and they have to prepare for it. Nyanta has a sub-job as a chef in the Historia no Horizons, but that doesn't mean that he can't do all the preparation of meals.
　To begin with, meal preparation is hard work in this world. It's not like in the original world where there are plenty of handy cut vegetables, seasonings and instant foods. Preparing a single meal can easily be a full day's work if you want to cook something elaborate, and you can't go to an internet supermarket to buy ingredients for a meal.
　It's not healthy to leave such heavy work to a single Nyanta. In Records of Horizon, it was decided that breakfast would be a meal that could be prepared and eaten without cooking, and "Nyantanha Squad Leader's Day" was instituted twice a week.
　Preparing meals is a common problem for all guilds, and the most conspicuous restaurants in Akiba are the ones we see. There are many set lunch and soup shops that you can stop by for a quick bite. Maybe it's because it's a town where gamers have come together. There are many shops that serve quality, filling food, followed by confectionery shops, take-out snack shops and food stalls. There are only a handful of trendy shops for a date, and very few of them are upscale.
　There were many shops selling prepared food from the beginning, but after the Daihachi Shopping Street took the initiative in creating a food stall village and a shopping mall underneath the guard of the abandoned Akiba Station, people began to buy a variety of food with peace of mind.
　On "Nyanta Squad Leader's Day Off," the members of the guild would go to such a store to buy prepared food or to eat out together.

　Such eating out habits began to change just a little bit around the time of Snowfell.
　Isuzu was scouted through a chance to perform at the Bloom Hall, and she began to play small gigs, like today's, about once a week.
　The Bard's abilities do not correct or improve their playing or singing. However, the Adventurer, who does not have a Bard or similar subordinate position, is limited in his or her musical abilities. No matter how well they play, it is possible for them to automatically sound out of tune.
　A sub-occupation, such as Diva, would mean that, with practice, she could sing well and not be held back by the limitations of her abilities. The lifting of restrictions by the Bard extends to those around her, so when Isuzu goes on stage, she often asks Touya, Minori, and Serara to play rhythm and sub-instruments for her. The doggie prince is mainly a cheerleader, unfortunately, since he didn't have the aptitude for music himself.

'I wish Minori could have come too,'
Yeah.
It can't be helped. Minori, I've got a part-time job.
Was that at Mr. Karasin's?
I take it that Miss Minori is a professional woman.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha.
But it should be over by now, right?
I think he's coming back with Brother Shiroe?
　The heartbeats that had been soaring from being immersed in the whirlpool of sound slowly returned to normal, soothed by the conversations of my friends walking in front of me. It was accompanied by a loneliness, like a dream going away, and yet it was accompanied by a happiness that couldn't be erased.
(I'll never be a professional like my dad, but I can at least pull a lute every once in a while to relieve my gloom.)

　One thing I was reminded of when I got on stage.
　Isuzu seems to have liked the music much more than he thought. The lute in both arms is caressed lovingly. The leaning body is the resonance part. Isuzu was in charge of the wood bass, and I thought the lute had a delicacy and antiquity that the wood bass did not.
(Uhehehe.)
　The old wood basses were mass-produced (if so, they were surprisingly expensive for a high school girl, Isuzu), but this lute was one of Marielle's creations. The two sides of the strings are inlaid with elegant mother-of-pearl inlay, made from a mosaic of the rainbow colors of the inner shell. The pattern, which resembles a dolphin, is Isuzu's favorite, even though it has been modified here and there since the day it was given to me.
　It's a rocker, and I have to have one of my favorite things!　For Isuzu, the Lute (Flying Dolphin), the Flying Dolphin, is her favorite instrument.

Isuzu's name is Lute, the Flying Dolphin.　Isuzu-neechan.
Huh?
Mr. Isuzu.
　The next thing I noticed was that everyone had gathered around Isuzu.
''Heh?　Heh?
He was smirking, man.
No, it's not!
He was smiling.
　Isuzu put her hand on her cheek. Her hot cheeks certainly seemed to loosen up if she checked to see if she had such a face.
''Miss Isuzu is still in a state of excitement.
It's not like that, Rudy!
　When Isuzu raises its voice in a way that makes it sound like it's about to close in on you, Rundelhaus gives a gasping, but still gentle smile and asks for help from the people around him. Isuzu-neechanechan was amazing," Touya replied, "Indeed, Isuzu-neechan was amazing.
That's not true. That was nothing special. We've had an instrument at home since we were kids, so I can just play it a little bit.
No, they didn't. Everyone seemed happy.
　Next to Serara, who agreed with a smiling face, even Nyanta praised Isuzu. Isuzu, whose face was turning bright red, was further pursued by her supposed ally, Rundelhaus.
''Miss Isuzu is such an artist that even a genie can't help it. Strange music enriches the night in this city. The journey begins next week, and it will be a joyful one with her in it. ...Hmm, what's the matter with you?　Miss Isuzu?
D-ka-dee-dee-ha!
　Isuzu chased around the Rundell House, unable to resist the embarrassment.
　She was happy, but she couldn't even get a decent look at everyone's faces. In the still cold night air, the chase continued until they arrived at the Guild House.


　◆



　In the six months following the catastrophe, the Guild Hall was one of the most renovated buildings in Akiba among the ruins.
　The first floor houses the guild office, bank and hall. The second to fourth floors are like a hotel corridor with transferable doors for guild halls that can be rented out to individual guilds. The eighth floor houses the meeting hall of the Six Tilt Princesses that was used when the Round Table was established.
　The fifth through seventh floors used to be a building that had no occupants and looked like a rental building. In the game of Elder Tail, it was a purposeless space. This was, of course, right after the Catastrophe. After the formation of the Round Table, the vacant space in the building that served as its home base was turned into a valuable space that was used for a variety of purposes.
　The Balance Festival led to the establishment of the Producers Guild Liaison Association and the establishment of offices for many other Roundtable-related organizations. The Roundtable is the self-governing body of Akiva town, but its governing capacity is not as high as it might appear. The power of the Roundtable itself is small, and its practical capacity is low.
　The fact that the Roundtable is able to govern the city of Akiba in its own right is a testament to the fact that the number of members of the major guilds that have participated in the Roundtable is not small in number among Akiba residents, that the residents of Akiba trust the Roundtable, and that the residents of Akiba, as former Internet gamers, have high expectations of the governing body. There are various reasons for this, such as the fact that Akiba is not a place where people can do anything they want, and the fact that altruistic residents are active in volunteer activities.
　Akiba's streets are full of the atmosphere of freedom. In a world where it is not so difficult militarily or economically to survive, Akiba's inhabitants spend their days in the style of their own choice. Those who want to hunt go to the outskirts of the city, those who want to produce hide in their workshops, and those who want to sell and interact with others run shops.
　The general feeling among Akiba residents was that local government was fine as long as it didn't interfere with what those individuals wanted to do.
　Of course, that was the sense of the residents, and the Roundtable has a lot more work to do than they thought. Residents may think that they should be able to carry out their own favorite activities, but there are naturally cases where the freedom of several residents clash, even if it is just for one priority of an abandoned building they want to use as a store.
　Even so, it is the fate of a governing body to deal with a vast number of matters, and the Round Table Conference is no exception.

"Hey, hey, it's over here, nigga.
Same here. Mr. Isaac.
　The two men sat in a corner of the brightly lit dining hall on the basement floor of the Guild Hall, congratulating each other on a job well done. They were Guildmaster Shiroe of the Horizon of Records and Guildmaster Isaac of the Black Sword Order.
　Although it is called a basement cafeteria, this space is more of a shared space where people can eat and drink. The light from the "Hotarubito Lamp" pours down from the high ceiling, and the clean atmosphere of the tables are arranged in a geometric pattern with seating for four or two. The space is divided into several areas, with private rooms and small conference rooms at the far end.
　There is no separate kitchen for serving food and drink here. There are four restaurants that share the two kitchens, each selling their own food. The purchasers carry their food through self-service and eat in this space.

　Shiroe and the others were stationed at an officer's table with seating for eight.
　The table was lined with maps, papers and writing materials. Various tools and equipment overflowed from the bags at their feet. Obviously, this is not an atmosphere for eating and drinking, but this is not the first time this has happened, so the situation is familiar.
''What are you talking about? Wasn't it mostly me who organized the materials for the Black Sword?
　A young man with an astonished face calls out to Isaac with a slumped shoulder. This is Rezalic, Isaac's second in command. Isaac gives a manly grin and insists that you don't get involved in small matters. The same Isaac is not wearing his usual armor today, but rather the uniform of the Round Table. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of it.
　It seems that he is quite fond of the Roundtable's uniform. Shilohé thought so.
　Shiroe's was wearing his usual turtleneck. It's a convenient outfit for carrying around documents and doing office work.
　Shiroe has been doing a lot of work with Isaac lately, but he's not a good fit for office work. When he's in the office, he tries to run away from Isaac, and when he's in a meeting or preparing a document with Isaac, it's a restaurant or a tent on the road, no matter what.
　It was uncomfortable to sit in a store in the city of Akiba where they were doing business, so in that sense, Shiroe and the others were grateful for the common space in the basement of the Guild Hall.

''I don't really know, but is this how it's supposed to be?''
Yeah, that's fine. I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to be my escort.
I don't mind.
Isaac, you look like this and I'm looking forward to it.
f*ck you. Don't talk like that. Don't smother me like that.
　Shiroe laughed at their argument and tidied up the extra papers.
But what is it? It's a good thing that the world has turned into this kind of world, and yet the knightly drill is still going on.
The Black Sword, that's an Order.
　That's right, though," Isaac blurts out, his expression not so dark. He is staring at a document that he lifted rather curiously. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you want to do with it.
''As I said in our meeting earlier, it's also meant to be a goodwill thing.
But that doesn't mean we can't have goals. How many levels do I have to raise?
Give her a couple of things.
　Shiroe replied without looking up as she wiped the papers.
　This time, the Black Sword Knights were asked to conduct an ordeal in the capital of Maihama. The target was, of course, the knights of the Earthmen. Not only from the territory of Maihama, but also from other feudal lords' knightly orders, so the subject was not necessarily the Maihama Knights. It is billed as training for the Free City Alliance Eastar's "Earthlings" in general.
"You're pretty greedy for a long-term training program.
You're dealing with the earthlings. I don't want to get carried away.
'Really?　Hey.
　At Shiroe's denial, Isaac waved the conversation to his second in command standing behind him. Shaken, Rezalic asks, "Were you planning on power-leveling? I replied.
　Power leveling is a game term that refers to an immediate, semi-compulsory leveling up. It is the act of assigning a high level leader who takes the lead in fighting experienced monsters without interruption, giving a large amount of experience to the low level players in the party who follow at a safe distance. This is a common sight in MMO games, as it allows players to level up quickly and efficiently.
"Power leveling, that's a problem. You won't get any better at it.
　On the other hand, as Siloe answered, there are many who disagree with the idea. What you gain in power leveling is experience and level. There is no training to become proficient against one's rapidly growing physical and combat abilities. Even if physical performance itself, such as attack and endurance, may increase, it is detrimental to learning how to fight and play tactics.
The black-heartedness is hard-headed. Why don't you alternate power level and combat training? No, I'll give you more training. It's just too much work for them.
　Isaac laughed thickly and said so.
　Even as Shiroe, I don't blame him if he says so much. In the first place, even as Shiroe, I'm not completely rejecting power leveling itself. It's not uncommon for players who already have a high level character to use this type of growth method to create a second or third character.
　Besides, Shiroe is getting detention in Akiba this time. Even though it wouldn't take more than an hour to get to Maihama in the Gryphon, Isaac was in charge of the scene, and the division of labour wouldn't work if he was stingy with his policies.
Please don't put all your energy into it.
Yeah, I'll take care of it. But you're my bodyguard.
　Isaac ruffled his hair with a pensive expression and was silent for a while.

　The time was past dinner time. If you think of it as a kind of restaurant, this public space should also be a time for drawing in, but not even 10% of the customers are here.
　It's no wonder, then, that this place is a kind of company cafeteria used by the adventurers and earthlings who are contracted to work for the Roundtable. In principle, the Roundtable doesn't do any work that lingers until dinner time. In the first place, individuals who participate in the Roundtable and do a lot of work have their own guilds, and the actual work is usually done at their guild's home base. Shiroe, Michitaka, and Karashin all do so.
　That being the case, the people chatting in this common area at this time, laying out papers, are either special circumstances like Shiroe and Isaac, or they're just eccentric people who are working to make themselves at home in this guild hall. There are not many of them.

'You still can't reach Krusty's idiot?
'Yes. He hasn't responded to the friends list either.
"He's not even bothering with his own guild. It's going to be gone.
I don't think it's that bad.
　Shiroe replied.
　It has been nearly three months since Krusty went missing in the mountains of Owu. 'It's going to be gone,' Isaac said, 'but that's usually enough time for a guild to collapse.
　Generally speaking, MMORPG guilds are terribly fragile.
　This is because guilds in the MMORPG "Elder Tail" were not about labor relations or contracts, but simply about "playing together". Friendships in the space of communication without physical constraints, such as living near each other or being classmates at the same school, were purer than face-to-face friendships, but they were also more fragile because of this.
　If one of the participants says, "I don't want to be here anymore," there is almost no way to stop them from doing so. The exception is guilds such as the Hamelin, which has been known to interfere with the withdrawal process.

　The heart of a guild is often its leader.
　It is the leader who decides the direction of the guild, and it is often the leader who sets the tone for the guild. If any problems or conflicts arise within the guild, it is the leader's job to take care of the worst of it. In order for a guild to continue as a guild, the leader is a device that is necessary.
　In fact, after Krusty's disappearance, many of the members of D.D.D. have left the guild.
　This is probably because they feel uneasy about the leaderless organization. I can't blame them for that.
　In fact, no matter how much this is a real world and the need for mutual aid organizations for survival, the fact that a guild has been without a guild leader for three months is commendable enough in itself.
　The number of members who had left the guild was not even close to fifty, Shiroe had received a report from the Liese, who had a somber expression on her face. The praise for her was not an expedient way to run the . It was Shiroe's true feelings that she thought it was an amazing guild.
''You're worried, belly-button.''
What about you, Mr. Isaac?
You have no reason to worry about him. He's a Berserker. He's probably out there playing or fighting somewhere.
Well.
　Shiroe nodded vaguely.
　She didn't want to deny Isaac's words.
　It's not that I don't want to deny what Isaac said, but I believe that Krusty was sent to a server other than Yamato, or to a zone where the telephony function is restricted, due to some sort of transference accident. This is because a similar event existed in the Elder Tail in the game era. Of course, that's a vicious circle, and it's not unlikely that Krusty himself is in some kind of trouble.
　But, as Isaac says, if you had to pick one person involved in the Roundtable who was most likely to get into unpredictable trouble and survive, who would it be?　If you ask, it will be a crusty one. There's no point in worrying about it.
He'll pop back in one of these days.
　The 'second most likely man' in Shiroe's opinion said this.
'It's not Krusty-san that I'm worried about, it's D.D. and the Roundtable.
　Shiroe reveals what's on his mind.
　D.D.D. is indeed a self-sustaining guild, and even without Krusty, the management seems to be running. However, whether or not it can handle its operations and whether or not its members can keep their minds at peace are two different things. Already a small number of members have left the group, albeit in a state of anxiety. The possibility of D.D.D.'s demise is not a negligible one.
　D.D.D. was one of the largest combat guilds, and one of the most disciplined. When it comes to large-scale battles and quests, for example, Akiba's guilds are as numerous as Kiraboshi, and the Black Sword Guild, led by Isaac, is one of them. The Black Swords Guild, led by Isaac, and Soujiro's West Wind Brigade can be relied upon as well.
　However, when the scale of a battle grew, and when a military operation required more than just battle and victory, there was no guild that could replace the D.D.D. in terms of the level of skill in the chain of command.
　If D.D.D. collapses or weakens, the Roundtable and the city of Akiba will not be immune to its influence.
　Shiroe thinks that the Roundtable is a good self-governing organization, but that doesn't mean it's infallible. The powerful guild council system will show surprising fragility once dissonance arises.
(Ains-san, I guess it won't stop........)
　The Honesti's search for the Fairy Ring is progressing at a good pace, but it's not drawing much attention in Akiba. However, it has attracted little attention in Akiba's streets. That's because of the city's ongoing technological innovation. And this innovation is slowly destroying Akiba's existing Elder Tale index of levels. The days of being wealthy as long as one's level was high were passing.
　The establishment of the Round Table and the technological revolution that followed it are changing our world.
　Nowadays, it is possible to build wealth with new ideas and the ability to execute.
　Many of the adventurers would hunt, but they had a margin of safety. For example, a ninety-level adventurer would aim to hunt at the 85th level. Of course, they will earn some money, but that won't raise their level. Some fighting guilds take on extreme challenges, but I think it's safe to say that these are the exception. The time has come when even if you have more than ninety levels, you can't make a lot of money by hunting in a perfunctory manner.
　There are many Akiba residents who are frustrated by this situation.
　Krusty was important in terms of a central point to organize the situation, and Shiroe took his disappearance very seriously.

　Just when he thought he had taken care of the difficult task of negotiating with the sacrificial clan and securing a loan of funds, there was another headache to deal with. Even Shiroe felt like crying. The least that could have helped was that Roderick, who had collaborated with the Nyanta Squad Leader, had issued a statement calling for refraining from some items by scrutinizing the highly dangerous flavor text.
　That wouldn't necessarily reduce the number of disasters caused by cursed items.
　Even items that aren't explicitly labeled as cursed can cause disaster, depending on their flavor text. The list of dangerous items itself would be completed sooner or later, as the check was being carried out by a sea of people, but there was no guarantee that it would stop the trouble.
''Siloe-san,''
Hello? Hello, Mr. Shiroe and Mr. Isaac. Are you finished?　I got you some food.
　The ones who showed up were Karashin and Minori, who was working part-time at the producer's guild liaison group that Karashin was receiving. Karashin was dressed as usual, but Minori was dressed in plain clothes for activities in the city. He was dressed like a student on his way home from his lessons, looking at Shiroe in a good mood.
　Isaac says, "Oh, it's you guys. You can sit here," he indicated the couch with his chin. Kalashin sits down in his seat with an amiable, "Domo, domo," etc., even though it's a powerful gesture that almost makes me sit up. While Shiroe was thinking that Karashin's friendliness was a weapon in his arsenal, Minori came up next to Shiroe, deftly organizing papers on the table and arranging the sandwiches and drinks she had purchased there.
'Shiroe-san. It's ginger ale.
Thanks, Minori. Did you have a good day at work?
　Karasin was the one who looked at Minori, who nodded yes, with a pathetic smile.
''Hey, hey, Shiroe-dono. Well, I don't mean to tell you this, but Minori-chan, can you give me a place in the Eighth Shopping Street (my home)?　He's very skilled, really, Minori-chan.
　Stuck for a reply, Shiroe is saved by Isaac. Laughing out loud, Isaac pats Karasin on the shoulder and says, "Hey, Karasin. You're the one who tried to konaa on my middle son, aren't you? You got a little too much sunshine, don't you?
　Karashin frantically said, "It's not like that, Sir Isaac, it's just a matter of business. This is a business matter," he continues to make excuses.
　To a chuckling Minori, Karashin's light-heartedness seems to be a daily occurrence.
　Relieved, Shiroe smiles as she takes a sip of her carbonated beverage. All of the various beverages in Akiba are homemade. The ginger and honey flavored sips are a pleasant surprise.

　There's a lot of work to be done and the road ahead is daunting.
　Shiroe has heard many disturbing news. The Seventh Falls Fortress, where the Goblin King reigns, is not yet complete. It was also the will of the Roundtable that the low-level players based in the city of Akiba should all be able to level up to at least the 30th level.
　However, Shiroe is thinking of putting another plan on top of that will.
　Now was the time to put the groundwork in place for that. Shiroe told Isaac and Kalashin who had gathered there about the training program for the Order of the Earthman.