2.03


　The capital of Kyou, once the political and economic center and the brainchild of the Holy Imperial Westland, seems to be slowly losing its vitality as the city of Minami increases its presence.
　Of course, the number of inhabitants has not decreased significantly, security has improved and cultural sophistication has improved (thanks to the magical items the Adventurers bring to life).
　However, the disappearance of loudly parading peddlers and armed mercenary guards is probably due to the relocation of the base of operations to Minami, which continues to expand by leaps and bounds as a center of logistics and commerce. It was a matter of segregation. The current capital of Kyou is a political city ruled by the Senate.

　Kyou's nights are shadowy.
　The nights in Keogh are shadowy, with wet secret agreements between men and women, and poisonous slander designed to drive out political enemies. A conspiracy involving all kinds of interests and positions, from the small man who manages the stables below, to the officials in the archives, to the ministers above. This is a parenthetical book of untruthful quotations. A small pot containing the poison of the frogs' fate kneaded into oil. A black cloak to conceal your identity and coarse, thin silk.
　In the moist, uncomfortable, sticky denseness, they are intricately intertwined and creep in unexpectedly when you are caught off guard.
　That is the politics of the capital of Kyou.

　The Duke of Udell is the leader of the Senate, the most powerful old family in the capital of Kyou. The Saigu family rules the Holy Imperial Westlands, but that's actually a myth, and even children in the city know that the Saigu Tori is a portable shrine. Lord Udell is the ruler of the city.

　You'll be able to find out more about the best way to get the most out of your trip. It's a letter of refusal in response to an invitation to a banquet. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that a few of the factions - well, virtually all of the Senate - that form the basis of Uddel's power have withdrawn their participation in the banquet. In the text, they cite reasons such as physical condition and convenience, but it's clear that they want to change the way they keep their distance.

''Those guys, forget about the pride of the nobility and the longing of Westlande!
　The maidservants who had come to deliver the letter bowed their heads solemnly at the words he spat out in an abhorrent manner. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what's going on in the world. It's the kind of role this unassuming, emotionless maid of honor is forced to play.
　It's hard to tell if she dislikes this kind of role or not, as her expression is carved out of wood, but it's hard to tell.

In the first place, what has happened to their debt?
The Eighth Trade Network is involved in the redevelopment of the manor houses in the O'Wali and Yomiji Islands, and we have reports that some of their wealth is going to noble families.
It's the Intix who control the wealth of Minami. What are you doing?
　Woodell couldn't hold his temper and slammed the words down.
It's a vein of gold from the Round Table in the East. It seems that a tremendous amount of rice is flowing in from the East, and it seems to have paid off our debts. --It seems to be the reason they are struggling to get away from Lord Udell's side.
　Perhaps not feeling Udell's anger even to the extent of a breeze, the unnamed squire reported the situation in a low, clear voice.
　Udel had heard about the increase in the number of rice being brought in from the east, but he hadn't realized it was spreading that far. In Yamato, where rice is often the staple food, rice is gold. When food flows in, there are also banners (i.e., "houses") that are blown by the wind.
　Noble families are not bound by absolute alliances to begin with. Enemies follow court hierarchy and factions, and are routinely antagonized by each other.
　The reason why the Holy Empire of West Runde is still united in this is because it needs to oppose the virtual enemy of the Alliance of Free Cities Eastal.
''You ungrateful bastard!
....
　It is a very aristocratic attitude to surrender to the enemy, forgetting the fundamentals that should be kept in check. Have they forgotten who has allowed them to spend the last few decades of their lives in poverty as a ruling class? Isn't it only the Udel family that sustained the holy land that cried out to the emperor?

How is the Intix doing?　What does the proud hunter do!
'I don't know what Kazuhiko-sama is doing, but when Intix-sama puts direct pressure on Wetha-sama...'
　It's this kind of information that keeps her in the service of her mansion, even though she is an uninteresting stone doll. You'll be able to find out more about the adventurers by listening to the affairs of the court and using the information network under Udell.
I suppose that's why they're doing this, because their pressure isn't working.
....
　His attitude was not infuriating when he was made to make such a report, but his calm and collected nature was also an essential quality of the conspiracy. The woman grudgingly bowed her head in agreement and filled the sake cup in Udell's hand.

The Senate has been associated with the Intix because it is the master of the ornaments. You cannot leave things as they are.
Do you really need to take on the East so badly?
　Udel wrinkled his nose at the maid's question, as if he dared to ask.
Nine Tail is too far away, and the Forlands are too desolate. The Lande realm is rich, but it's running out of land. If we don't take the O'Wali at least, and then push eastward, there will be no future for the Holy Empire of Westland.
　Although this is an obvious fact, there are many noble families who are unable to understand this, which bothers Udel.
　If this continues, the Holy Empire of WestLande will melt and disappear in the grasses of the Yamato people like the snow that greeted spring. The number of people who do not fear and respect the power of the court is growing. No wonder. The power of the Senate is diminishing at an alarming rate.
　If this trend does not change, the Holy Empire of West Runde will perish. I never thought there were so many people who didn't understand that.
The Red Imp.
It is invincible against the Tamikusa, but not yet against the Adventurers. If we don't at least hold off the adventurers to the west and east, we'll just lose men for nothing.
　Udel was tempted, but the maid chided him calmly.
　Udder choked on the correctness of this.
　The reason why the Alliance of Free Cities Eastar had been used as a favor to them, the root cause of their lack of ability to fight the Daichijin, was that they had finally obtained an army to fill their lack of fighting ability, and now they weren't even allowed to wield that power.
　The Red Imps, honed by countless experiments, now outperform even the elite Order of My Hummer Knights of the Free Cities of Eastar (Glassgreaves).

That's why I lent my support to Intix's dream of becoming the highest ranking adventurer in Yamato and uniting all adventurers. One wonders how many assets and plants the Senate has given to that woman. Bastards!
　Is Intix a worthy opponent?
　They were just the kind of women and children who put their emotions first.
　But that uncommon ambition was certainly a step above the other adventurers.
Send me more gold. "Send more Goldfinger," he said, "and get the burglar to help the Intix. They may be the kind of people who would fail to assassinate a lord, but they can still find a way to infiltrate the weaknesses of their own people.
Yes, sir.
　Woodell exhaled deeply to contain his anger.
　It's not a good idea to have a good idea of what to do, but it's a good idea to have a good idea of what to do. No matter how many soldiers they had, if the Adventurers were with them, they would easily overturn the advantage in numbers.
　If he wanted to get what he wanted here in Yamato, he would have to get the Adventurers on his side, or at least ask for their word of non-interference. The Senate must have the Adventurers on its side, no matter what the cost. If this is to happen, he must turn them into his running dogs and secure his rule.
　Anger clouds your vision. It is imperative that we attract adventurers to our cause. Then we have no choice but to let the Intix win, whether they eat poison or drink the sword. There are ways to do that. I'm sure there are.
"Let them fortify the compound and fortify its defenses!　We don't want to get caught up in a fight between two adventurers. Help!　Somebody call Mizfa!　Tell them we've done the dirty work!
　The Duke of Udell, whose mind was full of conspiracies for this purpose, urged his maidservant to leave by roughly paying off his arms. He forced the maidservant to call people to this apartment, which the householders, fearing their anger, did not approach, and promptly began to unfold the letterbox to acknowledge the letter.
　The Holy Imperial Westland belongs to Udel.
　It does not belong to Saigu, a youthful Saigu, the Adventurers from elsewhere, or the League of Free Cities of Eastar, who know nothing but the countryside of the East and sharpening their swords.
　In order to protect his treasures, Udel leaps his brush to manipulate a familiar conspiracy in the darkness of this rotten leopard, and that's why Duke Udel is unaware of it.

　So Duke Udell did not notice.
　Nor did he notice that the expressionless maidservant with her deeply bowed head smiled faintly and stepped out into the dark corridor.
　Or that her figure, illuminated by the light of the lantern, flickered in the blue night, a shadow even deeper than the nighttime darkness.
　And that the shadow eventually melted away into the night of Kyou with its nine tails flapping.
　The night of the Senate's struggle to gain control of the Yamato had only just begun.



2.04



　The shouting of buying and selling echoed together under the blue sky.
　Minami is an obscene and crowded city.
　This zone, which is inferior to Akiba in terms of area, is quite difficult to understand in terms of structure. Not to mention the miscellaneous ruins (buildings) that exist above ground, and the complexity is compounded by the underground retail spaces and underground passages that many of them have.
　It was originally a player town born to support the adventurers from the Kansai area, but after the Great Disaster, a far greater number of Daichi people arrived in this world than in Akiba, and even earlier.
　The current population ratio is perhaps ten times that of the adventurers.　Many of them are employees of merchants and trade associations, or followers employed by Plant hwyaden. These people are now the city's indispensable inhabitants and contribute to its prosperity.
　The average age of the inhabitants of Minami is quite young, as is often the case in cities with rapid population growth. The average age of the adventurers is not mentioned in Yamato anymore, but the Daichijin are mostly new merchants or young employees of the city. The Squire is mostly boys and girls. It's not unrelated to the fact that the whole town is challenging and cheerful.

　The city of Minami is noisy and festive.
　From the point of view of the earthlings, the adventurers have an unusual amount of wealth. Even if they introduce themselves as mid-level adventurers (perhaps in humility), their magic bags are packed with more goods than the wealth of any major trade association. Some high-ranking adventurers even have collections of national treasure weapons and armor in the hundreds.
　It was clear from the outset that trading with these adventurers would yield tremendous profits, and it became clear early on that the Adventurers themselves, despite their habits, were not difficult to deal with. However, the Adventurer's customers were willing to pay for something that was of good quality, as long as it was delivered in good faith.
　They don't like words like "event" or "campaign," and as long as they are convinced that this is the kind of culture, this is the kind of festival, they will give you an amazing amount of money for materials and processing.

　We're in the middle of a little event like that today.
　The main street was decorated with a gate made of flowers that read "Welcome (roundtable) Envoys! It is written.

　Relevant information popped into Boyle's ears even as he looked up vaguely from the Garden Café. The residents of Minami love to gossip.
　Apparently, just before dusk this evening - although it is already past noon, so it should be soon, the delegation from Akiba city that has been mentioned will arrive.
　It was said that they had come around the Nio's Wake Sea and entered the city of Minami. That is to say, they went to Minami before Kyou town.
　Therefore, it seems that although they welcome him, a delicate judgement is required in terms of what they are building. It is only at a ceremony in the capital of Kyou that the Goodwill Ambassadors of the League of Free Cities Eastal meet the representatives of the Holy Empire of Westland.
　After arriving in the evening, the delegation will rest for the night, and tomorrow they will be hosted by Plant hwyaden for a welcome party for the entire city of Minami. Of course, Kimiko, who claims to be a representative of the League of Free Cities of Eastal, and some of Kyou's noblemen will be present at the party, but it will not be a "formal" meeting. That's how it's supposed to be arranged.

The welcome pizza is ready!　Anchovies and spinach!　Thirty percent more good cheese!
　Boyle bought one of those pizzas from an apron vendor with a sign that said "welcome". What a way to get hungry. These new products are also experiments in new dishes and the ingredients are often of good quality, specially sourced. Boyle doesn't go against the flow and buys these products.
'Thanks for the purchase!'
　The boy vendor cheerfully raises his voice and puts a large slice of pizza on a paper plate, cut out in large slices. It appears to be a cutout, not a round pizza. As he poured additional beverages for the boy who pointed out the visibly empty glass, Boyle asked, "Is it about time?" without a second thought.
　It's probably the hottest topic of the day.
　The boy, who is a waiter at the large café on the main street, replied smoothly, "I think it's about time.
It's nice to see ingredients from the East," he says, "like this anchovy. It's nice to have ingredients from the East, isn't it?
I'm sure they'll go well with it.
　The cheeky boyle agrees.
　The Adventurers who have experienced a catastrophe - and I mean all of them - become more or less picky eaters. With a life like that, it's only natural to have an appetite for good food, and new menu items are always welcome.
'You know, it's not a profitable day,'
That said, it's still profitable, right?
Even if you don't pay for it, the Adventurer really does pay for good food!　Every time.
　Without counting, Boyle put a handful of gold coins into the cocoon offered by a smiling boy with red cheeks.

　At that moment, a cheer rang out from the southeast side.
　It drew closer as a low throb of distance.
　The seller jumped up and ran out to the edge of the café, and as soon as he ran back, he said, "I think we've arrived!　There's a line of about a hundred people coming down the main street now. They'll be right in front of us! He reported to me. He must have been judged to be a superior customer based on the payment he had just made.
　This garden café is as high as two stories in the building. It's a little hanging garden in the ruins of a building, overlooking the Southandy Walk.
　It's a good idea to avoid going into the outskirts of the city today because I've left my weapons and armor in the blacksmith's shop for repair, but in the end, Boyle also set up here because he wanted to see the group from the east.

'Hey, hey, cool bro, tell me, what's it like over there?'
　It doesn't take long for the crowd to be led by the Knights of the Order, and the procession moves slowly down the "Southundi Walk". Most of them are mounted, but some members of the group are in carriages or on foot, so their speed is moderate. There's also room to wave to the curious cheers from the surroundings.
　'What's it like?' When Boyle received the fluffy question, "Are you the member over there?" he asked back, scratching his chin with a hand to his chin.
　Judging from the look on the seller's face as he nodded clearly, he wanted to ask for an explanation. Boyle was known to be one of the few expeditionary members of the combat profession around here, so this seller must have approached him with his eyes on the street from the beginning.
　Even if it was a rumor that belonged to the adventurers, for people in their position, it was important information that could make or break their income. Many adventurers are willing to pay a lot of money for information if you tell them the gossip they've heard.
　This cute little boy is quite a challenge.

　And Boyle, who doesn't mind such a tough earthling spirit, smiled and indicated a young man near the front of the pack, who was about to cross the street, as if to begin.
You must be Karashin, the flirtatious one on the horse. Gilmour of the Eighth Shopping Arcade. The size of the guild is huge, more like a circle than a production guild.... They're very skilled, and the people who run a large organization are all Pokemon.
I see. That's right. It must be tough living in a big house.
　The boy, writing frantically on a small note, nods his head in a grunt.
　He himself must have some thoughts. There's no doubt that opening a restaurant in the commercial capital of Minami, the capital of commerce, where the eyes of a living horse are pierced by the eyes of a living horse, means that the restaurant is at a different level of excellence than the presence or absence of combat ability.
　Everyone of the Daichijins are healthy, unflappable, and a great bunch of people, in Boyle's opinion. After all that happened to Nine Tail, I've never heard them whine or whine like that.
　Every adventurer in Minami has a guilty conscience of some kind. That's partly why Boyle, who is aware that this is greater than most people's guilt, is so sympathetic to them.

　While thinking about this, Boyle looked for his next commentary target.
I'm going to have to say that the girl at the back is Soujiro. It's the Gilmouth of the West Wind Brigade, well, he's strong. It's a disciple of the Mibu Wolf.
　I don't know him well, but I continue my lazy commentary with the expectation that he can't be weak. Looking at him in this way, he is a young man with a smile like a springtime sunshine through the trees, with no hint of snarky or sternness.
'Really!　Then you must be a very strong swordsman after all.
He's going to be strong.
　Boyle nodded, though he wasn't sure. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one. When the boy heard that he was to be Kazuhiko's apprentice, he was so excited that he was in a state of excitement.

''He's stronger than your brother, okay?
Well, yeah, that's true, but that class is full of bakémon.
　Boyle encouraged the ale and continued to do so.
　It is true that both Soujiro and Boyle are over 90 (high level) adventurers, but there should be a significant gap in their abilities. They have experience in large-scale combat (raids) and are equipped with Fantasmal equipment, and their abilities are on a different level from those of Boyle, who is just a martial artist who earns his living from dungeons.
The same as Karashin-san just now, but how many adventurers call you a monster?
　The questioning of the sales boy, who had no such realization, was pure because of his ignorance. After twisting his chin for a moment, Boyle twists his explanation, which he knows he's not very good at, and says, "The stronger you get, the better you are at fighting your enemies.
The more powerful you become, the more you have to fight your enemies, the more you have to fight your way out of a rating system. Or maybe it's a fight against yourself.
　Well, that's probably true, actually.
　If I were to venture a strong argument, let's say that Boyle and Soujiro worked as shields in the kind of earning ground (dungeon) that Boyle usually goes to. At that time, the brutal difference in ability would not be exposed. It may be true that Soujiro is stronger, but his daily earnings are not twice or three times different. Well, I guess it's only 20 or 30 percent at best. Even Boyle has that much pride in himself.
　But it's a different story when it's a fierce battle in an unknown place, against an unknown opponent, and in a critical situation. In such a situation, the difference in ability of 20-30% can make the difference between them. If you have enough, you can win, but if you don't, you can't. The difference between the two is brutal. The difference between the two is brutal. Moreover, Boyle lacked the experience of fighting an unknown, powerful enemy. It's hard to believe that he can maintain his fighting spirit under such circumstances.
　However, there is no way that the boy in front of him can understand what is going on inside Boyle's heart. He is twisting his head repeatedly with a juvenile gesture.
''Well, anyway. If you do the same thing as others, you won't be any different from them. It's because they do things that others are surprised and would never do, that's how they get out of it. Of course, there are times when you end up just being an oddball, so it's all about spunk and luck.
Yeah, right.
　The boy nodded, as if he had swallowed something, though he didn't quite understand it yet. Not that the strong ones were different, Boyle thought, but because they did something different, and because they were lucky enough to succeed at it, they became the strong ones who got out. He says he likes normalcy and can't deviate too much.

'That's what I mean, behind that. That red-haired guy with the gorgeous carriage and a tight fit would be awesome.
Who's that?　He's smiling like he's some kind of bad guy.
　Boyle started to laugh at the child's malicious pointing out.
'Isaac. You're Gilmour of the Black Sword Order and its top warrior. I'd say he's the most powerful warrior in Yamato.
　Recalling that demigod-like strength he had seen in the battle video, Boyle told him so.
　Krusty from D.D.D.
　Nacalnado of the Howling.
　Isaac of the Black Sword Knights.
　Most Japanese players of the Elder Tail will not argue that these three are the three greatest "guardian warriors" of the Yamato Server. In terms of push and pull, these three are so far apart that few adventurers are able to keep up with them.
　In the Elder Tail's large-scale raiding system, the best type of shield is the guardian warrior. If we were to talk about breaking through the raids, then Soujiro from the West Wind Brigade would be an excellent shield, but he was a samurai, so he was a hot commodity.
　These are the top three of the best. I think Isaac's fighting spirit was exceptional even among them.
''More than Nakarnado-sama?''
"I exercise my right to remain silent.
　Boyle replied with a frown.
　Even if not as much as Kazuhiko, Nacalnard is now one of the heroes of the ''Holy Empire Westlande''. There was no need to bother making comments that would cause trouble in Minami's city.
　To begin with, Boyle is just some random, ubiquitous, canned player with no experience in large-scale combat (raids).
　I've seen Isaac's fight on video and was shocked by it, but the information on Nacarnado is at the level of what I read on the guild's official blog, and as for Krusty, his guild is so huge that I have no idea how far the shield profession goes.
　--In other words, I don't know how much of that earlier decision can be relied on either. I know that to what extent it's just that kind of egoism, like praising a junior who wasn't even a friend of mine who went to high school with me because he went to professional baseball and said, "That guy's awesome.

Who is that limp-wristed person?
''Uh ... that guy. That's Shiroe, the flow granting magician. Did he create a guild?
　But still.
　But still.
　I think Isaac is strong after all.
　While Boyle was twisting his head in solitude, the delegation from Akiba seemed to be passing more and more down the main street.
　When the vendor boy called out to him, Boyle spotted a familiar name there and answered without much thought.

'Is he great too?'
I've been to dungeons with that guy.
　Boyle said it that way.
　It's surprising if you answer, but it's not a lie. And I'm sure we've been out together more than one handful of times. The fact that I have been in a temporary zone (instance) with one of the most famous members of this queue is a strange feeling for me.
'Eek!　It's great. I didn't know my brother was famous after all.
No, no, no. He used to be a solo player and did a lot of recruiting in the wild. I know a lot of guys who have gone on adventures with him.
　Gazed at by a sparkling smile that couldn't be compared to the past, Boyle hurriedly waved his hand.
　It is said that Shiroe used to belong to a major combat guild called something or other, but that was long in the past when Boyle was into Elder Tail.
　According to what I heard from my friends, Shiroe was just a player who was a flush "grantor" (enchanter). It was said that he was good at it, but I never felt that much of an aura.

''So it's not much?　You look so tired.
　If you look at his fingertips, you can see, well, a young man with a terrible look on his face.
　An angry, troubled, difficult look. Still, the underlying goodness of the person comes through, and the picture looks like it would be chosen for the cover of a photo book titled "Hardship" if it were to be published. Boyle would never buy such a thing, though.
No, they're just monsters.
What?
　It's true that the first time we went to the dungeon together, I felt it wasn't really as bad as the rumors. Rather, I remember praising the skill of the newcomer of the Forest Curse Master (Druid), who was a stray and we had never met before, at that time. We all thanked him for the day's earnings and good luck.
　Shiroe, of course, didn't make any mistakes, and although he was familiar with the game, he never made a play that made him feel particularly great. You can find plenty of such players in the Elder Tail.

　The second time, I hit an equally good Recovery Task Force, and I was still able to successfully complete my laps.
　The third time, you hit the equally good healers, and they came out just as good, beat them just as well, and finished just as well.
　The fourth time, I found myself with a recovery guy (that guy) who was playing well, seeing that he was just as good at it, and I found myself with a recovery guy (that guy) who was just as good at it.

　Defeating monsters that appear at the same time and only attack in the same way, and monsters that patrol along the same path as we attempted, is too easy, and I marvel at the fact that this should yield the same results no matter how many times we try. There's no way you can enter a dungeon with a disparate group of members of arms gathered from the wild and be that stable. There's no way we wouldn't get into trouble - but the day ended smoothly, too.

''You're a monster. Even if we fought together, I wouldn't be able to explain what he was doing very well.
　I think I understand the logic, roughly.
　If we understand the structure of the dungeon, measure monster patrols to the nearest second, and adjust the speed of our battles and rest periods, we'll be able to avoid surprise encounters. If there are no additional monsters or surprise encounters, the recovery crew won't be overloaded at any given moment, so you'll be able to have a more stable battle.
　Maybe that's what it's all about. It's understandable in technical logic that that's all they do. But it was also true that there was a fatal gap between the understanding of the technical mechanism and the realization of it.

'As I said before,'　They said the guys upstairs are all freaks.
　Boyle told the boy, who rolled his eyes.
It's amazing how scary people are in the East.
　Boyle's shoulders slumped as he took the last bite of pizza.
　How happy I would be if I could be as innocent as this boy.
　Boyle's recent employer is a woman who, come to think of it, had been working with Shiroe in that something. Just the fact that he was playing in a guild with such a scary woman made Boyle even feel almost in awe of Shiroe.
Even on Plant hwyaden, it's such a monster's paradise that you can't say anything else.
　The people who head and run large guilds are, after all, exceptional in some way. I'm sure it's possible for stress to drive you crazy.
　I kind of missed Wika inexplicably.
　I'd love to be friends with that big-busted, cute, caring girl, Daichijin. Boyle stroked the head of the vendor boy in search of peace and quiet.