The clan house of the clan "Knights of the Round Table" that we were invited into was big enough to be a house, but too small considering the number of clan members, over 100.
　Incidentally, Toka-chan had some business to finish, so she had promised to join us again later and had left.
　So it's just me and A-chan here now. There was only one other player in a maid's outfit who seemed to be a member of the Round Table.

'Hmm, Skuna has a very clear point. You're thinking that the clan is small for its size, aren't you?

'Ugh.

'I'm the only one who resides here, so it doesn't need to be that big. Everyone is working hard at their own pace. The top tier finally arrived at the 6th city (Zeronor) yesterday.

　According to Aa-chan, the guild's headquarters will be relocated as Aa-chan moves, simply because her maximum reach is in Fierce.
　When I asked why Aa-chan, the clan master, was still in Feas?　I asked her why she was still in Fierce, and she said she had a good reason.

'As a swordsman, I and the Round Table go through the World Tree Cave, where rock monsters don't appear, to get to Griffith, but I haven't been able to find the time to do so recently. There is a save point in the dungeon, but it was difficult to get there. In any case, I stayed here for a while because the area beyond Pheasus was too vast to make a hasty attack worthwhile. I also got a message from Shuuya.

'Is that ...... about me?

'Yes. Someone who has defeated a great enemy that you once defeated. I'm sure you'll want to hear about it.

　A-chan said happily as she sat down on a chair in the living room.
　She had fought Aria the Red Wolf on the third day of service.

'I was on my way back from the End Forest after three days of hard leveling. I was confronting him when suddenly the field became quiet. My level was well over 20, but he broke my sword and killed me in less than ......5 minutes.

'After leveling, the durability of the weapon must have been worn out, and you were unlucky.

'That's part of it, but even if I was fully equipped, I don't think I could beat him with my style. He's sometimes called a magician's killer, but to be precise, any weapon without a shield is a disadvantage. As long as you don't push through recklessness like Nushi.

　As you can see from the effects attached to the named equipment, the most important part of Aria the Red Wolf's reign as a powerhouse is her absolute stamina, which would cause even the current frontline players to run out of SP, not just the early players.
　The battle against Aria, in which you are forced to fight her in single combat while being prevented from actively attacking or using your arts, is in effect an endurance game of sorts.
　And it's not just an endurance game, it's an endurance game that requires player skill and status to be able to fight back while handling attacks.
　In this sense, having a shield, which is the best way to deal with physical attacks, is a very important factor.
　This is the reason why A-chan says that weapons without shields are at a disadvantage.

'So you're not going to fight again?

'To be precise, it's not that we won't, but that we can't.'

　From the way A-chan said 'can't', it didn't seem that she didn't want to fight.
　That means there's a good reason.
　After waiting for a while, Aachan began to explain the reason.

'Defeating the Named, itself, is something that will increase in number in the future. Some of them can be hunted when they appear. However, the situation with solo Named is different. In addition to being powerful enemies, the current mainstream thinking is that they may have a characteristic that prevents them from appearing once they exceed a certain level.



'Hmmm...'

'Not only the Red Wolf, but also the "Mellow Spirit of Water Flowers" that appears on Lake Trillia, but after a certain level, you won't be able to encounter them at all. In the case of the red wolf, the standard level is 40.

　That means that even if you go to the plains south of the city of beginnings at level 100 or so, the Red Wolf Aria will not appear.
　Even if I'm a bit peculiar, Aria's basic status is certainly set at a value that can be defeated by a level 14 demon tribe.
　If you're a high level player, you can probably beat her by force.

　No, but wait a minute. According to what I heard from Amber, solo named players change their stats according to the opponent they are fighting.
　If that's the case, there's no need to put a level limit on them.
　When I said so, A-chan nodded in affirmation.

'Nushi is right, this theory has been destroyed by Amber-dono's comment. So we are in the process of reconsidering it. Above all, if the previous most powerful theory is true, then the way to reach the Wolf King of the Heavens that Nushi was told about by Lord Amber would be lost beyond a certain level, wouldn't it?

'Yes, that's true. It seems that the condition to meet the Wolf King is to defeat three types of wolves: red wolves, black wolves, and white wolves.

'The only thing I can think of right now is that you can meet the wolf king if you pass a certain level, or you can fight against an enhanced version of the Solo Named. I'm not the smartest person in the world, so that's all I can think of. ......'

'In any case, it's not impossible to fight them, is it? Or is there some other way to defeat the three Nameless?

'That's true, isn't it? There's a lot we don't know about the Nameless.

　As we both groaned, a cup was gently presented to us.
　I looked up to see a player in a maid's outfit smiling, patting me on the head and walking away.

'That's .......'

'That's Sliu. He's the eleventh player of the Round Table in the maid's role. She follows me around, and her cooking skills are the best in the Round Table.'

That's right. ...... But why did he pet me?

'He must have liked it. He's the kind of guy who likes to love what he likes.

　From the way A-chan's face was twitching slightly, I knew that she must be very fond of him.
　It must mean that they love her so much that they are fed up with remembering her.

'Well, he's basically a competent guy. He doesn't talk much, so you may not get a chance to talk to him, but please be good friends with him.

'Yeah, okay. Even so, ...... is kind of like a house, including Mr. Slew.

　My image of a clan house was more like a bunch of members having a good time.
　The Knights of the Round Table had a calm clan atmosphere that I couldn't imagine from the bravado of its name.

'Hmm, that's exactly right. Even though it's a clan house, it's still my house. Besides, I'm only the leader of the clan, and everyone at the Round Table is actually in charge. There's no need for the members to come all the way back here.



'Is that how it is?　Hmm, it's not like in the manga, is it?'

'If you go to the Dragon's Fang area, you'll see a scene close to your imagination. It's just that we don't have a stronghold for our size.

　As I listened to what Aa-chan had to say, I felt a little uncomfortable with the way she described herself, as if she were a decoration.
　It reminded me of Toka-chan's words.

'Hey, Aa-chan... You're the strongest at the Round Table, right?

'Of course.

　Aa-chan's attitude did not change at all when she heard my words, and she said it as if it was quite natural.

'It's one thing for me to be the strongest of the clan, it's another for me to be necessary for the clan.

　She put down the cup in her hand and touched the sword with its blue and silver sheath that was propped up next to her chair.
　At that moment, a sharp, blade-like pressure swept through the clanhouse.
　She laughed loudly when she saw me involuntarily put my hand on the metal rod.

'Ha-ha-ha!　That's a good reaction!　Nevertheless, I have no objection to being the leader as long as everyone loves me. It's the only thing I've got going for me.

'I see. You're that strong, Aa-chan.

　There's no lie in her words. You can tell that by looking at her.
　What's more, she's strong enough for Rin to say she's strong.
　Basically, she looks like a young girl, but you can see that she has outstanding sword skills, so much so that you can feel the pressure just by putting your hand on the sword.
　Even if you're not sensitive to such things, you can understand why players who like swords would adore her.

'VR is an interesting thing. Some, like me and Rinne, are able to dance freely because of the virtual world, while others, like Nushi, are tormented by the gap between the virtual world and reality. A world dominated by status must be quite confining, wouldn't it?

'Hmm?　I've never felt cramped. ......'

'Hmmm, the fact that you can still feel that way after reaching that level speaks volumes about your cramped state. The time will come when ...... you will understand. The freedom of the virtual world.

　The virtual world is much more stress-free than the real world, because you can move around as you please.
　You can move around more freely than in the real world, and it's even more stress-free.

'Now that we have tea, let's talk until Miss Toka returns.

'Alright. Where should we start, ......?'

'Sliu!　Bring me some tea cakes!

　There was no answer to A-chan's call, but within seconds of the call, Mr. Slew appeared with a tray of sweets.



'Oh, this cake is delicious. Thinking about it, I think I've only eaten potions in this game. ......'

'What a waste. There are some interesting foods in this world, you know?　For example: ......'

　What A-chan showed me was a picture of her favorite food.
　Apparently, A-chan is rather fond of delicacies, and the dishes she introduced were all what you would call 'ghetto'.
　I promised to go eat them with her next time, but for now, we just enjoyed the tea and sweets together.