Chapter 547: Facing Hardships, A Time for Trials

Author's Preface
Cute E. Honda only brings smiles.




I don't have Water E. Honda (Deadpan).

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Put simply, I chucked ShanFro. I haven't quit... but I've definitely thrown in the towel.

No matter how much you grind a game, there are times when you just want to toss it aside. I'm not devoted enough to commit a double-suicide with a single MMO, and above all, being forced to lose due to that garbage interference event snapped something inside me.

"Curse you, Amachi Ritsu..."

She really is the Apostle of Trash Games, isn't she? Don't screw with me, seriously......... I'll clear Orchestra out of pure spite, so you'd better be ready. Therefore, this isn't a retreat; it's a temporary tactical withdrawal.

Taking my frustration out by tossing the ShanFro package onto the Trash Game shelf, I head downstairs to the kitchen. Opening the fridge to scavenge for something edible, I pour some pre-made barley tea into a glass and down it in one gulp.

"The catechin is seeping into my body..."

Where? Where did I mess up the route selection? It's troublesome that thinking about it calmly only pisses me off more, but at the very least, it wasn't an event battle. I figure there's probably some gimmick I haven't solved yet. However, even with some regained composure and a fresh dose of catechin in my system, I still have zero clue what I'm doing wrong.

At the very least, Orchestra isn't the kind of Unique Monster you can just hold a conversation with; she is, quite literally, an old-school music player. Once you hit the play button, no matter what you say, it's completely useless until the song finishes. Could it be that pressing the stop button on the music player clears the scenario? If that's the kind of salty Unique Scenario EX this is, it'd be a Trash Game in an entirely different way...

.........I don't know, I feel like I'm being forced to guess the punchline just from the title. Though according to Takeda-shi, in the long, deeply rooted history of Trash Games stretching down into the abyss, there were supposedly games where the title spoiled 80% of the scenario's punchline.

No, let's think about this seriously. Most likely, the event that occurred inside the theater itself isn't all that important. Well, it has strategic meaning, but the equation of "Unique Scenario = Sub-scenario focusing on a specific character" should apply to Orchestra as well. In other words, I need to approach this from the outside... from a character perspective.

"Whose 'scenario' is it...? Who are the characters involved?"

First, Orchestra. That's confirmed. Could the music player embedded in the wall, or perhaps its owner, be Orchestra?

The suspicious one is the "Diva," huh... Eringi? A name like Eringi Zipperhole was displayed on the music player. It's highly unlikely that the acclaimed artist's name and the music being played are completely different. Thus, the equation Diva = Eringi-san serves as the foundation.

Hypothesis 1: Orchestra is an item imbued with Eringi-san's lingering delusions, and it's operating on mysterious powers. If I roasted it, it'd probably smell good—no, it'd just break normally.

"It's chilly, gonna head back to my room..."

Next, the Conquista Dolls. Simply put, they are the owners of the room storing Orchestra, so it's hard to say they're unrelated. There's a possibility they know something... but honestly, I feel this lead is weak.

Hypothesis 2: The Conquista Dolls were actually interfering with Orchestra. It would be inconvenient for them if Orchestra was defeated, so they obstructed me. But I can debunk this myself.

First of all, I am strong. I am the strongest.

But I'm not immortal, and there are probably players lower in level than me who surpass me in pure, simple sturdiness. Put simply, if I get ganged up on, I die.

Sure, I wouldn't go down without a fight, but if they charged at me disregarding their own casualties, even I would be suppressed. But what would be the point? The Conquista Dolls are NPCs, but they seemed to understand the nature of Project No. 2 HumanityPlayers. In other words, killing me once or twice is meaningless.

For starters, I'd definitely keep challenging Orchestra as a form of retaliation, and I could even instigate Library or someone else to suppress them in return.

I don't want to do that either, but a bitter decision is bitter precisely because you can't choose 'No' by your own free will. That's why Pencilgon said to just smile and mash 'Yes'. I am a good person, so I only push it once. Once is enough.

To begin with, if they didn't want the scenario cleared, they could just tear up the "Invitation" to Orchestra. If they wanted to reasonably accommodate Orchestra, directly interfering with Orchestra is nothing but a bad move.

In short, there is no merit for the Conquista Dolls to harbor ill will toward players specifically regarding the Orchestra battle, and they shouldn't have such intentions to begin with... probably.

This is a problem. With my current brainpower, any deeper analysis is impossible. Now what? Should I take a short break?

"...............Zzzz."

...

.........

...............

"It's already morning."

To think I would actually fall asleep... Ugh, wait, there's no catechin in barley tea! No wonder nothing came to mind!!

"Rakuro〜! You'll be late for school〜!!"

"I'm already awake!!"

Curse you Orchestra, to think your influence would spread all the way into real life! Dammit, lend me your strength, Energy Drink!!

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◇

Hypothetically, let's say there is Subject A and Subject B.

Subject A is, in a certain specific field, several steps above and leagues ahead of Subject B.

That is to say, only within that specific field, their power dynamic is defined by an irreversible inequality. Thus, depending on one's perspective and phrasing, to Subject B, Subject A is essentially a God... or so it goes.

Since ancient times, since the birth of mythology, the situation where a human receives something from a god has been told time and time again.

If it's words, it's an oracle; if it's an object, a divine artifact; if it's an ability, a blessing or divine grace...

"U-Ugh........."

And, a task that a person absolutely must complete is called a "Trial".

About two days ago.

"Rei-chan, I shall bestow this upon you..."

"This is...?"

"Premium tickets to JGE."

JGE... Officially known as the Japan Gaming Expo.

If the Global Game Competition is a world-scale gaming event, then this is an event on a national scale for Japan.

GGC was merely hosted in Japan, but it wasn't an event inherently tied to a specific country. However, this one is an exhibition dedicated to showcasing Japanese games to a Japanese audience.

"Umm, how did you......... get these?"

"Iwamaki-san has some special connections, you see."

This was a fact.

Mana's husband, Iwamaki Sakai... A man who now uses the business name Tsukuyogi because about two specific people told him, "It's way too late to get used to calling you anything other than Tsukuyogi," currently holds a crucial position. He is the head of public relations and handles all external affairs for the game that now shines brilliantly in the annals of Japanese gaming history: Shangri-La Frontier.

And with the power of Sakai, who dedicates a love to Iwamaki Mana that makes the term "devoted husband" seem tepid, procuring two premium tickets is almost too easy. On the surface, all gaming companies are equal, but in reality, there is no favor that cannot be accommodated by Utopia Inc., the company currently reigning at the bleeding edge pinnacle of the VR game industry and harboring the massive juggernaut title, ShanFro.

"Here are two premium tickets... You understand what I'm getting at, right?"

"..................Ugh."

As Iwamaki pinched the hard, card-like tickets between her fingers and waved them with half-closed eyes, Rei broke out in a cold sweat and took a step back.

She understood exactly what was being implied, and she also understood that having received them, the right to refuse did not exist...

"Rei-chan, let's talk a little bit about the future, shall we?"

"...Eh?"

"Listen, Rei-chan......... Campus life means you'll be popular with boys."

"!?"

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Author's Afterword

Heroine-chan, initializing (Ability: Slow Start).
In other words, Heroine-chan is Regigigas.