Chapter 583: Ah, the Nostalgia of the Red-Tinted Era of Glory

Author's Preface

Yes, the BBS chapters are continuing.

Chronologically, this is right around after the Siegwurm battle.

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【Ruins of the Fallen Kingdom】

Comrade Pastel:

I never expected this place to ever be operational again.

Comrade Pepper:

No seriously, they declared the end of it so abruptly that I just assumed it was completely shut down.

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

Apparently, Comrade Haggleman has been personally keeping it running just for the memories.

Comrade Haggleman:

That

Would

Be

Me

Comrade Pastel:

Long time no see.

Comrade Gal Neeson:

Actually, we've been hanging out, so it's not really a long time no see.

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

Wait, what? You guys were hooking up?

Comrade Haggleman:

Imagine my feelings when we met offline aiming for exactly that, only to find out it was a male relative.

Comrade Pepper:

……？

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

.………！？

Comrade Pastel:

Eh, Gal Neeson was playing a G.I.R.L!?

Comrade Gal Neeson:

I never intended to act like a G.I.R.L, you know? I just never hit puberty so my voice never dropped... Besides, that person saw right through me and knew I was a guy from day one.

Comrade Nail Nail:

You're kidding!? But Gal Neeson-chan was super knowledgeable about cosmetics and stuff!!

Comrade Gal Neeson:

Sorry~, back then it was just a hobby, but now it's my actual job, so of course I'd know a lot about it~.

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

...Is it safe to assume you mean crossdressing? (Takes off clothes and sits in seiza)

Comrade Haggleman:

Unfortunately, he went into the special effects makeup route.

Comrade Nail Nail:

Imagine my feelings when the character of an online friend I haven't seen in years suddenly becomes way too intense

Comrade *Driver:

Hey, things are getting weirdly hyped up in here right off the bat.

Comrade Pastel:

Oh, it's been a while, Ketsu-Dra.

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

You been doing well, Ketsu-Dra?

Comrade Pepper:

Is As-Dra still a forbidden word?

Comrade *Driver:

Of course it's forbidden, you idiots.

Comrade Nail Nail:

Even though they're just abbreviating it normally~.

Comrade Haggleman:

You're being way too stubborn about it.

Comrade *Driver:

Stubbornness turns into pride if you stick to it for a few years.

Comrade Gal Neeson:

So you're saying your bowel movements have improved.

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

Ass jokes are truly immortal.

Comrade Haggleman:

This whole flow is so nostalgic I could cry.

Comrade Cellulose:

Came here from the coded manifesto! I was actually moved to see this place is still running!!

Comrade Tasmanian Angel:

What is this, a class reunion?

Comrade Nail Nail:

Well, the manifesto was posted in a completely different game, so I doubt we'll get a huge crowd~.

Comrade Cellulose:

And here I was trying to play the game properly~. Now I'm gonna end up doing grey-zone gameplay again all because of Sis~.

Comrade Pastel:

And your true feelings are?

Comrade Cellulose:

If everything goes perfectly, I plan on getting prime real estate in Thirdrema.

Comrade Nail Nail:

Ah, maybe I should do that too~. The upper districts are actually really stylish.

Comrade Haggleman:

Nah, nah. If it's our Great Comrade, we might even be able to turn the main castle into a puppet state, right? Let's try begging for our own houses in the Royal Capital.

Comrade Gal Neeson:

Ehh~? The Royal Capital's scenery is a complete mess. If we're gonna live somewhere, wouldn't Eightold be better?

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

Feels like unhealthy air would drift in from the neighborhood, though.

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

No, the current meta is all about ships, not houses.

Comrade Nail Nail:

Speaking of which, does anyone else feel a massive sense of déjà vu whenever they see Tsuchinoko-san's name?

Comrade Pepper:

I mean, there's no way any comrade gathering here wouldn't react to that name...

Comrade Haggleman:

Thirty percent grudge, seventy percent nostalgia.

Comrade Tasmanian Angel:

So, where's the star of the show, our Great Comrade?

Comrade Pepper:

Did you mean: Thirty minutes before the designated time?

Comrade Cellulose:

Everyone's just way too early.

Comrade Nail Nail:

We just have that much faith that she's gonna pull off something massive, right?

Comrade Pencil Warrior, renamed Arthur Pencilgon:

Then I must answer those expectations!!!

Comrade Haggleman:

Comrade!!

Comrade Cellulose:

Comrade!!!

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

Comraaaade!!!

Comrade Gal Neeson:

Comrade!!

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

Our Comrade!

Comrade Pastel:

Comrade!!!

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

Silence, silence! First off, let me just say it's been a while! My lovely comrades-in-arms!!

Comrade Tasmanian Angel:

Hyuuu! You haven't changed a bit, Comrade!!

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

It has been many long years since the collapse of our glorious Pencil Dynasty! You comrades-in-arms, who crawled out from the rubble of our ruined castle, have been forced into a long, wandering journey!!

Comrade Haggleman:

You were the one who physically collapsed it though, right Comrade? You're the one who turned it into rubble, right?

Comrade Cellulose:

That was a festival that really hammered home the fact that 'ruin' doesn't distinguish between friend and foe...

Comrade Gal Neeson:

It was hilarious watching the stubbornly lore-obsessed devs cry as they were forced to roll back the servers just to resurrect the castle, so I'll give it a pass.

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

Yeah, after that incident, the castle could never be destroyed past 'half-ruined' ever again~.

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

Now then, the one who fired off the Pencil-Style coded manifesto that only you lot could understand was none other than me... Everyone, my comrades-in-arms! Aren't you all starting to miss having a home of your own!?

Comrade Pepper:

Stop arbitrarily turning us into homeless people, Comrade.

Comrade Nail Nail:

I want a mansion in a prime location!!

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

I wanna go back to being a bourgeois!!?

Comrade Gal Neeson:

I refuse to eat hard bread anymore! Let me eat fluffy white bread!!

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon!!:

Do you want a house! Do you want a ship! Do you want land! Do you want an entire city!!?

Comrade Pastel:

Uooooooooooooo!!!

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

Uooooooooo!!!

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

It's a festivaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!

Comrade *Driver:

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaah!!!

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

Right here, right now! I hereby declare the initiation of the "Operation: Exploit the Kingdom's Turmoil, Suck Up to the Powers That Be, and Steal an Entire City" plan!!!

Gather at Thirdrema! Gather at the Serpent's Apple!! The password is "Pluck the Green Apple"!!

Now, time for Q&A!!

Comrade Nail Nail:

Comrade!! What exactly is your relationship with Tsuchinoko-san!!! Also, I can't decide on my winter coordination!!

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

Comrade Nail Nail! Sunraku-kun and I still hang out pretty often even after the Dynasty got blown away!!

Also, if you're stuck on your winter coordination, I think it's perfectly fine to just straight-up copy a model's outfit! For example, Amane Towa's!!

Comrade Haggleman:

Comrade! Judging by the operation name, does that mean our ultimate goal is one of the cities!!

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

Comrade Haggleman! Thanks for maintaining the BBS!!

Exactly! We're gonna skillfully snatch it right out of the hands of the factions siding with the current King!!

Comrade Karaoke Addict:

Comrade!! How much did you dump into that ship equipped with the giant ballista that Tsuchinoko-san used!!

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

Comrade Karaoke Addict! No matter how you look at it, that ship was meant to be operated by a Clan, so that idiot using it solo is just insane! If you want a ship, you're better off gathering a crew! The amount of money and materials required for it had a completely busted number of digits!!!

Comrade Pastel:

Comrade!!! Is it war?

Comrade Arthur Pencilgon:

Comrade Pastel... It's not a war.

It's! A! Great! War!!!!!!!

Comrade Unsigned Katana Leopard:

Hell yeah Comrade, I'm throwing my entire fortune into this fight.

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Author's Afterword

Gal Neeson (19 years old, beautiful boy, currently pursuing a career in practical special effects makeup without relying on AR)

and

Haggleman (31 years old, middle-aged man, corporate warrior at a non-black company)

Are currently sharing a room. Looks like a rosebud is about to bloom. (A glimpse into the chaotic Abyss faction)