Chapter 602: The Twin Blades of Revenge

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"Now then, our main attraction for today is this! A Ferocitas Delectamentum caught by the Mermen!! Well, its appearance is... yeah, a gross creature that looks like a sloppy mix of a Kappa, a piranha, and an alien, but I guarantee the taste is top-notch!! Ah, for those who don't know, the 【Gourmet Tongue】 title is mandatory, so keep that in mind. Let's start the bidding at 100,000 Mani..."

"20 million Mani, cash down."

"Huh?"

"20 million Mani cash down. Let's see... Ah, a player. Hanjo-kun, here you go, 20 million Mani in cash."

"E-Erm... Are there any other bidders..."

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"Dammit!! I'm still too far away from the phantom Arctus Regalecus...!!"

"Hey, you completely forgot your original objective! I was the one who won the bid for the Ferocitas Delectamentum."

"Seriously!? Also, it's just impossible; a human's breath can't last that long."

"Are you just splashing around in the shallows〜〜〜? Also, this equipment is made from the materials of that phantom? Arctus Regalecus."

"You just had to say that, you bastard...!"

"Anyway."

"Yeah?"

"Why the school swimsuit?"

"If Tias-tan wears a school swimsuit, doesn't that mean me wearing a school swimsuit basically makes me Tias-tan?"

"You should probably log out and get a psychiatric evaluation..."

"Not to brag, but I haven't been sick a single day since I was born."

"Wake up. Being physically healthy has nothing to do with being mentally ill."

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Regretting immensely why I ever got involved with a pervert who strides through town in a school swimsuit just because he's using a female avatar, I returned to the Serpent's Apple in my gender-bent state, my clothes having conveniently popped off due to the time limit expiring. Welcoming me was a group of players—former PKers and current Avengers, or players aspiring to become Avengers—who sidled up to me with a quietness that was honestly creepy.

"Whoa, hey, what's going on here?"

"............"

Slip. (200,000 Mani handed over silently)

Slip. (1 million Mani handed over silently)

Slip. (20 million Mani handed over silently)

Slip. (100 million Mani handed over silently)

"No, wait, this is scary, scary, scary!!"

I don't understand the meaning behind suddenly handing me cash, I don't understand why they're handing me cash, and above all, it's terrifying! Some of this money looks incredibly dirty!? Is this money actually clean!!?

"Sunraku-shi... Just what... what kind of entity have you invited here..."

"A storm, a storm has arrived..."

"It's just too much, far too much...!!"

What is this, villagers driven mad by superstition after witnessing a divine curse? But still, why are they giving me money... I shifted my gaze past the perverts, and there, trembling fearfully, was Wimp, serving hors d'oeuvres to Loli Sensei.

A massive stack of plates had already piled up at the counter where Loli Sensei sat, so she had probably repeated that exact exchange over and over again.

"An albino, twintail, false-bravado, arrogant beautiful young girl...!"

"It's just too much! That's way too many tropes crammed into one package!"

"Did you make a curry using a spice called 'Moe' or something?!"

"For now, I've designed an outfit that would look great on Wimp-taso..."

I silently turned my gaze to the ringleader of the perverts. The recipient of my stare, Survival, placed a hand on my shoulder while still in his highly detailed, tall female avatar (wearing a school swimsuit) and uttered a single phrase.

"If only she looked a bit younger... Well no, she's still well within the strike zone, though?"

"I'm seriously going to feed Tour a bunch of lies so he starts looking at you with meaningful glances."

"Don't go for a fatal wound just to harass me, you demon!!"

Seriously, back in the Saba-Gan days, I felt like he was a bit more hardboiled, or at least had a relatively normal personality (though with the major prerequisite that he had a few screws loose). What on earth happened to him after Saba-Gan ended?

"Hey Wimp, I brought you a fresh Ferocitas Delectamentum."

"feoshiras rerekutaentamu!"

I thought I heard someone in the back shout, "Ahhh! I can't take this! The bad-enunciation trait is my weakness! She's my new oshi!!!" but I assume that was just an evil spirit clinging to this place, so I'll throw some salt later... Actually, bashing it with rock salt might be more effective.

"I have no idea how to cook this thing, but... well, do your best."

"I-I'll try..."

How should I put it, it just looks like a bizarre raw creature—like a giant tuna with Kappa arms and a mouth that moves like crab legs. But apparently, it's Loli Sensei's highly recommended premium seafood ingredient, so if she can cook it properly, the chances of her being accepted here will jump significantly.

Watching Wimp casually heave the Ferocitas Delectamentum, which was easily over a meter long, over her shoulder and disappear into the kitchen, I decided to wait for now.

"Ah... Loli Sensei, why are you here?"

"...Teleportation magicTensō mahō was improvedkairyō. It's now possible to traveli here from the headquartershonbu."

Whip! I turned toward Survival, and it seemed this was news to him as well. Hurrying over to us, Survival, for some reason sitting in the formal seiza position on the floor, stuttered for about ten seconds before speaking to Loli Sensei.

"T-Tias-tan! Does that mean Avengers can freely travel between the continents...?"

"...No. We can only jumpto from here to the headquartershonbu."

"Hmm? Then how were you able to come here, Loli Sensei?"

............。Loli Sensei remained silent for a few seconds. Then, after glancing at Lutia—who had wandered into the shop groggily, seemingly having just woken up despite wearing her work clothes, only to trip on absolutely nothing—she uttered a single sentence.

"IWatashi am amazing. Therefore, I am here."

"I see, a truth proven through flawless logic completely devoid of any contradictions..."

"No, that's just 100% pure brute force reasoning..."

I guess worrying about it means I lose. For now, I ordered a drink from the Master of the New Continent branch (who looks similar to the 'same face series' Masters on the Old Continent, but younger) and waited for Wimp to finish cooking.

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"Hmm? Is something the matter, Loli Sense—"

"...Not yet."

What is... Gah! The fruit juice I supposedly ordered is suddenly in Loli Sensei's hands!?

"Your speed is as insane as ever, Tias-tan..."

"One of the reasonsriyū I cameki todaykyō is this... Sunraku, and also Survival while I'm at it."

"Tias-tan called my name...!? I think I'm going to become the Prime Minister and make today a national holiday, what do you think?"

"Your brain operates like every day is a holiday anyway, so it doesn't make much of a difference."

"...Listenki to what I have to sayhanashi."

""Osu!""

Loli Sensei rummaged through her bag, pulled out some stationery, and handed them to me and Survival. What caught my eye was that my stationery was pitch black, while Survival's was bright red.

"What is this?"

Sluuurp. Loli Sensei, who drained the fruit juice I had ordered in a single instant, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and spoke.

"Avenger Sunraku, that is the Exam ContentMandatory Order to become a Sword of the DeadRevendead... Avenger Survival, that is the Exam ContentMandatory Order to become a Sword of VengeanceAvendead."

Author's Afterword

・Revision Report

Previously, I mentioned somewhere that "the condition to change to the other hidden supreme job derived from Avenger is clearing a certain number of quests involving 'the dead'." I have changed this to "accumulating a required amount of a parameter through actions such as clearing a certain number of quests involving 'the dead'."