Chapter 625: The Morgenrot Leading to the Divine Elephant
Author's Preface
For now, I'll put a break here, and in the next chapter, I'll start the second half of "Sing, Skyscraper."
"...Aah, I'm sleepy."
Because I was gaming until the very last minute for the first time in a while, I'm basically running on an all-nighter. Was going to school always this much of a pain? For now, I'm chugging a Riot Blood from the convenience store to borrow some energy in advance while kickstarting my half-asleep brain with glucose and caffeine.
"Ogogogogo... My brain is trembling extra hard today."
Could this be withdrawal symptoms... no, I'm just cold. It's getting a bit too chilly to call this autumn anymore, after all.
"G-Good morning."
"Nngh, ah... Good morning, Rei-san, long time no see since just a bit ago."
"Fufu, that's right."
No, it really was just a bit ago... It's barely been an hour since we logged out of ShanFro. Unlike me, whose half-dried hair from my morning bath is crisping up from the cold air, Rei-san's grooming and demeanor are absolutely flawless—is she some kind of monster to be able to balance both real life and gaming...?
"U-Umm. Well... this is about ShanFro, but."
"Eh? Yeah."
"Umm, that thing you asked about at the very end..."
"Ah. You mean how she indirectly dodged the whole thing and threw it all somewhere else?"
"Yes."
I had asked "Isana," or rather, the entity capable of viewing all the data sleeping within the Leviathan, to search for two pieces of information.
The first was the details regarding the temporary main body of the Unique Monster "Orchestra of the Reverberating Nether," that music player. To get straight to the point, the results weren't great. About all I learned was that this music player is an ultra-ultra-ultra-antique created even before the history of the Divine Age on this planet, even before the era when they were traveling through space, meaning it was made before humanity fled the Earth.
Even "Isana" herself commented that she couldn't believe such a thing still existed, so in the context of our real-life human sensibilities, it's probably like finding a tool from the Edo period buried perfectly intact inside a wall... Well, I don't even understand how it's buried in a wall in the first place. Is it a fossil?
And the other thing. The name displayed when the music player started its playback, which was also likely the name of that diva: "Elise Jitterdoll." The answer to this was extremely clear, straightforward, and concise.
『If you wish to know about "Jitterdoll," please refer to the Behemoth rather than the Leviathan. On that ship lies the laboratory of Andrew Jitterdoll... the man who created the Conquering Dolls.』
I see, so basically she was saying "You won't find out anything on the Leviathan, so go to the Behemoth." It was an almost refreshingly blatant dodge... Well, I pretty much expected it. I can't imagine Orchestra and the Conquista Dolls are completely unrelated, and her name literally contains Marionette anyway, plus I feel like I heard somewhere that the Behemoth was the hometown of the Conquista Dolls...
But perhaps thanks to Rei-san helping us get through the event scene with max affection, "Isana" did present us with a certain piece of information.
It was information regarding the Behemoth's presiding AI, "Ivory." Due to her nature, that woman who serves as the Mother of all players is apparently quite eccentric... and incredibly overprotective; "Isana," who is also generally so overprotective I wanted to tell her she's in no position to talk, supplemented with a wry smile:
『No matter how kind "Ivory" may be to you next-generation primitive humans, her affection is fully capable of coexisting with "verification." It is not my place to speak, but... she will likely come to test your strength much more directly.』
It was a total "You're seriously the one saying that?" moment. That affection-rating game where detours were strictly prohibited was quite the trap, you know.
"...Are you going to head to the Behemoth, um... right away, Rakuro-kun?"
"Hmm, well, that's the plan. I was originally intending to dig through the historical connections for the sake of conquering Orchestra anyway, so the Behemoth was actually kind of the main objective."
To be completely honest, I'm about eighty percent confident I've pinpointed the Behemoth's coordinates, but the real truth is I conquered the Leviathan thinking the Bahamut on the New Continent side might possess some information. In terms of pluses and minuses, it definitely skewed towards a plus, but my main target was still over there.
"Um, if it's alright with you..."
"Hm? Oh, of course, if your schedule lines up, Rei-san, let's conquer it together again."
"Y-Yes! Um, this time, even if spears rain from the sky, I will be on time!!"
"Nah, if spears start falling, I'll probably just take the day off..."
Still, ever since we ran into each other at the convenience store back around summer, Rei-san and I sure have been walking to and from school together a lot... Which is probably why rumors about us dating are popping up, but Rei-san is really good at conversing, so just talking normally with her is fun.
Well, whatever. If we're building a friendship with no ulterior motives, what is there to be embarrassed about? All those misunderstanding romantic brains can think whatever they want. It pisses me off that those two fiends are living however they please while I'm the only one living with so many worries, it makes me feel like I lost. Top-tier trash-talking only exerts its maximum destructive power when both your mind and body are healthy...
"Come to think of it, Rei-san, how are you doing on your finals?"
"Finals... Yes, there are no particular issues."
"Man, I want to say a line like that someday... You're in the humanities track too, right, Rei-san? Was it World History?"
"No, I take Japanese History..."
"Ah, I take World History."
Since Takeda-shi told me that memorizing World History couldn't hurt... I still don't really get how it's supposed to be useful for jokes, but if it's necessary for the future life plan Takeda-shi envisions, then I'm not averse to acquiring some real-life skills. Gamers gain knowledge by looking at strategy wikis, and for me, my real-life wiki is none other than Takeda-shi...
"Who teaches Japanese History again, Suma-sen?"
"Yes, it's Suma-sensei... He includes questions based on a single sentence hidden in the corner of the textbook, so you can't let your guard down, you know."
"No, no, that's way better than Seki-sensei for World History, who slaps massive points onto random trivia he only mentioned verbally during class."
Seki-sensei for World History once put a twenty-point question on a 100-point test... It was far too pitiful when the number one student in the World History class missed that single question and got an eighty. That's what happens when you act all cocky and doze off, so the whole class banded together to cheer him up, wahaha. I even treated him to a bottle of Riot Blood.
"Well, I just want to believe that as long as I cover the key points and score above average, my chances for Raiou won't drop below a B."
"I'm sure you'll be fine... It's not an impossibly difficult hurdle... No, um, not that I'm saying it's easy either, but..."
That's exactly why it's such a pain; "slightly above average" is relatively good, but simultaneously relatively dangerous—it's a trick trap designed to snap the elongated noses of players right in the middle of their adventure. I can't let my guard down, but it's not good to stay constantly tense either... Hmm, maybe I really should buckle down and study a bit.
"Well, whatever. If my ass catches on fire, I'll just sprint with everything I've got."
"Ahahaha... Hm?"
"Is something wrong?"
Now that we'd arrived at school, my mood felt like it was sinking slightly... or perhaps I was just acknowledging the mental shift of entering my near-daily routine, when Rei-san suddenly directed her gaze toward a strange part of the school building.
"No... I just felt a gaze, I think?"
"Isn't it just someone looking out at the schoolyard?"
Even assuming someone was watching, are there really people who can feel a gaze directed at them from the third or fourth floor of a school building in real life...? That said, I couldn't deny the possibility that it was just her imagination. After all, there shouldn't be any first, second, or third-year classrooms around that area. I highly doubt any students would be in a place like that this early in the morning, and the staff room is on the first floor, so I doubt any teachers would be there either. Wait, what was even over there again... I'm pretty sure it wasn't a prep room, but hmm?
"I'm sure it was just my imagination. Let's go."
"Rei-san, what room is around that area again?"
"Eh? Umm... The principal's office is over there, so... Ah, that place is,"
"The student council room."
"Ah."
The student council room, huh. Guess one of the officers was in there, then. With that trivial mystery resolved, we felt refreshed and continued our walk into the school building. No matter how far ahead I run on the front lines of a game, or how much of a hardcore gamer I am, in real life, I'm just a high schooler... My primary duties are my studies and my youth. Therefore...
"Yo, Love Poemer! If you get a failing grade in modern literature, that'll be a perfect 100 as a joke, you know what to do next, right?"
"Oh, you wanna go, bringing that up first thing in the morning? Who're you calling 'Love'?"
"Whoops, looks like you'll have to settle this with an arm-wrestling match in accordance with the master rules of the All-Japan Arm Wrestling Battle Association!"
"Wait, who even are you?"
"Morning assembly is starting soon, you know."
"Best two out of three matches, we'll make it in time."
This, too, is youth.
Author's Afterword
Rakuro barely managed to win two matches.
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