Chapter 223: Wolf Pack Transfer

Interlude notice: World Truth Book “Abyss Arc” has been added to Interlude: Stage Three. Please take note.

After somehow calming down Saiga-san, who kept bowing in apology, I entered the classroom and took my seat, thinking of the cicada with whom I'd formed a strange bond after we were both slapped.

Unlike me, who'd been practically shut in, I spotted classmates here and there who'd gotten a magnificent tan. When I see these so-called "healthy" normies, I tend to compare myself to them. But well, it was a memorable summer, and at least it was probably more healthy than a crappy-game pilgrimage.

???: "...SLF is..."

???: "...tarnidd..."

(SLF really is insanely popular.)

Looks like I wasn’t the only one who made their SLF debut over summer break. I could hear bits of conversation like that here and there. I could join in, but it was almost time for homeroom. Even if I jumped in now, we wouldn't be able to talk for long.

I killed time by idly scrolling through my phone. Out of curiosity, I looked through SLF-related message boards and social media. There was a flood of posts about Unique Monsters.

The topics were about the defeat of Ctarnidd of the Abyss, and also another one… ah, right. The big problem I'd pushed to the back of my mind because it was too much of a pain.

It was a big deal after all, so it made sense that it was a topic of conversation. They are one of SLF’s biggest hardcore clans, after all.

The spam falcons the theory-crafting clan sent in bulk had, for better or worse… well, about eighty percent bad, made us stand out like crazy.

If a bunch of birds flies to one spot, anyone would get curious about what's there. After Ctarnidd spectacularly sent us back and we disembarked from a sailing ship structurally very similar to the Crying Innsman, we were greeted by NPCs related to Stude and a few other players.

Pencilgon: "Well, well, Sunraku-kun. I've got a lot I want to grill you about, but first, good work."

The first to speak to us was our resident scumbag, Arthur Pencilgon. Apparently, she was in Fifticia on other business, but the GM announcement and the huge flock of falcons flying to one spot led her here.

Sunraku: "I was basically up all night fighting that octopus and my energy drink wore off. Can we talk later?"

Pencilgon: "Hmm, I was planning to wait until Katzo-kun joined in to interrogate you anyway, so sure. More than anything, I came more as the leader of 'Wolfgang'."

I thought for a moment, then realized she was talking about the new members.

Sunraku: "Ah, right. Rust, Mold, Akitsu Akane. This is our clan's leader."

Pencilgon: "Hey there. You're probably tired after the Unique Scenario, but I'll just say hi. I'm Arthur Pencilgon. I've heard about you from this idiot over here."

Pencilgon immediately started working her people skills. Too bad for her: Akitsu Akane is pure light-aligned, so Pencilgon would probably get vaporized without being able to do a thing.

Just then, someone swapped places with Pencilgon and spoke to me.

Kyo the Ultimate: "I’ve heard rumors, but you really are half-naked. What do you do about damage?"

Sunraku: "Huh?"

Kyo the Ultimate: "I guess you rely on evasion? I don’t remember Wethermon having attacks that forgiving. Or do you assume you’ll revive and just brute-force it with suicide charges?"

Sunraku: "No, who are you…"

A person in samurai-like gear spoke to me with a familiar air. Their name color indicated they were a player, but I shot them a suspicious look. Then, my eyes widened. No matter how degenerate your stats or equipment, a player's base race should be human, but this person had something a human shouldn't.

Kyo the Ultimate: "You noticed? Heh. I did a little Conversion."

Conversion? That rings a bell. It's not the first time I've heard that word. I've seen it somewhere. Where?

Kyo the Ultimate: "My magic aptitude went down, but the benefits I got in exchange are pretty good. I went ahead and became a Beastman."

Sunraku: "I see... So that’s why you can’t change your race during character creation."

Kyo the Ultimate: "You’re pretty sharp yourself, too. Not as sharp as her, though."

I glanced at Pencilgon, writhing as if she were a vampire exposed to sunlight, before turning my attention back to the Japanese-style kemonomimi in front of me.

She was probably an acquaintance of Pencilgon's. I wanted to tell her to introduce herself first, but her name was already displayed above her head. All I had to do was look at it.

Sunraku: "Kyogoku?"

Kyo the Ultimate: "It's 'Kyo the Ultimate.' Don't get it wrong."

Sunraku: "That's long. So, Kyotimate, you just here to watch or what?"

Kyo the Ultimate: "Kyotimate…"

The kemonomimi swordsman, Kyogoku, wore a very complicated expression, but seemed to regain her composure and turned her gaze to a corner radiating an intensely strained aura.

Psyger-0: "…………"

Psyger-100: "…………"

The two "Psygers," likely family or something close, just silently faced each other.

There wasn't a trace of warmth between them. In fact, a dangerous air thick enough to be called hostility drifted between them.

Sunraku: "Ugh, I want nothing to do with that."

Kyo the Ultimate: "That’s refreshingly blunt, but you’re the culprit, you know?"

Sunraku: "Huh?"

Why is my name coming up here?

Kyo the Ultimate: "Well, think about it. A top clan acknowledged as such by itself and everyone else misses out on not one but two Unique Monsters, and both defeat announcements include names of complete unknowns they’ve never even heard of. Of course the people involved aren’t going to like that."

Sunraku: "Eeh..."

Kyogoku’s words made some sense. In short, it's the classic failure pattern of a "new character's first appearance" in a story.

A cocky new character shows up, easily beating the previous characters, and you can't help but hope that this cocky character meets some misfortune. Since you don't know anything about the character yet, you judge them solely on their first impression.

So according to Kyogoku, the reason the clan “Schwarz Vulf” doesn’t think much of me is that some complete unknown came out of nowhere and snatched away the Unique Monsters from the side?

Sunraku: "…No, in that case, wouldn't Psyger-100 be the one to come at me?"

Kyo the Ultimate: "Hmm... I heard those two are sisters, so maybe something happened in real life?"

No, that’s strange. If they’d fought in real life, it feels odd that Psyger-100 would go out of her way to come meet us here.

Rust, Mold, and Akitsu Akane also seemed interested in the two Psygers. Pencilgon's silver tongue wasn't working.

Perhaps having had enough, Pencilgon walked over to the two Psygers and stepped between them.

Pencilgon: "Alright, alright. I don't know why you're so tense, but if you're going to do this, do it at your base, not here."

Psyger-100: "………Towa. Is this your doing too?"

Pencilgon: "It’s Arthur Pencilgon, Momo-chan. Unfortunately, I’m completely out of the loop on this one."

The two called each other by what seemed to be their real names, their tones quite precarious. But at least one of them was a scumbag, so apparently, she had no intention of leaving me on the sidelines.

Pencilgon: "This time it was mostly Sunraku-kun acting on his own. I only found out after the fact."

Sunraku: "Hey, don't throw me under the bus here…"

Psyger-100's gaze turned to me. It was the look of a gamer seeking new information.

Damn Pencilgon. What am I supposed to do after she throws it to me like this? I can't play dumb, and running away would just cause more problems later. Even if I explain, how much should I say?

Should I play the card of that information written in the World Truth Book? No, that's no good. That information might be even more valuable than the fact that we defeated a Unique Monster if it's mishandled. Even I, who isn't nearly as good at scheming as Pencilgon, can see how valuable that information is.

Sunraku: "Uh... anyway, sorry we ended up borrowing Rei-shi for seven whole days because of our screwup."

The apology-first command. Apologizing is a Japanese person's main weapon.

Psyger-100: "Save the pleasantries. Get straight to the point. Is it true that you triggered the Unique Scenario for 'Lycagon the Nightslayer'?"

In the corner of my vision, I saw Psyger-0 bow her head. So it got out through her… Well, whatever. I'd already given up on keeping it exclusive the moment I triggered it with people outside the clan.

Sunraku: "It's true. It was a shitty boss that took us all night to beat."

Psyger-100: "We couldn't even hold out for one night."

This is bad.

People only make self-deprecating jokes at one of two extremes: when they have plenty of mental leeway, or when they have none at all.

If things go wrong, their bad mood might shift to me. I need to resolve this peacefully. Peacefully…

Sunraku: "SF-Zoo figured out the spawn conditions for Lycagon."

Psyger-100: "Hmph. That is good news."

Opening move: sell out somebody else. Sorry, but you’ll have to be my decoy.

Sunraku: "...Yeah. I don’t mind giving you the strategy information for Lycagon here, but I’d have to get permission from the head of Wolfgang first."

And I smack the killer pass right back with a bat! Hell no—why should I have to be the one touching dynamite with the fuse already rigged?

But my blame-shifting, Pencilgon’s schemes, and whatever Kyotimate was plotting behind that smile were all blown away by the words of a single player.

Psyger-0: "Before that, I have something to discuss with you, sis... no, Clan Leader."

Psyger-100: "...I’ll hear you out once more."

Psyger-0: "I intend to leave the clan ‘Schwarz Vulf’... and join the clan ‘Wolfgang’."

For some reason, Pencilgon punched me. Why the hell?

Pencilgon: "I just know you did something, didn’t youuuuu?!"

Psyger-0 had already thrown her decision to leave Schwarz Vulf at Psyger-100 in real life. What I hadn’t heard was that she wanted to join Wolfgang... And with Psyger-0’s enormous combat power came the equally enormous landmine attached to her. That is why Pencilgon delivered an angry punch.