Chapter 308: However, a Shitty-Game Addict
From talking to her, it's pretty clear the eldest Saiga sister (placeholder name) isn't exactly sold on full-dive VR. The way she reacts to what I'm saying, she seems to see it as about the same as drinking or smoking. But she's not one of those hardcore "realists" screaming for it to be banned. So if I explain it right, I can probably clear up the doubts she's got from just not knowing much about it.
You hear it a lot when you meet people through games — the whole "my family doesn't get my hobby" thing. My house is either chill about it or just doesn't care. Everyone's got their own clearly marked boundaries, so we basically don't mess with each other. But yeah, my family's probably a weird case.
Rakuro: "Yeah... People often say that if you keep using full-dive VR, your body deteriorates, but that's actually wrong."
Sen: "...Is that so?"
I wet my lips with my tongue, feeling the engine of my sales pitch warming up as I continued.
Rakuro: "I mean, you are basically lying still, so your muscles can weaken. But full-dive VR assumes you have a healthy body to begin with. The proper way to enjoy full-dive is to first maintain a healthy body that won't interfere with daily life. Astronauts lose muscle after spending a long time in space too, right? That's exactly why they train before and after going into space."
They call it e-sports, and that really is what it is. This is the point people unfamiliar with full-dive VR misunderstand most: full-dive is entertainment where physical health comes first. If you use it while your body is already unhealthy, you're only making things worse for yourself.
Sen: "Training your body... Hizutome-san, do you do some kind of training?"
Rakuro: "More like... jogging, running, sometimes sit-ups... I guess?"
Honestly, as long as you eat well without getting obese and have enough stamina to make it to the convenience store without getting winded, you can manage most of the time. Still, talking about full-dive VR is going well, at least. I mean, if she asked something like, "How is Saiga-san doing at school?" I wouldn't have a clue what to say.
Sen: "———By the way, Hizutome-san. Do you... play the same, um, game as my foolish little sisters?"
Rakuro: "Foolish... uh, yeah."
First time I've seen someone seriously say "my foolish little sister" in real life. But yeah, we did meet through SLF, so I give her a yes.
Sen: "This... Shan... bath? thing. I've heard you can experience things like being a samurai or a ninja in it... What kind of experiences are those two having?"
Rakuro: "Huh? Uh..."
Can I just say, "They've pretty much thrown real life away"? She is family, after all... No, she doesn't seem that familiar with full-dive. If I go, "Your younger sister's kind of abandoned reality, and the older one seems to have thrown it away even further," and it turns into a family meeting, I can't take responsibility for that. But if I lie badly, the room's gonna drop below freezing again... Gotta play it safe.
Rakuro: "Well, Rei-san and I are in the same clan — uh, group? — and as a knight, she's someone I can count on. I don't really have much connection to Momo...san? But... how do I put it... she floats swords with magic and controls them... Also, she's a total... I mean, she's the leader of a group with the skills to be relied on by a lot of people? That much I know."
Sen: "????"
Yeah, that's what happens when you explain the Master of the Sword's fighting style to someone who probably doesn't know fantasy. And honestly, I don't even know much about Psyger-100 since Pencilgon handled all that until pretty recently.
Sen: "That is..."
Rei: "Sorry to keep you... S-Sen-nee-san!?"
Saiga-saaaan! (Thank god.)
Sen: "Rei. What business do you have keeping a guest waiting?"
Rei: "Huh...? Ah, um, I'm sorry..."
At first glance, the headgear and main unit Rei's carrying — different from the one I brought — don't look broken. She blinks in confusion, then bows to the eldest Saiga... no, Sen-san. Sen turns to me, gives a small nod, and stands up.
Sen: "Hizutome-san, please excuse me."
Rakuro: "Ah, yeah."
Sen: "It was a very meaningful conversation... Oh, Rei."
Rei: "Y-Yes!"
Sen: "———How much time does it take to gain a position where one is relied upon by so many in this SLF game? Specifically, can it be done while working a job at the same time?"
Rei: "Huh?"
Rakuro: "Ah."
Sorry, Psyger-100. That might've been a stray bullet heading your way.
Rei: "Well... with enough effort, it might be... possible..."
Sen: "I see. It seems I need to have a little talk with Momo."
Sorry, Psyger-100. That wasn't a stray bullet. That was a sniper shot.
Sen leaves without her smile ever breaking. I watch her go, and only once she's out of sight do I finally let the tension out of my shoulders. I feel a little rude doing this in front of Rei, but seriously, two Saiga boss fights in a row is more than enough.
Rei: "Um, I'm, I'm sorry..."
Rakuro: "Nah, no need to apologize... But I feel like I kind of get what a teacher feels like on a home visit now..."
I pull myself together, take the headgear Rei brought, and start looking it over. With the tool kit I brought, I open up the main unit — big enough you've gotta hold it with both hands — and check inside.
Rakuro: "Hmm... Not really clogged with dust... The cords aren't frayed or anything... Yeah, it's probably the output system that's shot."
Rei: "How... is it...?"
Rakuro: "For now, the main unit doesn't have any obvious problems. Maybe the output part went bad... I'll check the headgear too."
Rei: "P-Please do..."
If the problem's on the main unit side, you can just buy a new part instead of sending it in for repairs. It's built customer-friendly enough that you can swap stuff out even without any special know-how. But if the problem's on the headgear side, there's nothing you can do. Unlike the main unit, it's about twenty percent more delicate. If that's what's busted, buying a new headgear is faster.
Rakuro: "As for the gear side... no external damage it looks like... For now, can we try attaching a spare output part I have at home and test it?"
Rei: "Yes, that's fine."
Rakuro: "This one's never been used, and from the way you disappeared, it's definitely the output system... If this doesn't work, I think the headgear's the problem. When did you buy this?"
Rei: "Umm... about two, three years ago...?"
Rakuro: "Huh... if it's been over two years, I wonder about the warranty..."
It's on the borderline, depends where you bought it. Honestly, even though it takes time, sending it in for repairs gets it back to normal for sure. If there's no external damage, there's basically nothing else I can do.
Rei: "..................Ah."
Rakuro: "Huh? What's up?"
Rei: "Um, well, you see... keeping a guest sitting in the waiting room this long, um... yes, Sen-nee-san would be angry with me, and... um, so..."
She keeps opening her mouth and closing it, like she's struggling to get the words unstuck from her throat. Looking away, looking down, over and over. Then she lifts her head like she's made up her mind and opens her mouth.
Rei: "P-Please... come to my room!"
Rakuro: "..................Wait, what?"
???: "........."
Rakuro: "...Uh, so what am I supposed to do?"