Chapter 318: A Primary Industry Worker Challenges the Unknown

To think I'd end up reusing as a subtitle the title of a work I shelved—scrapped, really—ages ago… Not even Rihaku's eyes could have seen this coming…

Amid the raging storm, barely holding together a body about to be blown away and a spirit about to shatter, I gripped my watering can in one hand and screamed. The act itself held no systemic meaning. Even so, if I didn't scream, my cliff-edge heart was going to crack right down the middle…

Sunraku: "Goddammiiiiit! You think I'm gonna let you take my precious children from meeee?!"

Aaahh, aaahhh, another greenhouse just got ripped away and blown to bits!! You piece of shit, but as if my children would give in to this level of—GYAAAH, DON'T YOU TAKE THE DAIKON, DIRT AND ALL!!

I plunged through the veil of violently pounding raindrops, worked the UI with one hand, and swung the watering can in my right with force. Energy Water, packed with fertilizer, sprayed across the field, locking in my crops' quality at "Premium." Without missing a beat, I selected an area from the system window, spent cash like it was nothing to deploy a top-grade greenhouse, then yanked the rod I'd stabbed into the ground beside the field and readied it.

Sunraku: "Other mid-tier disaster beasts, maybe I could deal—but you? A top-class bastard pulling a sneak-attack ambush is just plain cowardly…!!"

At the end of my gaze—so far up I had to crane my neck, then crane it further just to see—I spotted the bastard's head. I didn't bother hiding my disgust: I clicked my tongue and spat. Its appearance: a giraffe, so colossal its head seemed to scrape the clouds. Its true nature: Zephyra Jira—the most powerful, most vile disaster beast in this game, one that constantly churns a calamitous storm around itself, blowing away everything and anything with zero regard. Being a top-class disaster beast, it wouldn't waste its hostility on a speck like me. But simply by passing through, it would ruin my children—the daikon and eggplant I'd raised with my own two hands. Some losses I could stomach. But if I let my guard down for even a moment, I'd lose not just the crops but the very soil, just like before—!!

Sunraku: "UOOOOH, QUIT STARING OFF INTO SPACE AND NOTICE ME, DAMN YOU!! [Ignis Sizan Fullblasten]!!"

That game world had its own game world's rules. The highest-tier fire-attribute magic, cast in the image of a flame djinn, soared toward the colossal giraffe… and—maybe the timing was off—the djinn that should've one-shot any lower-tier disaster beast was swallowed by the gale like a gnat and vanished… Ah, cruel fate. No matter how hard a fly trains, it'll never knock out an elephant… a game that teaches you that truth: Thrilling Farm… Wait, please! Spare me! My seed rice for next season is still sitting there! You're kidding, the alloy shed's durability is already ticking down!? Ah—stop! Tomorrow's seeds matter more than today's dinner, don't theyyyyy!?

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I sat up in the real world and spoke a single, heartfelt word.

Rakuro: "Farmers have my eternal thanks…"

Half the total had been wiped out by the storm, but I'd managed to wring out a top-quality crop score. Still, for something I hadn't touched in a while, that was pretty damn good. Sure, the real thing isn't this game-like, but I can't forget my gratitude to the real-life producers out there. That said… that giraffe bastard. Someday. I'm taking it down.

Rakuro: "…First things first, breakfast."

Cup ramen, best thing ever! Chase it with an energy drink and I'm unstoppable, bwaahahaha!!

Rakuro: "So."

The time was six in the morning… The exploration vessel's set to reach the New Land at nine… Actually, should I go show my face to my employer first? Yeah, better. So I logged in, woke Emul from her peaceful snoozing, set her on my head, and—in a first-thing-in-the-morning move—turned into Sunrako-chan and headed to Saint-chan's quarters.

Eristella: "You've been disappearing from the ship from time to time, so I assumed you'd already departed…"

Sunraku: "No, no. I wouldn't dream of being so discourteous."

So she's been keeping tabs on my movements, to some extent… The lore on her is way too strong. Hey, you okay there, Josette? One wrong step and this could turn into a Raid Boss "Eristella" situation, you know.

While giving a sidelong glance to Josette—who was radiating an aura that practically screamed "Ohhh man, sleepy Saint-chan is too adorable…" with a straight face—I waited for Saint-chan's next move.

Eristella: "—Josette. Give him the item."

Josette: "…………Ha."

She hesitated for a split second, as if something had snagged in her thoughts, but in accordance with her roleplay, Josette handed me some kind of item. Where have I seen something like this…? Ah, right. The shape's a little different, but it resembles a screenshot item. No, wait—more like a recording item.

Eristella: "The rescue of His Majesty the King and Her Highness the First Princess, who are to be assassinated on this New Land… I am well aware this is a heavy request, but may I add one more condition to be fulfilled?"

Sunraku: "Let's hear it. The conversation starts from there."

According to her, simply rescuing them wouldn't stop the First Prince from going, "Ah, thanks ever so much! Right then, I'll be taking Father and Sister back now," and the assassination ending wouldn't be averted. If that's the case, then on this New Land, the executioner—she named them with a surprisingly clear assertion: the "Third Knight Order"—must be made to talk, to extract a statement so the Church can place the King and Princess under protection.

Sunraku: "…In other words, I endure until they say something decisive, and then save His Majesty the King."

Eristella: "…Yes."

Hmm… This game runs in real time, so there are all kinds of timing factors… but at the same time, there are the frameworks of Unique Scenarios and quests. If the completion conditions got changed mid-quest, doesn't that mean it's now possible to pull it off? Even the embodiments of pure unfairness—Wethermon, Lycagon, even Ctarnidd—had some kind of breakthrough point… Can I do this? Alright then, guess I'll roll with the roleplay here too.

Sunraku: "…Understood. Your wish has been duly heard by the blade of vengeance. We swords follow the will of the one who wields us."

Eristella: "Heh heh… a new blade has joined the Wandering Sword… I believe in you."

Man… I can't blame the diehard fans for forming factions around her.

That aside, the shape of the New Land was now clearly coming into view. With the New Land Research Vessel Torvante Discoverer, which departed in the first wave, also visible ahead, it was only natural that every last soul on board wanted to look outside, whether from the deck or the windows. I mingled among the throng of players poking their heads out and, likewise, took in the full sight of the New Land.

Emul: "Sunrako-ko-san, will you rescue the King and Princess right away, wa?"

Sunraku: "Mmm, Saint-chan's prophecy—uh, her intel—says 'If seen, it'll cause problems, so they'll carry it out deep in the New Land.' Plus, apparently the frontline base is in chaos right now, so the actual deed might still be a bit further out."

His Majesty the King and Her Highness the First Princess—top-shelf NPCs by any standard. In fiction, you see plenty of undercover royals slipping into town, but if they moved around in a place like this, they'd leave tracks immediately. If the plan's to assassinate them deep inland, there'd have to be prep work and some kind of flimsy justification. So if I sniff around for that… Crap. If I do that, I'll stand out like a sore thumb.

Sunraku: "Checkmate?"

No. Not yet. I've got a very reliable senpai, don't I!!

Sunraku: "—And, so, that's the situation. Could I get your assistance, Lewd Rad— I mean, Lutia-senpai?"

Lutia: "…Did you just try to call me something incredibly disgraceful?"

Sunraku: "Me?! Perish the thought!"

Tch, sharp one, this lewd radish. The research vessel was just about to make landfall on the New Land. While everyone else was getting fired up over the sight of a new horizon, I'd slipped down to the ship's bottom deck to visit a quietly opened establishment: "Sea Snake and the Apple." Master, one apple juice.

Lutia: "…Well, it's fine. You've been handling things well as her kouhai, it seems, and we—for our part—do have some minor grievances with the current king's policies."

Sunraku: "Loli Tias-sensei has been very kind to me, yes."

It looked like she was still technically "on the job"—she hadn't removed her hood or muffler as she sat down. But even as I faced off against the Bounty Hunter Lutia, I felt the corner of my mouth twitch upward inwardly at the favorable answer I'd gotten.

Lutia: "By the way… are you, in fact, a woman?"

Sunraku: "Oh, no, my base template is male, tee-hee."

Lutia: "Ah. So you have those sorts of tastes…"

How rude. If you consider the possibility of playing a female character in a game with a locked character creation, then there exists no gamer without net-okama experience, you know? All of humanity are net-okama. Make peace with the net-okama.

Still, with this, I'd secured an NPC information source. All that's left is to watch for the right moment, rescue the King and First Princess in grand style, and clear the quest. As I waved off the UI windows cluttering my vision, I allowed myself a grin.

Disaster Beast: Zephyra Jira A super-massive disaster beast appearing in Thrilling Farm. It possesses a powerful heart to sustain its utterly freakish size, but the output is so extreme that if left alone, its body temperature would endlessly spike and cause it to self-destruct. Thus, it deliberately lowers its own stamina by generating storms around itself. Its appearance is that of a giraffe rivaling a skyscraper in size. It holds two titles: the enemy that hazard-farm players most want to snap the neck of.

Disaster Beast: Ulkanu Phantom A super-massive disaster beast appearing in Thrilling Farm. Unlike Zephyra Jira, this one expends nearly all of its energy just to move its colossal body. Therefore, despite being a warm-blooded creature, it lacks the ability to maintain a survivable body temperature on its own. To compensate, it inhales clouds and sprays bodily fluid from its trunk into the air, forming a lens that amplifies sunlight many times over, activating the symbiotic plants on its back to secure both energy and warmth. Naturally, the aftermath of its passage is drought, inflicting catastrophic damage. Its appearance is that of an immense elephant—though not quite on the level of that shitty giraffe—and it holds two titles: the enemy that hazard-farm players most want to hogtie the trunk of.

Disaster Beast: Regio Dachshund A medium-sized disaster beast appearing in Thrilling Farm. Unlike other disaster beasts that simply ravage the ranch by existing, this one is dead set on killing the player. Its claws can dig through the walls of a nuclear shelter, and its exceptional sense of smell lets it track you down no matter where you hide. If you don't carefully plan your escape route, it'll barrel straight through the farm to chase you down—making it a whole different breed of nuisance from the super-massive types. Its appearance is that of a limousine-sized, unspeakably vicious dachshund. As a medium-sized disaster beast, players can actually kill it, so it's hated, sure, but it also gets itself killed for it.

Is it just way too fun to take settings I once sealed away and come up with new ones as a breather…?