Chapter 332: Inching Closer Communication

Stranded life, day one (addendum). The way the elves look at me is seriously bad. That's completely the look you'd give a monster.

Emul: "Nfufufu—, just as expected of Sunraku-san, wa! Even without wings, you won't lose in the sky either, wa—!"

Sunraku: "Well, if you can shoot down a jet fighter with your bare hands when the game systems allow it, this much is nothing."

Tottori: "What the hell are you talking about?"

A game. From beginning to end.

While I looked over the material text for the Dracule Dinoquetzal I'd shot down, our group moved through the forest: Tottori, who was plainly taken aback; the elves, who were even more horrified; and the king and princess, whose favorability toward me I'd apparently managed to raise even further despite myself.

Tottori: "…Hey, do you really have to be able to do something like that to beat a Unique Monster?"

Sunraku: "Hmm? Who knows. Ctarnidd, and Rei-shi… ah, I mean Psyger-0, you know? You don't need to go that far. Schwarz Vulf could probably beat one if they really tried… actually, they probably already have."

Tottori: "What?"

Sunraku: "Nothing. Forget it."

I almost casually let slip that Ctarnidd can be fought again. Close, close.

Sunraku: "Anyway, putting that aside. We've got a rough sense of the direction and we're heading that way… but can you keep your login going, Tottori?"

Tottori: "Ah… right. I should probably log out once soon…"

I've been logged in for quite a while too, so I'd like to log out once myself. Normally I'd go back to Rabituza before logging out, but… heh heh heh. This time is different.

Tottori: "Erina, let's take a break here for now. Can you get that ready?"

Erina: "Yes! Everyone—! We're taking a break here—!!"

The elves' average stats are almost no different from a player's, to the point where you start wondering whether they have any strengths at all. But they do have a skill… or in this case, should I call it an ability?

They gathered branches and leaves from the surrounding trees, and the elves sprang briskly into action. With efficiency that almost looked like fast-forwarded footage, one tent after another, made entirely from natural organic material, was built up in the trees.

Sunraku: "I think the devs probably designed this forest on the assumption that you'd clear it together with the elves."

Tottori: "Being able to make a save point without consuming items is definitely convenient… Even so, they still feel way too cowardly."

The elves' special ability is [Instant Basecamp], which allows them to create a save point even in the middle of an area.

It's precisely because of this that Tottori can solve the fundamental problem of logging out and continue traveling with the elves.

That said, they can't keep it deployed while they're on the move, so apparently going deathless is unavoidable. Well, if we leave these cowards alone, there's no telling where they'll run off to…

Now, there is one problem.

Sunraku: "Your Majesty, I know this is an impertinent question, but do you have any experience climbing trees…?"

Toravante: "Sunraku, a king is, as a rule, the person most removed from places such as this."

Apparently he climbed trees when he was a mischievous little boy, but you can't exactly expect tree-climbing skills from a paunchy middle-aged man.

In the end, we had the elves help us build a makeshift elevator out of branches and vines and haul him up.

The moment these guys realized the king and princess were frail noncombatants, they got noticeably kinder. What an unpleasant sense of kinship… Though the king and princess are important figures for the elves' own rights, too.

After logging out, I took care of various real-life necessities in preparation for logging back in while hurriedly finishing some research on the mobile device in one hand.

Rakuro: "Yufuin Ryoji… Aizawa Yoko… Shijima Genkuro… no, I hate to say it, but these people are rank-and-file. In that case…"

Amachi Ritsu. This is the one…? She looks like she's in a position with some strangely broad authority, and when I looked into her, she was involved with the online version of Fuckaria. Wait, what? She worked on Spell Creation Online too? Is SLF serious? She's completely from the kusoge side of the industry.

Rakuro: "…No, I mean, SLF is actually a success, so…"

As far as Spell Creation Online goes, the players were entirely to blame, so maybe she's a normal person…? Whatever. Putting that aside… there.

I pulled out an imitation crab stick that had been placed in the fridge right next to the actual crab and bit into it, then opened SLF's official site.

I once met an unusual person who said the most fun thing was "reporting a bug to the devs and then watching to see when it gets fixed," and right now I think I understand that feeling a little.

Rakuro: "Inventoria is way too convenient…"

It's a bit rich coming from me, since I'm taking full advantage of it, but unlimited midair jumping is obviously a problem. Come to think of it, I've already sent around five emails… Am I being a nuisance? Send.

Rakuro: "What was it they said? 'It's fun to feel that one move of your own is affecting the entire player base'… Yeah, I get it."

The imitation crab stick, refrigerated beside the real crab as if someone had put it there out of spite, still tasted like an imitation crab stick… because it is one. I don't dislike crab sticks. You don't have to crack shells or dig the meat out every single time…

Sunraku: "…Right, then."

Tottori… still hasn't logged back in. I can't expect much, but maybe I'll try talking to the elves for a bit.

Five minutes later.

Sunraku: "Huh? Where did everyone…"

Sunraku: "—Don't move."

Aryur: "H-Hyeek!"

Seriously, every last one of them sees me, their face seizes up, and they run away. In that case… I don't have much choice but to erase my presence and approach from behind. For no particular reason, I changed my head into a salmon while walking around and dropped from a tree behind one of the elves.

Sunraku: "…Don't turn around. Just answer my questions."

Aryur: "H-Hyeth…"

Sunraku: "Your name?"

Aryur: "A-Aryur… ish."

Sunraku: "I see… That's a nice name."

Something's wrong here… This is exactly the kind of thing you'd do when threatening an enemy soldier in a stealth-mission game, right? We're technically supposed to be allies…

Aryur: "P-Pleath… thave me…"

Sunraku: "I'm not done asking questions yet. Okay?"

Aryur: "HIIIIII!?"

Whatever. Let's just keep going like this.

First, what I want to ask is…

Sunraku: "Those bows you carry… do you make them yourselves?"

Aryur: "Y-Yeth, yeth thir!"

Sunraku: "Do you only make shortbows? Tottori seemed to have something equipped besides a shortbow…"

Aryur: "Th-That is… um…"

Sunraku: "Three, two…"

Aryur: "It's a thlingthot, a thecret of the elveth!!"

So that thing is a slingshot. It was designed as part of the armor, so I'd been wondering what it was, but that explains it.

I see… a slingshot… I've never really used one before, so I don't particularly want one.

Sunraku: "Back to the subject. Required stats… no, what level of skill do you need to use the bows you make?"

Aryur: "Huh, thkill… um, um…"

A little mischievous urge struck me, so I lightly poked the back of Aryur's neck with the tip of one claw.

Aryur: "Pleath thave me, don't kill me!"

Ahh… this is bad, Tottori… If the elves' cowardly reactions and the new king's discriminatory attitude get out, there are definitely going to be people who side with the other camp…

Sunraku: "Answer my questions and I'll release you without a scratch. Okay?"

Tottori: "…Hey, Sunraku."

Sunraku: "What's up, Tottori-kun?"

Tottori: "An elf named Aryur just came crying to me and said, 'I got threatened by a freak with the head of some creature I've never seen before.'"

Sunraku: "What the hell. So the Third Knight Order has already sent an assassin. Still, it's good that Aryur survived."

Tottori: "…And apparently this person was very interested in asking about bows made by the elves?"

Sunraku: "Reconnaissance on their combat capabilities. Same as an FPS. If your range, power, and rate of fire get exposed, that's a huge disadvantage… Going after someone while they're logged out is cowardly."

Tottori: "Hey, Sunraku. How does the bow feel?"

Sunraku: "Elves are amazing. Making a folding mechanism bow out of nothing but organic material? That's genius."

Tottori: "…Don't you have something you want to say?"

Sunraku: "………"

Tottori: "………"

Sunraku: "…Because if I talk to them face-to-face, they run away."

There's a good chance I won't use it much, but I still want a low-cost ranged attack option, you know? Yay, a bow! A bow—!