Chapter 395: Side 11: The Laughing Fixer
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Professor: "...Well then. Would you mind telling us the reason you've gone to the trouble of gathering us all here?"
The New Land branch of the café "Sea Snake and the Apple." Six distinguished players had gathered at the only NPC café where the taste restrictions are lifted.
The leader of the clan "Library," Professor.
The leader of the clan "Black Blade," Psyger-100.
The representative leader of the clan "Team 10PM," P.T. Overwerke... was absent due to overtime, so vice-leader Jakuzan attended in his place.
The leader and park director of the clan "SF-Zoo," Animalia.
The leader and captain of the clan "Saint’s Divine Guard," Josette.
And the leader of the clan "Wolfgang" and the head of the large-scale alliance, Arthur Pencilgon. Behind her stood a huge man clad in full-body armor and a bizarrely designed helmet, silently keeping watch.
Pencilgon: "That's right. Honestly, I was thinking of inviting the Knights Tempura too, but... they're a bit on the hostile route."
Psyger-100: "Not 'being treated as hostile' — you mean you're the one being hostile, right?"
Pencilgon: "Oh my, you caught on? As expected of Momo-chan."
Psyger-100: "...So? What are you scheming?"
Pencilgon: "Now, now, hold on. Before that, how about a little... bribery?"
It's precisely because Momo Saiga has known her for so long that she understands. That loose grin on her face is, more often than not, the one she wears when she is plotting something no good. As if to confirm that speculation, Pencilgon, wearing the grin of one eagerly awaiting the coming festival, openly begins her bribery operation right then and there.
Pencilgon: "First, for Animalia-chan... a screenshot like this."
Animalia: "...Oh? A Cait Sith."
Pencilgon: "Huh? I was expecting a slightly funnier reaction... Actually, Animalia-chan, hasn't your whole vibe changed?"
Animalia: "Fufufu... Ever since I was shattered by Lycagon, I have retrained this body. Now, I can connect with animals more directly...!"
Animalia, who seems to have awakened in a rather strange direction, clenches her fist tightly. That aside, her gaze is fixed on a single image... a boot-wearing cat striking a smug pose with its chest puffed out.
Pencilgon: "This is intel from our loose cannon, but it seems the Cait Sith are building a kingdom too. Unfortunately, I don't know any more than that myself, so it's one of the things I'll have to squeeze out of Sunraku-kun."
Animalia: "Good information... Depending on the contents, my clan won't be stingy with compensation."
Pencilgon: "That's wonderful to hear. Next, how about some information for Team 10PM?"
Grinning from ear to ear, the one who caught Pencilgon's gaze was a knight wearing a full-face helmet with a skull paint design. You could almost hallucinate some kind of murky spiritual ooze seeping from his body, but that's just the effect of the top-tier job derived from the Knight class's Dark Knight branch: Dark Crusader. Probably.
Jakuzan: "Our Karo-san's going for an honorable double all-nighter, so I came in his place. But honestly, I don't have the authority to decide anything on my own. So, I'm just a messenger here, yeah?"
Pencilgon: "That's perfectly fine~... Heheh. All you need to tell them is that our clan has formed a cooperative relationship with 'Imron'-chan."
Jakuzan: "The one with the Holy Hammer? Seriously... Man, this is gonna cause chaos at the meeting."
The biggest difference between a player blacksmith and an NPC blacksmith is, of course, whether or not a "real" original world exists. That can affect login cycles, and it also opens up approaches from completely different directions. In particular, the Holy Hammer's owner, Imron, is a solo-oriented player with a certain artisan temperament. While she is not quite as hard to track down as the practically cryptid-level Sunraku, she is still a difficult player to catch. However, her skill is guaranteed by the single fact that she possesses Mjolnir. For a top-tier clan, she is exactly the kind of talent they want to build connections with. And, perhaps because Imron herself is "an active office lady," Team 10PM has repeatedly tried to recruit her. With the hint of that bridge being dangled in front of him, Jakuzan has no choice but to listen to what Pencilgon has to say.
Pencilgon: "Next, Library. I'll provide you all with my most precious secret intel."
Professor: "Oh? You still have some unknown information stored away, do you?"
To the Professor, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity, Pencilgon touches the flower accessory on her head and declares:
Pencilgon: "The toy box of secret information isn't with me, it's with Sunraku-kun... So, what would you say if I told you there's a continuation to the Wethermon the Tombguard story?"
Professor: "The Library promises its full cooperation."
Pencilgon: "Quick on the uptake. Wonderful. Ah, but since it's information-based, don't expect any unique weapons or anything, okay?"
Professor: "Even a single line of text can be worth a fortune in treasure. That is what archaeology is all about."
Having secured the cooperation of three clans—Library, Team 10PM, and SF-Zoo—Pencilgon turns to face the remaining two: Josette and Psyger-100.
Pencilgon: "For Momo-chan, in the name of our friendship, I'll ask for a volun— Ah, wait, wait, joke! That's a Pencilgon joke! Forget it like you're erasing it with an eraser! No leaving! Are you sure you want to be left behind by the times!?"
Psyger-100: "Spouting nothing but convenient things... So? Just get to the main topic first, and then I'll decide."
Pencilgon: "Ah, before that, Saint’s Divine Guard! Honestly, you guys have your raison d'être fulfilled 24/7, so I have no clue what to offer you. Can we discuss it later?"
Josette: "Sure, no problem."
With that, Pencilgon leans back grandly in her chair once more and reveals her nefarious scheme to the five players—and by extension, the many top-tier players behind them.
Pencilgon: "I want to defeat Siegwurm the Sky Ruler."
In other words, a direct rebellion against the current mainstream Emilia faction (the Black Dragon Extermination faction). The clan representatives react in different ways, but every one of them responds to the invitation.
Professor: "I see. Indeed, you can't call the Knights Tempura here. They're the Noirlind Subjugation faction, after all."
Pencilgon: "Exactly, exactly. It's not that their fighting strength is bad, but since they got directly trampled by Noirlind... even if we tried to pull them over to our side, whether the cost-effectiveness balances out, well..."
Pencilgon replies to Professor's words with a wry smile. Then, turning to face Jakuzan, the acting representative of Team 10PM, she speaks with a wicked grin.
Pencilgon: "I know, you see... Inside Team 10PM, there are quite a few players who want to challenge a Unique Monster, right..."
Jakuzan: "Gh... Well, that's... true, yeah."
Pencilgon: "The Color Dragons are certainly a part of a Unique Scenario, but... can you really be satisfied with just the secondary targets...? If it were me, it's a game and all, so I think challenging Siegwurm would be fun whether you go out in a blaze of glory or seize some real value. I can't think of a reason not to..."
Jakuzan: "Guh... You're damn good at smooth-talking people. A con artist just like the rumors say..."
Pencilgon: "Huh? Where'd you hear that? I pride myself on being the single most pure and sincere being in existence, though?"
Jakuzan: "Yeah..."
Perhaps overwhelmed by Pencilgon's deepening grin, Jakuzan says nothing more. Sneering inwardly that the seeds have been planted, Pencilgon then turns back toward Psyger-100 and Professor.
Pencilgon: "As comrades in arms who fought Ctarnidd together, I'm sure you understand just how great the benefits of defeating a Unique Monster are, aren't you? Looking at Ctarnidd's Delusion Forms, there's a possibility that the Tome of Truth won't appear just from clearing the secondary targets. So, what do you think about that?"
Professor: "As a clan, we'd like to say either is fine... But in truth, the Library believes the Tome of Truth will appear whether Siegwurm is defeated or the Color Dragons are subjugated."
Pencilgon: "H-Hohh?"
Standing up abruptly, Professor begins to walk around the shop, the clicks of her shoes echoing.
Professor: "It's the World Quest. From all the information so far, the subjugation of Unique Monsters was involved in the World Quest's progression. But this time, the conditions of the World Quest itself are fused with a Unique Scenario. If that's the case, a hypothesis we can infer is that originally, Ctarnidd was a Unique Monster you'd always encounter when heading to the New Land. In other words, that monster should have been the very first Unique Monster to be defeated..."
Josette: "Ah, Professor-san? Sorry, but can you just give us the main points?"
At Josette's request, her brow slightly furrowed, the outwardly adorable girl known as Professor blinks and scratches her head.
Professor: "Ah, that's no good. Force of habit..."
She then gives the short version.
Professor: "We believe that whether you defeat the Color Dragons or defeat Siegwurm, the World Quest will progress, and the Tome of Truth will likely be distributed either way. However, if we had to say... Our belief at Library is that the next stage of the World Quest will branch in difficulty or story depending on which one is chosen."
Professor: "That said, it is no reason to refuse the reward being offered."
With that, Professor takes her seat. Without letting a trace of relief at having dealt with a troublesome tanuki show on her face, Pencilgon keeps up her fearless grin.
Pencilgon: "Now then, let's continue our discussion. Preparation for the festival is crucial, after all."