Drinks and Disclosures
The friends who had been holding the meeting for a while finally agreed with the guild leader, Sword Eater, and the atmosphere settled into a conclusion.
"Then it's decided. We'll accept these four into the guild."
"I agree with the president's opinion."
"Hey now, I told you not to call me president here."
"Ah, my mistake."
"What do you think, Eli-nim?"
They were asking me even though the decision had already been made. Still, as a guild member, I skimmed through the four applications and gave my answer.
"I think it's fine too."
"Then it's settled. I'll send the messages."
Sword Eater handed papers to the friend beside them. Each person took one and began typing messages into keyboards that materialized in the air. After finishing their tasks with swift efficiency, the friends showed no sign of leaving, so I asked,
"Are we done now?"
"Ah, you can go ahead, Eli-nim."
"Some members who have time tomorrow will go on a raid, so just come when it suits you."
"Alright. See you next time."
Leaving the friends still deep in discussion behind me, I stepped out of the guild building. It struck me how unusual it was for a small social guild of only six members to own a building right in the middle of a bustling metropolis where player numbers—and therefore property prices—were highest. It turned out my friends were wealthy in real life and had poured a fortune into the game.
"Sigh. I should work on raising my skill proficiencies."
Lately, I had been focusing on improving my proficiency with various weapon types. Since proficiency only increased through actual combat with monsters, it was a time-consuming and grueling process, but there was always the joy of trying out new weapons.
Another month passed after the guild roster expanded and we began actively running guild raids. Thanks to Elisa's continued silence, I had plenty of free time and joined every raid. We succeeded in all of them, which only made me more famous.
"This raid was a success too."
"I really can't figure out Eli-nim's physical abilities. Even with game assistance, that reaction speed is ridiculous."
"There's a reason they're a top ranker. It's talent. Pure talent."
After the raid, we gathered at a tavern for an after-party. Because the game used neural connections, drinking in the virtual space gave us the sensation of being intoxicated. It had become common for people who disliked hangovers to hold drinking parties inside the game instead.
I sipped on Fairy's Tear, an expensive high-grade liquor, and simply listened to the conversation. The clean yet rich flavor slid smoothly down my throat. I had never been much of a drinker, but Fairy's Tear was so delicious that I had grown fond of it.
Everyone else was also flushed from the expensive alcohol and rambling incoherently.
"I hear Eden is amazing. Has anyone here been?"
"Hohoho, Eden really is wonderful. I visited last week on business and had an excellent experience."
"Really? Tell us about it."
"Ahem, with Eli-nim here, talking about Eden might be a bit..."
Since everyone present was male and adult, the conversation occasionally turned sexual, but they always glanced at me and held back. It made sense—discussing such topics openly in front of a twenty-year-old woman would be awkward.
Watching them try to change the subject out of consideration, I spoke up.
"You don't have to worry about me. We're all friends here."
"Still, it's a rather embarrassing topic to discuss in front of a lady..."
"I'm originally from Eden, so I know quite a bit about it."
The moment I said I was from Eden, everyone froze. After exchanging frantic glances, they all turned to Sword Eater. Under the weight of eight stares, Sword Eater coughed awkwardly and asked on everyone's behalf,
"Ahem. From Eden? What do you mean by that...?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. I was born and raised in Eden."
"Ah, hahaha. So you're an Eden native. I never expected to meet one so close by. It's surprising."
"Well, Eden's population is small, after all."
Excluding angels and foreigners, the number of pure Eden natives was extremely low for a city-state. Even before the women of Eden were modified into angels, the total population had barely exceeded thirty thousand. Ryuzan had over four million, Xenuma around three point two million, and Tarykin approximately three point five million including slaves. Compared to the continent's total population of thirteen point five million, Eden's share was only 0.2 percent—embarrassingly small to even call a nation.
Once I revealed my origins, everyone looked at me with sparkling eyes.
"Eli-nim, being a local, would have far more valuable stories than I do."
"It still feels a bit awkward discussing the sex industry with a lady present."
"If she says it's fine, then it should be fine, no? Let me start by sharing my experiences as a tourist."
As expected, the men's conversations about Eden centered on the sex industry. Starting with the story from the friend who had visited Eden on business, the air in the room gradually heated up with increasingly explicit tales. The businessman spoke eloquently, and the stories grew bolder with each passing moment.
"They really accommodate that kind of play?"
"Eden's angels fulfill most requests—as long as they like you, of course."
"Damn, I'm jealous. The place I live is too far from Eden. I can't even think of going."
"It's fortunate Eden is located at a transportation hub. If it were at the edge of the continent, I'd never have a chance to visit in my lifetime."
"But is it really true, like the videos online, that all angels have eyes like that?"
"The angels I saw in the Underground City all had unfocused pupils and a peculiar lack of depth in their eyes. After all, those dead-looking eyes are the biggest distinguishing feature of angels."
They discussed various aspects of the sex industry before moving on to the angels themselves.
"Why do the angels have those dead eyes?"
"Isn't it to distinguish women working in the sex industry?"
"It would certainly make them easy to tell apart from ordinary people."
Though it was merely a side effect of angel training, it did have the advantage of easy identification, just as they said. Then one friend who had been quietly listening spoke up cautiously.
"There's also a theory that before the ruler of Eden changed, the Underground City where the angels lived wasn't opened to the public in order to preserve their species."
"So the Underground City was the angels' habitat?"
"Yes. Just like the succubi who are now extinct and considered legend, angels are a different species from humans. In exchange for working in the sex industry through their cooperation with Eden, they receive protection for their race."
"Ah, that makes sense when you think about the succubi who went extinct because of humans."
"So that's why their eyes are different, why they're all female, and why they live in the Underground City without ever leaving Eden."
Wait, the conversation was taking a strange turn. Still, for a rumor, it sounded remarkably plausible. The idea that angels, having witnessed the succubi's extinction, had hidden themselves in Eden and worked in the sex industry in exchange for safe protection in the Underground City was odd but strangely convincing.
Then a question flew my way as I continued sipping my drink.
"Eli-nim, since you were born and raised in Eden, you must know something about the angels, right?"
"Uh, well, I do know some things..."
"Huh? You seem pretty drunk."
"I'm not drunk. *Hic*."
"Goodness, when did you drink so much? How many bottles is this?"
I tried to pour more into my empty glass, only to realize it was already empty. When had I finished it? I reached for another bottle on the table, but my hand kept missing.
Only then did I notice my vision was slightly blurry.
"Uh, why can't I grab it?"
"Pfft, cute."
"Your usual demeanor makes this contrast even more devastating."
"Here's the bottle."
"Ah, thank you."
Since I kept missing, one of my friends eventually placed the bottle in my hand. I poured a generous amount into my glass and downed it in one go. The rich flavor filling my mouth and the smooth swallow lifted my mood even further.
"Haaah~ This is really delicious. *Hic*."
"Drink slower. Even if it's virtual, drinking too much will leave you with dizzy aftereffects similar to a hangover."
"You said you were twenty, right? Be careful—if you get this drunk outside the game, it could be dangerous."
"If a young woman in her prime is alone and swaying drunk, shady men will snatch her right up. Always drink with someone trustworthy."
"Yeees~"
Maybe because I was in a good mood, even their nagging sounded pleasant. It wasn't the same as sexual excitement or simple happiness, but the hazy sensation of being drunk was enjoyable in its own way.
"Now I understand why people drink~"
"Hoho, it's even better when you're with close friends."
"By the way, what do you do for a living, Eli-nim?"
"Ehh~ I'm traveling."
"Not that. What do you do in Eden?"
"Umm... I work with my sisters. I help Maria and Kyubey unni with their work, so I guess that counts as working together?"
The friends who had handed me the drink began asking questions one by one—about my job, my name, my relationships. As I answered in my muddled state, drowsiness suddenly washed over me.
"Ugh, I'm so sleepy."
"There, there. Just lie down here and rest."
Supported by helping hands, I lay down on the soft sofa. A pleasant comfort filled my entire body. While I was enjoying the sensation in my fading consciousness, I could hear my friends talking.
"I never imagined Eli-nim would be the younger sister of Maria Drivique, Eden's new ruler. I was truly shocked."
"And on top of that, she's of angel descent. What a precious bloodline."
"If what she said is true, then angels really are a different species from humans. A species originally without emotions, yet they learn them themselves to live among humans... fascinating."
"So that's why Eli-nim always has such a blank expression—because she's an angel."
"We've gained some valuable information. Hohoho."
Lulled by their low voices like a lullaby, I couldn't fight off the sleepiness any longer and drifted off.
After that drinking session, the friends became noticeably kinder. I was enjoying my pleasant game life when Elisa finally contacted me.
"Hello?"
"I've finished my work. You seem to have been doing well in the meantime?"
"I've been managing pretty well on my own. Made quite a few friends too. Did your work go smoothly?"
"Many aspects have been improved. Especially the structural changes to the engine used in missiles have greatly increased stability, and the test aircraft's flight was a smooth success. With those results, I even secured investment from Lady Maria."
"Wow, the results were that good? That's impressive."
If even the meticulous Maria had decided to invest, it meant she judged the project had sufficient value.
Elisa excitedly explained about the machine called an airplane.
"If we can build an airplane of sufficient size, it will allow us to travel long distances much faster than trains. The issue is fuel supply. Since most petroleum production happens in Xenuma, we'll need to secure their cooperation."
"Isn't petroleum treated as military material, so exports above a certain amount are restricted?"
Petroleum was a crucial resource essential for several weapons, and most production sites were concentrated in northern Xenuma, which imposed export restrictions. Among the many methods of generating electricity, petroleum's ability to produce high output in a short time made it indispensable for armaments like missiles and tanks.
"That's why I'm planning to request cooperation from Lord Teo. Since Lady Maria has been exchanging marriage talks with him, this is a good opportunity."
"Teo is going to marry Maria?"
"Lady Maria has been meeting Lord Teo frequently for Eden-related matters and seems to have taken a liking to him. Lord Teo is exceptionally strong and an excellent male, while Lady Maria is the legitimate bloodline of the Drivique family. Their desires align perfectly."
Learning that Maria was marrying the man I had once thought I loved left me with a strange feeling. Still, Teo, being a strong male, was perfectly suited as Maria's partner—so much so that even during the time he had been paired with Kyubey unni, I had considered matching them deliberately.
"Mm. More importantly, we're departing now, right?"
"Yes. We'll leave tomorrow. Just be ready."
"Okay, got it."
The long-awaited moment had finally come, yet the sudden departure tomorrow left me slightly flustered. I immediately logged into the game and sent messages to my guild friends. They tried to stop me, saying the season was approaching, asking why I was traveling now, telling me not to go because it was dangerous, but I explained that I had to. In the end, after receiving a barrage of worried nagging, they saw me off with well-wishes.
After reading the messages, I suddenly looked around my mental space. The traces of living alone for over two months were scattered everywhere—it was quite messy. Leftover food and snacks lay untouched without rotting, empty bottles rolled around, dried traces of fluids from my aroused body remained, and the blanket I had kicked off in my sleep was tangled on the bed.
"Ugh, I should clean up first."
I created a trash bin that automatically deleted anything placed inside and began picking up the garbage. After repeating the process for a while, the interior finally looked spotless. There was no dust or sweat, but I wiped my forehead with my arm anyway and stretched my back.
After finishing the cleaning and taking a bath, I woke up to find Elisa pulling me out of the mental space. Dressed in thick layers, Elisa was organizing luggage in front of the camper and spoke.
"The weather has gotten quite chilly. For it to be like this already, that season must be something else."
'Yeah, it's really cold. I was inside for over two months and didn't even notice the weather changing.'
"Hehe, it was a very fulfilling time. I truly enjoyed it."
'If Elisa enjoyed it, then I'm happy too.'
"Thank you, miss."
The luggage stacked beside the camper's storage compartment was neatly packed away. After finishing the loading, Elisa checked the time displayed in the corner of her vision and said,
"It's already this late. Let's depart now."
'Okay.'
When Elisa transferred control of the body to me, I felt an even sharper chill. Wow, it was colder than I expected. My body felt strangely sluggish too. I connected the camper to the fixation harness at my waist and began walking in the upright posture of a mare. Though the fully loaded camper was quite heavy, I was already accustomed to it and pulled it forward with moderate effort.
Through the fur hat covering my head, the path ahead was displayed via AR. As I walked and exerted strength, the heat generated from my artificial muscles helped ease the cold somewhat. While moving for a long while, I enjoyed the changing scenery brought by the chilly weather.
Normally, no one traveled outside the city walls except farmers, and with the weather like this, they had long since abandoned their fields and retreated into the city. The road was empty except for me pulling the camper, making it pleasant to stroll and take in the view at leisure.
"The plants are all withering because of the cold. Haa~ Look at my breath."
'Still, it's a fresh sight. I've only ever seen green fields before.'
"I wonder if I'll get to see snow too, the kind I've only seen in videos. They say snow covering the plains is beautiful."
'The two months when snow covers the ground are also said to be the land's resting period. After growing plants for fourteen months, the earth gets a brief respite.'
"Hearing that makes it sound even more romantic."
After walking for a while and gradually increasing my pace, I began to run. Assuming the posture I used when pulling carriages as a mare, I surged forward with the camper in tow.