Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Guild Master Isn't Enough with Just the Game
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Midgard.
It was the name for the world inside the VFA game.
Midgard, the home of the NPCs, served as the primary stage for siege wars in VFA and the foundation for territory management.
For siege-war game addicts, it was practically a second hometown.
[quest:]
[Access the Babel Tower.]
[Congratulations!]
[You have completed the quest!]
[Distributing reward.]
“Midgard…….”
To think this was inside the Babel Tower.
It was the exact spot where the massive Lowguard battle event had taken place just a little while ago—the place where I’d logged out.
The Devil’s Fingertip.
The sun was setting, dyeing everything red, just like back then.
Unlike that time when Lowguard’s monsters and event-participating players had come crashing in like waves, the coastline was completely empty.
Hunters who had arrived a step ahead of me were chattering noisily.
“This is something I never imagined.”
“We’re really inside Midgard now, right?!”
“Seems like it.”
“There’s an injured person here! Healers, help please!”
“On my way!”
Terra and Balen spotted me and walked over slowly.
Messiah was with the injured.
Thanks to her relentlessly casting heals, most of the wounds were treated, but everyone looked mentally exhausted.
Some had collapsed onto the beach, others lay spread-eagled on the sand.
Nearby hunters were talking.
“Fighting hard in that S-rank Gate paid off. My level shot up like crazy.”
“Yeah. The few reward items from Lowguard mobs are all max-level gear we can’t even use, which sucks…….”
“The potions are so high-end it feels wasteful to use them. Can’t we just sip half at a time?”
They chatted about rewards for a bit.
“What do we do now?”
“Will levels go up here too?”
“Since we all got a real-world quest to access the Babel Tower, it should work, right?”
“How do we get out of the Babel Tower?”
“Man, coming here in person really drives home that Midgard is a real world.”
The awakeners’ appearances were now like their real-world selves, not game characters.
They had come here in their actual bodies.
That’s when someone shouted.
“Whoa, jackpot! The game inventory is back! Money and items are all intact!”
Inventory windows popped up everywhere.
Everyone fiddled with theirs excitedly at the surprising news, only to be disappointed soon after.
“Ah, but our levels are still too low, so we can’t equip the old items. I tossed all my low-level gear ages ago.”
“Guess items only work here and not in reality?”
“Yeah. The description says they can only be used inside the Babel Tower.”
“No max-level restoration, huh.”
“Skills too.”
“Bummer.”
I stood there dazed, listening to them, then opened my status window.
[Name] Kaisha (lv 23)[p24]
[Strength] 31 / [Vitality] 20
[Agility] 19 / [Intellect] 32
[Defense] 20
[Mana] 99999999+
[HP] 58%
This time, I opened my inventory, pulled out a stamina potion, and used it.
[HP] 100%
It really works.
Seems like items used in Midgard can’t be equipped in reality, but right now, that didn’t matter much.
I looked around.
The sun was setting.
The urgent injuries seemed mostly healed, so now we needed to move somewhere to rest.
“Gather up! We’re moving!”
Hunters who had been wandering aimlessly, sitting to rest, or staring at their inventory and status windows snapped their heads up.
They quickly assembled.
Considering the number of hunters, I increased the item count until the teleportation magic circle was spacious enough.
[Using 3 military warp gates to transport supplies.]
[Enter coordinates.]
Wirentia or Deferonta? I pondered briefly, but there was no real choice.
“The imperial palace of Deferonta.”
It was closer, and going far would consume too many items.
A map appeared.
[Three coordinates found for Deferonta Imperial Palace.]
Deferonta was a vast empire, its territory divided into three major regions.
Peronta, Pashu, Perontia.
I selected the imperial palace in Peronta, which had been the frontline for our territory during the recent siege war.
[Input complete.]
[Please confirm the location in advance.]
[Is this location correct?]
[Yes]
Kali, who had come up beside me, asked.
“To Deferonta?”
“We need some rest.”
Truth be told, no one wanted it more desperately than I did.
I was utterly exhausted.
“But our faces have all changed—will the NPCs even recognize us?”
Kali’s logical point made me pause, and I glanced at Deferonta’s second prince, Balen.
“Balen’s here.”
Balen nodded.
[Proceed with teleport?]
[Yes]
The magic circle on the ground lit up.
Not a single hunter was left behind as they were all enveloped in light and teleported.
[Notice!]
[Fullminak’s liege has arrived in the great empire of Deferonta. Announce the descent widely? (Range selectable)]
Crash!
“!”
A breaking sound jolted me, and I instinctively gripped my sword hilt.
NPCs startled and backed away.
Familiar faces.
Maids serving Deferonta’s imperial family, and Crown Princess Elena.
Knights from inside the palace rushed out at the sound of the dish shattering and surrounded us, but they halted in shock upon seeing Balen step forward.
I had clearly set the coordinates to my personal room inside the palace.
My room was huge—big enough for 40 people—and the crown princess and maids were gathered there.
I spotted a crib too.
Elena, sitting under the maids’ protection, jumped to her feet.
“……Lady Kaisha?”
Holding a baby, she must have given birth to her second in the meantime.
Seeing her recognize me, I let out a deep sigh of relief, then checked the notice window a beat late.
[Fullminak’s liege has arrived in the great empire of Deferonta. Announce the descent widely? (Range selectable)]
Select entire territory.
[Entire territory selected.]
[The descent of Goddess Kaisha and Guild Fullminak echoes across all of Deferonta.]
Green light burst from my body, spreading like a bell toll.
Knights who remembered the intense divine power flinched, then sheathed their swords and knelt on one knee before us.
The hunters sighed in relief and dropped their guards.
“We’re really safe.”
“Whoa, these functions are intact?”
“No way, we can finally rest here properly.”
“Crazy. I’m tearing up.”
“I’m starving to death.”
The descent announcement caused a bit of a stir outside the palace, but it couldn’t be helped.
It actually made things easier.
“Elena.”
“Yes, Lady Kaisha.”
“Could you bring some food?”
Before Elena could even order it, the maids sprang into action.
They had been gawking at the hunters sprawled everywhere in bewilderment, but now they withdrew to fetch meals.
Once we caught our breath, I noticed the baby in Elena’s arms.
“You finally had your second.”
“Yes, Lady Kaisha.”
“Congratulations.”
“I waited in this room every day, hoping for your blessing. Singing songs celebrating our gods’ victory.”
“…….”
Why did my eyes suddenly want to well up?
“Lady Kaisha?”
It felt so vivid—how had I not realized?
Believing all this, these people were real, was unbelievable, yet it all made sense, filling me with emotion.
Elena looked puzzled at my tightly pressed lips, then said.
“But Lady Kaisha, your face……”
“Ah, this is—”
I panicked without thinking.
“You’ve become even more beautiful.”
“……Huh?”
“Is it a new customization? You’re stunning.”
Ah.
Deferonta’s handler, Mino, was always splurging on paid items and switching appearances and genders, so even the NPCs vaguely knew about customization.
Good that they didn’t suspect my identity from my looks.
Elena’s eyes sparkled.
“Of course, you were handsome before too, but if your old look was strong and warrior-like, now you seem a bit softer.”
“Y-Yeah…….”
“Oh, truly beautiful.”
“…….”
Her blatant praise to my face left me frozen in absurdity, until Mino over there burst out laughing.
“Puhaha!”
Mino cackled gleefully at me, then got a knuckle rap from Enker on my signal.
Even after, he rolled around dodging Enker, laughing his head off for a while.
* * *
After Edgen, the crown prince who rushed over at the Fullminak descent news, was barely dissuaded from throwing a nighttime festival, we had our meal.
Then we slept deeply and woke to morning.
Tweet tweet.
“…….”
I wasn’t the only one, but yesterday, no one had wanted to be alone.
My room in the palace was spacious with plush carpets, so after eating together, we just threw blankets over ourselves and slept soundly.
The bed scramble last night had been fierce, so I crashed on the sofa.
Rising disheveled from the window-side sofa and sitting there blankly, yesterday’s events flashed by like a montage.
Whoa. I’m alive.
Amazed by this miraculous morning, I slowly got up.
Scanning the room, a couple of hunters had already woken and were wandering the palace, leaving empty spots.
Stepping out, I immediately ran into a passing maid.
“Lady Kaisha! Shall I prepare a bath? Hot water’s just ready.”
“Yeah. Guess I should.”
Today, I was blessing Elena’s second child.
Yesterday, after clawing out of the Gate for dear life and collapsing from exhaustion, even bathing hadn’t crossed my mind.
I’d fought hard and was filthy, but Elena insisted a goddess like Lady Kaisha was fine and urged me to hold the baby, making it tough to refuse.
The maid asked.
“Shall I assist with the bath?”
“I’ll do it alone.”
At my words, the maid’s eyes roamed my body with a mix of regret and envy.
Like eyeing a hot new product.
“…….”
Damn you, Mino.
Mino, Deferonta’s handler, had a hobby of gender-swapping and customizing looks, warping the palace culture a bit.
No wonder the crown princess openly admired my face yesterday.
Because of Mino, they thought it polite to recognize a god who’d put effort into their appearance customization.
I’d never cared, but thinking it real now made me self-conscious.
I changed the subject.
“Ahem. Before bathing, let’s stop by Elena’s newborn first.”
“Certainly.”
“When was the baby born?”
“Hee hee. When you triumphed at Iskasha, Lady Kaisha. Lady Elena and His Highness were overjoyed!”
Makes sense they’d be thrilled.
During the siege war, guildmates managing each territory kept the NPCs updated in real-time.
“It was big news for Deferonta—the emperor himself came by.”
“Really?”
The emperor was in Perontia.
Imagining a frail old man rushing over brought a gentle smile to my lips.
The nursery wasn’t far.
Maids peeking into the room from outside flinched at my sight.
“?”
Puzzled by their odd vibe, I peeked inside and was shocked to see an unexpected visitor.
Dart was looking at the baby.
Why is that guy here? I wondered casually as I stepped in, but then my feet halted.
Dart slowly knelt before the crib.
It was the image of a man crumbling, unable to contain a fiercely surging emotion.
Plop.
Tears falling.
From behind, the NPCs—no, this world’s people—held their breaths.
They didn’t know he was Dart.
Thank goodness.
If the palace folk knew Dart’s identity, they never would’ve let him into this room.
Dart was crying.
“…….”
Inside the Gate, a precious real person had died, and in the world he’d thought fake, new life had been born.
The wail of one who now knew the weight of life filled the room.