Chapter 36: Something is Unusual This Time as Well (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: Something is Unusual This Time as Well (4)
Generic mass-produced mobile games have all sorts of ways to lure in players.
Among them, the easiest way to pry open a player’s wallet is by utilizing attractive characters.
In a way, it’s an extremely simple and clear method, yet it can also be the most difficult.
However, our friendly domestic mass-produced mobile RPG, Miracle Blessing M, took the "we didn't know what you'd like, so we prepared everything" approach, giving every character a distinct personality.
While some said it was a bit much depending on one's taste, what did it matter? The sales rankings were proof of its success.
The reason this utterly mediocre game managed to settle comfortably between 5th and 10th place in the store rankings was likely thanks to these characters and their unique quirks.
Especially in a game set in an academy like Miracle Blessing M, character charm is a great tool for emptying players' pockets. It’s a genre with a very solid fan base, after all.
Even I, who usually hesitated to spend money on games, found myself opening my wallet as if possessed, drawn in by the charm of a character named Abel during my playthrough.
…If I had known I’d be dragged into this world, I wouldn't have spent a dime.
Anyway, since the narrative of this world revolved around the annoyingly handsome Leon, beautiful heroines stuck to him like magnets.
But think about it: the law of supply and demand. To put it simply, there was only one protagonist, Leon, but far too many women who wanted him. By the middle of the story, there were already five or six heroines clinging to him.
By the time Leon awakened as the ultimate "munchkin" toward the end, you probably wouldn't have enough fingers and toes to count them all.
Because of that, everyone except the main heroine, Abel, gradually faded into the background.
Each girl boasted unique personalities and abilities, but the story focused entirely on the process of Abel and Leon overcoming adversity and falling in love.
Well, it would be hard to surpass Abel, whom the game company had explicitly designated as the main lead.
Regardless, among those numerous "losing heroines," the one who became a background character the fastest was the girl currently before me—the one who looked like a refined young lady from a prestigious family but couldn't take her eyes off the sweet red bean jelly.
The prodigy of the Archery Saint family, Saki Ryozo.
Saki was the first to be dropped from the candidate list for Leon’s partner, but her position in the community was surprisingly solid. You could say she had a thick fan base.
Despite looking like a total airhead, she was an elite with a twist—ranking first in written exams. And while her constant sleeping was an issue, she was the type of heroine who delivered when it mattered, meaning she had the fewest "frustrating" traits.
Unlike other girls who might get taken hostage or cry for help depending on the episode, Saki never showed such weakness. As a supporter, she was exceptionally competent.
Furthermore, during my time playing the game, Saki Ryozo had a unique trait: for her specifically, yanggaeng—sweet red bean jelly—restored more HP than high-grade potions.
Since it saved players from spending money on expensive potions, she was a highly preferred, cost-effective performance character.
At the time, I just thought of it as a quirky trait, but who knew she was actually a yanggaeng fanatic?
I looked at Saki. She had sky-blue hair that gave off a refreshing vibe. As expected of an archer, her eyes were calm and steady, with a feline shape that suited her.
‘There was a reason Weapon was so confident….’
It made sense why the picky Weapon had brought me here with such a self-assured attitude. Even if our perspectives on her differed, as a former player, I found her to be a very desirable talent. Besides, having a long-range dealer in the party provides an incomparable sense of security.
A single ranged dealer can handle both front and rear scouting, raising the party's stability by a whole level.
Moreover, Saki Ryozo wasn't a character who played a major role in the overarching plot of Miracle Blessing M.
As mentioned, she was the character who became irrelevant the fastest among the heroines.
The community had protested to the game company, asking why they were being so unfair to Saki Ryozo, but of course, the developers of Miracle Blessing M had coolly ignored them.
Therefore, her joining this party was unlikely to disrupt the "official" history. Or so I wanted to believe.
Weapon approached Saki and pulled out another bar of yanggaeng. When Saki Ryozo reached out to snatch it, Weapon smirked and tucked it back into his coat.
Saki Ryozo pouted and asked primly, her raptor-like archer eyes fixed on Speed Weapon’s inner pocket.
"What are you here for, Weapon?"
"Well, it's about something."
Weapon then began his explanation. His flow of speech was smooth, and he explained things logically, following the five Ws and one H, which was all well and good, but…
‘He talks too much.’
A total "Too Much Talker." He talked so much he reminded me of a certain baseball player back on Earth. His lips moved without a moment's rest.
A small laugh escaped me at the sight, which was a far cry from the stoic impression he’d first given.
‘He really lives up to his name.’
Saki, seemingly used to it, nodded half-heartedly, letting his words go in one ear and out the other.
As Weapon’s explanation threatened to get even longer, she blinked and cut him off.
"So, what you're saying is you want me to join your dungeon party next week?"
"Exactly."
Weapon, who had been excitedly explaining, scrunched his nose and replied. Saki Ryozo rested her finger on her cheek, contemplating, then spoke in a languid voice.
"Dungeon clear rewards are reflected in our grades, so I don't really have a reason to refuse, but…"
Saki’s gaze flickered toward me. She then gestured toward me with her chin and asked nonchalantly.
"You're that guy from the subspace sparring back then, right?"
I gave a silent nod of affirmation. Saki flopped back down.
"You don't look like you have much grit."
"……."
To think I’d hear the word "grit" from someone who was lounging around in the middle of the day. Especially when there was no name that suited the word "grit" better than mine.
"Sorry, but I don't want to work with someone who lacks grit."
Having said that, Saki Ryozo reached a hand out toward Weapon. Despite her slumped posture, her intent was clear and sharp.
"Saki, you saw the duel too. And I’m telling you, this guy Kang Geomma is no ordinary fellow!"
"Maybe his opponent was just weak."
"No, damn it! His opponent was from the Auditore family! And during the midterms, this guy… Argh, I can't even tell you, it's so frustrating! Just listen to me, woman!"
"Am I your pet dog? You think I'll just do whatever you say?"
"Hey! If you drool every time you see yanggaeng, what are you if not a dog?"
"Weapon, what do you know about yanggaeng to be talking like that?!"
The bickering between Speed Weapon and Saki Ryozo continued for several minutes.
I felt a surge of annoyance and frowned. What were they even doing?
Wanting her as a party member and dealing with her rudeness were two different things. I didn't need her enough to grovel.
I shook my head at Weapon, who was still trying his best to persuade her.
"Weapon, forget it. Let's go. That kind of uncooperative attitude is poison to a party. Let's find someone better."
Saki Ryozo’s eyes curved into a thin smile.
"I guess you're not in that much of a hurry to clear the dungeon?"
I didn't answer. Letting out a detached sigh at the thoughts swirling in my head, I came to a conclusion.
As I’d realized after seeing Nox a few days ago, there was nothing better than the carrot and the stick for "black-haired beasts." Well, come to think of it, were there even any other black-haired people here? Anyway.
Recalling that lesson, I silently pulled a sashimi knife from my pocket. Both of them flinched instantly. I looked toward the archery targets.
Whish, thwack—!
A single sashimi knife flew and embedded itself perfectly in the center of a target 50 meters away. The blade, stuck perpendicularly into the small red circle, glinted coldly.
"……."
Saki and Weapon stood frozen, looking back and forth between me and the target.
Saki let out a low groan. Without a word, I pulled out another sashimi knife and threw it.
Thwack—!
The streak of light flying toward the target slammed into the pommel of the first knife.
"……."
"……."
The moment our eyes met, Saki swallowed hard.
"Want to see more?"
When I asked, Saki Ryozo gave a small, understanding shake of her head.
Being smart, she seemed to have caught the subtext: 'The next target is your forehead.' As expected, there was no better means of communication for a swordsman.
"Weapon, give her a piece of jelly."
Weapon, who had been gaping like a fish, handed over the yanggaeng. Saki Ryozo took it and started eating.
I felt that this party, too, was going to be unusual. I pressed a hand to my forehead and shook my head.
* * *
Inside a meeting room at the Starbox cafe within the academy.
Chloe had come to me first to express her desire to join the party. Furthermore, perhaps because of what happened at the archery range, Saki Ryozo joined the party without further fuss.
Contrary to her cold first impression, Saki showed a cooperative attitude. From selecting the dungeon to the academy's approval process, everything went smoothly with her on board, whereas it would have taken much longer with just Weapon and me.
To be honest, my first impression of her was poor, but thinking about it now, I was glad she joined.
Even though she dozed off occasionally, she did everything she needed to do while nodding off, so it wasn't a major flaw.
Saki would occasionally glance at me with a huffy expression whenever our eyes met, but for the most part, she remained calm.
Her long, light-blue hair was cut in layers—back on Earth, the younger generation called that a "hime cut," I think… Even though it was a style that could look strange, it suited her well.
Should I say she looked the most like a "young lady" among the heroines?
However, the fact that she was always munching on yanggaeng ruined the image a bit.
Well, it’s a personal preference, so I can't say much, but she had it in her mouth so often it looked like an addiction. She claimed that sugar intake was essential for people who used their brains a lot.
‘She’s certainly got an answer for everything.’
I sipped my espresso and looked at Saki’s profile. Chloe, sitting next to me, glared at me with narrowed eyes. I immediately looked away and took another sip of coffee.
Damn, this is bitter.
"The Buffalo Dungeon is, as the name suggests, a place inhabited by C-rank magical beast Buffalos. They're also commonly called 'water buffalo.' Since they charge from a distance, they're harder to fight in close quarters compared to the Mermen from the midterms, but they have a clear weakness: they're helpless against long-range attacks. That's why the role of the ranged dealer is crucial in this dungeon."
Weapon stood up and asked for our opinions. We nodded in agreement. He then continued talking with an excited face.
Weapon’s gaze turned to Saki. She nodded, munching on her jelly as if she understood. Weapon quenched his thirst with an iced americano before continuing his explanation.
"The numbers aren't that high, and the clear rewards are decent, so 2nd and 3rd-year seniors visit often. It's a place with fewer casualties. Still, let's not let our guard down, taking the midterms as a lesson. Oh, right. And there's one thing you must absolutely never do."
Weapon raised his index finger for emphasis.
"Never open the stone gate in the center."
Chloe asked with a puzzled expression.
"What happens if we open the stone gate?"
"Rumor has it it's some kind of seal. It's just a hypothesis, so nothing has been confirmed."
At my unspoken question, Weapon shrugged and shook his head.
"Well, the condition the academy set for allowing us to raid the Buffalo Dungeon was 'do not open the stone gate.' There's no reason to do something they told us not to do, right?"
"Right, you must never open that place."
When I said that, everyone's eyes gathered on me.
"What? Geomma, do you know what's behind the stone gate?"
"Ah, I didn't mean it like that. I just mean let's not do what we're told not to do."
"Oh, I thought it was something else."
At my nonchalant remark, Weapon withdrew his suspicious gaze. Afterward, we discussed various things, such as the dungeon route and schedule.
‘No matter what happens, the stone gate must never be opened.’
I brushed my lips, mulling over those words. It was something I knew because of my experience as a player—a sort of small privilege.
A hidden boss slept in the dungeon most frequently visited by academy students. I was likely the only one here who knew that fact.
However, that stone gate was a place that could only be opened if certain conditions were met. Since it was a place blocked by the game's system, it was a door that couldn't be opened even if one wanted to at this point.
Besides, the Buffalo Dungeon was famous for being cost-effective, provided you ignored the danger of the stone gate. It would be a waste to skip it just because a hidden dungeon was sitting there.
‘…Wait.’
A sudden chill ran down my spine. My heightened senses felt like they were being pricked. A cold sensation felt from somewhere beyond the transparent glass walls of the meeting room.
I turned my head and looked past the meeting room. Students were enjoying their youth, laughing and chatting with drinks in their hands.
"Geomma-kun, is something wrong?"
After a quick scan of the surroundings, I shrugged as if it were nothing.
"No, I just felt like someone was watching us."
At those words, a look of wariness appeared in Chloe’s eyes. Before I could say anything, she glared at Saki Ryozo.
Saki was already nodding off with her eyes half-closed. After glancing at her, Chloe looked away.
"…On second thought, I don't think it's anything, Chloe."
"Ah, okay!"
I scratched the back of my neck and looked forward again.
‘I guess I’m being watched.’
It felt a bit unpleasant, but I decided to wait for now. They would show themselves when the time was right.