Chapter 204: The Voice Crying in the Wilderness (3)
- Didn't do personal broadcasts
- No personal SNS
Sion: Native level (x) Native (o)
Has some accent but quite fluent
Lin: Just good at brains
Aki: There was a half-Korean half-Japanese in the previous group
Mary: Just good at brains (2), learned by hanging around with Sister
Charlotte: Learned because she was Tama's childhood friend
Tsubasa: Home education, etc omitted
Especially good at erotic expressions
Maya: Explanation omitted below
Hitomi, who had been staring at her phone with a slightly furrowed brow for a while, smiled brightly and said.
"Hinata! Your reactions seem pretty good!"
"Is 'ego search' forbidden as a strict rule for a healthy YouTuber lifestyle?"
"That's true. But it's also a rule that no one follows at the same time."
Ego search. In other words, the act of searching for oneself.
There's a high probability of it causing mental damage, which is why the rule "no ego searches" is famous. It's not just for YouTubers—it's true for all celebrities and public figures... anyone whose job makes them easy to evaluate by the public.
And the number of cases where this advice is actually followed is forever approaching zero. Humans are simply too curious to resist.
It's not surprising that stories where curiosity leads to ruin by ignoring myths and legends are common.
"Anyway, this debut for Sion seems successful enough."
"Probably because there were already some things accumulated from being a Sister before. The Anathema Production president must have been aiming for that from the start."
If a new character and new person had debuted without warning, the reception wouldn't have been this good.
But Hinata Shion felt less like a brand-new character and more like a model slapped onto the existing Sister who had been a special guest on Mary Tepes's streams.
The choice of debut location also mattered—the official channel instead of the Mary Tepes channel, where Sister had always been popular.
"There are even reactions asking to make a channel because she's already popular."
"Well... that would be pushing it."
"I guess so...?"
"Of course, since she's an Apostle."
Even a normal holy knight becomes restricted from many side jobs once they pass the probationary stage.
It's not like there's an explicit ban on side work like for civil servants—just that they're too busy. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes firefighter who might be called at any moment.
It doesn't mix well with the live-streaming mainstream of the VTuber industry, including Anathema Production.
"And given that the president specifically ordered a public debut at this timing... it seems like they never intended to use her in this way."
People say to row when the boat comes in. If Han Seoyeon were another VTuber and a direct revenue source, the current interest would have been used for various promotions.
But at this point, that was impossible.
"Soon we'll be going on the Italy trip. I'll take a break too."
Hitomi gently stroked Seoye'son's bangs and said.
Yes. Soon Han Seoyeon was scheduled to leave Japan for a few days for the Apostle meeting in Italy and tourism.
Whether a broadcaster taking a week off less than two weeks after debut could generate good responses was doubtful.
The president knew about the trip plan in advance, so it was safe to assume they never intended to manage Han Seoyeon as a formal VTuber from the start. She had explained it herself.
"I'm sorry. I had to take a break right when the live stream was gaining momentum..."
"What are you talking about? I was the one who decided to go on the trip with Sion in the end."
Seoyeon suddenly spoke up. Hitomi immediately smiled and replied.
"If you're going on a trip with your lover, you should at least plan to take a few days off."
It was a truly bold smile—one that might make anyone fall for it again without thinking.
But Seoyeon didn't see it.
In truth, she was lying on the living-room sofa with her head on Hitomi's lap.
Ninomae Hitomi, who couldn't bend her waist to see her own feet while standing.
Even if it was a "knee" pillow, she was actually resting her head on Hitomi's soft thigh. From that angle, she couldn't have seen Hitomi's face, which was hidden by her own chest.
So right now, Seoyeon was simply lying there, sighing in admiration at the view above her and enjoying the scenery.
"Huh? Sion, did you get a mail?"
Just then, a vibration rang out with a ping. Hitomi's phone was in her hand, so it must have been Seoyeonon's.
A small bat-like creature flapped its wings and handed the phone to Seoyeon.
"Ah... so that's it."
"What's the content?"
It might be a personal message, but asking for details would normally be rude. However, given how casually Seoyeon muttered it, Hitomi judged there was nothing to hide and tilted her head curiously.
"It was about the overseas trip we were talking about. The chartered flight for it seems to have been delayed."
"...A flight delayed?"
"Yes. Normally, when attending an Apostle meeting, we'd use a military transport plane, but since Hitomi is coming too, it would be better to have a more comfortable trip."
Delaying a flight. It was clear they hadn't just asked someone else to handle the booking.
It was an expression only an Apostle like Han Seoyeon could use when dealing with someone else...
'...Oh, right. There are private jets too.'
Wait, this side has several dedicated jets, so do we even need to arrange a separate flight?
"Why not just book a normal one?"
"Because I won't be able to bring weapons."
"Ah, I see."
Right, a civilian passenger plane would be problematic with weapons. Hitomi nodded.
Although the gesture wasn't directly visible to Seoyeon, the movement of her chest followed the motion of her head, so it was conveyed somehow.
"I'm looking forward to the trip."
"Yes, I am too."
"What does Sion recommend? Since you've been there before, somewhere you found most amazing or..."
"The most amazing experience..."
Seoyeon fell silent for a moment, thinking about the question.
"The glowing Hitler... No, the most meaningful one was probably the Colosseum in Rome. It's just an ancient ruin with nothing to do with curses or mysteries, but that's exactly why the greatness of the ancients comes through. Since it's also a famous tourist spot, there are no shortages of recommendations."
"Wait, what was that weird thing that just flew by a moment ago?!"
"?"
...In the end, Ninomae Hitomi never got to hear the explanation for that story—why it existed in Italy, or why it existed in this world at all.