Recruiting Guild Members

I checked again because I thought I had misread it, but no, it was real. My video had actually made it onto the game’s rising popularity rankings.

To prove it, the view count was already way up there. It had only been posted not long ago, and it was already closing in on 100,000 views.

"Ah, no. Is it really that much...?"

"How can you say something so hurtful? We’re going to the end together. As long as you all don’t abandon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me first, I, Haruru, will stay right here beside the Day-ru Guys."

Ru-chan...

That was Tama’s nickname for me, but because I’d mentioned it on stream, viewers had started calling me that too. Of course, I felt awkward about it and had no idea how I was supposed to react.

"Uh, the person who said, ‘Oh, that’s hot,’ I’m putting you in chat timeout for ten minutes."

After that, I clicked on the NewTube video. I didn’t know which editor had handled it, but their skill was insane. And apparently they knew Un-non too, because the explanation subtitles about the game were perfect.

"Wow... where did they even find an editor like that? With Boss Chae backing me, this is way too reassuring."

"Everyone, should we do a surprise prayer break? Ah, I just worship her to the heavens..."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The video quality was high, the reactions were good, and the view count was strong. Before I knew it, energy was surging through me.

"All right! Let’s keep this momentum and make today’s stream legendary too."

That was when it happened.

My stomach growled with a rumble. Hm? Was it already lunchtime? Right. Looking at the time, it was already noon.

"Before that, I’m going to eat lunch... and then do that guild creation thing I was about to do."

"What are you talking about! I don’t smoke! I’m a super-cute black fox VTuber, you know?"

I ignored the chat and took out the lunch I’d be eating today.

"I actually have a little story about today’s lunch too... It happened just as I was, as usual, raiding Shining Parade’s break room. That was when I ran into Boss Chae and Senior Sally in there."

"No. They bought me a lunchbox because instant food is bad for my health. Kyaa~ Boss Chae’s warm support, thank you for the warm support. And for the record, Senior Sally gave me a chocolate bar too. Thanks, Haruru~."

"It’s not like that. Why are you turning a nice person into an assassin? And I’m not a normal fox, I’m a black fox blessed by a goddess, so chocolate is fine."

"Then... let’s start the lunch mukbang with Senior Sally’s chocolate bar and Boss Money’s heartfelt lunchbox..."

"Not at all?! It’s packed full. You keep trying to make me, who’s doing a great job on stream, leave. Fine. I get it. It’s because I’m so pretty and cute that you want to tease me..."

The moment I tried to say it, my tongue twisted on me. Why was I, a man in my past life, saying stuff like this? And then came the sudden existential dread.

"I’m sorry. I’ll just eat."

"Thanks for all your hard work watching the morning stream, everyone. Enjoy your meals!"

It was a tonkatsu lunchbox.

I scooped up a spoonful of rice and set a piece of tonkatsu on top. After about three or four bites like that, I was already starting to feel full.

"Hm... I’m full."

"Ah. I’m a really small eater, so... one lunchbox like this can last me two days."

"It doesn’t even take that much. For me, if I boil one packet of instant noodles for breakfast and lunch, then save the broth for dinner and mix in a little instant rice, I can stretch one bag into three meals."

"From now on, I’ve got to save on food expenses too so I can whale harder. The moment I decided I’d become the pinnacle of Un-non, food became a luxury."

"Ah, uh?! No, no. That’s not what I meant. I’m going to use all the donations on gacha instead of buying food. Thank you. I’ll spend it on whaling."

"Don’t keep saying ‘unusual standards’! There are lots of good people too."

"Haruru standards."

"Haruru standards."

"Haruru standards... Yeah. That’s actually better."

"Hmm~ Our Tama gave off this really mysterious vibe, but also had a kind of goofy side. That’s what made her feel so lovable."

Not surprising, really, since we were practically family. I’d only just talked about Tama, and already the chat was getting flooded with questions about Boss Chae and Sally too. I gave an honest answer with praise worked in so it would benefit both of them.

"Boss Chae has incredible presence... but underneath that, she’s warm. Ah, I just worship her to the heavens..."

"Haruru lives like a mayfly."

"And Senior Sally is the kind of person who gives you energy just by looking at her, like the sun! How was that?"

"A story, huh... I’ll do that next meal time. And since I’m done eating, let’s get into Un-non!"

If you’d seen only the scraps left behind, you’d think I hadn’t eaten anything at all as I closed the lid on the remaining tonkatsu lunchbox and got ready for Un-non again. My character was currently in what could be called the capital planet of Unknown Universe: Pupuri, a place modeled after a meadow.

Whatever the chat and donations were doing, I ignored them and stood in front of the NPC who handled guild creation, thinking for a moment. Because if I named it something weird again, those guys would start piling on the pressure all over the place...

They were already at it. This was maddening.

"First, let’s go with... Pinnacle..."

"Yeah, no, that’s not going to work. Haruru too, then...?"

It was already taken. Of course it was. This game had already been out for ten years, so every possible guild name was probably in use by now.

"Ugh... something safe like Day-Ru Guys? Haruru Pirates?"

No good. At times like this, there was only one thing to do: use my trump card.

"I’ll go with this."

Phew, saved.

"Shut up, you idiot! We’re not a rude guild."

"Then let’s do the guild recruitment thing."

Before I knew it, a lot of users had gathered around me. Honestly, I’d expected there to be hardly any applicants, so this was surprising. Really. Was it because I’d blown up thanks to fully transcending Mika, SSS-grade, on a whim?

"Come to think of it, Un-non supports voice chat on its own, right? Should we try an audition with that?"

And so, the self-run guild audition began. The first applicant who came forward had a voice that was already pretty striking, and to my surprise, she was one of those supposedly rare female players.

"Hello, Haruru?"

But more than the person’s gender, I was interested in who she really was.

An alt account? Then naturally I became curious about the main account. Could I see that too? Maybe not that far? No, wait? I could see it.

What the hell. If it was Lemon, then...

She was the Watercolor Guild master, ranked second in the guild standings. What in the world was this situation?