Translation: Yamaking
Thankfully, Saitou-sensei mentioned there’s supposed to be no lessons yet on the first day of the term. She only gave a single statement saying— ‘It’s been a while everyone’ and then wrapped up our homeroom. That was unexpectedly simple.
After that, we were going to have our first club activity for the term.
Though the usual group has gathered for the first time in a while, since we were practically meeting up everyday, it just feels like an extension of what we were doing before.
“Oh how I’ve missed you, my War Machine!”
“Schew-chan, why are you hugging your PC?”
“My PC at home is a complete potato so just sympathize with me here.”
Whenever we would try to go to a higher tier dungeon, she’s the only one having a hard time pondering whether or not she would go to the club room just to use her PC here.
“Aah— I just want to take this child home with me. I really want to bring it home with me.”
“That’s not yours though.”
“This little girl is my daughter!”
Then you shouldn’t be naming her something like War Machine.
“Daughter…”
“So that’s what caught your attention?!”
And actually, why are you looking at me with that sexy look on your face?!
“So yeah, during summer, we placed all our attention into money making that we even changed our hunting spot but…”
Segawa said that as she indifferently poked at the monitor.
“How much of your lost gear did you actually get back now?”
“Weeell, you see…”
I took a peek at the Wiki for the list of essential gears and… Well…
“I guess about 20% of what I had before?”
“That’s barely any progress…”
Even if you tell me that, I can’t really do anything about it. All in all, except for some of them, that took about three years to get you know?
Sure, my ‘Rusian’ was restored, but the items that were stolen weren’t given back to me. And the mountain load of items stolen from my storage were also left like that as well.
And that time before that scammer was about to trade me in-game currency, we were forcibly warped after all— Though, even if I did get that money, I probably wouldn’t be able to use it.
“Uhm, uhm!”
Ako was raising her hand as if to say, ‘Me! Me!’.
“Witness Ako, you may proceed with your statement.”
For some reason, Ako accepted Segawa’s permission for her to talk and stood up as she said,
“You know, even though I might be like this, I’m actually very observant! Even though it’s only all about Rusian.”
“I get you, I get you. Heck, do you even pay attention to anything else besides Nishimura?”
It’s pretty embarrassing if you say that directly.
“So you see, I’ve figured something out Rusian.”
“Figure out what?”
“Since you’re building your gear back up again, you’re thinking that you might as well get better stuff than what you had last time, right?”
—.
I think my expression completely froze up when she said that.
“Huh? You’re were actually doing that?”
“I really hate perceptive wives like you, you know?”
Ako figuring that out was completely beyond my expectations.
Atta girl Ako. It seems I really underestimated you.
“Look here Nishimura…”
Suddenly, Segawa looked my way menacingly!
“Wait wait! It, it’s not like that! You sometimes have these regrets after building up your gear right?! Things like, ‘If only I used this enchant here’, or ‘Maybe I should’ve used this pattern instead’ happen right? It’s only those kinds of minor tweaks, you see? It’s not like I’m trying to buy more expensive gear you know.”
“Argh, that’s fine already! Just hurry up and rebuild your character so you can be actually of use to us.”
“Yes ma’am…”
I mean, I can’t help but think that, ‘Since I’m buying my gear anyway, I might as well save up a bit more and buy this other one which would last me much longer’ right?
It’s really just that. Honest.
Sure, placeholder gear might be pretty good and completing the set would make our runs a bit faster, but buying them now would be regrettable right?
I’m trying to future-proof my gear here so I’m buying them up with that in mind.
“No wonder I felt something was off. Even though I’ve saved up enough for two Battle Master Enchants, you still haven’t rebuilt your set.”
“Oh! You finally got those?”
“Yeah, just recently! My Schwein is already well within the realm of gods!”
Doesn’t that enchant only boost your ATK though?
“I’ve also saved up quite a bit so I was thinking of going around the shops to buy new cute gear.”
“I’m begging you, please get something that would actually increase your heals. Look, someone’s selling a Rosario Ring over here.”
Just dressing yourself up to look even better doesn’t help much after all.
“Excuse my tardiness. Is everyone here?”
“Sorry to keep you waiting—”
Master and Saitou-sensei arrived to the club room late.
We can finally start on our club activities.
“Then, since today’s the first day in the term, we’ll be having a meeting alright?”
Sensei stood in front of the white board as she said that.
We could feel something sinister behind that smile she was showing us.
“A meeting is fine but… Having Nekohime-sensei stand there in front of us just gives you a bad feeling on what’s about to happen right…”
“How rude. I’m only doing my job as your adviser you know.”
“Sensei actually doing her job as a club adviser can only mean horrible things to come after all right…”
“Tamaki-san? Even you’re saying that?!”
Sensei was a bit downhearted as she said that.
Sorry, but I also feel the same.
“It’s better than that. It’s actually good news you know? Everyone, what comes first into your mind when you hear the word ‘second term’?”
If we’re talking events for the second term then it would have to be…
“It has to be the distribution of the rewards from the summer event right? I’m looking forward to that since I worked hard on it after all.”
Is what I said.
“Ah, I have to stock up on pumpkin pies during the Halloween event.”
Is what Segawa said.
“Then I will be researching the market in preparation for the Fall Update.”
Master continued from where she left off. And then,
“I’ll do the Christmas event with Rusian!”
Ako wrapped it all up.
“Meow all got it wroooooong!”
Nekohime-san cried out!
“I’m talking about the second term! The second term! I wasn’t asking you all about your plans in the game until the end of the year! I’m talking about the school here!”
After Sensei banged her hands on the white board, she then proceeded to write something on it.
What was written there were the words ‘Sports Festival’ and ‘Cultural Festival’.
Ah, ooh, you mean those events.
When you speak of ‘events’, I automatically think about the ones in net games so I wouldn’t have guessed it was actually about real life. Yeah.
“When you think about the second term, these are the two big events that definitely come to mind, am I wrong?!”
“Ah, come to think of it, there was something like that.”
“I knew it was something horrible.”
“I know right?”
“You guys… Are you really high school students…?”
Sensei seemed fed up with our honest response as she stooped her shoulders.
“It may be a bothersome event, however, we simply cannot ignore it either.”
“It’s not bothersome at all you know? It’s a wonderful and fun event you know?!”
“It’s a bother.”
Since Master flatly refuted that, Nekohime-san just lost her one remaining ally.
Sensei had a look that says ‘Meow can’t be serious…’. I feel kind of sorry for her.
“Actually, regarding the Sports Festival and the Cultural Festival, though they are both events that the students participate in, it is, at the same time, also an event for clubs. For the sake of appearances, each club would voluntarily participate in the event. Simply put, each club has to at least participate in either one of them.”
So it would be like a showcase of our day to day efforts huh?
I’m amazed we even had something like that.
“So the sports clubs would be the ones participating in the sports fest and then the cultural clubs for the other huh?”
“Indeed. Our club, apart from carrying out our activities, also has to participate in this.”
Are you serious? That sounds like a pain.
“Uhm, uhm… If though you said either one of them, there’s really no choice but the cultural festival right?”
Master grinned in response to Ako’s statement and said,
“That’s not true at all. Take for example our school’s cooking club. In order to not take away all the profit from the other clubs doing a refreshment stand during the cultural festival, they do not participate in that. So from there, they instead take to the sports festival, donning their aprons as they participate in the interclub relay race. It’s been like this for some time that it had become a tradition.”
“So we actually had interclub relay races?”
“It’s a staple event every year. For that reason, we can choose to avoid the cultural festival and participate in the sports festival instead. Don’t you think it would be a fun idea to participate while in cosplay?”
The Modern Electronic Communications Game Club participating in the interclub relay races while in a cosplay— Uwah, just imagining it is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat.
“N, no way! Over my dead body! Actually, just kill me now!”
Segawa’s face turned pale as she shook her head.
Ah, she was thinking the same thing as I did.
Well of course. If she could participate in a relay race while in a cosplay then she wouldn’t be having problems about hiding her otaku hobbies.
“How about you Ako-kun?”
Ako, to whom the focus of the conversation was suddenly shifted to, had this really scary look on her face. She then suddenly struck a pose with all her might!
“I refuse!”
And there’s her refusal!
Strangely enough, she seems to be really against this!
But her using that pose here is a bit strange isn’t it?!
TL note: A reference to the ‘I refuse!’ pose in Jojo Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable. For those that don’t know, this is the scene (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ80PbfYwtU).
“Hm? Ako, I thought you liked cosplaying?”
“This is not about the cosplay! It’s the relay race that I hate about this! The relay!”
Ako stopped with her pose and started clenching her fist.
A strange aura then emanated from her as she struggled to stand up.
T, this is pretty scary!
“How could I forget? That relay race we had during the sports festival in middle school! Mindlessly passing that baton to me while we were in the lead! Then I tripped right in the middle of it! And while I was picking myself up, all the others already slipped past me! I could never forget the cold stares from my classmates as I quietly returned to my seat! Even now I still remember it!”
“Scary!”
“Tripping in a relay race can be pretty terrible huh…”
“You could end up being traumatized by that.”
Just by imagining it, the atmosphere in the club room has become quite dreadful.
“In the first place, why is there even an order when everyone is participating?! We’re all pretty much amateurs anyway, so just get everyone’s individual time and you can figure out the winner from that! I even went out of my way to ask to be replaced and to have the order changed! Just what else did they want me to do?!”
“I think there’s a lot of things wrong there. Like the order that you made the requests in.”
“It’s not wrong!”
Ako howled in despair.
“It would’ve been fine too if they just arranged us in order of our finish times from lowest to highest so that no one would have to be shamed but of course they wouldn’t like that right! They can’t enact the cool scene of an athletic person overtaking the physically inert ones after all! We’re all just stepping stones on their road to fame after all, aren’t we?!”
I hate myself for actually empathizing with her!
I can remember the face of track club members being all smug when they pass me after all!
“E, err… It’s okay Tamaki-san. There’s no interclass relay races during the sports festival in Maegasaki High.”
Sensei was drawn back as she said that.
“Come on, she said there’s no such thing. Isn’t that great Ako?”
“Uuu… Then what is there in place of it?”
“It looks like it’s the interclass group jump rope this year.”
In response to Sensei saying that, Ako howled even louder.
“Isn’t that way worse?!”
Eeeeeeeh?!
“Why?! Is group jump rope no good too?!”
“Just please think about it for a bit! Think what kind of contest a group jump rope really is!”
“What kind you say… You just jump over the rope right?”
Ako flared up in response to Segawa’s timid words and said,
“Just jump over the rope? Surely you jest! If you someone fails to do that jump, then that person will have to shoulder the responsibility of failing it for everyone else! It’s a hellish competition where the ropes just keep endlessly spinning! Whoever devised such torture that continues on until a war criminal is singled out from the group must definitely be an evil person!”
T, true, it’s definitely a competition where the mistake of one would cause the downfall of the group but…
“Can’t you do something about the way you put it into words?”
“And then even when I think about jumping will all I have to escape that fate, someone would say out loud ‘Tamaki-san is in the back there so you all don’t have to try and jump—’ and try to make me out as the bad guy! I just can’t keep up with that!”
“You really do lead a dramatic life don’t you?!”
Though I really pity her.
I definitely have to do everything well within my power to make her happy, don’t I?
“It’s fine. Nothing of the sort would happen this time. Probably.”
“He’s right, they likely won’t put the blame on you.”
“Indeed. Nothing that huge of deal occurs during the average year. This year might turn up to be fine as well.”
Though, as we all said that, we all averted our gaze from Ako.
“‘Probably’, ‘Likely’, ‘Might’… You don’t really believe what you’re saying at all are you?!”
“I mean, you know…”
Sports festival have this particular atmosphere where everyone seems to criticize you for being too serious after all. And, just thinking about our clumsy Ako getting dragged into the midst of all that, I just can’t imagine her not going pale from it.
“But Ako, why did you play as a healer in LA then? Aren’t healers the top one in the list to get blamed for when the party gets wiped?”
In response to Segawa’s unexpected question, Ako shook her head and said,
“That may be so, but even if that does happen, I can just say ‘This tank’s gear is bad’ and just go with that.”
“So you’re making it my fault?!”
So you went healer with the idea that you could always just shove the blame on to me? Is that it Ako?!
“T, that’s not what I meant at all. See, ‘My mistake is Rusian’s mistake and Rusian’s mistake is Rusian’s mistake’, it’s that sort of thing! It’s like we’re a married couple that’s one in both body and soul!”
“That’s definitely only a one-sided disadvantage for me! What the heck is one in both body and soul about that?! You’re just using me as a scapegoat here!”
Does this person even really love me?!
Now I’m getting worried for a whole different reason!
“So there you have it. I have decided not to participate in any competition where I will have to answer personally to my mistakes.”
“A, ah yeah, I understand you.”
It’s not on the same level as Ako’s extreme logic, but I also dislike competitions where everyone would look at me with a tepid gaze when I fail.
I believe we should just leave those matters to those actually confident in their physical capability.
“The one I’m aiming to compete in would have to be the ball toss. If you just try to throw the balls in then you would be fine. It’s simply the best.”
“You’ve really thought this through haven’t you?”
Segawa seemed a bit amazed as she said that.
“By the way, what would you be competing in then Segawa?”
“The scavenger hunt, what about it?”
“Isn’t that completely based off of RNG?”
So you would also pick a game where no one could really complain about the outcome huh?
“What about you then?”
“I’ll be going for tug of war. You know, that tug of war.”
Personally, I think it’s the perfect model for games where you don’t have to own up to your own mistakes.
If you’re a guy, then this has to be number one on your list. We can only really find solace in this tug of war.
“So you do understand it after all, Nishimura.”
“I knew Rusian was one of us!”
“While we’re on the subject, I’ll be busy with work involving the student council so I can’t participate in the competition.”
“Ah, Master that’s cheating!”
“Ha Ha Ha! This is how you wield authority!”
“You guys… Has the thought of trying out what you’re capable of never occurred to you?”
Sensei appears as if she’s had enough of it already as she looked over us.
“The game aside, I don’t really feel that way about stuff in real life.”
“Throwing bodies at the boss given that you’ll lose EXP in the process is really horrible after all right?”
“We’re all horrible at controlling our own selves anyway—”
“……Is that so…”
For some reason, it seems Nekohime-san is the one who took the most damage from this.
“W, well that’s fine. Anyway, if you hate the sports festival, then I guess it’s decided that you’ll be participating in the cultural festival right? For the cultural festival— officially named ‘Saki Fest’— make sure you definitely prepare something for it.”
The words ‘Sports Festival’ were erased and ‘Saki Fest’ was written in huge characters.
“Though even if that’s decided, what can we do?”
“The basic pattern would be to display our accomplishments for this year.”
“Accomplishments… Did we have something like that?”
“Ako came to school.”
“That’s it.”
It has to be this.
Our biggest accomplishment definitely has to be this problem child right here.
“Am I going to be put on an exhibit?!”
“Are we also going to put something like ‘Please don’t touch the display’ in there as well?”
“Isn’t that already doxxing?! I don’t want to get doxxed! Getting doxxed is scary!”
The term indiscriminate doxxing is something that all net game players fear.
“Well, that’s enough fooling around. Since we’re still a net game club in name, we should at least take an accomplishment related to the game and display that instead right?”
“Indeed. Be it research or something more practical, the category does not matter.”
Accomplishment… accomplishment huh?
That’s troubling. It’s not like you play net games to accomplish something after all.
Rather, the real charm of net games lies in the fact that they’re a fun waste of time.
“How about we put an image of me and Rusian’s wedding ceremony on display?”
“Hey Ako, are you sure your brain is not made of spongecake?”
Why would you even come up with that idea?
Why are you even planning by having them look at that? They’ll just congratulate you while giving you a really faint smile you know?
“The greatest accomplishment that I have achieved in-game is Rusian after all…”
Err, could you not look at me with that really disappointed face?
“Ah no see, this really isn’t something you should be proud of showing to strangers.”
“I’m really proud of it you know?”
It’s really troubling for me if you say that with such a serious expression.
I really don’t have the courage to display something that just yells ‘This girl is my wife!’ in the cultural festival after all.
“It’s going to be troublesome for me as well if I let you put your illicit relationship out there for everyone to see.”
“It’s not illicit! It’s not illicit so you shouldn’t be bothered by it at all!”
“Aren’t you focusing on the wrong point here?!”
“Let’s just leave the normies alone. Anyway, we just have to put something up for display right? Isn’t it fine to just do an exhibit on net game history and have a panel discussion about it?”
Segawa said that as she angrily pointed at the PC.
Hmm, that’s may be the most appropriate idea to come out here but…
“Do we really have to go out of our way to make that?”
“If we’re just going to put it on exhibit, then anything should work. The most important part anyway is that I’m not around on the day itself.”
“…I see.”
Hmm, though, I believe the history of games is quite the touchy subject.
And though I really want to see what it would look like, I feel that people might have objections to what we’ll be putting out. Actually, it’s more like this is a problem that has no right answer.
“If we’re seriously going to do an exhibit on the history of net games, I really think that it would be too much. Putting aside the absurd amount of effort required to do that, we would have to get into the nitty-gritty of gaming history as a whole…”
People who don’t care about this stuff would have no idea at all, and people who actually do care would just find something to complain about. It would just turn into an exhibit that really doesn’t benefit anyone.
“In the first place, the topic of which game can be considered as a starting point is already a huge controversy.”
“I guess there’s that too. This topic really is troublesome.”
“It’s because the people playing them are really a troublesome bunch as well.”
I mulled over it for a while.
Maybe we should just go ahead and set up a net game demo booth instead. Though, as I was about to pitch that idea in…
“If nobody else has any other ideas, then I have a proposal.”
Master said that as she took up the pen.
And then, beside the huge characters ‘Saki Fest’, she suddenly wrote the words ‘Castle Siege’, in skillful penmanship.
“Castle Siege…?”
“By Castle Siege you mean… that recently implemented PVP-related patch?”
“Indeed!”
Master very excitedly nodded as she showed a smile.
“The actual release got delayed and kept straying further from the planned release date so much that even though it was called the biggest update this summer, it got implemented way too late into it that it’s almost fall. And that update is the long anticipated, large-scale PVP content, the Castle Siege! If we can score a victory here, then that can count as one of accomplishments, no? What do you all say?”
“Eh, PVP but… err, Master?”
Eh? Are you serious?
Are you seriously saying that?
“Castle Siege is that thing right? Where guilds fight one another in a large-scale battlefield? We’re going to do that?”
“It’s something that everyone in the club can tackle together. Isn’t this just perfect? It’s the same as those team competitions that the sports club participate in.”
“Sure, it’s something we can tackle together but…”
As the name implies, it’s content where you lay siege to a castle.
Players would engage in combat in fort maps set up in each individual town in Legendary Age. Guilds who then occupy the forts would become the lords for that particular town.
Since players would be fighting against one another, this is of course, PVP content.
While having large-scale PVP content be implemented in a game such as Legendary Age with cute deformed characters would surely invite mixed receptions, but for now, I’ve heard that people are really hyped up about it.
Yes, it was a big enough deal that people were talking a lot about it.
The Castle Siege has happened quite a few times since it was implemented, but we haven’t participated in it even once.
It’s PVP after all, P-V-P. A small-scale guild like Alley Cats with only four people to boot would have no hope of challenging such content. We completely understand that.
“Master, let’s say we do get the castle, can we actually put that up for display in the cultural festival?”
“That is a good question Ako-kun.”
Though I think there’s more important things that need to be answered before that.
“The Castle Siege happens once every week and those who win it during that time become the castle lords. And then, the emblem of the guild who becomes the lords will be displayed over the fort— This is where us winning would come into play. Once we do win, I plan on setting this up as our guild emblem.”
As she said that, Master took out a handbook— that is, the student’s handbook, from her breast pocket.
Embedded on the front of it was our school, Maegasaki High’s seal.
“Err… You don’t mean that we’re going to change our emblem to Maegasaki High’s seal and then try to take the fort are you?”
“That’s correct. This is definitely something you can call an ‘accomplishment’!”
Master topped it all up by saying that with a smug face.
Ah but you know… Where should I even begin?
As I took a peek towards Segawa, I could see her firmly raising her hand.
“Isn’t that pretty much out of the question? I mean, that’s all pretty much no good isn’t it?”
From the sensible faction, here comes an objection from Segawa!
Though you didn’t really point out what’s specifically wrong about it, but still, do your best Segawa!
“However, on the day of the festival, we can enlarge a copy of a screenshot and have that up for the exhibit. Then we can leave a locked PC displaying a character standing in front of the fort. We can proceed with this plan like this, am I wrong?”
“…That could work.”
Weak. That’s too weak. Segawa gave in to Master too soon.
Are you really fine with this? Even though you didn’t want people to find out you’re in a Net Game Club?
“I’m not really good PVP though…”
And this time, from the moderate faction, comes Ako’s objection!
Though it might be quite a flimsy argument, hang in there Ako!
“You need not worry. Your role as the healer still remains unchanged. It would be fine as long as you everyone while staying at the back lines.”
“Then that’s fine with me.”
It’s not fine at all!
Damn it, I couldn’t count on Ako after all!
“Rather, no matter what we do, fundamentally, we just can’t win, can we?”
And from the realist faction, here comes my objection.
I believe that this is a pretty sound argument, Master looked exasperated for a moment and then laughed.
“Giving up before you’ve given it a try is a defeatist attitude that I simply will not condone. Just where did the usual in-game Rusian, who is always willing to try anything out, go?”
“I understand just how you feel but…”
Even if you preach those ideals to me, what’s impossible is impossible.
However, mere sophistry is not going to win over Master. That means, err…
“…Then Sensei, pass.”
It’s time for my ultimate weapon, Nekohime-sensei.
I’m sure an adviser wouldn’t approve of doing an exhibit on such a senseless thing and would turn that idea down right here.
I watched Sensei as I placed all of my hopes into her. She then nodded back and said,
“Isn’t that fine then? The Castle Siege.”
“Are you seriously saying that?!”
I just got hit in the back with my own ultimate weapon!
The heck is with this shitty game?!
“I mean, this is a plan to make our school’s seal popular in-game right? It definitely feels like a proper activity for a Net Game Club, doesn’t it?”
“Is this kind of plan is allowed?”
“If this isn’t allowed then the one made by Go and Shogi Club earlier would’ve been reprimanded first. After all, all they ever do is give out beginner lectures every year.”
“Is that so…”
The Saki Fest is unexpectedly lenient with this.
Though even if I say that, the difficulty for this task is still extremely high.
“Alright, with this, we’ve received our adviser’s permission. And all the members have given their consent. With our school’s ‘Saki Fest’ as our focus, we shall aim to acquire one of the forts by winning in the Castle Siege! I hope that is clear with everyone!”
With that, voices with meager enthusiasm could be heard cheering in the room.
††† ††† ††† ††† ††† ††† ††† ††† †††
Translation: Yamaking
Thankfully, Saitou-sensei mentioned there’s supposed to be no lessons yet on the first day of the term. She only gave a single statement saying— ‘It’s been a while everyone’ and then wrapped up our homeroom. That was unexpectedly simple.
After that, we were going to have our first club activity for the term.
Though the usual group has gathered for the first time in a while, since we were practically meeting up everyday, it just feels like an extension of what we were doing before.
“Oh how I’ve missed you, my War Machine!”
“Schew-chan, why are you hugging your PC?”
“My PC at home is a complete potato so just sympathize with me here.”
Whenever we would try to go to a higher tier dungeon, she’s the only one having a hard time pondering whether or not she would go to the club room just to use her PC here.
“Aah— I just want to take this child home with me. I really want to bring it home with me.”
“That’s not yours though.”
“This little girl is my daughter!”
Then you shouldn’t be naming her something like War Machine.
“Daughter…”
“So that’s what caught your attention?!”
And actually, why are you looking at me with that sexy look on your face?!
“So yeah, during summer, we placed all our attention into money making that we even changed our hunting spot but…”
Segawa said that as she indifferently poked at the monitor.
“How much of your lost gear did you actually get back now?”
“Weeell, you see…”
I took a peek at the Wiki for the list of essential gears and… Well…
“I guess about 20% of what I had before?”
“That’s barely any progress…”
Even if you tell me that, I can’t really do anything about it. All in all, except for some of them, that took about three years to get you know?
Sure, my ‘Rusian’ was restored, but the items that were stolen weren’t given back to me. And the mountain load of items stolen from my storage were also left like that as well.
And that time before that scammer was about to trade me in-game currency, we were forcibly warped after all— Though, even if I did get that money, I probably wouldn’t be able to use it.
“Uhm, uhm!”
Ako was raising her hand as if to say, ‘Me! Me!’.
“Witness Ako, you may proceed with your statement.”
For some reason, Ako accepted Segawa’s permission for her to talk and stood up as she said,
“You know, even though I might be like this, I’m actually very observant! Even though it’s only all about Rusian.”
“I get you, I get you. Heck, do you even pay attention to anything else besides Nishimura?”
It’s pretty embarrassing if you say that directly.
“So you see, I’ve figured something out Rusian.”
“Figure out what?”
“Since you’re building your gear back up again, you’re thinking that you might as well get better stuff than what you had last time, right?”
—.
I think my expression completely froze up when she said that.
“Huh? You’re were actually doing that?”
“I really hate perceptive wives like you, you know?”
Ako figuring that out was completely beyond my expectations.
Atta girl Ako. It seems I really underestimated you.
“Look here Nishimura…”
Suddenly, Segawa looked my way menacingly!
“Wait wait! It, it’s not like that! You sometimes have these regrets after building up your gear right?! Things like, ‘If only I used this enchant here’, or ‘Maybe I should’ve used this pattern instead’ happen right? It’s only those kinds of minor tweaks, you see? It’s not like I’m trying to buy more expensive gear you know.”
“Argh, that’s fine already! Just hurry up and rebuild your character so you can be actually of use to us.”
“Yes ma’am…”
I mean, I can’t help but think that, ‘Since I’m buying my gear anyway, I might as well save up a bit more and buy this other one which would last me much longer’ right?
It’s really just that. Honest.
Sure, placeholder gear might be pretty good and completing the set would make our runs a bit faster, but buying them now would be regrettable right?
I’m trying to future-proof my gear here so I’m buying them up with that in mind.
“No wonder I felt something was off. Even though I’ve saved up enough for two Battle Master Enchants, you still haven’t rebuilt your set.”
“Oh! You finally got those?”
“Yeah, just recently! My Schwein is already well within the realm of gods!”
Doesn’t that enchant only boost your ATK though?
“I’ve also saved up quite a bit so I was thinking of going around the shops to buy new cute gear.”
“I’m begging you, please get something that would actually increase your heals. Look, someone’s selling a Rosario Ring over here.”
Just dressing yourself up to look even better doesn’t help much after all.
“Excuse my tardiness. Is everyone here?”
“Sorry to keep you waiting—”
Master and Saitou-sensei arrived to the club room late.
We can finally start on our club activities.
“Then, since today’s the first day in the term, we’ll be having a meeting alright?”
Sensei stood in front of the white board as she said that.
We could feel something sinister behind that smile she was showing us.
“A meeting is fine but… Having Nekohime-sensei stand there in front of us just gives you a bad feeling on what’s about to happen right…”
“How rude. I’m only doing my job as your adviser you know.”
“Sensei actually doing her job as a club adviser can only mean horrible things to come after all right…”
“Tamaki-san? Even you’re saying that?!”
Sensei was a bit downhearted as she said that.
Sorry, but I also feel the same.
“It’s better than that. It’s actually good news you know? Everyone, what comes first into your mind when you hear the word ‘second term’?”
If we’re talking events for the second term then it would have to be…
“It has to be the distribution of the rewards from the summer event right? I’m looking forward to that since I worked hard on it after all.”
Is what I said.
“Ah, I have to stock up on pumpkin pies during the Halloween event.”
Is what Segawa said.
“Then I will be researching the market in preparation for the Fall Update.”
Master continued from where she left off. And then,
“I’ll do the Christmas event with Rusian!”
Ako wrapped it all up.
“Meow all got it wroooooong!”
Nekohime-san cried out!
“I’m talking about the second term! The second term! I wasn’t asking you all about your plans in the game until the end of the year! I’m talking about the school here!”
After Sensei banged her hands on the white board, she then proceeded to write something on it.
What was written there were the words ‘Sports Festival’ and ‘Cultural Festival’.
Ah, ooh, you mean those events.
When you speak of ‘events’, I automatically think about the ones in net games so I wouldn’t have guessed it was actually about real life. Yeah.
“When you think about the second term, these are the two big events that definitely come to mind, am I wrong?!”
“Ah, come to think of it, there was something like that.”
“I knew it was something horrible.”
“I know right?”
“You guys… Are you really high school students…?”
Sensei seemed fed up with our honest response as she stooped her shoulders.
“It may be a bothersome event, however, we simply cannot ignore it either.”
“It’s not bothersome at all you know? It’s a wonderful and fun event you know?!”
“It’s a bother.”
Since Master flatly refuted that, Nekohime-san just lost her one remaining ally.
Sensei had a look that says ‘Meow can’t be serious…’. I feel kind of sorry for her.
“Actually, regarding the Sports Festival and the Cultural Festival, though they are both events that the students participate in, it is, at the same time, also an event for clubs. For the sake of appearances, each club would voluntarily participate in the event. Simply put, each club has to at least participate in either one of them.”
So it would be like a showcase of our day to day efforts huh?
I’m amazed we even had something like that.
“So the sports clubs would be the ones participating in the sports fest and then the cultural clubs for the other huh?”
“Indeed. Our club, apart from carrying out our activities, also has to participate in this.”
Are you serious? That sounds like a pain.
“Uhm, uhm… If though you said either one of them, there’s really no choice but the cultural festival right?”
Master grinned in response to Ako’s statement and said,
“That’s not true at all. Take for example our school’s cooking club. In order to not take away all the profit from the other clubs doing a refreshment stand during the cultural festival, they do not participate in that. So from there, they instead take to the sports festival, donning their aprons as they participate in the interclub relay race. It’s been like this for some time that it had become a tradition.”
“So we actually had interclub relay races?”
“It’s a staple event every year. For that reason, we can choose to avoid the cultural festival and participate in the sports festival instead. Don’t you think it would be a fun idea to participate while in cosplay?”
The Modern Electronic Communications Game Club participating in the interclub relay races while in a cosplay— Uwah, just imagining it is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat.
“N, no way! Over my dead body! Actually, just kill me now!”
Segawa’s face turned pale as she shook her head.
Ah, she was thinking the same thing as I did.
Well of course. If she could participate in a relay race while in a cosplay then she wouldn’t be having problems about hiding her otaku hobbies.
“How about you Ako-kun?”
Ako, to whom the focus of the conversation was suddenly shifted to, had this really scary look on her face. She then suddenly struck a pose with all her might!
“I refuse!”
And there’s her refusal!
Strangely enough, she seems to be really against this!
But her using that pose here is a bit strange isn’t it?!
TL note: A reference to the ‘I refuse!’ pose in Jojo Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable. For those that don’t know, this is the scene (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ80PbfYwtU).
“Hm? Ako, I thought you liked cosplaying?”
“This is not about the cosplay! It’s the relay race that I hate about this! The relay!”
Ako stopped with her pose and started clenching her fist.
A strange aura then emanated from her as she struggled to stand up.
T, this is pretty scary!
“How could I forget? That relay race we had during the sports festival in middle school! Mindlessly passing that baton to me while we were in the lead! Then I tripped right in the middle of it! And while I was picking myself up, all the others already slipped past me! I could never forget the cold stares from my classmates as I quietly returned to my seat! Even now I still remember it!”
“Scary!”
“Tripping in a relay race can be pretty terrible huh…”
“You could end up being traumatized by that.”
Just by imagining it, the atmosphere in the club room has become quite dreadful.
“In the first place, why is there even an order when everyone is participating?! We’re all pretty much amateurs anyway, so just get everyone’s individual time and you can figure out the winner from that! I even went out of my way to ask to be replaced and to have the order changed! Just what else did they want me to do?!”
“I think there’s a lot of things wrong there. Like the order that you made the requests in.”
“It’s not wrong!”
Ako howled in despair.
“It would’ve been fine too if they just arranged us in order of our finish times from lowest to highest so that no one would have to be shamed but of course they wouldn’t like that right! They can’t enact the cool scene of an athletic person overtaking the physically inert ones after all! We’re all just stepping stones on their road to fame after all, aren’t we?!”
I hate myself for actually empathizing with her!
I can remember the face of track club members being all smug when they pass me after all!
“E, err… It’s okay Tamaki-san. There’s no interclass relay races during the sports festival in Maegasaki High.”
Sensei was drawn back as she said that.
“Come on, she said there’s no such thing. Isn’t that great Ako?”
“Uuu… Then what is there in place of it?”
“It looks like it’s the interclass group jump rope this year.”
In response to Sensei saying that, Ako howled even louder.
“Isn’t that way worse?!”
Eeeeeeeh?!
“Why?! Is group jump rope no good too?!”
“Just please think about it for a bit! Think what kind of contest a group jump rope really is!”
“What kind you say… You just jump over the rope right?”
Ako flared up in response to Segawa’s timid words and said,
“Just jump over the rope? Surely you jest! If you someone fails to do that jump, then that person will have to shoulder the responsibility of failing it for everyone else! It’s a hellish competition where the ropes just keep endlessly spinning! Whoever devised such torture that continues on until a war criminal is singled out from the group must definitely be an evil person!”
T, true, it’s definitely a competition where the mistake of one would cause the downfall of the group but…
“Can’t you do something about the way you put it into words?”
“And then even when I think about jumping will all I have to escape that fate, someone would say out loud ‘Tamaki-san is in the back there so you all don’t have to try and jump—’ and try to make me out as the bad guy! I just can’t keep up with that!”
“You really do lead a dramatic life don’t you?!”
Though I really pity her.
I definitely have to do everything well within my power to make her happy, don’t I?
“It’s fine. Nothing of the sort would happen this time. Probably.”
“He’s right, they likely won’t put the blame on you.”
“Indeed. Nothing that huge of deal occurs during the average year. This year might turn up to be fine as well.”
Though, as we all said that, we all averted our gaze from Ako.
“‘Probably’, ‘Likely’, ‘Might’… You don’t really believe what you’re saying at all are you?!”
“I mean, you know…”
Sports festival have this particular atmosphere where everyone seems to criticize you for being too serious after all. And, just thinking about our clumsy Ako getting dragged into the midst of all that, I just can’t imagine her not going pale from it.
“But Ako, why did you play as a healer in LA then? Aren’t healers the top one in the list to get blamed for when the party gets wiped?”
In response to Segawa’s unexpected question, Ako shook her head and said,
“That may be so, but even if that does happen, I can just say ‘This tank’s gear is bad’ and just go with that.”
“So you’re making it my fault?!”
So you went healer with the idea that you could always just shove the blame on to me? Is that it Ako?!
“T, that’s not what I meant at all. See, ‘My mistake is Rusian’s mistake and Rusian’s mistake is Rusian’s mistake’, it’s that sort of thing! It’s like we’re a married couple that’s one in both body and soul!”
“That’s definitely only a one-sided disadvantage for me! What the heck is one in both body and soul about that?! You’re just using me as a scapegoat here!”
Does this person even really love me?!
Now I’m getting worried for a whole different reason!
“So there you have it. I have decided not to participate in any competition where I will have to answer personally to my mistakes.”
“A, ah yeah, I understand you.”
It’s not on the same level as Ako’s extreme logic, but I also dislike competitions where everyone would look at me with a tepid gaze when I fail.
I believe we should just leave those matters to those actually confident in their physical capability.
“The one I’m aiming to compete in would have to be the ball toss. If you just try to throw the balls in then you would be fine. It’s simply the best.”
“You’ve really thought this through haven’t you?”
Segawa seemed a bit amazed as she said that.
“By the way, what would you be competing in then Segawa?”
“The scavenger hunt, what about it?”
“Isn’t that completely based off of RNG?”
So you would also pick a game where no one could really complain about the outcome huh?
“What about you then?”
“I’ll be going for tug of war. You know, that tug of war.”
Personally, I think it’s the perfect model for games where you don’t have to own up to your own mistakes.
If you’re a guy, then this has to be number one on your list. We can only really find solace in this tug of war.
“So you do understand it after all, Nishimura.”
“I knew Rusian was one of us!”
“While we’re on the subject, I’ll be busy with work involving the student council so I can’t participate in the competition.”
“Ah, Master that’s cheating!”
“Ha Ha Ha! This is how you wield authority!”
“You guys… Has the thought of trying out what you’re capable of never occurred to you?”
Sensei appears as if she’s had enough of it already as she looked over us.
“The game aside, I don’t really feel that way about stuff in real life.”
“Throwing bodies at the boss given that you’ll lose EXP in the process is really horrible after all right?”
“We’re all horrible at controlling our own selves anyway—”
“……Is that so…”
For some reason, it seems Nekohime-san is the one who took the most damage from this.
“W, well that’s fine. Anyway, if you hate the sports festival, then I guess it’s decided that you’ll be participating in the cultural festival right? For the cultural festival— officially named ‘Saki Fest’— make sure you definitely prepare something for it.”
The words ‘Sports Festival’ were erased and ‘Saki Fest’ was written in huge characters.
“Though even if that’s decided, what can we do?”
“The basic pattern would be to display our accomplishments for this year.”
“Accomplishments… Did we have something like that?”
“Ako came to school.”
“That’s it.”
It has to be this.
Our biggest accomplishment definitely has to be this problem child right here.
“Am I going to be put on an exhibit?!”
“Are we also going to put something like ‘Please don’t touch the display’ in there as well?”
“Isn’t that already doxxing?! I don’t want to get doxxed! Getting doxxed is scary!”
The term indiscriminate doxxing is something that all net game players fear.
“Well, that’s enough fooling around. Since we’re still a net game club in name, we should at least take an accomplishment related to the game and display that instead right?”
“Indeed. Be it research or something more practical, the category does not matter.”
Accomplishment… accomplishment huh?
That’s troubling. It’s not like you play net games to accomplish something after all.
Rather, the real charm of net games lies in the fact that they’re a fun waste of time.
“How about we put an image of me and Rusian’s wedding ceremony on display?”
“Hey Ako, are you sure your brain is not made of spongecake?”
Why would you even come up with that idea?
Why are you even planning by having them look at that? They’ll just congratulate you while giving you a really faint smile you know?
“The greatest accomplishment that I have achieved in-game is Rusian after all…”
Err, could you not look at me with that really disappointed face?
“Ah no see, this really isn’t something you should be proud of showing to strangers.”
“I’m really proud of it you know?”
It’s really troubling for me if you say that with such a serious expression.
I really don’t have the courage to display something that just yells ‘This girl is my wife!’ in the cultural festival after all.
“It’s going to be troublesome for me as well if I let you put your illicit relationship out there for everyone to see.”
“It’s not illicit! It’s not illicit so you shouldn’t be bothered by it at all!”
“Aren’t you focusing on the wrong point here?!”
“Let’s just leave the normies alone. Anyway, we just have to put something up for display right? Isn’t it fine to just do an exhibit on net game history and have a panel discussion about it?”
Segawa said that as she angrily pointed at the PC.
Hmm, that’s may be the most appropriate idea to come out here but…
“Do we really have to go out of our way to make that?”
“If we’re just going to put it on exhibit, then anything should work. The most important part anyway is that I’m not around on the day itself.”
“…I see.”
Hmm, though, I believe the history of games is quite the touchy subject.
And though I really want to see what it would look like, I feel that people might have objections to what we’ll be putting out. Actually, it’s more like this is a problem that has no right answer.
“If we’re seriously going to do an exhibit on the history of net games, I really think that it would be too much. Putting aside the absurd amount of effort required to do that, we would have to get into the nitty-gritty of gaming history as a whole…”
People who don’t care about this stuff would have no idea at all, and people who actually do care would just find something to complain about. It would just turn into an exhibit that really doesn’t benefit anyone.
“In the first place, the topic of which game can be considered as a starting point is already a huge controversy.”
“I guess there’s that too. This topic really is troublesome.”
“It’s because the people playing them are really a troublesome bunch as well.”
I mulled over it for a while.
Maybe we should just go ahead and set up a net game demo booth instead. Though, as I was about to pitch that idea in…
“If nobody else has any other ideas, then I have a proposal.”
Master said that as she took up the pen.
And then, beside the huge characters ‘Saki Fest’, she suddenly wrote the words ‘Castle Siege’, in skillful penmanship.
“Castle Siege…?”
“By Castle Siege you mean… that recently implemented PVP-related patch?”
“Indeed!”
Master very excitedly nodded as she showed a smile.
“The actual release got delayed and kept straying further from the planned release date so much that even though it was called the biggest update this summer, it got implemented way too late into it that it’s almost fall. And that update is the long anticipated, large-scale PVP content, the Castle Siege! If we can score a victory here, then that can count as one of accomplishments, no? What do you all say?”
“Eh, PVP but… err, Master?”
Eh? Are you serious?
Are you seriously saying that?
“Castle Siege is that thing right? Where guilds fight one another in a large-scale battlefield? We’re going to do that?”
“It’s something that everyone in the club can tackle together. Isn’t this just perfect? It’s the same as those team competitions that the sports club participate in.”
“Sure, it’s something we can tackle together but…”
As the name implies, it’s content where you lay siege to a castle.
Players would engage in combat in fort maps set up in each individual town in Legendary Age. Guilds who then occupy the forts would become the lords for that particular town.
Since players would be fighting against one another, this is of course, PVP content.
While having large-scale PVP content be implemented in a game such as Legendary Age with cute deformed characters would surely invite mixed receptions, but for now, I’ve heard that people are really hyped up about it.
Yes, it was a big enough deal that people were talking a lot about it.
The Castle Siege has happened quite a few times since it was implemented, but we haven’t participated in it even once.
It’s PVP after all, P-V-P. A small-scale guild like Alley Cats with only four people to boot would have no hope of challenging such content. We completely understand that.
“Master, let’s say we do get the castle, can we actually put that up for display in the cultural festival?”
“That is a good question Ako-kun.”
Though I think there’s more important things that need to be answered before that.
“The Castle Siege happens once every week and those who win it during that time become the castle lords. And then, the emblem of the guild who becomes the lords will be displayed over the fort— This is where us winning would come into play. Once we do win, I plan on setting this up as our guild emblem.”
As she said that, Master took out a handbook— that is, the student’s handbook, from her breast pocket.
Embedded on the front of it was our school, Maegasaki High’s seal.
“Err… You don’t mean that we’re going to change our emblem to Maegasaki High’s seal and then try to take the fort are you?”
“That’s correct. This is definitely something you can call an ‘accomplishment’!”
Master topped it all up by saying that with a smug face.
Ah but you know… Where should I even begin?
As I took a peek towards Segawa, I could see her firmly raising her hand.
“Isn’t that pretty much out of the question? I mean, that’s all pretty much no good isn’t it?”
From the sensible faction, here comes an objection from Segawa!
Though you didn’t really point out what’s specifically wrong about it, but still, do your best Segawa!
“However, on the day of the festival, we can enlarge a copy of a screenshot and have that up for the exhibit. Then we can leave a locked PC displaying a character standing in front of the fort. We can proceed with this plan like this, am I wrong?”
“…That could work.”
Weak. That’s too weak. Segawa gave in to Master too soon.
Are you really fine with this? Even though you didn’t want people to find out you’re in a Net Game Club?
“I’m not really good PVP though…”
And this time, from the moderate faction, comes Ako’s objection!
Though it might be quite a flimsy argument, hang in there Ako!
“You need not worry. Your role as the healer still remains unchanged. It would be fine as long as you everyone while staying at the back lines.”
“Then that’s fine with me.”
It’s not fine at all!
Damn it, I couldn’t count on Ako after all!
“Rather, no matter what we do, fundamentally, we just can’t win, can we?”
And from the realist faction, here comes my objection.
I believe that this is a pretty sound argument, Master looked exasperated for a moment and then laughed.
“Giving up before you’ve given it a try is a defeatist attitude that I simply will not condone. Just where did the usual in-game Rusian, who is always willing to try anything out, go?”
“I understand just how you feel but…”
Even if you preach those ideals to me, what’s impossible is impossible.
However, mere sophistry is not going to win over Master. That means, err…
“…Then Sensei, pass.”
It’s time for my ultimate weapon, Nekohime-sensei.
I’m sure an adviser wouldn’t approve of doing an exhibit on such a senseless thing and would turn that idea down right here.
I watched Sensei as I placed all of my hopes into her. She then nodded back and said,
“Isn’t that fine then? The Castle Siege.”
“Are you seriously saying that?!”
I just got hit in the back with my own ultimate weapon!
The heck is with this shitty game?!
“I mean, this is a plan to make our school’s seal popular in-game right? It definitely feels like a proper activity for a Net Game Club, doesn’t it?”
“Is this kind of plan is allowed?”
“If this isn’t allowed then the one made by Go and Shogi Club earlier would’ve been reprimanded first. After all, all they ever do is give out beginner lectures every year.”
“Is that so…”
The Saki Fest is unexpectedly lenient with this.
Though even if I say that, the difficulty for this task is still extremely high.
“Alright, with this, we’ve received our adviser’s permission. And all the members have given their consent. With our school’s ‘Saki Fest’ as our focus, we shall aim to acquire one of the forts by winning in the Castle Siege! I hope that is clear with everyone!”
With that, voices with meager enthusiasm could be heard cheering in the room.
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