Just then, Amesho began tugging at his sleeve. “Hey, hey. Are you the one Matsunaga mentioned in his message? The one who skipped school to max out all his skill levels?”

“No, I’m the one who defeated a Magi-Metal Dragon solo. The one you’re referring to does not appear to have come.” Ichiro indicated the empty seat at the table.

“It does seem we’re missing one, but I suppose that was to be expected.” With the introductions out of the way, Matsunaga spoke up.

“We have around us the game’s most famous players. Isn’t it sensational? This is how a VRMMO works. It’s the devs who write the scripts, but we’re the ones who act them out. Such things are of utmost importance.

“Enough, Matsunaga,” Stroganoff interrupted as Matsunaga rattled on. “Let’s get down to business. Due to IRL concerns, Gazpacho and I must leave by 11:00 at the latest.”

“Oh, that’s right, Stroganoff. Your job,” Matsunaga said. “Then let us discuss. Of course, the business is more or less what I described in my message. I’ve explained it on my blog, as well, and I believe everyone knows the situation by now.”

The guild led by Matsunaga, the Dual Serpents, had reached the lowest floor of the Grand Quest dungeon, the Forgotten Catacombs, yesterday. They’d shared the results of their investigation, and the conclusions they had come to.

Sorting through all the script and setting fluff, he had decided that the quest was likely to take place on two levels.

In the previous six Grand Quests, the Grand Boss was waiting on the lowest level of the dungeon, and the defeat of that boss cleared the quest. The Dual Serpents and the Red Sunset Knights had cultivated a close relationship based on information sharing. Matsunaga’s group would get the fundamental information on the dungeon and its boss, and Stroganoff’s group would execute a plan of attack based on that. Everyone had expected that this time would be the same.

“But that won’t work this time. There will likely be two boss monsters, or a boss and an enemy of equivalent power. One will be at the bottom of the dungeon; the other, on the main thoroughfare. It’s likely that the quest requirement ‘Stop the Source of the Miasma’ will be resolved when the Grand Boss on the surface is defeated, thus making it the ‘true’ boss.”

But at the same time, Matsunaga continued, he had determined that the Grand Boss spawn event wouldn’t trigger unless someone cleared the obstacles on the lowest level of the dungeon first. Therein lay the problem.

He had decided to designate the process of getting to the bottom of the dungeon and removing the obstacles there Sequence A, and the battle with the Grand Boss on the surface Sequence B. Naturally, Sequence B could not be accomplished until Sequence A was completed, but most of the players participating in the Grand Quest would be more interested in Sequence B.

Matsunaga’s investigation of the Forgotten Catacombs had suggested that completing Sequence A would require some very experienced players. Given their usual way of executing their plans, that burden would usually fall to the Red Sunset Knights, but they weren’t about to agree to that so easily.

The players who participated in Sequence A would be far enough from the second event that they would probably miss the first run against the boss. They might not even get to participate in Sequence B at all.

The Knights were a guild of Achievers, specialized in combat. Their ambition was to defeat the Grand Boss and to carve their names forever into Asgard history.

Thus, Matsunaga proposed a plan:

The Dual Serpents were dungeon rush specialists, so they would join a mixed team heading for the bottom floor. The main force of the Knights would remain above-ground, where they could accomplish their primary goal of defeating the Grand Boss.

Naturally, if a boss monster were to appear at the end of Sequence A, then the dungeon-diving team would need some skilled fighters, as well. Some division of battle power would be needed, which was why he had invited famous players not affiliated with the two great guilds.

“It seems you have the plan already worked out,” Stroganoff said with a sharp gaze. “So the purpose of the meeting is to discuss how to divide our forces, is that right?”

“Well, more or less,” Matsunaga said breezily. “But Stroganoff, you mustn’t think you’ll get to steal all the spotlight. This is the Grand Quest in preparation for the game’s one-year anniversary. The developers are clearly putting a lot of work into it. And I’m sure the top players we’ve brought here want to defeat the Grand Boss themselves.”

All eyes turned to the three top players invited who weren’t from the guilds. In other words, Ichiro, Amesho, and Tomakomai.

They were all assumed to be quite powerful, but they were as well known for their eccentricities as anything. If Matsunaga was right, then at the very least, it wasn’t clear from looking at their expressions. Ichiro was placid, Amesho was grinning, and Tomakomai was smiling gently.

Ichiro checked on Felicia, who was still sitting in the stands.

Matsunaga had been keeping the reins on the conference, skillfully controlling the entire conversation. Fast talkers like him could be found everywhere, of course, but judging from Felicia’s attitude earlier, she’d seemed to find it unpleasant. She wasn’t the only one.

Matsunaga’s unsubtle dominance of the conversation was earning him glares and scowls from Stroganoff’s Knights. It was hard to say whether their attitudes were just a part of an extended roleplay, or some other calculation.

“But you mentioned that triggering the event would require spellcasters, didn’t you?” Stroganoff asked.

“Yes, I did,” Matsunaga said.

“Then the Philosopher and Magi-Fencer should head for the bottom floor. Thief is a class best suited for dungeon-diving, too. Shouldn’t they be the ones to go underground? I hear Tsuwabuki there reached the bottom floor solo.”

That last line sent a new buzz through the audience.

To his right, he could hear Amesho murmur, “Wow, amazing.”

Ichiro naturally replied that, yes, he was amazing.

“For such a large man, your way of thinking is very petty, Stroganoff,” Matsunaga said with a chuckle.

“First, as leader of the Knights, you should offer up some of your own members as a show of good faith. I believe Gorgonzola is an excellent spellcaster, and Parmigiano quite the fine explorer.”

Matsunaga’s words had some logic to them. They would need high-level spellcasters and explorers to complete the underground dungeon segment. In addition to being part of the top player guild, the two that Matsunaga had mentioned had powerful support and analytical abilities. They were well-suited to dungeon-diving.

But they were also an essential part of the Knights’ basic teamwork tactics. Gorgonzola was a high-DPS spellcaster, and Parmigiano was excellent with ranged weapons. Sending those two down into the dungeon would cripple the Knights’ ability to coordinate against the Grand Boss. That was a hard pill for Stroganoff to swallow.

The two stared at each other, sparks flying between them. Matsunaga was intentionally trying to weaken the Knights in the battle above. That was why he had invited the three top players. If King Kirihito had also come, it would have reduced the necessity of sending the Knights against the Grand Boss even more. He alone could handle all the work of a single Knight corps.

Naturally, the Knights weren’t going to stand for letting their credit be stolen in the name of some “united front” with the other top players. But since they had come there on the pretense of cooperating to finish the quest, they couldn’t exactly say that.

Calculation met calculation. Ichiro turned his eyes back to the gallery in time to see Felicia getting out of her seat. Perhaps she couldn’t stand it anymore.

He couldn’t blame her. It likely wasn’t an interesting conference to watch, and King Kirihito a.k.a. Sera Kiryu hadn’t even shown up.

The staring contest that seemed like it might go on forever was broken with a single word from the young heir, Ichiro Tsuwabuki.

“I think I’ll go below.”

His pronouncement sent a shockwave out from the table, which continued into the stands.

“I have no interest in the glory of slaying the boss. Of course, I’m not especially interested in what’s going on at the bottom of the dungeon either... but I am the strongest of those assembled here, aren’t I?”

It was not a line one should be saying at a meeting of the game’s top players. They all glared at him, itching with the need to argue. But it would be a waste of effort. His expression showed him to be as pliable as a willow.

In addition, the truth was, they couldn’t deny it. It wasn’t that they thought of themselves as weaker than Ichiro, but if they didn’t concede the point now, Ichiro would keep arguing instead of moving on to his next point.

Amesho was giggling, while the others gritted their teeth in silence.

“That’s why you want me far away from the surface, is it not?” Ichiro asked. “Matsunaga, and Stroganoff, as well... Am I wrong?”

“You are, of course, correct, Mr. Tsuwabuki,” Matsunaga assented with a thin smile.

Stroganoff remained silent, but didn’t deny it.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be the first to speak up,” Ichiro said. “Oh, that’s right. Naturally, I’ll be going down below, along with all members of the Dual Serpents. Stroganoff is being unyielding, so let’s ask Tomakomai and Amesho first. What do you want to do?”

“What else can we mew?” Amesho was the first to speak. “I’m fine going underground. I’ll go in Parmigiano’s place.”

“Thank you,” Parmigiano said.

They seemed to come to some strange agreement, perhaps as fellow cat people.

Thus, the Knights’ ranged specialist, Shooting Star Parmigiano, would be allowed to remain on the surface. All eyes fell once again on Stroganoff and “Demon” Gorgonzola.

Matsunaga let out an artificial laugh, then nudged the red-haired Knight once more. “Still being stubborn, Stroganoff? Two of the three top players have indulged you. Surely you could at least send out your top Mage.”

Stroganoff folded his arms and sat silent for a time, then turned his eyes to his third squad commander, two seats down. “Apologies, Gorgon.”

“Not at all.” That was all the Elf man in the full-body indigo robe had to say.

And so, the famed top players worked out their teams for the completion of the Grand Quest.

The surface team would be the Human Knight Stroganoff, the Dwarf Fighter Gazpacho, the Human Paladin Tiramisu, the Anthromorph Ranger Parmigiano, and High Elf Philosopher Tomakomai.

The underground team would be the Elf Scout Matsunaga, the Dragonet Magi-Fencer Ichiro Tsuwabuki, the Elf Mage Gorgonzola, and the Beastman Thief Amesho.

It’s all nonsense, thought Ichiro. Nearly the entire conference had gone just as Matsunaga wished it. It was a farce.

The moment Matsunaga declared the conference over, Ichiro stood up swiftly and took his leave.

The conference was taking place in the middle of the Necrolands, with the Saint Barrier the only thing protecting them from hordes of the walking dead.

Felicia had left her seat, unable to take watching the conference any longer, but she couldn’t bring herself to roam out into the Necrolands swarming with high-level monsters. All she could do was just sit at the far edge of the barrier, watching the zombies wander through the ghost town in the distance.

Were all top players really people like them?

To Felicia, that conference had just looked like an ugly struggle for dominance.

It wasn’t that she disliked the game. She had initially joined NaroFan to find her friend, but to be honest, she also quite enjoyed defeating monsters and gaining levels. Shouldn’t the game be more like that, with everyone just having fun together?

Felicia turned that over and over again in her mind as she gazed off at the distant zombies.

Just then...

“Hey, Felicia.”

She turned instinctively to the voice behind her. It came from a young man in a glossy black suit, the usual cool smile on his face.

“Itchy...”

Inevitably, it was Ichiro Tsuwabuki.

“Is the conference over?” she asked.

“Oh, yes. May I join you?”

“Okay...”

Ichiro sat next to Felicia, still smiling.

She could see the spectators exiting the bleachers, confirming what he had said about the conference being over. Some stuck around to exchange small talk, while others left the barrier’s range immediately.

“What happened?” she asked. “I thought no one wanted to go underground...”

“Well, it was less that no one wanted to go underground and more a contest of wills between Matsunaga and Stroganoff. I’m part of the underground team.”

“Oh?” She knew that Ichiro wouldn’t have much interest in the Grand Boss, but she wouldn’t have expected him to join the underground team, either. The Itchy she knew wasn’t the type to compromise.

Ichiro lifted a finger in response to Felicia’s skeptical comment. “Let’s see if I can guess what you’re thinking.”

“Huh?”

“While watching the top players at their conference, you began to feel a degree of contempt towards them. Then, you began to wonder if King Kirihito a.k.a. Sera Kiryu was just like them, a thought which led you into self-recrimination. Am I right?”

“Ugh...” she said. Ichiro’s guess was right on the mark. It was as if he could read her mind.

Felicia really didn’t want to believe that her friend was as shallow as the people at that conference. She didn’t want to, but she was beginning to think that way. Ever since the incident yesterday, she had started to wonder if she really understood Sera Kiryu at all.

Ichiro continued, “There are two things that I can say. Number one: They are enjoying the game in their own way. This is a pure, innocent feeling. It may seem grating to an outside observer, but I believe it’s something to be respected.”

“What’s number two?”

“King wasn’t even there, so you probably shouldn’t worry about it,” he said, lightly. She had to admit he was right.

The words seemed to spring from Felicia’s mouth, unbidden. “Kiryu’s...”

“Hmm?” Ichiro urged her on immediately.

She hadn’t meant to give voice to those thoughts, but realizing that maybe it was something she needed to tell Ichiro, she continued. “Kiryu’s really good at gaming, but doesn’t really like games.”

“Oh.” It was a neutral response, free of emotion, but she could tell he found it surprising.

“That’s not to say Kiryu hates them. It’s more like... ‘I found out gaming was the thing I was best at, so I just naturally end up playing games.’”

That was something Sera had told her just before they entered middle school. Sera was invincible when it came to computer games, and while not quite as dominant when it came to board games, she had still never seen her friend even break a sweat at card games or Othello.

Sera specialized in action games, but excelled at strategy games, as well. Anything, basically, that didn’t require physical activity.

“It sounds like your friend is a born genius,” Ichiro said. “You do see people like that from time to time.”

“You say that so lightly, Itchy...” Felicia said with a frown. Perhaps even born geniuses couldn’t compete with Ichiro Tsuwabuki most of the time.

“I’m a pitcher in the softball club,” Felicia continued.

“Yes, you mentioned you’re their ace, didn’t you?” he answered.

“Our club isn’t that good, and I’m not especially talented,” she admitted. “But I love softball, so even if I found something I was better at, I’d probably want to keep doing it. So...”

“It makes it feel even more like Sera Kiryu is taking the path of least resistance?” Ichiro said, giving her a chance to hedge.

“Yeah...”

“Then you have no choice but to speak to your friend,” he said.

In the end, that was it. Felicia — Asuha Tsuwabuki — believed that Sera Kiryu was fleeing the rigors of reality by retreating into a game. She believed it was her duty to bring her friend back out so that they could go to school together. That belief hadn’t changed in any notable way.

But what if Sera’s feelings weren’t so simple? Dragging her friend back into the real world might not necessarily be the best course of action. So, in the end, all she could do was ask and find out.

And yet, she thought...

“I don’t know where Kiryu is right now.”

“True,” Ichiro nodded. “But that only applies to the game. There is another method by which you could talk to Sera Kiryu.”

And there it was. Felicia looked away. “Go to Kiryu’s house, you mean?”

“Felicia... Asuha, rather. I’m sure this is not the first time the idea has occurred to you.”

She hesitated. Of course, Ichiro was right.

“K-Kiryu’s house, huh?” she murmured with great hesitance. “I don’t want to go... I mean, it would have been awkward from the beginning, but after what I did yesterday...” Felicia mumbled indistinctly as her gaze continued to drift.

But then, what happened yesterday was all the more reason she had to go. She and Sera would never reach an understanding if they didn’t talk.

“You’re searching for King, are you?” The voice, like a coiling serpent, echoed out of the ruined town.

Felicia immediately latched on to Ichiro’s jacket sleeve.

It was a familiar voice. Felicia turned and saw an Elf man standing there, his golden hair blowing in the dry Necrolands wind. He wore a dark green coat over a ninja’s uniform. Felicia did not bother to hide her displeasure at the sight of him.

“A fine conference, Matsunaga,” Ichiro said.

Indeed, it was Matsunaga, leader of the Dual Serpents, the organizer of the conference, and of the United Guild.

“Thank you. We’ve never been properly introduced... I am Matsunaga. Really, I didn’t expect you to come to our little meeting, Mr. Tsuwabuki. I’m sorry about that article I wrote about you the other day,” Matsunaga said with his artificial smile.

So they had never met face-to-face before now? Ichiro had caused some trouble not long ago, and Matsunaga had written an article about it. It seemed that was as much as they had ever interacted.

“It didn’t bother me in the least,” Ichiro said, brushing off the words easily before changing the subject. “I wasn’t expecting to see you out already. I assumed you’d still be hashing out details with Stroganoff.”

“Actually, the one participating in the conference was a kagemusha, a body double,” Matsunaga said with a chuckle. “I love verifying things, you see. I have multiple accounts, all with the same face. It’s very convenient for times like these.”

With that, Matsunaga snapped his fingers. The air around them wavered, and several figures appeared. They were all handsome, smiling Elves wearing identical ninja gear and coats. “Matsunaga” was the name on each.

It was extremely unsettling, and inspired a powerful feeling of déjà vu.

“Why does this keep happening lately?” Felicia groaned.

“Indeed,” Ichiro agreed.

“I thought it made for a good show. You don’t like it?” Matsunaga snapped his fingers again, and the kagemusha Matsunagas all disappeared instantly. They must have had players behind them, suggesting a powerful degree of authority he held over them. Or perhaps they simply enjoyed playing the anonymous kagemusha role.

“Well, then, Matsunaga. Do you know where King Kirihito is?” Ichiro asked.

Given his opening statement, it seemed natural to assume that he did.

“No, I don’t,” denied Matsunaga with a grin. “It’s just, how to put it... Out of the kindness of my heart, I would ask you to stop searching for King.”

“Weren’t you searching for him?” Ichiro asked. “You invited him to your conference.”

“I ran into him yesterday at the bottom floor of the dungeon. I invited him, but of course, he turned me down. So I wasn’t expecting to see him there,” Matsunaga said.

Matsunaga was the kind of man for whom every word and smile seemed to have a double meaning.

Felicia moved behind Ichiro, not bothering to hide her caution in his presence. She couldn’t tell if he was roleplaying, or if this was simply how he talked, but either way, Felicia didn’t like men who smiled like that.

“You know Kiry... ihito?” Felicia asked, still gripping Ichiro’s sleeve.

“Know him? Hmm... we’ve crossed paths in the dungeons a handful of times. After all, I’m in an explorer’s guild, and I like verifying things, which often leads to me diving into unexplored dungeon depths. Sometimes I’ll reach the lowest floor of a dungeon, and just as I begin thinking, ‘Ah, I’m the first one here!’ I find King there, as nonchalant as can be.”

“Oh? That’s impressive,” Ichiro said.

“He must recognize me by now, as he’s greeted me a few times. But he may not remember my name. That’s about the size of our acquaintance.” Matsunaga shrugged.

Felicia wasn’t sure how to react to his implication that this made him and King Kirihito close.

“On that subject, Mr. Tsuwabuki,” Matsunaga said, “a question. Were you diving the Catacombs by yourself? That’s impressive.”

“I wasn’t by myself. She was with me,” Ichiro responded, indicating Felicia.

Matsunaga laughed. “That’s effectively by yourself.”

“Certainly. But while, effectively, I was by myself, to insist that I was alone would be to ignore Felicia’s existence. I cannot approve of that... even if, effectively, I was by myself.”

Felicia snapped, “Sorry for not being more useful! Sorry I’m only level 39!”

“Ah, you gained a level? Congratulations.”

“Congratulations, indeed. Once you hit 40, you clear most of the equipment restrictions, and everything becomes much easier,” Matsunaga said.

Ichiro and Matsunaga both applauded her, smiling. It seemed like they meant it sincerely, but Felicia was in no mood to accept the praise without reservation. She just clung tighter to Ichiro’s sleeve and grumbled.

“Given your level of skill, I had assumed you would want to fight the boss on the surface,” Matsunaga commented, turning back to Ichiro.

“As I said at the conference, it simply doesn’t interest me,” he replied. “You also seemed to want to keep me away from the surface, so why complain?”

Felicia didn’t quite like the tone she heard in Ichiro’s words. He probably wasn’t lying; Ichiro had shown no interest in going after the boss on the surface. But she also wouldn’t expect him to just go along that easily with Matsunaga’s schemes. Ichiro must have seen some personal gain to be had in going along with the underground group. It would have been possible for him to simply not join the United Guild, so what was his reason for going along with this man’s request?

She channeled those doubts into stinging words directed at Matsunaga. “Exactly what’s so great about beating the boss on the surface?”

Felicia’s words were a rebuke to both Stroganoff, who was trying to keep his Knights force strong and united against the boss, and the scheming Matsunaga, who had been plotting to tear them apart.

Matsunaga’s smile did not waver, even as he scratched his cheek self-consciously. “Miss... Felicia, is it? Do you play any online games besides NaroFan?”

“No.”

“I thought not. You didn’t look like a hardcore gamer. Then you don’t know, I suppose. Defeating the boss on the surface is a truly amazing thing.” For once, his tone was entirely straightforward. “Of course, it’s amazing because we as a group have assigned value to it. This is all just a program to begin with. The developers control everything. But, you see... we’ve all invested our blood, sweat, and tears into making our game characters stronger. Those who share that common objective wish to prove their strength to each other, and defeating a boss confers a certain amount of status in that regard.”

She could at least understand the logic behind his words, but she rejected it on an emotional level. “But it’s still just a game...”

“What’s wrong with just being a game? Surely you have things that you’re passionate about,” he said, arguing with enthusiasm. It seemed clear that Matsunaga was quite a heavy gamer.

Ichiro commented, “But Matsunaga, you seem to lack a certain interest in defeating the boss, as well.”

Matsunaga smiled in response to Ichiro’s observation. “Ah, could you tell? Yes, I’m part of the dungeon crawl team. Though it’s not that I lack interest, exactly... but I’m happy as long as my blog flourishes as a result. I enjoy feeling like I’ve created an event.”

It was unlikely that Felicia would be able to accept Matsunaga’s words at this point in her life. The self-righteousness typical of girls of her age was a block against such understanding.

“I believe she doesn’t like me,” Matsunaga noted.

“It appears so,” Ichiro agreed. “I’m sorry. You may be roleplaying your character’s villainous tendencies a bit more than is necessary.”

“I don’t mind. That’s my guild’s policy.” It was hard to tell how serious Matsunaga was being, but he waved his hand and turned away with a flourish of his coat.

“Are you going?” Ichiro asked.

“I have a few arrangements to make. I’ll see you, Mr. Tsuwabuki. I look forward to tomorrow.” With that, he began walking away.

Once he was out of sight and Ichiro and Felicia were left alone in the Necrolands’ ghost town again, Felicia spoke through her pursed lips.

“Itchy. You are participating, aren’t you? In the quest, I mean...”

“Does that upset you?” Ichiro faced her, his smile as cool as ever. “Felicia, I told you that I would accompany you until we found Sera Kiryu. And I also told you that once we did, it would be up to you to decide what to do.”

“R-Right...”

“We have found Sera Kiryu. Maybe you didn’t know what you wanted from that at first, but I think you now have a starting point. In other words, you’ve passed the first hurdle. If you want to try to approach King again, you should do what it is that you want to do. And I will do what I want to do. Our initial promise has not changed.”

Ichiro’s attitude was as self-serving as ever. It was no way to speak to a 14-year-old girl. Felicia was about to comment on that, lowering her face, then raising it again to try to speak. But she closed her mouth a moment after opening it.

Felicia knew. She really knew. She knew what it would mean if she accused him of being cruel, or asked him to help her out more than he already had.

Asuha Tsuwabuki was an adult now. At least, she had insisted that this was the case. Ichiro was merely speaking the way that one would to an adult.

The truth was, she wanted Itchy’s help. The thought of dealing with things on her own made her nervous. She felt the same way when it came to Kiryu. As she was now, Asuha had no faith that she could pull Sera Kiryu back by herself.

And yet...

Felicia nodded. “Okay. Got it.”

Itchy was merely treating her as an adult, as an equal. Felicia knew that he was acting colder to her than she had expected, but she had no intention of asking for special treatment and regressing back to childhood.

Ichiro was busy with his own concerns. To ask him to come back with her and continue to help her search for Sera Kiryu would just be selfishness. She was no longer a child.

“Now that we have that all worked out, shall we return? I expect Sir Kirschwasser is feeling lonely without us,” Ichiro said.

“Sure,” she agreed, and the two began to walk side by side down the Necrolands’ main street.