If the entity that attacked Phoebe's homeland was as strong as the advanced classes, defeating it with the Fairy Fire Gate would be a possibility, but an extremely dangerous one...
"A compromise..."
Where should I compromise? Should I bring other players along, or create a key for the Fairy Gate to enhance my own strength? At the very least, I shouldn't have to compromise on informing Phoebe about the Number Quest...
"Well, it's better to think it through... your Number Quest seems pretty challenging..."
"Yeah, I'll do that... Is there a time limit for this Number Quest? Or is there? It's certain that there are NPCs in Phoebe's homeland, but would taking my time make things worse?"
"Brother, you're seeking an ideal again. If you worry too much about that, there's nothing you can do... Getting immersed in the game can be fun, but remember to keep it balanced, okay? Though, I shouldn't be the one to say that since I invited you into the game world in the first place."
With that, Yuna mentioned she had things she wanted to do and headed back to her room.
Honestly, staying in my room trying to figure things out doesn't seem productive...
"Hey, Rena! I could use a bit of help!"
"I'm on my way!"
I hear my father's voice. A little distraction from helping my parents could be just what I need. Doing some monotonous tasks or hammering some iron might help me gather my thoughts.
After helping my father, I got caught up in some trouble that made me busier than expected. I ended up assisting with dinner, and by the time the afternoon rolled around, I was too exhausted to play Fantasy Freedom, succumbing to fatigue instead. Although completely worn out, my mind felt a little clearer.
I need to become stronger. Relying too much on other players doesn't feel right. If we ever get separated, it's ultimately my own strength that counts. Caleb entrusted me with the task of protecting Phoebe, so depending on others too much isn't an option.
I'll think about making the next key after reviewing the recipe. With these thoughts swirling in my head, I drifted off to sleep.
While Renna was busy helping our father, my younger sister, Yuna, stepped into the world of Fantasy Freedom. Transforming into Lily, she entered her home, where Phoebe was reading a book and welcomed her.
"Hey, Phoebe! It's been a while since it was just the two of us," Yuna said.
"Oh, Lily! Isn't Lena coming?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't think she can make it this afternoon. She was called away before I got here… And why do you keep calling me Lily? I told you on the ship you could drop the formalities!"
"I suppose… but I'm still getting used to just calling you Lily," Phoebe admitted, looking a bit disappointed. However, she quickly shifted to a serious expression and directed a question at Yuna.
"Um, Lena looked really serious when she created that firelight... Have you heard anything about it?"
"I've heard. But if I share too much, it would undermine all the effort your brother put into figuring things out by himself, so I can't say anything."
"I see..."
Phoebe sank into disappointment again.
After a moment of thought, Lily spoke up.
"At the very least, I know that when Phoebe said three keys were needed to get back to her hometown, that was a lie."
"Y-You know that?!"
"Well, unlike your brother, the leader and I have had our fair share of adventures. I haven't been to your hometown yet, but I know quite a bit about teleportation circles..."
Upon hearing this, Phoebe blurted out in a flustered manner, "Could it be that Lena realized the lie, which is why she looked so serious? But she didn't seem angry..."
"She noticed the lie, but your brother wasn't angry. He was surprised by a lot of things, though."
Hearing this reassured Phoebe.
Seeing her relief, Lily pressed her for more.
"Can you tell me why you lied?"
"I did it to buy some time. Lena is getting stronger at an incredible pace, but I don't think she can defeat that monster in her current state. If I don't buy enough time, she'll head straight for my hometown, confront the monster that attacked it... and I fear she might get killed. If that happens, it feels like everything will be over..."
Phoebe looked down, lost in thought, while Lily pondered the situation. Surely, the ultimate goal of her brother's quest was to battle the monster that had attacked Phoebe's homeland and defeat it. Of course, if they lost to that monster, Phoebe would be killed, resulting in a GAME OVER. Lily hoped such a fate would not befall her brother and Phoebe.
In the world of Fantasy Freedom, while one could die and restart, they couldn't turn back time to correct mistakes. Lily had heard of players who lost the final battle of their quests and couldn't retry afterward; they logged out and chose to retire instead. Therefore, thorough preparation was essential.
By the way, Lily had never heard of ally NPCs lying about the player's strength to prolong the journey to their destination.
"But lying is wrong. You should apologize to my brother later; he was quite hurt by it," Lily said.
"Was he? I didn't mean to hurt him. I will definitely apologize later... Um, may I ask a favor?" Phoebe replied.
"A favor?"
"Yes, I want to ask if you would come with me to my homeland when the time comes..."
At Phoebe's request, Lily fell silent. If she agreed, it would increase Lena's chances of failing her quest, and having seen how much Lena despised those odds, Lily couldn't easily say yes.
"Lily?"
"It's tough. For players like us, our time in this world is limited by the situation. Sure, my brother and I are blood relatives, so it's easier to sync our schedules, but that doesn't guarantee I can always come to help. I can't make any promises, but when I can, I will definitely be there."
"I see. That makes sense, especially since you seem very busy, Lily. But honestly, I'm just happy if you can come at all."
"Well, my brother always manages to get things done when it matters, so I'm sure everything will work out! Trust in his strength!"
"Y-yes! By the way, you said you couldn't say much, but you're talking quite a bit now?"
"Well, I was the one who invited my brother to this world, and I want him to enjoy it. I'm willing to take some action for that, of course, including for you, Phoebe. You see this world as a strange new realm, right? So, here's a little gift!"
With that, Lily handed Phoebe a book.
"What is this?"
"It's a magical book filled with spells that can disrupt your opponent's actions. If you read it, you'll learn a spell called Bind! I got it with event points!"
"Do you think I can really learn it? I'm not talented in offensive or disruptive spells… I don't think I'm suited for it."
"Since my brother won't be able to make it today anyway, why not practice and give it a shot? You can surprise him by getting stronger!"
"I think Lily is putting too much effort into surprising her brother..."
"Really? If we're going to surprise him, wouldn't it be better to store up some surprises? Anyway, I'm heading out!"
"Y-yeah, have a good time!"
Lily handed a book to Phoebe and left her room on her own.
"At least this way, there won't be any tension between my brother and Phoebe… I haven't mentioned the quest, plus Phoebe will probably apologize for lying… I need to get ready for tonight's plans."
As she murmured to herself, Lily dove into the summer event field to rack up event points.
"Um, I'm just a humble samurai… would you duel with me?"
"I'd prefer not to, as I'm with someone I need to protect."
The sudden request for a duel caught her off guard. Wasn't this what she had learned about in her tutorial, the PVP? But Lily had said you couldn't engage in PVP outside of specific areas… was this one of them? No, she remembered that entering a PVP area would usually trigger a warning… was there a skill that initiated PVP?
Regardless, Lily had warned her that PVP players were often reckless and dangerous, so it was best not to engage. Keeping her distance to ensure she could quickly dash back to the safe area, she moved carefully to protect Phoebe.
"Ah, I see. You were escorting that little NPC in your pocket. Then, I suppose I can't just slice you down, can I?"
"Eh?"
"W-Wait, was I found out!?"
I stared, bewildered, at the samurai who had so easily backed down. Wait, how did they realize Phoebe was hiding in my chest pocket? Phoebe, equally surprised, peeked her head out.
"I'm sorry if I scared you. My main quest is to win a fair duel, but lately, every time I try to engage in PvP, I've just been swarmed by groups. It's become a rarity to fight honorably... So, I've been asking anyone at events if they'd like to duel."
He explained his reasons for the challenge with such courtesy. Being swarmed by groups... Does that mean he's strong enough to take down a lot of opponents? If that's the case, I have no chance of winning.
"That sounds... tough. Unfortunately, I've never engaged in PvP and have no experience fighting groups, so even if we were to duel, I doubt it would count as a real match... I'm sorry I can't meet your expectations."
"No, no! Thank you for being so polite. Recently, players have mostly run away just from seeing me, so I truly appreciate the chance to talk."
They run away at just the sight of him? Could he be a really dangerous samurai? But there's no hostility in him, and he's making an effort to engage me... I don't feel any need to escape.
"What happened that people would run away just from seeing you?"
"The bulletin board... Well, it seems I've been branded a criminal due to rumors about my poor sportsmanship. It's like being publicly shamed. I was ambushed and, in self-defense, I retaliated, claiming the rights of a PVP victor to take their gear. Apparently, that angered some people, who then made up lies about me. Now, even ordinary players have caught wind of it… They're believing these baseless stories, so I'm being avoided. I swear, when I duel fairly, I have no intention of taking anyone's gear."
"That's just awful!"
Phoebe gasped in response to the samurai's explanation, her anger flaring up. As she contemplated the chaotic nature of PVP, a system notification suddenly appeared before them.
'A PVP zone has been activated. You are not currently targeted, but be careful not to get caught up in any conflict!'
"What?!" she exclaimed in shock as players began to encircle her and the samurai. They were an array of various weapons and armor, but there was one thing they all had in common: they looked like trouble. How come, despite the character customization options in this game, they all had such villainous appearances? And why was it that everyone beside her and the samurai was wearing swimwear?
Phoebe, terrified, shrank back into her chest pocket.
"Hey, look at that lump of muscle! You're into picking up girls? And you have a thing for little ones, huh?"
"Ah, back again, you scoundrel? I'm only interested in a duel, so please, no groups… And for the love of the game, don't involve bystanders… This person has gotten caught up in this mess, an ordinary player with no ties to PVP. If you attack, I'll put a bounty on you and have you erased!"
The leader of the scoundrels exchanged words with the samurai, who shifted his stance protectively.