"Violet the Swordfighter!"
"I don't know who that is!"
"Wait, what…?"
With that reaction after asking, he was just as absurd as ever. He crossed his arms, looking down at Violet. "Hmph, I have memorized the top 200 of the individual rankings. Why do you not make a name for yourself?!"
"I'm not interested in individual rankings. My goal is singular: to climb the guild rankings!"
"I don't understand. Why are you so obsessed with the guild rankings? With your skills, you should be fine on your own."
"Well... if I had to pick a reason, I suppose I've grown bored of freedom."
Ginger, as a solo player, likely wouldn't grasp her desire for guild development.
However, it seemed he could sense our determination. He turned his back to us and snapped his fingers.
"Hmph, so there's some backstory here. Fine! I recognize you and shall set you free!"
"Y-yes…! We'll secure the master…!"
"But Ruby! You are not forgiven!"
"Th-that's too harsh, Master…!"
With that, he lifted the gravity restraint, freeing Ivy and Luy. In an instant, he reinstated the regular gravity, binding only Ruby. What a quietly impressive feat; his spellcasting speed was incredible.
Truly, being ranked fourth overall set him apart. I was grateful for that recognition.
"And while Ruby is down, I'll make my escape! Farewell, boys and girls! Everything is as the stars twinkle! Everything is at the will of the cosmos! Galaxy!"
"M-Master!"
With his parting words, Ginger vanished with style. Following that, the newly freed Ruby dashed down the tower's stairs.
Really, who are these people? They wreak havoc, dragging us into their chaos, then act all high and mighty. They're not impressive at all—just eccentric nuisances.
We decided to forget this incident. Nothing happened. We felt nothing. Let's just leave it at that.
Taking a deep breath, I focused on Luy's monster-hunting request.
We followed Ryuui to the client's house. This quest was one he had accepted while still part of the guild. Originally, he had planned to undertake it with fellow guild members, but he left the guild before they could complete it, leading to this situation.
Was it possible that Ryuui had wanted to avoid working with the others? Given his personality, it was likely he was disliked by his former peers. No wonder he wouldn't want to join them…
"This quest is a request from the fairy elder. It's an F-class difficulty, so it should be easy enough," Ryuui said.
However, this wasn't the kind of task you could handle solo. I couldn't help but wonder how he would have managed without us. Perhaps he had just been wandering around in front of the Forest, unable to do anything on his own. Slowly, I was starting to understand the situation.
I was surprised to learn that the quest was issued by an NPC. I had assumed it was players issuing these requests.
"Are the quests… from NPCs?" I asked.
"Basically, NPCs are the ones that issue hunting requests. When players post a quest, it's more accurate to call it a rescue request," Ryuui explained.
"Got it," I replied.
He was right. It felt unnatural to just ask other players to handle a hunt without participating myself. A rescue request, where you fight alongside others, made more sense. In this case, the request was clearly from an NPC—like a side quest within the game.
A large, red mushroom-shaped house marked the village of the fairies. Inside, we gathered to hear the details of our quest from the village chief.
The chief, an elderly man with a white beard, lacked any sense of authority; typical of fairies, even the older ones exuded an endearing charm. He served us tea and began to describe the monster we were to hunt.
"Recently, a ferocious Big Bear has appeared in the forest behind the village. I would like you to take care of it," he explained.
Honestly, it was less daunting than I'd imagined. So, it was just a bear problem—probably the kind of task one would expect at the start of their journey. To guide us, the chief offered the assistance of his granddaughter.
"I'll have my granddaughter, Stella, accompany you," he said.
"Hello, I'm Stella. Nice to meet you!" A woman with long hair adorned with a white flower introduced herself. Despite her small stature—as befits a fairy—she seemed older than me.
While having a guide was reassuring, I couldn't shake the anxiety that came with "death events." With the skill called [Miracle], I could see the souls of dead NPCs. If something were to happen to this adorable girl, it would completely shatter my mental state. Honestly, I wanted to tell her to stay behind.
"Stella, the bear is dangerous. It would be troubling if you joined us with anything less than full resolve," I cautioned.
"Don't worry! I'll stay out of the way during the fight," she assured me.
"No, really, please be careful. It would cause a lot of problems if you were to die," I insisted.
What could a low-level player possibly say at the early event? I must have come off as a real jerk. But I'm serious about this; I can't handle any more heartbreak.
In the end, Stella joined our group, and we made our way to the hidden Forest. It would just be me, Ivy, and Rui doing the fighting this time. Violet was along for the ride again, but for some reason, she seemed particularly enthusiastic.
"All right, it's time for our traditional equipment and Ivy item organizing! Let's hit the Ivy item shop in the village!"
"Traditional? Really?"
Ivy's sudden excitement must be a throwback to the thrill of being a beginner. As long as Violet is happy, that's what matters most.
Whenever we discussed equipment or Ivy items, Stella chimed in. Since she lived in this village, she surely knew more than we did.
"Equipment, you say? There's a really cute shop I know of!"
"Is that true?"
Ivy perked up at the mention of a cute shop. I mean, given her combat-obsessed nature, could she really be interested in such a place? I kept that question to myself; I didn't want to upset her.
We entered a fairy shop that sold armor. Its name, "Fairy Tale," suggested it was a special store with limited items. Apparently, every town or village has at least one of these exclusive shops.
"How about this one?"
"Oh wow, it's lovely!"
Ivy and Stella browse the clothes, their enjoyment evident. Despite being from different races, they oddly resemble sisters.
As always, it's hard to believe they are just computers. NPCs in this world possess a life of their own, a reality revealed by the skill known as [Miracle].
"Looking at them closely, it's clear they're truly alive..."
"I've been saying that! From a logical standpoint, it's impossible to express such emotions through data."
Violet observes Stella closely as she chats animatedly with Ivy. Yet, no matter how much she studies them, the conclusion remains the same: Stella clearly has a heart.
Lui sighs thoughtfully, accepting this truth.
"There are NPCs in this world who have emotions. That's an undeniable fact."
"I've been playing VRMMOs for years, and it feels like they're becoming increasingly human..."
"Well, they must be evolving. They've gone through numerous experiences..."
Numerous experiences... creating, deleting, modifying—a cycle that these emotionally aware NPCs are part of now.
What kind of mad scientist is behind this? While not illegal, it certainly seems inhumane...
"What is [Deepguard]... and what is a VRMMO truly about?"
"... An experimental facility for creating life, perhaps?" I muttered in response to Rui's question. Instantly, a heavy atmosphere descended upon the three of us. I realized I had spoken out of turn—especially since we were about to embark on a quest.
To lift the oppressive mood, Violet raised her voice, "Ugh! This is a fairy village! Let's cut out the unpleasant topics! Stop it!"
"Right. Let's focus on progressing in the game," I agreed.
I could easily come up with all sorts of theories. The truth, however, remained elusive. This **Deepguard** was shrouded in mystery. Alongside the thoughtful NPCs, I was also aware of another enigma: Eldon.
Why does Eldon exist in this world? Why does he continue to play the game?
He shouldn't even be here... After all, he is—
"Lenny!"
"Beast-eared person!"
The voices of two women broke through my thoughts—it was Ivy and Stella. They approached, showcasing adorable clothes and accessories from the fairy village, eager for me to try them on: enchanting fairy costumes and forest beast outfits. Both seemed a bit much...
"How about this outfit? It's so cute!" one of them exclaimed.
"What do you think about adding a tail? It pairs perfectly with the ears!" the other suggested.
"No, I'll pass. I can't handle any more of this silly stuff," I said, declining naturally. The cat-ear headband was more than enough for me. Leave the cute dress-up to the girls.
But Stella seemed to be really into it. It felt like there were two Ivys around, and their energy was overwhelming. If I wasn't careful, I was going to get dragged into this. Maybe I should prepare an escape plan.
"What about Rui? The more serious someone is, the more they need to let loose sometimes," I suggested.
"Wha…?! What are you talking about?!" Ivy and Stella's eyes lit up. They forcibly pulled Rui into their little extravaganza, dressing him up however they pleased. This was ruthless…
Soon enough, the dress-up session concluded, and before us stood Rui in a fairy outfit.
"So cute!"
"I… I'll sue! I swear I'll sue!" Rui exclaimed, eyes welling up as he wore girls' clothing. Poor guy… You're my scapegoat. At least you're getting all the attention now.
But wait, that's actually quite cute… What am I thinking?!
Leaving Ivy and the others at the armor shop, Violet and I headed to the materials shop. I was on the hunt for scrap metal and gunpowder for grenades. I used one set in the Huxley battle, leaving us with just one of each. Considering the future, having the Inventor job available for only one use was going to be tough.
However, things didn't go as planned. This store didn't have any of the materials I needed.
"I was thinking about gathering more materials, but there seems to be no scrap metal available..."
"This is a fairy village. We only sell natural items," she replied.
I had checked the shops in Elb's village, but they too lacked scrap metal. It seemed that for serious machine production, I'd have to head to the royal capital.
Having just one grenade felt rather insufficient, but if it's not available, there's nothing I can do about it. After all, scrap metal is likely the foundation for any engineer. Without iron, no invention can be made; that's the essence of machinery.
We left the material shop and headed to meet Ivy and the others. Along the way, however, we stumbled upon a peculiar sight: a girl dressed as a priest was drawing a magic circle on the ground with a wooden staff. She wore a blindfold marked with a crest and her clothing was clearly that of a holy figure. She was intensely focused on completing a large magic circle.
"What do you think she's doing...?" I wondered aloud.
"I have no idea…" Violet replied, looking just as perplexed.
Could it be that what she was doing was some advanced form of magic that even someone as skilled as Violet wasn't aware of?
As I pondered this, the priest girl noticed us. She tilted her head and murmured softly, "Hero-sama's... favorite...?"
How could she see me when she was blindfolded? More importantly, what did she mean by "Hero-sama's favorite"? It certainly sounded like she was referring to me. What on earth was going on? I was utterly baffled.
I sensed an unsettling aura coming from her. It was different from the terrifying strength exuded by Divine and Ginger; this was a more sinister feeling. A chill ran down my spine, and my body trembled slightly. Why am I so scared...?