Several days later…
Shiroe had really outdone himself. Yasu mused as she sat on one of the beams of the large room. Beneath her sat leaders of many strong guilds. She smiled at his proposition; he truly was an amusing person to be around, rescuing children while dealing with the super-powered guild leaders- how brazen he was. It had been only a few days and Shiroe had pulled everything together. The only thing she had to do to help the movement of this along was to accompany Soujiro Seta of the West Winds Brigade in the invitation distributions to the battle guilds. Most of them seemed taken aback with her level.
"You're….you're level 100! How have you already gained 10 levels?!' Krusty asked, half yelling.
Yasu took a step back, smiling nervously. "I am just dedicated to what I can do."
Krusty stopped his assault of questions on Yasu and took a deep breath. "If this is Shiroe we're talking about, of course I'll go. What time is it again?"
A deep sigh passed through Yasu's dainty lips as she walked by Sojirou. The handsome boy looked at her and smiled mirthfully.
"You're doing great, Sayu-san!"
She gave a weak smile. "I certainly hope so. I apologize for burdening you with my presence, Soujiro-san."
"No, no! There is no burden at all!" He waved his hands in front of him. "It is a pleasure and a great honor to spend time with an Adventure such as yourself!"
"I thank you for your kind words." Her eyes flashed beneath the shade of her hood.
There's another one. She discreetly glanced around a little more. There are people who are not of this town here. What do they want?
"I'll continue. I've gathered you here to help create a council to discuss Akihabara's problems- A Round Table conference. Our immediate goal will be to improve the city's atmosphere and safety. In the long term, I'd like us to be capable of addressing different types of problems."
"Before we get to that, can you tell us how you chose those you invited?" Krusty, the leader of D.D.D., glanced Yasu's direction. He pushed up his glasses similarly to Shiroe, lens gleaming in the light.
"Certainly. First, the Black Sword Knights, Honesty D.D.D., and the West Wind Brigade were chosing as the largest or most notable of the combat guilds- same for Silver Sword, which is no longer with us. Marine Agency, Roderic Merchant Guild, and Shopping Street 8 were chosen to represent the crafting guilds. The Crescent Moon Alliance, Grandeur and Radio Market represent not only their own guilds but the smaller guilds, as well as players who don't belong to one." He started.
"Indeed, around 6,000 players in the guilds are represented here." The Human leader, Eins, of Honesty commented.
"Which means 9,000 players in the city either don't belong to one or are in a smaller one." The scruffy leader of Grandeur added.
"And you?" Eins asked curiously, brushing his sea-foam green hair back.
"I am here as the meeting organizer and the one who came up with the proposal." The Villain stated confidently.
"In other words, you put this meeting together and invited us so that you would have the right to be here." Krusty commented conspicuously, while pushing his glasses up.
"That's correct." Shiroe responded, also readjusting his glasses in return.
After a few questions and answers, Krusty voiced a question that was on everyone's minds.
"But what will you do if a group appears that refuses to recognize this Round Table? A group that goes against anything we decide?"
"We will fight them." Shiroe stated flatly.
"Fight them? How?" Krusty tested.
"Banish them from Akihabara. And if necessary, of course we'd force them to disband."
The leaders broke off into their own conversations and whispers.
Banish…huh? Quick and to the point- it's exactly how I would do it. She shifted on the beam, stretching. It had been a while since she was involved in any type of meeting such as was normally just a messenger.
"Banish? But you can't kill anyone in this world," Issac smirked. "Either way, you won't be able to do it without combat guilds like us. If the major guilds here say they don't care about the conference or about your laws, it's war." He smiled deviously.
"If the major guilds were to go out of control, there'd be no way to stop them…" Eins added.
"I must say that this doesn't strike me as realistic. I believe forming this Round Table is worthwhile, but it would be mostly for show without any real-"
Shiroe raised his hand in a stop motion, cutting Krusty off.
"Today, approximately four hours ago, I purchased the Guild Building's zone." His glasses caught the light, giving him more of a malevolent appearance.
Several whispers of disbelief floated through the air, many eyes widening. Yasu smiled as widely as her face would let her. Shiroe took an extreme measure in forcibly making sure this Round Table Conference was going to work. She liked that about him- do anything to make things go your way.
Exactly how I would do it…
"W-what…did you just say?!" Issac's eyes went as wide as golf-balls.
"Naturally, I have the authority to control the zone's settings, including who enters and who leaves the zone. In other words, anyone I put on the blacklist won't be able to access the guild building at all" The Villain tilted his glasses up in a silent victory.
He let a long pause go, allowing this information to sink into their minds.
"My. Shiroe makes the devil himself look meek and mild." Henrietta commented from the back. "The devil knows he's a bad boy but Shiroe doesn't. The nickname "Villain in Glasses" is too generous."
Yasu smiled even more. She was beginning to like the Villain more and more.
"What's he laughing about?" The red-haired guild leader named Issac asked nervously.
"Keeping us from our banks….that's black mail!" one of the Merchant guild leaders commented.
"I simply answered his question. Anyone who opposes the Round Table will lose access to rights to the Guild Banks." Shiroe brushed him off coolly.
"That's why I'm stating it's blackmail!" Akaneya of the Radio Market guild said again.
"Then "If we have to, we'll start a war." Is also blackmail, correct?" Shiroe retorted calmly.
Issac gritted his teeth quietly as Krusty smirked at the Villain's prowess.
"Purchasing the Guild Building's zone should require an astronomical amount of funds. Where'd you get the money?" Woodstock asked.
"Five million." Michitaka of Ocean Systems answered. "We gave him the money."
"Then the quest you were leading…" Rodrick started.
"It isn't a quest. It was to create this council." Shiroe said a little more kindly.
"Sheesh…"
Yasu twirled a piece of a midnight black hair in her hands, wishing she had something to snack on while she watched the show- this was just too great.
"You still have other things to say, don't you, Shiroe?" Krusty offered.
"That's true, isn't it? You're still in a position to blackmail us." Soujiro said.
Shiroe placed his hand onto the desk as though something very heavy was bearing down on him.
"Do you all really think that this town, no, all this world's adventures are okay as things currently are? I have two goals: first, to restore life to everyone in this town and in the long term, in this world. My other is to create laws that if nothing else, bind the people of this town. Does anyone here oppose these two goals?"
A grin spread on Shiroe's face from what Yasu assumed to be a call from Akatsuki.
"I told you to stop laughing!" Issac yelled, standing up and knocking his chair over in the process. "If you're that insistent, then I'll make a proposal of my own. Why don't you tell us specifically what Log Horizon has in mind?"
Shiroe adjusted his glasses in preparation for his explanation.
"I have two primary goals. My proposal to restore life to the people here and to protect them is as I've explained. As for specifics, we'll begin with bringing life back to the area. Marie?" He gave her the floor to the conversation.
The blond-haired woman stood up, a nervous gleam in her eyes, "As I believe some of you are aware, we've been running a restaurant called Crescent Moon. The secret behinds its popularity, the secret of how we make food with actual flavor, I shall now reveal it. The trick is you get normal ingredients and you cook them just as in the real world. The cook must have a subclass set to chef. If their cooking skill isn't high enough, they'll fail. That's all. The trick is that there is no trick!"
"So you just cook it yourself instead of using the command menu? That's it?" Someone asked incredulously.
"I believe this discovery has a number of implications. Without it, I would never have thought to gather you here. Michitaka-san?" The Villain passed dialogue.
"Yeah. In conjunction with Roderic Merchant Guild and Shopping Street 8, we have successfully created a prototype steam engine. It still has a lot of flaws but it's proof of a concept." He explained.
Issac scratched his head in confusion. "What…what does this mean exactly?"
"It means the secret you've just learned about cooking is not, in fact limited to cooking. When it was a game, Elder Tale had no steam engines. However, a player with sufficient crafting skill can take this world's materials and, without using the command menu, but with their own hands, invent things that weren't originally part of this world." Shiroe clarified.
"So now, there will be a rush to invent new things." Roderic pondered.
"And that means a demand for new products." Michitaka said proudly.
"And purchasing them will require earning money. That will get the economy running…" the youngest Merchant said whimsically.
"In light of this, we the three major crafting guilds support the creation of the Round Table Conference!" Michitaka stated.
"Part of the reason the town feels so dead isn't simply despair but another problem with people having nothing to do. Surviving in this world costs too little money. Wouldn't it be better to use some money, then go earn more so you can then spend that? To get money and crafting materials, activities such as hunting become necessary. That would give the combat more work as body guards. The next problem is safety. The laws don't have to be that strict. If you consider fights over territory and hunting grounds to be simply another form of competition, there isn't any need to ban them outright however, certain things go too far and will need banning- PKing for instance. Why don't we forbid player killing within the lower level zones around Akihabara?"
"Certainly, there's no point in fighting players who are below level 50." Eins added.
"Our next issue is one of human rights. I believe that with death no longer an absolute, kidnapping and imprisonment are far more serious crimes than they would have been in the old world and leaving or joining a guild should be up to the individual. My final suggestion is this: that these human rights apply not only to us adventurers, but also to the People of the Land." The Enchanter half declared.
A few murmurs of disbelief rippled through the room.
"This isn't the Elder Tale that we knew. The cooking and inventions prove that. It is certainly influenced by Elder Tale but this is a different world than the one we used to know. We must keep that in mind at all times. And the People of the Land are this world's original residents- we are the outsiders and we're in the vast minority."
"So they aren't simply non-player characters?"
"Correct. Each has their own personality, concerns and dreams." He replied confidently.
"That's idiocy." Issac sneered.
"Have you ever spoken with any of them?" Shiroe's beady eyes dug into Issac.
"Why would I?" The guild master brushed the question off.
"M-may I say something?" Marie interjected shyly, "It isn't only adventurers who come to Crescent Moon. Many People of the Land do too! They desire good food as well."
"Many people of the Land work in the market or the Guild Building. We can't get by without them but they would probably be perfectly fine without us. If we cannot govern ourselves, before long relations with them will be damaged beyond repair." The Villain brought up another good point.
"Are you implying there's a possibility of war with the People of the Land?" Krusty's face hardened.
"I think that's a question for the Round Table."
"D.D.D. agrees to the establishment of the Round Table Conference." Krusty stood up solemnly.
"As does the West Wind Brigade!" Soujirou chirped in. "It's been a long time since I've seen you in such total control, Shiroe-senpai! I just wish you'd joined us."
"We cannot split Akihabara…The Black Sword Knights will also participate!" Issac stated with authority.
"Honesty agrees as well." Eins said calmly.
"So does Grandeur."
"And Radio Market."
"U-us too! The Crescent Moon Alliance agrees with pleasure!"
Yasu sat in Shiroe's office, staring out into the window.
This was a nice start…
She flipped through her inventory, looking at the items that were still available to her. She glanced at her busy character menu. For some odd reason, her skills remained untouched.
This might come in handy later…
"Sayu? Are you in here?" Shiro poked his head in.
"Yes."
The bespectacled man walked into his office- his desk still cluttered with papers.
"You never cease to impress me, Villain." Yasu smiled.
He smiled back. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't scared Issac. I knew he'd need a lot more convincing than what I had to offer."
"You didn't give him much choice. It was basically blackmail." She sat down on the sofa as her expression changed to a more serious one. "There are people who are not from Akihabara wandering the streets. I am not about to let anything happen to this Round Table if they are not here for good deeds."
"Who do you think they are?" Shiroe walked over to the window, looking down at the throngs of people shopping below.
"They appear to be Land of the People, though I'm not entirely sure. They are all wearing a gold ring with a red gem on it. There were some engravings on it but I wasn't close enough to see what it said." She sighed deeply.
Why did things like this happen right around the time when some stability was finally formed?
"You're the one who impresses me. I doubt I would have been able to see a miniscule detail like that." Shiroe chuckled. "Let's not worry about it too much yet. We will be mindful but they have not done anything malicious yet. They may just be scouting us out."
Yasu nodded, getting up.
"We made a lot of progress today. I hope to continue this path of stability for the citizens of Akihabara with you."
She began to make her way towards the door.
"Ah, Yasu-san. I got something for you."
She turned to look at him with weird eyes. He…got me something?
"Isn't it stuffy wearing that cloak all the time? The hide function doesn't work if you don't have the hood up."
She nodded.
"I found this in the market the other day. I don't think the Merchant knew what it did so I bought it for a good deal."
He handed her a deep amethyst circular pin with no particular design on it. The description of the pin and the flavor texture made her eyes widen.
How did he find this…
She pinned it on the collar inside before un-doing the bottom of her cloak and taking her hood off. Indeed, everything other than her level was hidden. She let her dark, raven hair tumble behind her comfortably, taking a deep breath in. Shiroe glanced at her attire: she wore black knee-high heeled boots with a one-piece skirt that brushed her mid-thighs. The inner most part of her skirt was white and slightly longer than the outer layer. The upper portion of her dress was long sleeved; as the sleeves reached her wrists, they billowed out slightly, the same white ruffled material as her under-skirt peeking through. Her shoulders were partly exposed as the top of the skirt wrapped around her almost like a tank-top. A V-dip showed off her cleavage ever-so-slightly as the very top of the dress was collared. Strings kept the front from being too exposed, lacing up in a zig-zag pattern. A silver metal belt hugged her hips in a complicated pattern. The rest of her dress was also covered in small patterns of silver, most prominently bordering most of the edges. An outer, protective layer adorned her dress- one on her shoulders, a few inches longer than her arm. It attached at her shoulders and only covered her arm outwardly, so she could easily extend her arm out and have it hang behind her as need be. The bottom portion was almost like another dress. The back extended a little passed her knees, billowing behind her- meant to be more protection towards the back. The fabric wrapped around her to the outer edges of her hips before they disappeared into the belt, leaving her front entirely exposed; a large hood hung from behind the outerwear. Shiroe's eyes widened- what she wore was from the Royal Shop, only available to those who have cleared a specific and very difficult raid. Not only including the raid, it would have cost a fortune to buy one piece, let alone the entire set. Shiroe continued to stare awkwardly at Yasu before she turned to stare back at him.
"Is something wrong, Shiroe-san?"
"A-ah, no. Your gear just looks very expensive." He smiled sheepishly.
She smiled at his response, "It was quite pricy, I suppose. Thank you for the pin. I am much more comfortable now. I will see you tomorrow."
Her deep emerald eyes glimmered happily as she strolled out of his office.
"See you tomorrow…huh?" Shiroe watched as she unhurried walked down the street.
Yasu closed the door behind her to enter her small apartment that she had recently purchased. The room was oddly neat with a single dresser, a large, white queen-sized bed accompanied by a nightstand. A small table stood a few feet from the dresser with four plush, wooden chairs. She slumped into her comfortable bed, sighing deeply.
We're taking large strides, Jizen, Seikatsu, Kenko…I'm doing my best. I have a new friend...he isn't the best but he's smart and amusing; I like him.
Several moments of silence passed.
Why am I the only one here? Where are you guys…?
She curled up on her bed, allowing sleep to wash over her like a warm blanket.
I miss you guys.