Chapter 5
Beta: Worldbringer of Joesun
Illya didn't really try too hard to suppress an incoming yawn.
It was the start of a new day, which also marked the fifth day that all of the Emiya Family had spent within the world of Elder Tale.
Honestly, it was quite a surreal experience. She was a first-rate magus but even she was overwhelmed at the thought of being transported into a game, at least when she first arrived here.
The Emiya Family had gotten used to living in the city of Akihabara quite quickly, with her brother already having a job. Rin was off playing hooky– researching how magic worked in this world, which was a worthy idea considering what the twin-tailed magus accomplished.
Seriously, creating your own spell variants at level one was absurd.
They had all gotten schedules as to what to do today, which ruined Illya's plans but there wasn't anything she could do about it. It led to a situation that she had to pull out something from her rear, which was to look into what other secrets her beloved axe held.
Unfortunately, Illya had been waiting for quite a long time… She should have gone shopping for an hour before making her way here.
Not that she was underprepared, but it was a good idea to stock up when the rest of the players are asleep.
What a bunch of lazy gamers.
"Excuse me, have you seen a large two-ton guardian around here?"
Illya's Wolf Fang ears twitched at the recognizable voice, it was one that she heard during her early days of the game. She turned to face the person behind her, a blue-haired Half-Alv Sorcerer who wore standard Magical blue robes.
Eisel, the resident miner of the Crescent Moon Alliance, and before that he was someone that would help out new players to acclimate to the game. He was generally a nice guy…
… The very same person was trying to talk to a slumped adventurer. That same adventurer looked like he wanted nothing to do with him and tried scooting away discreetly. At least Eisel seemed confident in asking, but why would he ask about the whereabouts of some guardian the size of a giant–
Oh, wait.
"Eisel!" Illya called, "Get over here!"
Eisel stopped trying to ask the adventurer, which he used as an opportunity to sneak away, and turned to faced Illya. "Yes, how may I help you?"
Illya chose to suppress a sigh.
"It's me, Eisel. Look at my name tag."
It took a few seconds before Eisel's eyes widened. A blink later and he ran up to her with speed uncommon for a sorcerer.
"Illyasviel!? You're a girl!?" He screamed in surprise. He took a few moments to scan the albino teenage beauty before him, "No wonder you never used voice chat…"
Illya chose to let him believe that, but in reality, the voice chat function would have awoken Shirou in a heartbeat.
"Yes yes, are you ready?" Illya commented. She sent a short side-glance at the sky, seeing the sun only just barely rising, "If you're not ready, then hurry up. I'd like to leave before sunrise."
"I… I'm ready," He muttered, "Sorry, I'm just surprised. I always thought you were a man."
Illya suppressed a sigh once more. "Did the name 'Illyasviel' not clue you in?"
"Well I heard Illya was a name for men in Russia," He started, "–and then I thought that Illyasviel was just the long way of saying it. Not to mention the fact that there are no girls on the internet…"
Illya's eye twitched as she sent him a minor glare. "Isn't your guild master a girl?"
Eisel scoffed and looked away in mild annoyance. "Marielle-sama used voice chat as proof whereas you didn't at the time. I rest my case."
This time, Illya didn't suppress a sigh.
"Anyways, you arrived early," Illya said in an attempt to derail from that topic. Otherwise, Eisel would've been a nuisance for several minutes. "From what I remember, aren't you always late to raids?"
"That was when I still had a job." He answered with a nervous smile, already distracted. "It's kind of a blessing to not have to rush home to get on raids anymore."
"Don't let the other players hear you say that," Illya chastised. They were still despairing like idiots, making them bitter would drag unwanted attention.
"It's fine," He replied, "I got permission from my guild master, she says that I can go with you as long as we come back before night comes…" He fell silent for a few seconds, "… we are coming back before nightfall, right?"
"The journey will take a day or two on horseback, not including the possible encounters or delays along the way," Illya replied as she didn't notice the sorcerer's widening eyes, "So in actuality, it'll be a couple of days, close to four or five. That won't be an issue, will it?"
Eisel winced and made hand motions, which Illya guessed he used to open up his menu in order to send a message.
Within half a minute, he sighed in relief.
"Okay, Marielle-sama agreed to let me go with you," He said, "Apparently we don't have much to do. As long as I bring a souvenir back, she'll let me come with you."
Illya shrugged, "That's fine with me, let's go. We're burning daylight!"
Eisel sighed and lightly jogged to catch up with her. After a few minutes of walking, the tall gates of Akihabara were long behind them.
"So, why did you want to visit this NPC again?" Eisel asked, "There's got to be a reason, right?"
Illya expression did not change, "Classified."
Eisel nearly stumbled in his steps, "… Really?"
"I called in your favor," Illya started, "I don't really have to explain anything to you, right? Honestly, if my guild wasn't going to worry over me then I wouldn't have brought you along."
"T-That's a little mean don't you think, Illyasviel?" He muttered, "Then again, you were always this blunt…"
"And you always paid back favors," Illya finished up, "Do you have a mount? It'll be a quicker ride to the fountain. Who knows what that NPC ghost will be doing over there."
"The fountain…? Oh, that fountain." Eisel sighed and fished out a horse whistle, "I'm not sure that the staff was worth this hassle…"
"So my Artifact-class staff wasn't worth it?" Illya said mildly offended, "That's kind of conceited of you, don't you think?"
She pouted as she blew her horse whistle, Eisel did the same.
Elder Tale used a somewhat unique set of rankings for their items. There was the standard normal item like a longsword, then there was the Magical-class item which basically just added an element or effect to it like a Fire Longsword.
Then there were the Production-class items which were things created by players, mostly those with production subclasses like tailors, blacksmiths, alchemists, and the like. Things like weaponry and armor, or even consumable items like bombs. Anything made by players fell under the category.
Then there was her gift, an Artifact-class item. They were rare and obtained randomly from quests, dungeons, or as monster drops. She got the 'Staff of Continuous Casting' – which increased the duration time of cast spells – as a side drop while hoping for her Golden Rhapsody.
Finally, there was the Phantasm-class item– but that's a whole other story.
"... Okay, I can't deny that the staff has done wonders for me," Eisel commented, "If I was home more often to use the staff for farming, then I'd be level ninety already."
"Then why didn't you? It sounds like a good idea." Illya asked as their horses appeared in the distance.
"I had a part-time job, remember?" Eisel answered with a small chuckle, "Not to mention I had to manage the guild while Henrietta was off trying to get Marielle-sama to log-in…"
Illya nodded as she got on her horse, "I guess I can see why."
"... I was also making dresses for my sister, but that's not the main reason at all!" Eisel defended, "Look, let's just leave before night comes… I don't want to be out there when night falls. Player Killers are active at night."
Illya nodded, but she had also sighed at the incredulity.
She had forgotten… This Sorcerer with the miner subclass was a hardcore sewing otaku in real life. It was a wonder that he didn't switch subclasses already.
Great, now her headache was coming back.
"Fine, let's just go…" She muttered as her leg kicked back, prompting the horse to begin its gallop.
Compared to her guild, the fact that Eisel was a sewing otaku was pretty much underwhelming.
Illya could only hope that her guild didn't do anything too out-of-place while she was gone. However, knowing them?
It was a misplaced hope.
Sakura sighed as she wandered the somewhat populated streets of Akihabara.
She had quite enough of seeing other players shuffling around like the dead. They despaired at their current situations but at least it's better than being dumped into a pit with worms molesting–
Sakura shook away those thoughts.
As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was still bitter about the ordeal that took up the majority of her childhood and early teens. It wasn't an experience that was easy to forget. On the contrary, it was horrifyingly memorable.
She was a monster…
… However, even back then, she was a monster that everyone tried to save, in spite of the fact that she could have killed everyone.
"Hey, you're a new player right?"
Should Sakura be mad or glad at the rest of the guild's decision? Maybe a walk down to Melhia-chan could cheer up her mood, she was a nice girl.
"Hey, we're talking to you!"
Sakura had to blink once she noticed that someone had been trying to talk to her. She momentarily flushed in embarrassment, her own thoughts had been very distracting.
"I'm sorry, what can I do for you?" Sakura greeted cordially.
The players before her had levels from sixty to eighty, within Illya's range which might mean they were either stronger or weaker than her. They also wore some slightly shady clothing, maroon paired with flecks of gray or other darker shades of brown.
One of them, holding himself up like a salesman took a step closer. The way his goggles covered his eyes paired with his oozing smile did not give Sakura a good first impression. "It's not what you can do for us, but what we can do for you!"
Sakura could not help the tilt of her head, "Pardon?"
"You seem low level, which I'm sure you know is dangerous for people here, right?" He started, to which Sakura nodded, "We offer you to join our guild so that we'll be able to help you level up to a safer level!"
Sakura had to blink in minor wariness.
If being in the Holy Grail War taught her anything, it was to not trust those who seem shady like her grandfather. Granted, he had been an amalgamation of hideous worms, but the point still stood.
"I'm sorry but I'll have to decline," Sakura said, "I'm already in a guild that I'm comfortable with. We already have sessions dedicated to leveling up so joining your… guild... is unnecessary."
The actual reason is that she didn't trust this shady bunch.
"Surely there must be some way we can change your mind?" The person said, "You mentioned that you have other guildmates that you're leveling up with? I assume that they're low leveled as well, so my offer extends to them too, if you and your fellow guild members would like!"
Sakura was suspicious at first, but she was even more so now. Pushing for something like this was just completely out of the norm. What was their actual goal?
In any case, she had to get away from these people.
"I'm sorry but I still refuse." She retorted. However, there was no mistaking the caution in her tone.
The players before her shrugged as the delegated spokesperson chose to talk again.
"What about if we–"
"I believe the young lady said no, you guys."
Sakura turned around as her eyes were drawn to a player behind her.
She wasn't familiar with him at all. She didn't recognize the red samurai armor, the blue haori, the scruffy ponytail on him, nor the childish face with a barely concealed smile on it.
"I don't believe this concerns you…?" The spokesperson warned, "Why don't you turn around and leave. We were having a nice conversation with this young lady."
"It becomes my concern when you're pushing your will on someone who clearly doesn't wish to be here with you."
The spokesperson made to speak again, but a new voice cut through.
"Why don't you listen to our little Soujiro here and leave?" The speaker said as she appeared from behind the samurai, whose name was apparently Soujiro, and draped her arm over his shoulder. "We're not like the other larger combat guilds, we protect other players if they're being harassed… kinda like what you're doing here."
She had purple hair much like Sakura's own. She even shared the Foxtail racial traits. If she didn't have a narrower face and a mischievous demeanor, Sakura would have thought that this woman was her doppelganger.
One of the other members of the spokesperson's party moved forward towards them but a single hand from the goggled salesman stopped him.
"We'll leave." He surrendered, "Although, using your authority as one of the bigger combat guilds like this, what will everyone else think?"
The purple Foxtail snorted, "Nothing at all, because those heaps are busy drinking water in bars, wishing it was alcohol."
Sakura winced at the depressing thought. Although, she was glad to see these people walk away, leaving Sakura alone with the fellow Foxtail and this Soujiro person.
"Sorry for butting in, but you seemed like you needed help?" Soujiro asked in a somewhat nervous manner, "I don't like it when people try to force their opinions on others. I'm Soujiro, what's your name?"
Sakura regarded him for a few seconds. However, she knew that she shouldn't take too long to respond. They helped her out, so the least she could do was be respectful.
"My name is Sakura," She then bowed respectfully, "I wasn't sure what they wanted so your help was appreciated."
"I'm Nazuna~" The Foxtail drawled when he tried to reply, "–and don't worry about it, it's fine. We didn't want someone that looks as cute as you to join that guild of brutes."
Soujiro chuckled a bit, "Hamelin doesn't exactly have the best reputation, even from before the Apocalypse."
Hamelin?
That must have been the name of the guild that she was being pressured to join. Although she still didn't know what 'The Apocalypse' meant but nodded anyway.
"Well, thank you again, but I'll have to leave now." Sakura bid with a respectful bow before leaving again.
"Hey, do you need an escort to go anywhere?" Nazuna asked, "A cute girl like you will get mobbed by hopeless dudes here," The next words came out bitter "… especially since they aren't bound by moral laws anymore…"
There was a story there but Sakura didn't want to pursue it. She had her own fair share of immorality during the Holy Grail War.
"I believe I'll be fine on my own."
"Can we at least accompany you somewhere?" Soujiro asked with a reassuring smile, "It's the least we should do."
It doesn't look like they were going to leave her alone anytime soon. Sakura let out a wry smile and nodded, "I suppose I can't turn away goodwill, but I didn't really have a destination in mind."
Soujiro blinked, "So wait, you don't know where you're going?"
Might as well be truthful to them, she didn't see the purpose in concealing information here at all, unless it was sensitive. "I'm supposed to be searching for a subclass but I don't know which one I'd like."
Nazuna chuckled, "You're in luck. I know every inch of this city, which means I know which subclasses you can find in Akihabara. Any preferences?"
Sakura was still hesitant to trust the two veteran players.
They did help her out, but she hadn't been with them long enough to gauge their intent. Her initial hesitation was prompting her to walk away, but instead, she decided to take a leap of faith. "Then, I'll be in your care now, Nazuna-san."
In the end, she wasn't really trusting these two. In Illya's own words, she was just using them for now. Sakura would probably never meet them again after today.
"Just call me Nazuna," The fellow Foxtail waved, "There's no reason to use honorifics in this city at all."
"Then could you do the same with me and drop the honorifics?" Soujiro asked, "It's not really to my taste."
Sakura nodded with a smile, "I understand, Nazuna, Soujiro!"
Looks like she made friends now – who could help her accomplish her goal of finding a subclass – but as she walked with them, Sakura wondered how everyone else was doing.
Knowing her family… they were probably fine. As long as they didn't stand out that is.
Shirou stepped into the forge and instantly caught sight of Meltraus and Melhia stoking the forge as hard as they could.
"You're early, boy?" Meltraus muttered, "That's good, the early Wyvern gets the bird."
The idiom was lost on Shirou but he at least had a vague idea on its meaning.
"Do you need any help with the forge?" Shirou asked.
"No, we were just finishing up."
Shirou raised a brow as both Melhia and Meltraus stepped away from the forge. The heat wasn't as hot as yesterday so Shirou's confusion was warranted.
Meltraus reached into his pocket, "Look closely, boy."
Shirou focused on what he took out of his pocket, which seemed to be a red stone– which was mined around the outskirts of Akihabara and transported to the city no less than a day ago.
Meltraus tossed the stone into the forge–
Instantly the familiar heat of the forge expanded from it. Shirou could feel the sweat attempting to form on his brow.
It was a fresh flame stone.
"That was a flame stone," Meltraus explained, which Shirou already knew, "We use it to keep our forges blazing throughout the day. Fresh ones keep the forge on fire for at least a day, any less and it'll be half that."
"... Can it be used in place of ingots?" Shirou asked.
"You mean can we make a sword out of a flame stone?" He snorted with a chuckle, "That'll be the day… Unfortunately, we can't. However, those enchanters can use it to give flaming properties to weaponry or armor. Making a sword from it just isn't possible."
Shirou filed that information for a later date, "So… what are we doing today, sir?"
"You'll be coming with me to the local blacksmith guild," Meltraus answered, "Since you're my apprentice, I'll need you to show your face so I can register you."
"... But papa, isn't that only allowed for Landers?" Melhia whispered hastily.
The giant merely huffed in annoyance, "There's no rule for that, I checked myself. No adventurer has joined the guild because none of them bother going under an apprenticeship after making a flimsy dagger, lazy bunch."
From Illya's reaction last night, Shirou was sure that the rest of the players, or rather adventurers, had no idea about the apprenticeship thing, or even if it existed in the game.
"I understand," Shirou nodded, "When are we leaving?"
"Now." Shirou stepped out of the way as Meltraus strode forward, "Follow me, we'll be done with this soon."
"Have a safe trip!" Melhia waved as she grabbed a pair of tongs, already going to work and forging something.
It took a few minutes but Shirou was led deeper into the market district. He was drawing curious stares from both Landers and players alike. Both of which were most likely confused as to why a Lander and an Adventurer were walking alongside each other.
Shirou decided to break the silence between them, "Are there any rules I have to be aware of?"
"Just keep your head down and try not to get in anyone's way."
Shirou nodded as his attempt at a conversation was rebuffed. He had a feeling that the giant didn't like talking when there's no business involved. He was definitely a man that went straight to the point.
"We're here."
Shirou looked up to the building before them.
It looked a lot like the church, but there was a distinct lack of a moat surrounding it. The usual overgrowth wasn't present, though Shirou could give a guess as to why that is.
As Shirou followed Meltraus and stepped into the zone, the sheer intensity of the heat blast into him.
The sight of countless forges lined up along the wall with smiths spread all across the center talking to each other, inspecting each other's blades, or simply standing around and looking at wares.
There were even a few gears embedded into the walls as lava flowed through and rotated them. How in the world was lava flowing from there?
Shirou didn't know, but at least the molten rock wasn't giving off an intense feeling of overbearing heat. Perhaps there were runes in place to limit the heat?
In any case, there was no way that plants could grow in this inferno.
"Up ahead, the table counter."
Shirou dragged his eyes away from the sights and focused ahead where a line of short people sat on elevated seats. They sent out a hard gaze towards the peanut gallery of fellow blacksmiths. A few of their individual tables even had a few bottles of mead off to their side.
Illya had already shown them what race they were from when they had made their characters. They were Dwarves.
In mythology, they were stout warriors with the strength and power that rivaled ten men, although they used that strength to forge the best weaponry.
They were also popularly known to like alcoholic drinks.
How fitting.
"Meltraus…? Grand Master Meltraus?" The dwarf in the center muttered in surprise, his head not needing to gaze far upward due to his elevated seat. "This is certainly a surprise…. a welcome surprise though! Since you don't usually make visits, you here for something or what?"
"I'm signing up my apprentice for the guild," Meltraus answered, "He shows talent and promise. It would be wasteful to not train the boy."
The dwarf looked around, "I don't see an 'apprentice' anywhere here. Did you leave him at your forge? You know the rules, we need to see his face for verification first."
Meltraus scoffed and simply pointed back at Shirou with his thumb.
"He's right here."
Somehow, Shirou knew that the gaze of disbelief he was being sent was not just from the dwarf they were talking to, but from the whole row of dwarves at the counter… and also the surrounding blacksmiths.
The sound of the nearby forges had faded, the talk between the dwarves and fellow smiths ceased, even the people making transactions stopped in their tracks to gawk their way.
Shirou frowned but remained stalwart against the confused stares.
Was being an Adventurer really that odd?
"Meltraus… you're pulling my stout leg, right?" The dwarf muttered as he sent another wary glance at Shirou. "This is a big joke, right?"
"I'm not one for jokes, Kazhak," Meltraus bluntly stated, "I saw potential in him and will be taking him under my wing."
"–But he's an adventurer!" He shouted in indignation, "Those lousy bunch could barely forge a damn dagger without using their fancy schmancy magics!"
"The boy didn't use that pathetic method. He forged a fine sword in front of my bare naked eyes." Meltraus defended, "You will list him as my apprentice, as the Grand Master there will not be any further discussions."
Kazhak grit his teeth silently and nodded, "May we at least see his piece? It's necessary so we can evaluate his ability."
With a prompt from Meltraus, Shirou stepped up and with a flash of light, he dragged the sword out of his inventory.
The dwarf grabbed it by leaning forward and drew the blade. The satisfying sound of steel being drawn rung across the somewhat silent landscape. The steel of the blade beautifully reflected the backdrop of molten lava.
"... Can he forge another?".
It was less a question and more a statement.
Meltraus didn't hesitate to point a finger to a free forge station, "Go and make something boy."
Shirou did not argue as he was already walking to the forge, ready to immerse his body in the familiar heat of the forge and the sound of steel.
After all…
Steel was his body.
"Magi Tohsaka, are you certain that this is safe?"
"Of course it is, I already did the necessary preparations so don't worry about it." She replied, "And don't call me that."
Rin was currently in the backroom with Ferlna, which was actually twice as big as the actual storefront.
It was an empty and open space with the only places filled being the walls, up to the top with books and research scrolls on magical theory and history. Although, there was one barren wall that stretched out wide with a few burn marks on it.
Rin was honestly impressed when Ferlna showed her it. It meant that the books and scrolls on display outside were probably just surface-level subject matters. The real meat of the dish were the countless papers that lined these walls.
Although, she was confused about the size of it. Was the Arcadia attached to a larger building behind it so maybe they were connected further? Were there higher floors with more magical knowledge? Maybe there was an enchanting catalyst nearby like what that enchantment book mentioned?
Rin decided to ignore those thoughts, for now. She had more current problems to deal with.
Such as right now, Rin was currently testing the various ways that the magical energy within the body of players – adventurers? – and Landers can create a clear and clinical method of approach to spell casting.
Something that was better than the bullshit that was the standard 'think and ye shall appear'.
"Still, it is quite a risk-filled venture," Ferlna continued, "New spellcasting methods have been thought of but none of them has gone to the extremes that you are doing, Magi Tohsaka."
"Progress is a step forward, you can't make any by standing still like an idiot." Rin berated, "I'll be starting the process, note down any contradictions to the theory."
Ferlna sighed and held the archaic clipboard before her, "As you wish. Starting test one, using the modified spellcasting method of a modular focal point on a simple Fireball."
Rin complied and poured the prana to her fingertips. She had to fight back the instinct to create a Finn Fire right then and there.
She wasn't going to be casting her usual Gandr and Finn Shot variants here, not just because she wanted to keep it a secret but because it wouldn't give an accurate result to their tests.
So first she coerced the prana laced with fiery elemental energy to her fingertips. Before the mana solidified, she willed it to rotate at rapid speeds on a focal point.
Fire sprouted from her fingertips, swirling like a miniature ball of fire.
Rin smiled as she focused on the focal point before sending a pulse of prana to it. The fireball flew forward towards the only empty wall at an average speed.
"Fireball."
The resulting violent explosion caused Rin to smile as she tried to stifle her laughter.
A number flashed onto the wall, which didn't surprise Rin in the slightest. Ferlna mentioned that this used to be a place where Adventurers would test out their spells if they bought any tomes, so it was the perfect place to conduct the experiment.
"Well, there's that." Rin said, "How are we doing in the theory department?"
"... Are you sure that was indeed a Fireball, Magi Tohsaka?" Ferlna muttered, "The resulting output matched the power of the stronger Firebolt spell."
"Did it look like a bolt of fire or a fiery ball?" Rin asked with a raised brow.
Ferlna sighed and nodded, "Your point has been noted. Test notes that the spell's power increased by a clear seventy percent. However, the drain on mana appears to be a tad bit more. It still costed less than Firebolt though."
Rin was hooked up to a device that she spent the morning creating with the materials that Ferlna provided. It linked to her arm and measured the cost of spells down to the smallest decimal.
It was a bit useless to Adventurers seeing almost all of them could care less about researching magic. Although, the same could not be said for Landers. They had research to conduct, so the more accurate the measurements, the more accurate the results will be.
"I can decrease it by improving on the efficiency," Rin offhandedly commented, "Next test is Wind Burst right?"
"No, the next test is Wind Bullet, the weaker variant."
Rin nodded and proceeded to repeat the process. Pouring prana and then setting a focal point for the elemental energy to focus on before letting the pulse of prana blast it forward.
"Wind Bullet."
The bullet of air crashed into the wall and let out a violent burst of wind.
".. yet again, a seventy percent increase in power when in comparison to the usual spell," Ferlna reported, "The cost is a tad higher but less than Wind Burst. The results line up."
"Don't jump to conclusions, the next test is Water Bullet?"
Seriously, would it kill this world to be a bit more creative with these names? At this rate, the greatest fire spell could be something named 'Pyroblast'.
Ferlna nodded and Rin cast the spell.
The results remained the same. They recorded and cast the remaining beginner spells, Pebble Shot and Zap. A seventy percent increase in power without efficiency kept in mind.
"Well, we can see that there's an improvement from just creating a focal point and sending it out," Rin confirmed and began writing the results of how the prana felt to her, "We can safely say that it improved, right?"
"I believe that is a safe assumption, Magi Tohsaka."
"Do you want to try? Maybe I'm just an outlier," Rin mused, "If that's the case, then the results won't matter if it only works with me."
"Very well," Ferlna nodded and took Rin's place, strapping the device to her own arm. In a few seconds, a ball of fire erupted in her palm, "Fireball!"
The fireball flew and exploded into the wall just like Rin's first attempt.
"As expected, a seventy percent increase." Rin commented, "How much mana did you expend? It should be seven mana at most."
Ferlna nodded, "Spells naturally cost twice as much more for Landers so I had to use fourteen points of mana. All within the theorized values."
Cost twice as much for Landers?
Rin rose a brow, "Why is that?"
"I theorize that all adventurers are far more in tune with mana than Landers, which could also be a clue to your immortality," Ferlna said, to which Rin bristled. She was still uncomfortable with the idea of being unable to die like some kind of subset of Dead Apostle. "However, that isn't the focus of our current research."
Even if it wasn't the focus, it was a topic that Rin wanted to explore equally as much. It would definitely be a worthy venture.
"Right right, back to the topic at hand," Rin muttered. "Okay, it looks like modular focal casting works. Let's experiment some more, can you cast that Firestorm spell?"
Ferlna frowned deeply, "If you wish for me to burn all the valuable research papers within this room then I'll have to respectfully decline. A regular Firestorm will destroy this room, one with a seventy percent increase in power output will most likely spread to the town and endanger other Landers."
Not players, because those guys can deal with it.
Rin nodded, "I suppose that's reasonable. Oh well, let's test the other theories."
She flipped the clipboard to the next page, "Begin test two, using the modified spellcasting method of modular coiling of pr– I meant mana, on a simple Fireball. It's your turn so cast away~"
Ferlna nodded with a soft smile, "As you wish."
After way too many hours of continuous riding, they finally arrived at the quest location and Illya didn't mean the Depths of Palm.
She might have farmed for her beloved axe by killing monsters at the Depths of Palm, but that didn't mean that the quest giver was there.
The old ghost NPC, situated himself close to the halfway point to the Depths itself, around three sevenths if her math was correct, which made it a pain in the rear to accept the quest again and again whenever she didn't get the drop she wanted.
It truly was a test of endurance.
Even with the closeness of the journey, it still would have taken several additional hours of travel. Luckily, Eisel remembered a risky shortcut through 'Geldo Forest'.
They took this dangerous path only because they were a single pair of players.
If they had been a party of three or more, the forest would be spawning elite monsters such as Burly Grizzlies and Ferocious Vultures at levels eighty-five and higher, periodically.
This meant that a large party of players would be too preoccupied to travel safely or quickly.
Generally, players had to take the long way around, through the more peaceful roads, which would add hours to their travel time.
It wasn't even worth the effort to farm these elite monsters. They barely dropped any EXP and gold, and their only drops were meat that sold for a couple of gold to Landers. Even player chefs would rather use wild boar meat than grizzly or vulture meat.
A few of these elites did spawn on their way through, but paired with Eisel casting 'Foggy Mist' to remove any monster 'hate', they managed to lose any pursuing elite monster.
However, there were still the regular monsters of the forest like goblins or wild boars, all of which were levels lower than sixty.
Luckily due to the in-game rules, only a few segments of the path through the forest were combat zones so they didn't encounter monsters every few minutes.
They didn't even have to worry about these lower-leveled monsters though. Eisel had yet again come prepared with several 'Talismans of warding', a consumable item that lasts three minutes. When used, lower leveled monsters would be less likely to attack you on sight.
An unpopular item because players want to level up quickly, but very ideal for avoiding battles if you were at low health.
That being said, due to the unpopularity of the item, buying several batches of the talismans didn't cost much at all.
Maybe Illya should buy some in bulk to study them? Who knows, maybe they could replicate the effect with mana alone? If Rin's research extended to items and enchantments, then it could be beneficial.
They'd need the information to survive in this world, especially since they were all far from being the strongest players.
AGHHH, this was a pain!
In other words, they made great time through the forest and skipped a lot of the other crap.
Illya dismounted her horse and gave it a slightly bitter glare, not that the horse cared at all. Stupid mule. If Illya had a better mount than the regular horse, then she would have gotten here sooner.
That wasn't what she was truly mad about actually.
Illya rubbed her butt and winced.
While her body moved with the knowledge of how to ride a horse, that didn't mean her rear didn't hurt like a bitch!
Riding on a mini-drake seemed so much better. Those things floated on the ground but couldn't fly, which meant that they could be less painful for the rear.
At least she had a round butt like Mama now, which probably mitigated the pain, but what did she know about horse riding? Literally nothing.
"Just walk it off Illyasviel," Eisel comforted, "We're here now. We just need to find that NPC…"
"Easy for you to say, your horse has a cushion on it!" Illya complained. Damned aesthetic players, spending real money on cosmetics! She wanted a cushion too but the in-game market is basically shot to hell!
Illya sighed and shook her head, "Never mind, the old ghost should be east of here. There's a fountain that he likes to linger around."
Eisel raised a brow, "We'll have to leave the path. You okay with walking?"
Illya nodded and pulled Golden Rhapsody out of her inventory. "I'm fine, let's get this over with."
Eisel nodded and the two left their horses at the small safe zone.
They were finally here, at the location that Illya got the quest, the Fountain of Heroes.
Illya quickly noticed the number of insects flying about. There were frogs eating the insects – she used to kill those for fun when she was lower-leveled – and there were some foxes running around too.
Normally following a fox in Elder Tale led to a randomly spawned chest with some gold, but seeing as this was real life now, she didn't want to spend time testing it.
She was honestly excited to return to the fountain. The water provided a nice fifteen percent gold drop boost, which was useful seeing as she wanted to upgrade their guild home as soon as possible.
She also liked the flowers there, white lilies reminded her of her mother. It didn't hurt that the NPC made funny jokes once in a while.
The other players didn't like the jokes though, something about them being dad jokes? Well, she didn't really have a dad growing up so it was interesting to note.
Illya stepped past some foliage and froze at the sight before her.
"Is that it?" Eisel asked, "I thought fountains had… you know, water?"
Illya frowned, "They do… at least, this fountain did…"
She was staring at a broken-down fountain, the top part of it shattered with debris spread across. The water that would shoot out from the water stones was absent, which probably meant that those stones had broken.
The white lilies that depended on that water had shriveled up in dehydration, leaving a brown and decaying surrounding area. There also seemed to be far more insects and beetles roaming the ground.
In short, it looked different to what Illya remembered.
Vastly different.
"What happened here…?" Eisel muttered, "I thought that the game areas remained the same. Was it the update?"
Illya shrugged, "That could be an idea, but more importantly we need to find that NPC. Maybe he'll know what happened here…"
She wanted answers to why her favorite spot in the game had turned into… a pile of shit, to put it lightly.
"I'll investigate the surrounding area," Eisel suggested, "Can you take a look at the fountain? There might be a clue to where that NPC is."
Illya wasted no time and walked to the fountain. There weren't any signs of erosion so it didn't destroy itself over time, the old ghost would have taken care of it anyway, seeing as his idle animations were about watering the plants…
So the fountain must have been destroyed by some sort of blunt force.
A battle. However, that didn't make sense to her. The old ghost NPC was level ninety and could three-shot any level-ninety tank.
Unless there was a Raid Party that took him out, Illya couldn't see how a battle could have done this… Except if the fountain broke and the ghost had no more power.
So did that mean that the ghost was gone?
Eisel's frantic shouting grabbed her attention.
"Illyasviel! Come look at this!"
Illya got up from the fountain and rushed over to the Crescent Moon Alliance member. "What is it?"
"I think I found our ghost."
Illya widened her eyes and hastened her pace. She walked past the fountain and into the foliage where Eisel's voice was coming from.
She shoved a branch out of her way before widening her eyes…
… The old ghost NPC was wearing his black battle armor, trapped in a giant golden crystal with his face frozen in shock.
Eisel let out an uneasy chuckle, "Well… we know what happened to the NPC now, right?"
Illya refrained from punching him in favor of rushing up to the statue and running her hands on the crystal itself.
She didn't know what this crystal formation was, but a quick structural analysis should do the trick. She wasn't as good as Shirou at it, but she at least knew how to look for weaknesses in an object.
At the center, where the ghost's chest was, lay a small medallion. It was where the crystal was drawing its power from. The thing was still full of energy, and it looks like it has been absorbing the ghost's mana to keep itself active.
The ghost had near-infinite mana while near the fountain, which he technically still was, so this was the most efficient way to keep him trapped.
Although, it was not the perfect way. There were cracks throughout the crystal, not visible to the eye but small enough for something to slip through.
With that in mind, the way to get him out was simple.
"Stand back, Eisel," Illya commanded.
"You have an idea?" He asked.
A single nod was all it took for him to back away and let Illya do her thing.
Rin had shown that she could still use her old magecraft, so by extension, Illya should be able to do the same thing.
A strand of Illya's hair detached and inserted itself into the cracks of the crystal, weaving through it like a maze through countless twists and turns. It didn't take long before the strand reached the center of the medallion.
"Is it draining your mana?" Eisel asked, seeing the drain on Illya's mana pool.
Illya decided to just let him assume that. Letting him know that she was using magecraft to send mana through the cracks was a bit too troublesome to explain.
A burst of mana sent directly to her strand of hair stiffened it like reinforcement.
A final quick order was enough for the thin hair strand to pierce through the medallion, causing cracks to spread across the entirety of the crystal.
Illya took a leap back as the crystal fell to pieces, turning into golden dust before fading into the wind.
The ghost's expression fell, his eyes closed rapidly and his arms fell limply to his side–
Wait a minute, he was falling over!
Illya held out her hands and caught the NPC, to her understandable surprise. It's not like it's possible to hold onto corporeal ghosts.
Then again this was Elder Tale, there were level fifteen ghosts in some catacombs to fight so maybe it was possible?
"You awake old man?" Illya tested.
After a few shakes and no response, she frowned. "Okay, he's out cold. Can you help me carry him to the fountain? The closer he is to it, the better he can recover."
Eisel nodded and hefted one arm around his shoulder. As Illya did the same, she could not help but wonder…
… What exactly was going on here?
The only explanation she had was the Novasphere Pioneer's update. It must have brought a continuation for the old ghost questline.
The questline ended with reforging the weapon and the old ghost giving his congratulations, but what if there was more?
"That's the warrior's name," She remembered Shirou saying, "Tulius the Golden Rhapsody"
When Shirou told her, she didn't truly believe that there was something more to her axe. She thought that it was just some flavorful history that her brother had uncovered.
As such, she told herself that she'd be fine with a small explanation from the ghost when she got here… but she didn't expect this at all.
The Novasphere Pioneers update had a very low chance of continuing this unpopular questline, seeing as it was very grind-heavy, something that most players generally didn't really find fun.
However, Illya didn't care and persevered through it all, so maybe there was more to her beloved axe after all?
Meltraus was a hardy and stern man.
Even if adventurers try and barter for a better deal on his wares, he still wouldn't yield and ensure that everyone got the same fair price.
After years of hard work, Meltraus had obtained the title of Grand Master Blacksmith. As the title says, he's the utmost respected and skilled smith in the city.
Granted, that was among the Landers. The adventurers with their fancy magic would never be able to make a blade using their own blood, sweat, and tears. Just give them materials and poof, there's a sword.
No effort, no skill, and to top it off they act as though they were better than him.
He knew that it wasn't fair, but it made him develop a stigma, a certain distaste of all things related to adventurers. Sure, he still sold to them, but it was a lucrative business that any smith worth their salt would do.
He needed that money to raise Melhia after all.
However one day, he met an adventurer that wanted to become a smith.
He knew that adventurers just create something and bam they call themselves smiths, so when this adventurer declined to use the magic and instead make a blade with his own two hands…
… He was honestly stunned beyond measure, not even his ancestors could have foreseen it.
The blade was forged well, well beyond the level of beginners. He could say it was amateur at worst, and above average at best. Much more than he could say about normal adventurer smiths.
The boy raised his blade, causing the rest of his fellow smiths to see the glistening steel reflect the light of the magma as if it was a mirror. Thinner than the blade he made before, but that was because the functionality was different.
There was undeniable skill and talent in this adventurer, and Meltraus wanted to flesh it out. The raw talent there, if sharpened and forged to a masterful degree, would come out as sharp as any Grand Master Blacksmith.
Perhaps the boy would one day exceed himself.
The thought that he was an adventurer didn't put a damper on his thoughts. Meltraus let the rest of his colleagues see what they were meant to see.
A master smith in the making.
"How did I do?" The boy asked, his eyes held the same kind of determination and steel that Meltraus had when he was but a wee lad.
Meltraus looked the blade over before turning to the peanut gallery. "Do you still oppose his addition to our ranks?"
The result was obvious.
Kazhak, the old bumbling dwarf with a love for all things alcoholic nodded. He took a swig of ale and let out a sigh.
"Alright Meltraus, I see what you're talking about." Kazhak grumbled, "We can sign him up in the guild as your apprentice."
There were a few grumbles of discontent, but Meltraus was sure they would fade with time as the boy proved himself to them all.
"Alright boy," Meltraus started, "Go and fill out the forms. You're not high enough to earn a forge yet, so you'll still be working in my forge as both apprentice and assistant, understood?"
The kid nodded and walked off to the desks.
Another thing that Meltraus liked about the boy, he was obedient and knew what to do.
If only he didn't have a lover, then he would have married that talent into his family. He was sure that Melhia wouldn't have minded.
"Meltraus."
That familiar voice…
Meltraus grunted as he turned to face someone as tall as him. He was thinner and showed no sign of muscle, yet he wore the smith's robes and gloves all the same.
The pointy ears twitched as the glint in his slanted eyes spoke of intrigue and wonder.
"Halfas," Meltraus said, "You were watching, I take it."
Halfas chuckled lightly and nodded, "It was interesting, to say the least. I never thought there would be an adventurer that could actually forge a blade. It's been… well, I don't think there's ever been an adventurer like him."
This elf was a blacksmith like everyone else in this guild, but he made his worth not by his skill with a hammer, but by his appraising eye.
Meltraus still remembered when the elf enrolled in the guild, pointing out flaws in every design he came across and working with the original blacksmith to correct it.
He was not a traditional smith, but he was one nonetheless.
"How does his blade fair?" Meltraus asked to test the waters.
"Plain beyond belief." Halfas stated dryly as the peanut gallery dispersed, "It's so unbelievably ordinary that I couldn't believe my eyes."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, not at all," Halfas let out a chuckle once more. "You see, it was so ordinary that I couldn't find a single possible signature feature on it. The weapon was like a blank slate, yet there was some character to it. Does that make sense?"
Meltraus shrugged, "I saw a good blade and that was that."
"Boorish man, aren't you?" Halfas muttered, "You have to teach him some forging skills. I have a feeling he's done the same thing as before but changed the shape of the tip."
Meltraus shrugged once more but didn't give a reply.
He didn't need to, seeing as Halfas had picked up the handle-less blade and swung it a few times. "Oh my… if this had a handle, then I'd say that it'd be a worthy blade to sell at a high price."
He swung it again but wrapped the fabric around the tang, where the handle was supposed to be. He swung it again, but this time there was form in his movement.
"Oh, truly remarkable. This blade is fit for thrusting, a rapier? How quaint," The elf mused, "In fact, in the hands of an adventurer of the Swashbuckler class, this would be a devastating weapon. Truly fascinating!"
"Are you done with the yapping?" Meltraus blurted out, "I have to get that blade fitted with a handle when we get back to my forge. Hand it over."
"Truly boorish," Halfas muttered as he handed the blade and took back the cloth. He turned around and walked away, "Remember to call me when you need some help training the boy! You're not the greatest instructor!"
"Don't tell me how to raise my apprentice, Halfas."
He chuckled, "Do you even know his name?"
At Meltraus' blink, Halfas laughed and walked away with a smug cheerful smirk.
What was the kid's name again?
Meltraus frowned as he couldn't remember. Did he even ask?
His ears picked up the sound of the kid and Kazhak walking towards him.
"We have the papers finalized," Kazhak said and took another swig of his ale, "Shirou Emiya has been enrolled. Take care of your apprentice, will you? The last ones you had all quit."
Meltraus grumbled, "Those spineless whelps wouldn't know how to hold a hammer, let alone tend to the forge."
At least he now knew the kid's name.
"Come, Shirou Emiya," Meltraus said as held out the unfinished rapier, "Take your blade, we'll finish her up back at the shop."
Shirou nodded and grabbed the blade, following Meltraus on his way out of the Blacksmith's guild.
Meltraus was going to have a lot of fun teaching this young adventurer. He was certain that the boy wouldn't complain about his teaching methods.
Meltraus let a puff of air escape his nostrils. It wasn't odd to tell apprentices to forge daggers with a specific method until they mastered the act, surely not.
Eh, he had a feeling this 'Shirou Emiya', could handle it.
As Ferlna ticked the last checkbox on her list, she let a small sigh of relief escape as she turned to the rambunctious adventurer.
"We have gone through the entirety of the list, Magi Tohsaka." Ferlna asked, "Shall we run more tests or write down our findings?"
"We'll write them down," Magi Tohsaka decided.
Ferlna nodded, "I will be with you shortly. It is my duty to cleanse this room after every session of use."
Magi Tohsaka nodded and walked back to the storefront where she would take a seat and begin writing down their findings…
… or rather, Magi Tohsaka's findings.
Ferlna did not know whence Magi Tohsaka had been raised, but it must have been a place obscured from the reaches of the common magical society of researchers.
All the theories they had tested today were theories that the researching world had never thought of before.
When the world sought to improve by creating faster methods to cast spells, Magi Tohsaka came into the fray with ideas such as lengthening the process to increase power, efficiency, range, control, and every other possible variable that a spell could have.
It was as if the Magi had her own personal way of thinking with the miracle of magic.
Ferlna glanced at the room around her. The shattered shards of ice from her own modular upgraded spells had caused the most damage, yet she would have never achieved that possibility without Magi Tohsaka's input.
Boulders of earth, charred segments of the wall from bursts of lightning and fire, puddles of water, cracks and slices from wind, all of which varied in size and intensity.
If Magi Tohsaka had not been an adventurer, then Ferlna would have concluded that the woman was either the actual legendary Sage of Miral Lake and the current one was a front, or she was someone related to him.
The current Sage – Regan – was enigmatic and kept to himself. The rest of the magical researchers had barely heard a lick of anything from the man, but due to his position, they could not openly shun him.
Just like that sage, from the first day of her birth as the daughter of a prominent researcher she had expectations thrust upon her from the day she could control her mana.
Thanks to the gift of magic, Ferlna gained the dream of seeing a world where Magic held prominence and was accessible to even the weakest of Landers.
With that dream in mind, she worked tirelessly for it.
As she aged, so did her perspective. The mages were stagnant and refused to believe that their spellcasting method was anything but the absolute best way, unwilling to even compromise on a new method for the masses.
The researching magical society was a farce, even as a young teenager she had seen it.
At the young age of thirteen, she gathered her portion of savings and moved away from Eastal's capital to one of the more magically inclined cities…
The Adventurer city of Akihabara.
Here, practicality mattered more than the theory that the old and 'wise' magical researchers had created. She had no use for pointless theory, she sought results and proof that these findings can happen!
… but even when she arrived, she had made no significant leaps of her own. The adventurer mages would never even be open to conversation with her. Her answers and ideas dwindled down the drain quicker than she imagined…
… and then after five years of painful stagnation, the enigma known as Magi Tohsaka arrived at her doorstep.
She was an adventurer that looked roughly the same age as Ferlna herself and came with the same criticism and distaste that Ferlna had for the current state of spellcasting methods.
Spellcasting methods that the current age of magical researchers hold like the literal holy scriptures to their chests and possibly deeper in their souls.
From that shared criticism and distaste, came an increased interest.
At first, Ferlna wanted to know more about what kinds of criticism the Magi had and sought to bait them out from the strange adventurer. All of it in order to discover a way to lose her own stagnation now that there was someone who shared thoughts with her.
However, in an instant, she had realized that what Tohsaka spoke of, the Magi had believed in its entirety.
What Ferlna had been shown tonight would no doubt rock the world of magical research off its feet.
Methods of improving efficiency by coiling mana, methods which improve its strength by condensing the elemental energy, and methods that boast a two hundred percent increase in mana efficiency.
Using a sliver of mana to cast a Fireball is a frighteningly useful concept, as well as making that fireball up to seventy percent stronger, with fifty percent more reach, and maneuverability that made other 'maneuverable' spells look like slow lumbering sloths.
Magi Tohsaka had ideas that could revolutionize, not to mention that they come to her like pigs to the slaughter.
Perhaps Magi Tohsaka… or rather, Tohsaka Rin, would become as famous as the original Sage of Miral Lake.
Only time could tell.
Ferlna dreamed of seeing a world where Magic held prominence and was accessible to even the weakest of Landers.
With Magi Tohsaka and the endless possibilities she may hold, Ferlna could do just that.
… but first, she had to clean this room.
Perhaps using the recently tested modular mana-coiling with Earth Shape spell would do the trick?
Sakura allowed herself to sigh.
She had been following Nazuna and Soujiro around the city trying to find a subclass for her to fit into.
There had been a few subclasses that she considered, such as the Tailor subclass to create leather equipment for Rin and herself, but even with that assurance, Sakura still had some unease when it came to the choice.
Granted, Rin didn't have a subclass either, but there wasn't a doubt in Sakura's mind that her sister would pick one up soon to aid in her research. Perhaps the alchemist subclass? Sakura wasn't really sure about what her sister would go with.
In any case, Sakura needed a subclass. She was technically the only member of their guild without a subclass or something to be preoccupied with.
"Well?" Nazuna asked, "Found any subclass that you like?"
She was also drinking some beer-water. They had decided to take a rest from wandering the city and settled in a nearby tavern.
There weren't many patrons other than the three of them, but this tavern was close to the outer rim of Akihabara, which meant that there weren't many players here to begin with.
"There's none that I feel comfortable with yet…" Sakura answered, taking her own tentative sip of beer. She was of legal age, but the beer-water she was drinking didn't really make her feel like it.
Soujiro nodded, "Don't worry, a lot of people struggle with this choice."
"Not me though~" Nazuna purred, "The moment I saw the 'Gambler' subclass, I knew what I was going for!"
"Nazuna, that's a role-playing subclass," Soujiro mentioned, "It doesn't even do anything."
"I know that," Nazuna said with a smirk, "But I still liked it!"
Sakura liked the sentiment of choosing a subclass that you like. However, seeing as she was extremely weak at level five, she needed to pick a subclass that could help her and her guild get stronger.
That was why Shirou went with the blacksmith subclass, to make their own weapons and become more economically stable.
Rin wasn't really in the same boat, but what she was doing wasn't financially draining in the slightest… for now.
Her self-appointed role was to discover new ways to exploit the magic system of this world, in order to help everyone in the guild survive easier.
Or at least, that was what they were convincing themselves of. They all knew that Rin was just doing the research because the magic of this world annoyed her heavily.
"Don't mull over the decision, Sakura-san," Soujiro said, interrupting her thoughts, "If you can't make a choice now, then there's always the 'Apprentice' subclass."
Sakura blinked.
"Pardon?" Sakura muttered, "I haven't heard of that subclass."
"That's because it's a subclass for indecisive people," Nazuna waved off, "You could go for it if you want. When you change to a better subclass, you'll be able to keep the EXP you have."
"There's such a thing like that…?" Sakura muttered, "Then, how do I obtain this subclass?"
"I don't know~" Nazuna shrugged. "I never really bothered to look it up. I'm certain that there's a player somewhere in the city that'll know." A mischievous smirk grew on her face. "Let's go ask!"
Sakura let out a yelp as Nazuna leaped from her seat and dragged Sakura out of the tavern, Soujiro following behind.
Sakura managed to wrench her wrist away, but still followed Nazuna as she walked along. "The idea is great, but do you even know who to ask?"
"Soujiro and I are part of the West Wind Brigade, Sou-chan over there is the guild master." Nazuna explained, "We'll just drop by our guild and see who knows~"
"That's a great idea!" Soujiro commented with a smile, "Everyone's already at the guild hall so it should be easy."
Sakura stifled a nervous frown.
She had heard from Illya that you could manipulate the area rules of a guild room you control. As such, she had thoughts about the possibility that they'd make it so she couldn't escape…
… but that was just the cynical part of her mind acting up.
Sakura liked to think that she was good at reading people's intentions, or at least capable of noticing any hint of malicious intent from others. She felt that from that 'Hamelin' guild, but she couldn't feel it from these two players.
Sakura sighed. Perhaps she should give them a chance?
It's what Shirou would have done.
Nazuna let out a sigh of relief, "We're here!"
Sakura moved away from her thoughts and gazed at their guild home–
A nostalgic feeling overcame her.
It was a rather quaint and traditional Japanese home. Walls surrounded the actual building itself, but it carried none of the vines and other such overgrowths that littered the rest of the buildings in the city.
There was also a gate that blocked their way in, but it seemed to open up automatically once Soujiro stood before it.
It actually reminded Sakura heavily of the Emiya Residence…
"Come on," Nazuna prompted, "It's much nicer inside than it is out here."
Sakura nodded and stepped through the two large gates to follow them. She walked past a few oriental gardens along the way and noted the number of cherry blossoms that filled it.
Nazuna shoved a traditional sliding door open and strutted her way inside. "Hey, any of you in here? Kawara? Dolce?"
Another door slid open to their left, a lethargic woman wearing a yellow tank top covered by a pink cardigan walked out. She had green hair and two elf ears poking out from her sides.
The woman let out a yawn before turning to Nazuna, "Oh, Nazuna? What's wrong? Did you forget something…?"
"Good morning, Fragrant Olive." Soujiro greeted.
"Oh…" A swift blink was all it took for her to banish her lethargy. "Oh! Welcome back Sou-sama!"
It was then that the woman noticed the odd person in the room, namely Sakura. The woman, known as Fragrant Olive, blinked twice and sent glances between both her and Nazuna.
"... did you multiply or something? If so, can you do the same with Sou-sama!?"
Her breathing went hard as she said that last part– was she bleeding from her nose!? You could bleed in this game world!?
Nazuna let out a stifled laugh, "No I didn't. This girl is Sakura, we kind of saved her from Hamelin. She was looking for a subclass and we couldn't decide. So we've gone with the alternative, any idea how to get the apprentice subclass?"
The woman sent a long hard glance at the Sakura before turning back to Nazuna.
"Is she going to join our guild…?" She asked with narrowed eyes, "I'm not really open to new members, especially another girl. Our guild already has an odd reputation as it is."
Sakura could tell that there was a hidden intent in there somewhere…
"Olive, that's rude," Soujiro berated.
Nazuna smiled and let a small chuckle out, "Don't worry about that, she should be fine. Sakura isn't interested in Sou-chan, right?"
It came to Sakura as quick as lightning.
Ah, that's how it is…
Sakura let a small smile rise, "I'm afraid not, I already have a lover."
All three of the veteran players blinked in surprise.
"Y-you do?" Fragrant Olive muttered in disbelief before looking her over once more. There was a new glint in her eyes, "Well, I can help you get the subclass… that is, if you're willing to do me a favor…"
Sakura kept her polite smile up even as amused laughter threatened to leak out. She could read the intent of the woman even before Sakura could ask what the favor was.
Sakura nodded, "That should be fine."
She already had an inkling as to what she wanted.
"Okay, glad we came to an understanding," She started, "Just get anyone with a maxed Non-Role Playing subclass to give it to you," She walked up to Sakura and held out a hand. "It should be easy… my game character did something like this and said something like 'You're an apprentice now' or something."
Sakura blinked as a strange floating box, reminiscent of her menu, appeared in her vision.
'Would you like to become a(n) 'Apprentice'?'
The moment Sakura tapped on the 'yes' option, her subclass status updated. The three other veteran players noticed, but only one made a reaction.
Nazuna whistled as she walked up to her, "Wow, that was easier than I thought…"
"Congratulations, Sakura-san!" Soujiro said.
"More importantly…" Fragrant Olive interjected, "You have to show me how to get Sou-sama to notice me!"
A few seconds of silence passed.
It didn't take long for Nazuna to sigh in exasperation, "Olive… are you serious…?"
Soujiro simply tilted his head, "I already notice her though…?"
Nazuna sighed once more, "Okay, I see your point." She turned to Soujiro and pushed him out of the room, "Sorry about this Sou-chan, this is a girl-only talk."
He couldn't even offer a word of protest as she swiftly shut the door.
Fragrant Olive pointed directly at that very same door, "That is exactly what I– no, we have to deal with! How do we get a man as dense as him to notice us!?"
Us?
"Yes, please do tell," Nazuna added, "We've been at this for years, even when we were just playing Elder Tale as a computer game. Still no progress whatsoever. He's as dense as a brick."
Ah… so it was 'that' kind of situation…
Sakura was very familiar with that situation.
"Are you sure you want to know…?" Sakura said slowly, "If I tell you how, it'll change your guild dynamics forever."
Fragrant Olive froze as she hesitated and Sakura could see why. Starting that relationship had risks, namely the risk that their shared love interest didn't feel the same way.
Granted, any average boy would be over the moon if there were loads of girls lining up for him.
However, from the impressions that Sakura got from that guild master… He definitely seemed like the kind of person that wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of anyone.
"T-That's… a risk that I'm not sure I want to take." Fragrant Olive admitted, "I'll have to ask everyone else about the idea first. I might like him, but I don't want everyone else to feel left out."
"I hate to admit it, but that's a good call," Nazuna said, "I'm not sure if Isami, or even Kawara, would be too keen on the idea."
Sakura didn't know who those two were, but her sentiments about the idea didn't change.
"You'll have to ease them into the idea slowly," Sakura said, "Don't spring it abruptly on them. Not everyone will be open to the idea."
Rin certainly blushed up a storm when Sakura had first suggested it to her.
It was a shame though, Sakura would have dragged Mitsuzuri into the relationship if she was allowed to.
Her adopted brother often spoke of the wonders of a harem, despite the fact he didn't have one, so it was a decision that Sakura felt would have made Shirou happy, and Mitsuzuri too if she agreed.
It was too bad that Rin denied the idea though, the two of them could barely handle their shared lover as it is.
Fragrant Olive sighed, "Well, it looks like that idea's out of the picture."
"At least for now," Nazuna said, "We'll just send you a message if we change our mind though."
Sakura nodded, "Thank you for helping me obtain a subclass, I'll be sure to pay back the favor in the future."
She turned to leave, but both Nazuna and Fragrant Olive waved her a farewell.
"See ya later, Sakura-chan~" Nazuna bid, "If you get confused about your Fox Tail racial traits, just send me a message~"
Sakura nodded and made her way out of the oriental guild house.
It was odd to find a guild that wanted to share their guild master among themselves like that. Although, Sakura wasn't one to judge. She'd be a hypocrite if she did.
Hopefully, they'd come to a consensus and start the polygamy. They weren't in the same world as before, so who knows what the marriage laws are like here?
It'd hinge on that dense guild master to notice though, which Sakura wasn't too sure he would. Shirou had to have her shove her tongue down his throat to finally get the idea.
Oh well, at least she has a subclass now, technically.
She still didn't know what kind of subclass she'd be going for, but at least she had a way to transition easily.
Illya would be happy about that.
A/N: Hey there!
*Avoids thrown eggs*
Okay... I did say this was coming out next month, but as you can see, this is technically the next-next month. Sorry, this chapter came out late, college absolutely SWAMPED me with work. I still have to hand it a research paper this Friday, do an assignment due tomorrow, and also compute the data from surveys. Things are absolutely crazy, but that should be expected of college.
From here, the Emiya Family has split again, but you can see where each of their respective paths are going, right? I do have long-term plans for them by the way so don't worry about me leaving this story half-baked. I see Log Horizon as more of an Isekai show anyway, so in turn with the traditions of the genre, they're making waves just by existing. Half the reason why I like Isekai stories.
I'll try not to be late for the next chapter this month (because it's already a new month where I am), so review if something bugs you heavily, if you spot a grammar mistake, or have any questions that you feel need to be answered right away (as long as it isn't spoiler related that is).
Also, totally didn't retcon a few facts.
Until next time.
Kappa.
A/N 2: Fixed a continuity error about Sakura's level, credit to Spartan111MS for the find.
P.S. I also rolled Scathach=Skadi in a single ticket last week. I don't have any materials to raise her skills past level 2, but that's because I used them up for Merlin months ago.
A/N 3: Fixed some grammar errors.
A/N 4: I am aware that Eisel was a University student at 19, but most students have a part-time job. I probably didn't convey that enough, so I changed his off-handed mention from "Job" to "Part-time Job", along with some grammar updates, courtesy of Rez (a guest reviewer).
