Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 82

Player Event

A wooden building gave off the impression of a building that had withstood the passage of time.

It had the atmosphere as though a bar had been operated for many years in that place.

The NPCs that were positioned at the surrounding were also having fun drinking.

Inaho sipped on the juice in her glass while running her gaze at the surrounding.

The guild had a stupid name like “Ponsuke and His Happy-Go-Lucky  Friends”. The members consisted of various races and types of people.

For a guild it had a lot of members with production jobs that were  counted as rear support, but the guild wasn’t a production guild despite  that.

Apparently they were aiming to become a middle ranked guild and plan to participate in the clearing of the game one day.

The members occupied several tables where they laughed and had fun.

This was the atmosphere that Inaho sought.

She talked with the red haired elf who was sitting beside her.

「Sightseeing area? The atmosphere there is nasty recently isn’t it?  But they won’t make trouble with you if you go there in your casual  outfit.」

「Eh, is that so?」

The players there wanted to feel like they were vacationing in Pandora rather than playing game.

It seemed they didn’t want to see weapons being carried around openly.

Conversely they wouldn’t act horrible if visitor wore casual outfit.

「Or rather, to run into Rubin right away in your first day of login, that must be a disaster.」

(……So that person is a celebrity in a negative way.)

Mariela who was keeping Inaho company had great figure and she felt  like someone slightly older. She had the aura of a caring senpai.

「Come to think of it, what was everyone doing at the plaza?」

The guild members were occupying several tables.

The half-mermaid Noin was singing at the center of it.

She had the job minstrel, so her singing level felt like a pro.

Her friend Fran and Blaze and the others were also accompanying her performance with musical instruments.

「It was a drama. A school festival’s level of drama.」

「Drama?」

Mariela ate a skewered chicken while showing Inaho a leaflet.

Inaho also put a food inside her mouth. The sauce and meat juice  spread inside her mouth. It felt like she was eating for real. There was  even the sensation of the food entering her stomach――she could feel  herself getting full.

「It’s a player event. You need to record a drama and then upload it.  And then the first place is going to receive a guild item as the reward.  It’s a pretty valuable item.」

It was an event that was held by other player instead of the management.

It seemed that Ponsuke’s guild performed the play of “Golden Axe and Silver Axe” for the event.

However, they still hadn’t decided the casts and many other things.

「We still have time, and the supports are still preparing the set, so  the rest of us were thinking to decide the casting in the meanwhile.」

Apparently the decision for the casting hadn’t been made and there were various disagreements over it.

「Can’t you just choose someone like that person there?」

Inaho’s gaze moved toward Blaze’s group.

Mariela shook her head.

「We had tried but, as expected they lacked impact. As I thought, Ponsuke should be the woodcutter.」

Blaze had good look and he could also act competently, and yet he didn’t get chosen as the leading actor.

And then the one who got chosen as the woodcutter which was the main role was unexpectedly the orc Ponsuke.

Right now that Ponsuke was talking with players who had relatively youthful look.

「But, an orc being the leading actor is also……」

The one responding to Inaho’s honest comment was a player whose face  was mostly hidden. He appeared on their table as though he was  squiggling out from the air.

His name was Sololy.

「Whoops, don’t say any further than that. This decision was made  after the big fight to decide whether he should be the woodcutter or the  goddess. I ask you to not touch that explosive matter again if  possible.」

「……Eh?」

It was still understandable to make the orc Ponsuke as a woodcutter, but it was just impossible to make him into the goddess.

Certainly he was a kind person but, if she saw his look at real life then she would definitely feel creeped out and scared.

(I guess it’s still better for him to be the woodcutter rather than the goddess?)

Seeing the atmosphere of the guild that was having fun preparing for a  player event made Inaho didn’t feel like questioning their reasoning  any further.

She thought that one day, she too wanted to be able to have fun like this with her friends.

「More importantly Mariela-san, I’m thinking that I’ll create the  guild’s PV too. I want a permission to recruit the guild members for  that. I’ll do the editing by myself.」

Seeing Sololy asking Mariela for permission made Inaho concluded that Mariela was a top brass or the leader.

Mariela herself made a reluctant expression.

「No way. After all it’s your hobby to sneakily take photo right?」

「Please don’t make it sound so scandalous. I will never take picture  of someone else without asking them for permission first. You are aware  how our new member recruitment isn’t going well right?」

Inaho tilted her head.

Ponsuke’s guild had more than 50 members. Was he saying that this many people were still considered few?

「Eh, is this guild lacking member?」

Mariela pressed her hand on her forehead.

「As expected it’s lacking if we want to aim to reach the middle rank.  We have a lot of members but, the majority are in production class so  our circumstance is different from the other guilds.」

This guild was aiming to be a middle ranked guild.

「Everyone here isn’t aiming to be in the clearing group, or rather the top rank?」

Inaho didn’t know much about game.

Sololy explained to her while holding a camera in one hand.

「The top group, or rather the high ranked guilds are gatherings of  no-lifers after all. For them giving their all for clearing the game is  only natural. Even sacrificing their daily life for it is only natural.  They are that kind of guy. For them the game is not secondary to life.  For them it’s like the real world exist for the sake of game. For them  the real world is this side rather than outside.」

Inaho smiled wryly and thought.

(As expected going that far is a bit……it’s impossible for me.)

Mariela laughed.

「As expected we can’t possibly became as serious as them for this  game. Playing moderately to reach the middle ranking is the best, that’s  our guild’s policy. Recently we have progressed until as far as the  Capital of Love but, there are also a lot of fun places there so it has  been enjoyable.」

Capital of Love――it was a pretty city that got called as the capital  of water. It was the next world after the Capital of Discernment. Then  the next one after the Capital of Love would be the Capital of  Diligence.

The World of Arrogance had been liberated and the [Capital of Sincerity] was liberated after the large scale update.

With that, the Capital of Sincerity would become the frontline.

「Err……this guild has advanced until very far then.」

Inaho didn’t really get it. Mariela nodded at her with a smile.

「Yes, it’s fine for you to think of us like that. In fact, with the  liberation of the World of Arrogance, the players can now go until the  Capital of Love with almost no requirement.」

「I also want to try going.」

After that the talk touched the fact that as expected it would be  difficult for beginner like Inaho to do that. Mariela then called out to  Ponsuke.

「Hey, Ponsuke. Inaho-chan said that she want to finish the beginner  quest. Can I tell someone to help her out? I can also help her myself  though.」

Ponsuke was letting Guruguru and Nanako to play with his arms by letting them dangling from there.

「Aa, then I’ll also come. As I thought I don’t want the woodcutter role. I’ll ask someone else to do it.」

「Why!」

Mariela protested, but Ponsuke didn’t seem motivated to take the role.

「It’s tiring that everyone is too free.」

As expected Inaho thought that she would be a bother, but Ponsuke already sent a party forming request to her.

It was displayed on the screen that both Ponsuke and Mariela were [level 10] from the level restriction.

「Is it okay? I’m not a guild member.」

Ponsuke smiled.

「I don’t mind. Sometimes I also party with players who aren’t guild  member, besides I want to do at least this much for you after all the  troubles that you had ran into. As expected, it’s too pitiful that a  beginner suddenly partied together with Rubin-san at the first day……」

It seemed she was being pitied.

(I-I guess he’s a kind person?)

They had grim outer look, but the orcs were all gentlemanly.

They were completely different from the players in the sightseeing area.

The next moment.

「Line up you piigggsss!」

She saw someone hitting the floor with a golden whip and ordered the orcs to form a line.

She was dumbfounded. Meanwhile Ponsuke walked fast toward the blond  haired girl――Alfie, put her on his shoulder, then brought her outside  the bar.

Alfie’s expression looked slightly joyful for someone who was carried on the shoulder of an orc.

The orcs booed seeing that. They looked really frustrated. Mariela quietly averted her gaze from that sight.

「……They are usually good guys.」

Inaho thought.

(Perhaps, I’m relying on the wrong people.)

.

.

.

The next day.

Inaho fought with a style that made use of her speed and defeated the monster.

「Great move. It also look like you can move really well even without  system support, so you might not need to force yourself to take fighter  job or any support job.」

There were jobs that gave player assistance in moving their body.

Like how even player who didn’t know how to wield a sword would be able to wield one by obtaining the swordsman job.

Ponsuke was armed with a shield and a one-handed sword. He was positioning himself as Inaho’s support.

Mariela was defeating the troublesome enemies with her bow.

「Thank you so much. It’s really easy to fight in this part.」

Mariela put her bow on her back while keeping her vigilance toward the surrounding.

「Just this much is the norm. More importantly, what’s your level?」

Inaho checked her status screen and found that she had already reached level 6.

This was completely different from when she was with Rubin.

「I’m at six now!」

Ponsuke also smiled seeing Inaho so happy.

He had taught her a lot of things, and he was earnest and kind. She felt like that he was used to do something like this.

「Then, let’s head to the shrine. You’ll be able to have more fun after setting your job there.」

Mariela also looked nostalgic.

「The beginning is so fun with how rapidly the growth happened isn’t  it? As for us, our level can’t increase that rapidly anymore.」

The two were players with level that was over 100.

They were looking nostalgic from recalling their beginning when their  level went up every day and they could see noticeable growth in their  strength.

Then Ponsuke discussed with Mariela.

「About that, if we’re aiming to reach middle rank then I think it’ll  be necessary for us to rework our jobs and skills. What if we do  character reset after the update?」

Mariela pondered with hesitation.

「As expected that’s……ah, but it’s true that I don’t need some of my  jobs anymore. But, it’ll be hard work to level up from the bottom  again.」

Mariela blew on a flute and a thoroughbred horse came running from who knew where.

A donkey came running when Ponsuke blew on his flute. The donkey spat  its saliva on the ground when it saw Ponsuke before glaring to him.

Mariela grabbed Inaho’s hand.

「Come on, we’ll be able to return quickly on this guy.」

「You also have a horse? I’m really good at riding one you know?」

Inaho had gotten used to ride horse at the ranch of her home area.  She was able to get on the horse with good balance even without any  system assist.

「Hee, you’re good. I’m also used to this already, so perhaps I don’t  need the support anymore? Ponsuke, let’s go back quick――wait, what are  you doing?」

The two looked toward Ponsuke and felt startled seeing the donkey stepping on his body.

Ponsuke had gotten really beaten up.

「T-this damn worthless animal」

The donkey was stepping on Ponsuke’s head with a triumphant look.

After a while, the three started moving in order to return to the Capital of Hope.

Inaho who was holding on Mariela’s body from behind felt jealous from the sensation of big breasts.

As for Ponsuke who was riding on a donkey, he was running in parallel with them without falling behind.

「……Is a donkey actually this fast?」

Ponsuke tilted his head.

「Who knows. I don’t know because I never see one for real. More importantly, were you able to have fun today?」

Inaho nodded.

「Extremely! Umm, Ponsuke-san.」

「Hm?」

「Is it alright for me to join the guild too?」

◇

In the real world.

Inaho――Kanaho opened her eyes and saw that it was seven o’clock.

A lot of bad things happened at the first day of the six days that  she spent in the virtual world, but the remaining five days were fun.

She stretched her back an yawned, then Kanaho got up and started changing clothes.

「The first day was horrible but, the remaining five days were fun.  But, as expected Noin-san’s goddess costume looked a bit obscene I  think.」

The men became slightly slouching after seeing it, but Guruguru was  the only one who showed no reaction. It made Kanaho seriously suspected  that perhaps he was actually a girl inside.

「Even so, from my talk with them, everyone is living really far away from my area I guess?」

There were also some parts where everyone’s dialect or common sense  differed from her. It made her painfully realized that they all had  different hometowns.

When she mentioned that the snow was really troublesome in the real world, a lot of the players only reacted with 「Is that so?」.

But, she was able to have a lot of fun.

「No wonder everyone in school is always so excited by this. That’s right, I’ll tell everyone about this next time.」

She was a student preparing for exam, but this game would become a  good way to relax. While she was thinking that, she realized that a mail  had arrived to her smartphone.

She checked it and found that it was a reply to Kanaho about her application to become scholarship student.

「……Eh?」

She had mostly given up on it but, it turned out that there was just  one school that accepted her. But, this reply came really late  time-wise.

In addition, it was a school that was very far away from her hometown.

She checked whether it was just a prank but, the school actually existed and the mail address was also correct.

The telephone number that was listed in the mail as the contact address also matched the official number.

「They’re accepting me now? It’s already this late.」

Was there some kind of mistake?

Kanaho who had just obtained a VR machine because of some kind of  mistake was feeling suspicious as she read the content of the mail.

There she found out that the school that accepted her only had  general education curriculum until now, but apparently it was going to  start putting effort into club activities too and so they began  accepting scholarship students.

Kanaho couldn’t wipe away the feeling of suspicious inside her no matter what.

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