by Kasugamaru
“By God. Well, gods. The ones the elves and vampires worship, at least.” Damn, a chill just went up my spine. I can’t even speak. Am I gritting my teeth?
“...Which is perhaps why she appeared.” Yeah? Yeah. Kuroi. It’s no coincidence that God’s blessing was granted to her. If not for her, we’d all have been massacred by the monsters. Same goes for our dealings with the long-ears. I’d be dead already, at least. She also destroyed a platoon of fifty of them coming from the south by herself, which really saved our bacon. If not for that, the longhouses would have been pillaged and it’d be a nightmare.
“Oh, speaking of the devil. Here she comes.” Damn, I wanna drop to the ground and praise her. Just look at her, riding in on a warhorse, an entourage of cavalry and foot soldiers in tow. She glows brighter than anyone else, and she doesn’t even have a torch. Just looking at her makes me feel warm. She is the embodiment of flame.
Well, she is an Apostle—an Apostle of the human God. But before that, she’s our savior. It’s almost like He knew something had to be done about the great war between the long-ears and the yellow-eyes that would have most certainly scattered us humans about... The great storm that threatened to end the world. And so He sent her—Kuroi: a girl of small frame with long raven hair and noble features.
“Lady Kuroi, might I borrow you for a moment?” Whoa, black-hearted priest. Putting down your spear and shield and kneeling under her horse’s bridle? You’re so reverent I could swear you’re serving God himself right now.
“The elven Apostle, Dragon Commander Sakiel, wishes to speak to you.” Whoa, what?
“I know we are in the midst of battle. I will not urge you to go right away. However, if it pleases you, I would love to give her just your reply at the least. What say you?” Up on her horse, Kuroi silently takes a few breaths, and... nods. Nods?
“Understood. As you wish.” Is Kuroi going straight to the stable? She could just leave the horse’s care to someone else. I’m sure there are lots of people who’d love to take over the reins. But it shows how serious she gets, which I guess is a good thing. Sira’s with her too, so I guess the decision is that it’s safe for tonight?
“Many people have begun to offer their prayers to Lady Kuroi instead now.”
“Mm. We will need to clearly establish her position soon.”
“As an Apostle, you mean?”
“Yes, about that... it would make things a lot more efficient if we could get official approval from the Church. I shall get right on that.”
“The army should prepare some sort of title for her as well.”
“That could be fine for the moment.”
“From the perspective of a military system, she’d be classified as a lower-rank non-commissioned officer, however.” What a pain. Even outside of the Sorcerer’s Guild, I can’t escape it. Traditions and customs are so bigoted. They want so badly to keep their pre-existing hierarchy that they declare anything new a sin.
“Just call her our savior and be done with it, damn.”
“Hoh! What a straight-forward expression! But we cannot. Let us save that for the appropriate time.”
“Thinking along those lines, then... how about Defender of Humanity?”
“Lame.”
“Doubtful.”
“What?”
“Put something about fire in there. That is the source of her power, after all.”
“Allow me to put a spin on Lord Willow’s suggestion, then. What say you to Hare of Flame? It is said that a hare was once the familiar of the human God.”
“Oh, that sounds good. That’s it, then... Oh, what’s the matter, Captain?”
“Perhaps his wounds are grieving him. I think he needs to rest.”
God of Humanity... Kuroi, Hare of Flame, huh? Not bad, black-hearted priest. I see the wordplay you’re using there. Common sense has left the building for today, but that’s fine. Live with fire, die with fire. That’s what I’ve decided.
19 About the Recording Environment For DDR / The Younger Brother Reunites in the Melting Pot
If God has abandoned me, then I shall die.
If I continue to have faith in God, then I shall live.
-DDR Stream VOD Part 1-
Food, a bath, and bed. Also video games. I thought that was all I needed in life.
Hey! It’s me, PotatoStarch. Sorta. I’ve got a lot going on IRL... I don’t wanna complain while I’m recording, but... Okay, let’s do it. This could be used for evidence later on. Not sure if I can submit it, though.
So, the other day, my break came to an end. But I couldn’t save and log out, so I left the game on observer mode and went to work. That’s when my boss came running up to me and, for the first time, I entered the CEO’s office.
I was given unlimited paid vacation. I was also told to “recharge my batteries” and given a thick envelope full of bills.
I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen a bonus event like this even in my games. The CEO was rambling on about things I didn’t understand... management stuff that has nothing to do with an underling like me. It lasted for ages and he was super happy, smiling the whole time.
I don’t get it.
Halfway through I started adjusting the CEO’s face in my brain. Like at the character creation screen. I made his whole body smaller, made his bone structure slimmer, and even gave him an adventurous spiky hairstyle.
Whatever the case, I understand that it’s all very confidential. They made that very clear. I can record, but I can’t post until they give me permission. Why? Let me streeeam! Also, they said something unbelievable.
“Continue gaming for the sake of your company!”
That’s it, guys. I’m really, truly confused. I mean, the company I work for is a subcontractor of city infrastructure and has absolutely nothing to do with games. Ha ha! It’s hilarious.
Sigh... All of that, and it still doesn’t feel real. Even so, I’m continuing to play DDR. That reminds me, some of my system troubles were sorta solved. Well, it’s more like there are flashes of the game being fixed.
It seems the high-speed progress mode is usable now. What a relief. Otherwise I’d be forced to spend my unlimited paid vacation watching the city’s recovery. I’m using the high-speed mode right now, in fact. As I observe the frontier from afar, the sun spins through the sky... Oh, I wish you could see the funny accelerations and slowdowns. It’s so unstable. But in exchange, the frontier seems to be safe and thriving. It’s really amazing. The administrative district is still a bunch of shared tents that screams temporary official offices, but the residential district has recovered to where it was at the start of the game. It’s all thanks to the frenetic work of the military and citizens to restore the city.
The fields and livestock are doing relatively okay. Judging from the wandering figures, I can see the children are working hard too. Our defenses have risen a lot as well. It’s almost a different level. And the elves are helping us! Look! Irrigation ditches! It’s only a small-scale system, but that’s elven handiwork. You could even call it a barrier created by water magic. No monsters or even vampires are getting through without the help of magic.
I can’t believe elves are fortifying the human frontier. Sakiel really is a super angel. I want to make a post about this and announce it to the world. But that would be against my rules.
Hm? The sun’s movement is... Agh, no good. Back to observer mode. And as for Kuroi... Good, good! Her stats are rising wholeheartedly. Once you repeat training a certain amount of times, automatic training becomes unlocked. Nice averages.
There’s just something... something nagging me. Here, look at this. Why are the soldiers joining me in my zigzag marathon running while carrying bags of sand and doing lateral jumps? It’s gross. There are so many of them that they’d shock even migratory birds.
And the leader of this perverse formation is the handsome knight... Yick, that’s not cool. Sira’s not here, though. Good. At least there’s that. Oh, but she might be watching from
somewhere! Geh! She’s doing repeated lateral jumps too!
-Marius I-
Lying on the hilltop, I let my mind wander with the poetic inspiration welling up inside me. The north has a stern beauty to it. The wind is tinged with the sharpness of rusted metal. Looking down upon the vast fields, the sky is so clear and bright it seems completely detached. Here, nature forsakes man, distant and cold...
“Hey, Marius. Take a look at this,” a voice says crossly. Honestly. Origis has been like this all day.
“I thought it was some Transportation Corps platoon, but that’s a convoy of merchants.”
“You’re right. A carriage drawn by four horses? How luxurious.” The line traveling what could hardly be called a road was like a diligent and tenacious army of ants. With its queen in tow, as well. Ah, I see. So that’s why they’re accompanied by ferocious-looking soldier ants.
“Check out that banner.”
“Yeah. It’s the Red Lions, a mercenary band. They’re a bunch of shady dudes that ally with vampires and attack humans.”
“Wow... What a bold merchant.”
“They’re either a weirdo or an idiot. I dunno who this big shot is, but they’ve certainly got money to burn.” True. For mercenaries, gold is all that matters. But hiring a shady mercenary band and heading straight into a land embroiled in conflict... The merchant themselves might be riding in that caravan. It would just be so boring if such eccentricity was only half-baked.
“Hey, Origis. Why don’t we go with them?”
“Huh? Why? That sounds like a pain.”
“Because it seems interesting. If we poke the soldiers and their employer, they might sing for us.”
“Hmm... you think?” My brother Origis hates the city. He probably doesn’t want to understand the people there. But that’s too bad. What lies before us is a toxic substance that will plunge our world into the depravity of humans dying pathetically. To let them pass by unperturbed would not only be boring, but would also certainly spark strife at their destination.
I must find the connection between violence and affluence.
“Marius, stop staring at me. Fine, already.”
“Thanks, Origis.”
“You’re starting to resemble our mom more and more lately. It’s scary...”
“Huh, maybe I should tell her you said that.”
“Wait! I said fine, okay?!” He nods, cursing to himself under his breath. Good.
“Then let’s go join them.”
“Right. Be friendly, now.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior.” We stand and turn around. In the shadow of the hill is a line of cavalry a thousand strong, elite soldiers garbed in a fierceness born from the toughest military training. The banner they raise is a flaming red cross on a field of black, the noble symbol of our family. House Willow, army of flame, stands here. The north is quite suited to us.
“Perhaps we should dispatch a message to our brother that we will be late.”
“We could always tell him that it was because of my selfish whims.”
“No way. Imagine being the messenger who has to memorize and deliver that...” We get on our horses and lead the line to the top of the hill. Even with their lances down, our troops can make one uneasy. No one flies banners, either. Origis’ surly attitude keeps the soldiers on edge.
“May I greet them?”
“Go ahead.” Honestly, Origis. Having 500 cavalry sitting atop a hill is just screaming that you’re ready to ride out to battle at any time. There’s no such thing as a friendly downhill rush of cavalry. But I can understand why he’s on edge. He wants to reunite with Agias as soon as possible so that he can give him a piece of his mind. It might even turn into a brawl. In that case, I’ll have to step in.
First things first, though: we have to be of some help. We have to stay calm, as a military man should, and see through everything. A man as great as my brother Agias swore his life to a mysterious girl. His heart, which had been drowning in despair, is “now lit with the brightest flames” thanks to her. She has given us hope as well, this Lady Kuroi. Who is she? To be honest, I can hardly focus on the hundred-something soldiers marching before me. My mind has been racing this entire time. I feel like a maiden that is about to be late for a secret rendezvous.
“Greetings, my fellows. I am Marius Willow.” I flash a refreshing smile. It’s all right to let go of your swords, my good Red Lions. Your employer is in no danger.
“I have a suggestion for the master of this caravan. Might we join forces on the journey north, to the frontier?” Let us have a conversation—a bit of chatter while we travel. And if, perchance, I find out you are going to interfere with Agias’s plans... well, I’ll just have to quickly wipe you all out.
20 The Priest Proclaims the Blessings of Good Fortune of the Human God and Then Goes Silent
The rising sun is akin to God’s power.
I merely bathe in the light of dawn, for I dare not keep it to myself.
-Father Felipo IV-
Morning prayers have finished. The noon smoke from the kitchen arouses my appetite. Alone, I sit in my office. In other words, I have free rein in this place.
“...And thus, we valiantly repelled the fearsome vampire raid! Oh, how vexing! I, a lowly priest, cannot do justice to that godly battle! It was a scene for the ages—nay, the very holy book itself!” Here is where I’ll tightly close my eyes and shiver as I’m overcome with emotion. Heh heh heh. I don’t even need to crack my eyelids; the gasps and furious scribbling of notes tell me just how effective I am being. Now I’ll drop my tone and draw close, as if relaying a secret.
“And the elves, why, they were so awestruck they presented us with their secret remedies and scented woods. Amazing, no? And this is a military secret so I cannot share any details, but the elf princess... Pardon, Her Highness the Elven Princess, is staying here.” The elven princess. Such a fearsome and rare phrase. It is sure to snare the hearts of the masses. Perhaps I cannot relay the truth, but that is not a problem. In fact, plausible lies suit my purposes much better. This way, my words can ride the winds of desire and become more easily exaggerated. Perfect.
“A theological perspective? That I cannot tell you. As the one in charge of this land’s church, I have sent a notice to the main church, slapdash though it may seem. I imagine that the Cardinal will eventually make an official proclamation... Oh, what a glorious, dream-like proclamation it will be.” That’s how it is. I leave the rest to you all.
Hm. I contemplate the size of the newspaper article, then decide it is time to wrap things up. For the finale, I’ll shower him with the items that must be emphasized.
“Forgive my aimless musings... After careful thought, perhaps it is humanity’s bravery that ought to be commended. In other words...” I stand and lively, proudly state: “Odysson, sorcerer of the frontier who unleashed mystical fireballs to protect the commoners at his back! A gallant hero! Agias Willow, Acting Captain of the Frontier Army, who challenged our fearsome enemies with only his armed cavalry! Our venerable leader! And I, Father Felipo, who bravely took up the spear as the belfry tower fell!” In truth, I didn’t actually do anything, but I would like some money to rebuild the belfry.
I’ve just noticed, but this reporter didn’t bring an artist with him. Why is that? With nothing but the written word to detail our deeds, I am forced to continue my speech. Honestly.
“And lest we forget, the most fantastic of anyone or anything on that battlefield was the Hare of Flame, Lady Kuroi.” I drop to a hushed voice, so that my words may secretly, sweetly wind their way into his mind.
“The tidal wave of monsters, the magic of elves, the monstrous strength of vampires... every disaster that threatens to annihilate us, she beats back. Indeed, it is like a miracle from God.” Did I hear the reporter swallow? Good. Now his fascination will lead him to admirably pen this story. Yes, the exit’s that way.
Now, what’s next... Oh? If it isn’t Odysson at the door. He looks as if he’s eaten som
ething quite sour. And after I just got done talking him up as our hero, as well.
“What’s the matter? Why are you standing there?”
“I-I know it’s all necessary, but... damn, you really wag your tongue like an idiot.”
“A priest’s sermons are magic, after all.”
“Oh, really? No wonder!”
“I was kidding. Now, give me your report, Sir Frontier Sorcerer.” Now he looks as if he’s eaten something bitter. Such a wealth of expressions.
“...First, the dissections of the monster bodies and the production of drugs from them is going really well. The people are passionate, but I think the biggest help has been the arrival of the expert.”
“The one from the Sorcerer’s Guild? I thought they were quite exclusive.”
“They are. But the adventurers are pretty open about the dissections. As for the manufacturing, I’ve got a guy. Managed to pull in an apothecary.”
“I see. So that’s the secret of your catalyst magic.”
“Basically. Whether it’s fixing or breaking, it’s all consumption in the end.” Odysson shrugs, and I notice an unfamiliar wand at his waist. Judging from how filthy his clothes are, that must be the completed product.
“Mm? Oh, this is the finished ash wand. It’s made from the branch of a witch hazel tree. It’s really dense, so just one of these can unleash up to six spells.”
“That’s wonderful. And you can mass-produce them?”
“As long as I have total control of all the charcoal, I can produce a mountain of them.”
“Let’s make something more dedicated. This situation requires a more modern kiln.”
“Yeah, there are more people now... despite how dangerous this area is.” In spite of his tone, he’s smiling. Heh heh heh. I can understand. It was a happy miscalculation on my part to see just how many people flooded to the Frontier in such a short amount of time. They were driven to gather here despite the hardships that may await... Hope is such a sweet, piercing nectar. People will risk their lives for something merely if they can see it with their own eyes.