When the Actual Magic playtest ended at 3:00 PM, Yuuma, Kenk, Sawa, and Nagi had all been level 7. After that, in Althea, they had defeated the Conehead Bruiser, the swarm of Tabanus Hellfly Larvae, and the Conehead Demolisher (although without Valac’s help, the Demolisher would have wiped the floor with them). Later, in Actual Magic, they had defeated the Varanian Axbearer mini-boss and the two Barbed Wolf trash mobs. As a result, Yuuma, Kenk, and Sawa were now level 12, and Tomori, who had joined them along the way, was level 11. Yuuma, Kenk, and Sawa each had 220 unused skill points. Tomori had 170. It generally took 100 points to acquire a new skill, which meant that Yuuma, Kenk, and Sawa could each acquire two new skills, while Tomori could acquire one. Yuuma currently had three skills—utility magic, shadow magic, and Command. If Yuuma remembered correctly, Kenk’s skills were Two-Handed Sword Mastery, Exceptional Strength, and Physical Resistance, while Sawa’s skills were utility magic, fire magic, and Enhanced MP Regeneration. Since they could each add two skills, Yuuma was going to suggest they all choose Enhanced HP Regeneration as one of their picks. First, however, he wanted Tomori to decide how she wanted to progress her build. “Shimizu, what are your skills so far?” asked Yuuma. “Let’s see…,” she began. “I’ve got holy magic, light magic, and Enhanced MP Regeneration.” “Oh, so you didn’t take utility magic?” “No, I was playing with Chi…I mean Tsuda during the playtest. Since she took utility magic, I decided not to.” “Of course…” Yuuma nodded and stopped to think. So far, Tomori had a magic build that was geared toward casting healing and buff spells from the back row, and not for standing on the front lines. But she was still only level 11. It wasn’t too late to change course—not yet, at least! “Let’s see… If you picked up another type of magic or a skill like Enhanced Spell Range, you might start to get locked into being a pure caster, but right now you can still change course if you want to. For instance, if you traded your crozier in for a mace and shield and picked up skills like Shield Mastery and Physical Resistance, you could make a very capable cleric or battle priest…” Yuuma glanced at Kenk and Sawa as he spoke, but they both just nodded wordlessly. Kenk and Sawa were both big gamers, like Yuuma, so if he had their seal of approval, that must mean there was nothing in the game system keeping the build from being viable. There was still one more hurdle that needed to be cleared, however. Yuuma was trying to figure out how to explain, when— “Ashihara, what was that word you said earlier? A cleric?” “Ah…sorry, it’s a common character class in games. It just means a Priest who fights, like a frontline Priest.” “Oh, okay, of course. I thought it was a name from a book or something, like Claire Morgan.” Before Yuuma could ask who that was, Tomori was already hurrying on to her next question. “Anyway, the fact that there’s a word for it must mean it’s not too out there…right? It’s not something that no one would ever think to play, is it?” “Well…no, of course not. Backline healers are probably more common, but you’ll always see at least a few battle priests in any MMO. With enough growth, they can sometimes even become a specialized prestige class, like a paladin.” “A paladin…? Like the Twelve Peers of Charlemagne?” Yuuma blinked again. That was another name he didn’t recognize. Sawa and Kenk looked lost as well. Tomori quickly began to explain. She seemed a little self-conscious. “Well…Charlemagne was the French name given to Charles the Great, the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. In the heroic epic The Song of Roland, Charlemagne had twelve knights under his command who were said to excel in feats of valor, and their leader was named Roland… Actually, Kondou, do you remember that steel bar you picked up in Althea, the one that you called Durendal? Durendal was originally the name of Roland’s sword!” “It was?!” Yuuma and Kenk both shouted at once. “Wait. How do you know about that?” Kenk murmured a moment later. Tomori, however, didn’t seem to hear him. She had forgotten her self-consciousness at this point and was now eagerly diving into her explanation. “Of course, Durendal and Roland probably didn’t actually exist, but the twelve knights were all unique and had their own personalities. Especially Roland’s best friend, Oliver. He was my favorite. The Twelve Peers were also known as the paladins.” “Whoaaa!” Yuuma and Kenk marveled. Yuuma thought paladins were just a class name used in-game. Who knew they had such a venerable backstory? Tomori, of course. Yuuma was shocked at how knowledgeable she was, despite only being in the sixth grade like the rest of them. Yuuma and Kenk were too busy being impressed to add anything to the conversation. Sawa, however, was determined to show she wasn’t quite as dumb as the other two. “Wait, that sounds like the story of King Arthur. Didn’t he have the Knights of the Roundtable or something like that, too?” “Exactly!” Tomori shouted, suddenly leaning forward in excitement. “The Song of Roland and the legend of King Arthur have tons of things in common. Roland’s Durendal and King Arthur’s Excalibur are treated almost the same in both stories, someone betrays the knights in both stories, and they both have the witch Morgan…” Tomori’s eyes sparkled with excitement, but she suddenly trailed off before apologizing in a tiny voice. The change was like night and day. “I’m sorry… I get carried away talking about this stuff…” “You don’t need to apologize; it was interesting. When we rescue Nagi and get back to the shelter, maybe you can tell us more about Charlemagne. Nagi loves those kinds of stories, too,” said Sawa. “O-okay…,” said Tomori. She nodded before turning back to Yuuma. “I’m sorry for going off on a tangent. I’ve given it a lot of thought, but…” She hesitated for a moment but then continued in a decisive tone of voice, “I think I’ll stay a normal, backline Priest.” “Oh…” Yuuma was almost certain she was going to say she wanted to become a battle priest. He stared closely at Tomori’s face as he spoke. “Are you sure that’s what you want…?” “Yes. I think my role is to make sure everyone stays healed up… Besides, I’m not sure I’d make a very good paladin anyway,” Tomori said jokingly. She seemed to have calmed down again, at least. The last hurdle, which Yuuma never got the chance to mention—the condition she needed to meet in order to move up to the front line—was the capability to go toe to toe with monsters, without letting fear get the better of her. The world of AM was very real. The mental pressure involved in standing up front and fighting with a melee weapon in your hand was entirely different from the pressure involved in shooting off spells from the back row. Yuuma didn’t doubt Tomori’s bravery, but when you’re low on HP and one hit away from death, the only way to know if you’ve got what it takes to stand your ground and trust in your friends—is to experience it for yourself. Tomori had used that word role again. Something about it didn’t sit easy with Yuuma, but he just nodded slowly. “Fine. Then as your fourth skill, maybe you should choose Enhanced Spell Range… Wait, before that, you should probably choose Enhanced HP Regeneration. I was thinking we should all take that.” “What, really?” said Kenk, completely taken by surprise. “That skill is kind of underwhelming, isn’t it? The regen is too little to matter in battle, and out of battle, there are plenty of other ways to heal…” “In the world of AM maybe,” said Yuuma. “Of course,” murmured Sawa. Yuuma nodded briefly in her direction before turning back to Kenk. “Our avatars don’t get stuff like broken bones and torn blood vessels, so as long as we have at least one HP remaining, we can heal up completely with natural regeneration. But the same isn’t true in the real world. If we were to get seriously injured there, we would either need to get someone to heal us with magic, like Shimizu did for Aida earlier, or to drink a healing potion. But what if we were in a situation where neither was available? If we had Enhanced HP Regeneration, however…” “Our natural healing might still keep us alive?” Kenk finally seemed to understand. He glanced down at his own body and touched himself gingerly around the abdomen, as if he was remembering what happened when the Conehead Demolisher sent him flying. “You’re right; it’s a lot tougher over there than it is in here. Anything we can do to raise our chance of survival in the real world, even by just a little…” “I think it’s a good idea, too. Back when the Demolisher attacked, you only had this much HP left,” said Tomori, pinching together her index finger and thumb. Kenk grimaced, sucking in air between his teeth. There was no time like the present. Since everyone was already in agreement, they opened their menu windows, navigated to their Skills tabs, and selected Enhanced HP Regeneration. After pressing the OK button, they were each enveloped in an effect indicating that they had just acquired a new skill. Next, Yuuma chose Enhanced MP Regeneration, which was an indispensable skill for magic-using classes. Kenk chose the Posture skill, which would make him harder to knock down. And Sawa chose Wand Mastery, which would both increase her magic attack power and decrease the amount of MP she used. The four of them had now used up nearly all their skill points. According to the guidebook, reaching level 12 and acquiring five skills was the milestone that indicated a player was no longer a beginner. Tomori was still level 11, and was also new to MMORPGs to begin with, so they would need to keep looking out for her, but the next time they faced a boss monster like the Varanian Axbearer, it was on Yuuma, Sawa, and Kenk to live up to their new status as intermediates. At the very least, they had better avoid rookie mistakes, like letting a few trash adds ruin their battle plans again. Yuuma closed his window, vowing privately that he would do better next time. He had ordered coffee for after his meal. He insisted on drinking it black, since he thought that would seem cooler—but it took only a sip for the bitterness to make his face screw up in displeasure. “See?” Sawa rolled her eyes, pouring in a generous lug of milk from a ceramic pitcher and then popping in three cubes of sugar. In the real world, you would need to mix that all up with a spoon, but Yuuma skipped that step and took another sip. The smooth new flavor and rich aroma flooded his mouth. He sighed in pleasure. He could still feel some fatigue in the back of his neck, but their real mission was just getting started. The time now was 8:50 PM. He wanted them to find Nagi, and return to the shelter, before the day was over. The other three finished their coffees and teas and set their cups down at almost the exact moment as Yuuma. “All right, all fueled up again!” said Kenk, putting on his most dashing smile. A moment later, however, his face fell. He glanced down at his stomach and then over at Sawa. “Hey, Sawa… When we log out, everything we just ate and drank isn’t going to disappear from our stomachs, is it?” “Hmm…well…” Sawa thought for a moment and then shrugged. “I don’t think so. After all, if you got reset every time you logged in and out, you’d be able to cheese your way out of stuff like poison and paralysis that way.” “That makes sense.” Kenk nodded, relieved, and then reached for the menu that was still on the table. “Hold on, you’re not planning on eating even more, are you?” “Of course not! I just figured that we could order something to go, for Nagi.” “Hmph… That’s not a bad idea. For you, at least.” Well, that was rude, thought Yuuma. He and Kenk pored over the open menu together. Tomori and Sawa were perusing the other menu. Yuuma glanced surreptitiously at Tomori, a little concerned, but she seemed like her normal self. After inspecting the menu, they decided to order a sandwich on soft white bread, bursting with herbs, cheese, and thinly sliced ham, as well as the apple pie with cream, to go. It took the waitress less than three minutes to bring it out to them, wrapped in a brown paper bag. Yuuma used the opportunity to ask for their check and was surprised to receive a paper bill like you would receive in the real world. It was neatly handwritten. Altogether, the bill for their four meals, drinks, and the two take-out orders came to 181 aurums. An aurum was probably worth about 100 yen, meaning they had just spent the equivalent of around 18,000 yen. Yuuma was floored by the amount. Normally he would be hesitant to buy even a 200-yen roll from the convenience store. Just that one chest in the castle, however, had contained over 3,000 aurums, and he was used to playing RPGs where you bought and sold items worth 100,000 gold or 1,000,000 zeni, or whatever currency, on a daily basis. Yuuma tried to act nonchalant as he opened his inventory and materialized one golden coin, which was worth 100 aurums, nine silver coins, worth 10 aurums, and one copper coin, worth 1 aurum. First, he placed their total on the waitress’s waxed leather tray, and then he added the extra silver coin to indicate it was a tip. Since she was an NPC, Yuuma wasn’t sure if she would understand what a tip was—but after a moment, she blinked and then bent forward slightly. “Is that for me, handsome?” Yuuma nodded quickly and answered her in a tiny voice. “Of course. The food was delicious.” “Well, thank you, adventurer. If you keep throwing such big tips around, though, you’re gonna find yourself without a pot to piss in.” “Um…maybe I could ask you a few questions in private, in exchange?” In response, the waitress quickly looked Yuuma up and down as if sizing him up, and then nodded slightly. “Why not? Meet me out back.” She stood back up, gave Yuuma a wink, and walked away. Yuuma exhaled. Kenk, who was sitting next to him, seemed impressed. “All right, Yuuma! Way to go!” The four exited the restaurant and, after making sure that no one was watching, slipped into the narrow alleyway between the restaurant and the building next door. It really was narrow, only about fifty meters wide, but it was a straight shot to the back road that intersected with it. It was much darker here than along the main street, and the damp cobblestones were chipped and cracked in places. It almost seemed like an entirely different part of town. “I didn’t expect there to be areas like this in Calcina…,” murmured Sawa. “I bet there’s even some hidden shops back here,” said Yuuma. Just then, they heard the click of a lock turning. It came from what appeared to be a back door into the restaurant. Yuuma tensed up reflexively, but it was only the waitress from earlier. She looked a little different now that she had removed her apron and bandanna, but she still sported the same red ponytail as before. The waitress closed the door behind her, leaned against it, and placed her right hand into the pocket of her long skirt. She produced a narrow stick, tarry in color and about seven or eight centimeters long. She struck it against the nearby wall, creating a small flame on its end. Yuuma watched, dumbfounded, as she stuck the other end of the stick into her mouth and took a long drag. “Hah…” She sighed softly, breathing out a narrow stream of purple smoke. A sweet aroma filled the air. They’ve got cigarettes in AM?! Yuuma was still staring in astonishment when the waitress cocked her head toward them and spoke in a husky voice. “Now then, what is it you wanted to know, sweetie?” The pitch and tone of her voice were completely different from when she had been serving them inside the restaurant. Yuuma was starting to wonder if it really was the same woman from before. He glanced up at her HP bar, but the only thing written there was Serving Girl at Pomegranate Pavilion. It wasn’t like she had any reason to swap places with someone else, though, so Yuuma began asking his questions. “Um… Earlier today, maybe around early evening, did another adventurer happen to come into town? A girl about the same age as us, probably on her own?” “I’m sorry to break this to you, sweetheart, but I’ve been working inside all day since noon. I can’t check the face of every adventurer who walks in and out of town.” There was a crackling sound as she took another puff on her stick, exhaling the smoke with evident satisfaction. If Yuuma decided to take up smoking in AM, would it even affect his body in the real world…? Yuuma quickly chased the thought from his mind. He had been expecting the waitress’s answer, and so he continued with his follow-up question. “In that case, do you know of anyone who might know if she had shown up?” “Let’s see… There’s a souvenir shop catty-corner across the way, called House of Stripes. The old man who runs it might know something.” “House of Stripes. Okay, thank you.” Yuuma bowed his head, and Sawa and the others followed suit. The waitress shook out the cigarette she was holding and pushed open the rear door to the restaurant, turning back to look over her shoulder with one last comment. “If the old man doesn’t want to talk to you, just tell him Elaine sent you. I hope you find the girl.” This time the waitress stepped back inside. Yuuma shouted a thank-you as she disappeared through the door. “Some NPCs they got here…,” Kenk muttered once she was gone. Yuuma and the others would have loved to explore the back streets, but they put their curiosity on hold for now and hurriedly returned to the main street. It was already past 9:00, but there were still a fair amount of people out walking. Most seemed to be locals who were stopping by for something to eat on their way home, or red-faced tavern hoppers. Only a handful of the NPCs who were out looked like they might be tourists. Yuuma peered across the street from Pomegranate Pavilion. A three-story inn sat directly across the street. There was a tavern with open-terrace seating to its right, and what looked to be a clothing shop, which had already closed for the day, to its left. There didn’t seem to be anything resembling a souvenir shop, however… “Ah… What about over there?” Tomori pointed to a patch of darkness between the inn and the clothing shop. Squinting, Yuuma managed to make out a small, one-story building set back a short distance from the road. She was right; that could be a shop. The group crossed the street and approached. Yes, it was definitely a shop. Its road frontage measured only about one and a half meters wide, however. Most players would probably overlook it unless they already knew it was there. It was laid out like a train station shop, with a display counter set out in front that stretched the entire width of the store’s face, allowing customers to shop without actually entering the building. A sign reading HOUSE OF STRIPES, in faded letters, hung beneath the shop’s awning. Behind the display counter sat an old man, likely the owner. The only light came from two small lamps hanging to the left and right of the signboard, leaving the old man’s face half hidden in shadow. Yuuma hesitantly approached and pretended to peruse the wares. It was all accessories. Rings and bangles, arranged in rows. They were made of red- and white-striped stonework—possibly cut sardonyx. That explains the name… Or so Yuuma thought, but just then he heard a little meow. He raised his head. A black cat was lying on its side at one edge of the counter above the display case, flicking its long tail back and forth. The cat was entirely black, save for the white stripes on its tail. Maybe the cat was the inspiration for the shop’s name. The old man had yet to move an inch. Yuuma was still pondering the store’s name when the man’s beard trembled and he finally spoke in a gravelly voice. “I’m about to close up for today, young man.” “Oh…sorry. I actually didn’t come to shop.” “Then beat it. We’re closed,” the man said brusquely as he began to stand. In a panic, Yuuma tried to get the man to stay. “We’re actually looking for someone!” “I sell souvenirs, not people.” “No, we don’t want to buy a person…,” Yuuma sputtered, in confusion. Sawa cut in from behind Yuuma. “Elaine, from Pomegranate Pavilion, sent us,” she said calmly. The old man suddenly froze and lowered himself back into his chair. “That firecracker’s nothing but trouble… So? What’s she gotten her nose into this time?” Yuuma was both relieved that the conversation was moving forward and embarrassed that he had forgotten what the waitress had told them. He asked the old man if he had seen a young adventurer girl. If this was part of a quest, now would be about the time they discovered some promising clue, but Nagi was a player who was acting of her own free will. It was entirely possible the old man hadn’t seen her. If so, Yuuma and the others would have to assume she hadn’t come to Calcina and start heading toward Solieu, on the other side of the map. Yuuma waited for the man’s answer, prepared for the worst. A few seconds later— “No, I haven’t seen any adventurers around that age…” Prepared or not, Yuuma felt a hole open up in the pit of his stomach. He heard Kenk sigh heavily behind him. However, the old man wasn’t finished. “…but my friend here has heard some rumors that might be related to this person you’re looking for.” “Your friend…?” Yuuma took a look around, but the only people present were Sawa, Kenk, Tomori, and the old man. Yuuma was still glancing around stupidly when the old man began speaking to the black cat curled up on the edge of the counter. “You there. What was it you were telling me earlier?” In response, the black cat lifted its head in annoyance and began meowing. “Meow meow meow, meow meow, meow meow.” “I see… I see… Yes, of course…” “………” Yuuma and the others stood frozen in place. The old man turned back toward them, cleared his throat, and slowly began speaking. “Apparently…a little after noon today, a girl about your age supposedly washed up on the shore of Philos Island.” “…!!” Quickly getting over his shock at seeing an old man talk to a cat, Yuuma made eye contact and then leaned in over the display counter. “Wh-where is Philos Island?!” “You can see it from here during the day. It’s just across the bridge from the central plaza… Philos is that sandbank sitting in the middle of the Cal River. It’s where the lord mayor’s manor is located.” “…O-oh…!” The plaza had been their starting point during the playtest. Come to think of it, Yuuma remembered being able to see a large, stately building from there. Yuuma and his friends had mostly skipped the town, not wanting to waste time on sightseeing, but that building was apparently where the lord mayor of Calcina lived. It was only about three hundred meters from the plaza either way. Yuuma wasn’t sure why Nagi would have washed up there, but once they found her, she would be able to tell them more. “Thank you!” shouted Yuuma as he spun around, ready to race off immediately. “Hold your horses there, young man.” The old man called after Yuuma before he could go anywhere. Yuuma turned back around. “Y-yes…?” “You need a pass to cross the bridge to Philos. Besides, even if you had one, the bridge gate is already closed at this time of night.” “Oh…” Yuuma glanced down reflexively, but obviously he didn’t have any sort of bridge pass. It wasn’t like they could just give up, however. “If it’s just a sandbank, we could cross over in a boat or even swim across the river…” “There’s no ferry out there, and you’d have to be an expert swimmer just to avoid getting swept away by the current and carried down to the Great Falls. Even if you did make it across, you’d be in a world of trouble if any of the guards found you there. Just calm down and listen, will you?” “O-okay…” Yuuma resisted the urge to ask what the Great Falls were, and he waited for the man to continue. The old man extended his left hand and stroked the black cat’s back as he spoke. “Anyone found trespassing on Philos Island is captured without mercy, bound, and brought before the constable for interrogation. Not even children are safe. Depending on how prisoners answer the constable’s questions, they can even be put to death on the spot. According to Nanao here, the girl was unconscious when she washed up on the island and hasn’t come to, so they’re keeping her in the dungeon beneath the manor.” “The dungeon…,” murmured Yuuma. Just the thought of Nagi lying unconscious, locked away in some dank, dark dungeon, made Yuuma feel like he was about to lose his mind. If they were going to help her, however, they would first need to find a way across to Philos Island. If they couldn’t go by boat, and they couldn’t swim, maybe they could force their way in through the bridge gate and attack the manor head-on… Yuuma was distraught now and hardly thinking straight. “Who is this constable you mentioned?” Tomori asked calmly. She had stepped forward next to Yuuma at some point. The old man frowned severely. He wasn’t upset that Tomori had asked the question, however. “Constable Oeben… He’s a rank villain who takes advantage of the lord mayor’s youth in order to control the strings of power in Calcina and line his own pockets. This area is known for its onyx, but that scoundrel keeps it all to himself, leaving only third-rate stones like what you see here for the rest of us.” Yuuma and Tomori glanced down at the display case, where the old man was pointing. The accessories lined up in the case all gleamed brightly. His pieces certainly didn’t look inferior. “They’re very pretty…,” said Tomori, apparently thinking the same thing as Yuuma. The old man’s face softened for a moment, but then his mouth quickly turned back into a frown. “Well, obviously I’m not gonna put out any mistakes, but if you could see real top-of-the-line Calcina onyx, you’d know. The striping is one of a kind, and the shine could take your breath away…” The old man’s mouth suddenly clamped shut, and he shook his head back and forth. “But now’s not the time for such things… Oeben is a greedy brute with inhuman strength, which he needs to swing around that massive golden hammer of his. He’s not stupid, either. Don’t underestimate him. He’s far too dangerous for a bunch of kids like you to handle. If you’ve got any notions in your head about charging in through the front door, you’d best give those up now.” Yuuma looked down as the old man cast a sideways glance his way. “But this girl—Nagi…she’s our friend. We can’t leave her in there,” he protested. “You said it yourself. Once she wakes up, they’ll take her before Oeben for interrogation. We need to get her out of there before that happens…” “All the more reason for you to simmer down and listen!” The old man cleared his throat and then glanced past their shoulders to make sure the coast was clear. He gestured for them to come closer. Once they had all crowded in along the barely meter-and-a-half-long display counter, he began whispering. “There’s actually a secret tunnel underneath Philos Island that passes beneath the riverbed and connects to the other shore. It was an underground escape route, built long ago during the long war between Calcina and Solieu. Neither the current lord mayor nor the constable knows anything about it. If you can make it through that passageway, however, you can probably make it into the dungeon without being seen.” “Why didn’t you just say that to begin with…?!” Kenk shouted in relief, but Sawa shut him up with an elbow to the side. “Keep your voice down, you idiot!” she spat. “Sir, you said if we can make it through. Is there some reason we wouldn’t be able to make it through the tunnel?” “I’m getting there. First of all, the exit from the tunnel—what would be the entrance in your case—is located on the south side of the Cal River. You’ll need to cross the bridge to the far east of town to get there. Next, the door to the entrance is sealed with blessed cleansing steel chains, so you’ll need to find some way to cut through them before you can open the door. Finally, it’s not a straightforward path. The tunnel is a maze, and the branching paths are filled with deadly traps designed to spell death for pursuers.” The old man had explained everything in a single breath. He paused for a moment and then spoke again in a weighty voice. “Knowing all this, do you still intend to go?” “…” Of course, Yuuma wanted to answer him without hesitating. But if the tunnel really was full of life-threatening traps, they needed to think things through carefully. If they died in this world, would they just be logged out and unable to dive back into AM again? Or would they be wiped from existence entirely, without ever returning to reality?
Chapter 26
26 min read