Chapter 107: Background Character Recon
"Mmh..."
"Hmm? What's up, Leafa?"
"Do all of you seniors know each other in real life?"
Hearing this, Yukino was startled and hurried to explain.
"Sorry, Leafa. I hadn't explained it before, but yes, we all know each other in real life.
Although we were separated from Hachiman-kun and Kirito-kun for a while due to certain circumstances, we've recently gathered again."
"I see, so that's how it is."
"Sorry, it wasn't like we were trying to hide it…"
"Ah, no, it's not that, Yukino. Actually… I kind of envy you all."
At the word "envy,"
Yukino suddenly recalled a certain player and asked Leafa:
"Leafa, you and Recon-kun know each other in real life too, right?"
"Ah—yeah, I do have some connection with Recon in real life.
But it's more like a troublesome relationship than a bond.
Compared to the kind of connection you all seem to have, it's really weak."
Hearing this, everyone seemed to feel sympathy for Recon.
'Recon, don't let it get to you.' 'Recon… what a pitiful guy...' 'Recon-kun… someday your efforts will be rewarded… maybe.' 'Recon-kun, poor thing.' 'That's totally the "just friends"
zone.' 'Wait, who even is Recon?'
"Ah…"
At that moment, Yukino seemed to realize something again and suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm? What is it, Yukino?"
"Come to think of it, what I asked Leafa-san was to guide us and help us regroup, right?"
"Ah, yeah, that's right."
"From here on it might be dangerous, so continuing to rely on Leafa-san might be…"
"Ah—if you mean that, don't worry about it, Yukino. I've already parted ways with Sigurd and his crew. From now on, I'll act on my own will and help you all."
"...Thank you, Leafa-san."
"Thanks, Leafa."
"We're counting on you, Leafa!"
Seeing Kirito's smile, Leafa's heart suddenly raced.
Trying not to let it show, she hurriedly smiled at everyone.
"Anyway, I look forward to working with you all!"
Hearing that, everyone responded warmly. Then Yukino continued speaking to Leafa:
"Leafa-san, as you probably already know, our team has remained neutral and unaffiliated with any factions until now.
But that policy ends here.
We just had a group discussion and decided that from now on, we'll move forward together with Hachiman-kun. I wanted to let you know first."
"Eh?"
"Of course, I'll always be with Hachiman too."
"Me too…"
"So the core of the group isn't Yukino, but Hachiman-kun, huh."
"Oh… looks like that's how it is."
"Hehe, Hachiman-kun, you don't need to look so lacking in confidence. But still… what should I do now...?"
Seeing Leafa's expression, Kirito casually offered:
"You don't have a specific place to go right now, right? Then why not join us until you decide?"
"...Is that okay?"
"Of course it is. Right, Hachiman?"
"Ah, like you said before, right? A friend of a friend is a friend. If you're willing, Leafa, then don't hesitate."
"Thanks… Mm, I suddenly feel motivated! Please take care of me again!"
"And so, the power of Team Hachiman continues to grow!"
"Oi, Kirito, why are you narrating like it's some dramatic trailer? And what the hell is 'Team Hachiman'?"
"That name is seriously lame. Hachiman-kun, come up with something better."
"Yeah, Onii-chan. Even as your little sister, I'm embarrassed."
"I actually think it's kind of nice."
"Yui-senpai, that's no good!"
"Ugh… Well, we'll probably be forming a guild eventually, so let's consider that a task for later."
"Please make it a cool name, Hachiman!"
"O-okay… But I'm really bad at naming things..."
At that moment, Yui, who could no longer hold back, flew out of Hachiman's pocket and began circling everyone.
"Yui is here too, Daddy! Yui is part of Team Hachiman!"
"Oh my, you must be the famous Yui-chan. Nice to meet you. I'm Yukino."
Yukino greeted her first, and the others quickly followed suit.
"I'm Yui! Daddy's daughter!"
Yui landed on Hachiman's head and posed heroically with her hands on her hips.
It was clearly an attempt to show off, but her cuteness melted the hearts of the female members, who all gathered around to chat with her.
After the scene calmed down, Leafa spoke to Hachiman first:
"So what's next? Do we eliminate the enemies first, then head to the alliance meeting location? I thought our job was to escort Yukino and the others to the treaty ceremony."
"Yeah, that's mostly right."
"'Mostly'? So there's more?"
"Ah. First, we'll use a large sum of money to buy the cooperation of the Sylph and Cait Sith lords. Then, we'll use those funds to upgrade our equipment and take on a major quest in Alfheim. That's our current goal."
"A major quest?"
"Yeah. Leafa, haven't you ever felt something strange about the setup of these major quests?"
"What do you mean?"
Hachiman then explained his suspicions about the quest mechanics to Leafa in detail, and she seemed to have had similar thoughts.
"I see. That might explain the weird feeling I always had about the major quests."
"When you think about it, it is strange, right?"
"Yeah. Almost like the developers never intended to operate this game long-term."
Hearing that, Hachiman muttered to himself:
"Not intended for long-term operation… huh."
"Ah, sorry, just my personal impression. Don't mind it."
"No, I hadn't thought about it that way. That's actually really insightful. Thanks, Leafa."
"Ah, um, you're welcome."
"Anyway, what I'm thinking is: instead of having the races constantly at odds, why not get them to work together to clear content? What do you think?"
"That does seem like a viable path."
"So, with Yukino's help, we might be able to get the Sylph and Cait Sith to work with us. That's the basic idea."
"I see… I was really frustrated by our previous failure, so I'm glad we get another chance."
"Actually, if we could also get the Salamanders on our side, that'd be even better. But they're today's enemies, so that might be tough."
"Yeah, true."
"Alright, let's get into the details. Time is tight."
Everyone nodded and began to strategize.
Yukino's group went ahead into the corridor to confirm the identity of the enemy and would contact Hachiman. To prepare, Hachiman and Kirito added everyone as friends. Hachiman's team would remain in the city to draw attention, and once they were contacted, they'd enter the corridor to regroup and defeat the enemy.
After quickly finalizing the details, Yukino's group donned hoods and discreetly entered the corridor.
"Alright, we should show ourselves soon too."
"Will the enemy be Sylphs or Salamanders?"
"Which will it be...?"
"If it's Salamanders, that's easier for me."
"Logically speaking… if it's the Sylphs, it might be awkward for Leafa."
"Yeah, but this is my choice. Even though I feel sorry for Lady Sakuya, who's always looked after me, I've decided to leave the Sylph territory."
"I see…"
"Besides, being with you guys means I get to see all sorts of new things. Isn't that exciting?"
"Oh! Totally exciting!"
"Right?!"
As Kirito and Leafa chatted happily, Hachiman received a message from Yukino. After reading it, he asked Leafa:
"Leafa, do you know a place called the bridge over the lake in the corridor?"
"Ah, yeah. That's near the corridor exit."
"Seems the enemy is lying in ambush there. If Yukino's group gets spotted while crossing, they might have to deal with those enemies too."
"If the bridge becomes the battlefield, and flight isn't allowed inside the corridor, it'll be tough for large groups to maneuver. That actually works to our advantage."
"Exactly. As long as we're not surrounded, we'll be fine."
"No matter how many there are, Kirito and I will defeat whatever enemy stands before us."
"Hehe, that's right, Kirito-kun. So, who exactly is our enemy?"
"Don't worry, Leafa. This time… the enemy is the Salamanders."