["Emilia is so miserable; it seems her past was very frightening."]
["My wife, so pitiful! Don't go to the trial!"]
["Such a quick blade! Elsa is here again]
["Holy cow, that cut felt like it landed on me! Old Thief, can't you describe it less realistically?"]
["The Bowel Hunter is actually that powerful? So many people couldn't defeat her alone?"]
["Quickly go to the Royal Capital and invite Sword Saint Reinhart!"]
["What the heck? A bunch of rabbits ate Natsuki Subaru? Terrifying!"]
["Beatrice is indeed a character with secrets."]
["I understand, conquering Beatrice is the key to passing this stage!"]
A small portion of people were still discussing the plot, but a large portion of others were focused on the characters.
Apparently, with the release of this volume, the popularity of the Witch of Greed, Echidna, increased again, especially the last scene, combined with the 'checking phone bill' portrayal, which looked very touching.
Readers naturally assumed that Echidna, like them, was an 'audience member' who could understand the protagonist's hardships along the way, so their favorability skyrocketed, as for her identity as a Witch, it had long been forgotten.
["Echidna, how can she be so cute!"]
["It's decided, Echidna is my main wife! Emilia and Rem can only be secondary, sorry."]
["I understand that feeling, it's like no one else understands you, but one person allows you to express your emotions. At this time, Echidna is like Natsuki Subaru's angel, providing him with salvation."]
["I've had that feeling too; when I was in school, I was ostracized by classmates, but as soon as I saw a friend, the grievances in my heart immediately disappeared."]
["Echidna's timing is too perfect, don't you find it strange?"]
["Why should it be strange? Didn't Echidna say it was a trial... Oh right, it's a trial! There won't be any tricks, will there?"]
["I also think Echidna has a problem, she's definitely not as good as you all think; Witches and High Priests are essentially no different..."]
["Who cares about her, as long as Echidna is Natsuki Subaru's pure first love now! We'll worry about what happens later, later."]
["I don't care, I just like Echidna, no one can convince me otherwise, cuteness is justice!"]
["I also think what everyone says makes a lot of sense, but who told Old Thief and Eromanga-sensei to make her so cute... I'm willing to be captivated by beauty!"]
That's right, Echidna was just too cute!
This was partly due to Sagiri's artwork and partly due to his deliberate guidance in his writing, not making the 'Greed' aspect too obvious, which created a biased impression among everyone, thus making the subsequent contrast more dramatic.
Of course, not everyone held the same opinion.
In the otaku friend group, some people started to complain.
Kiririn Rino: I really don't understand why some people like such a pretentious woman! The Witch of Greed is too fake, isn't she?
Black Cat: This, I feel the same way, I really don't like this kind of character.
Saori Bajeena: It's rare for you two to agree, should I thank Izumi-sensei?
Black Cat: No, what I mean is... the good girls in school, you know.
Kiririn Rino: I don't know what you mean, you bastard!
Umaru: I feel like I've been hit by an AoE.
Sawamura: Actually, I think there are still big differences...
Kiririn Rino: What, Sawamura actually appeared!
Black Cat: Shocked!
Umaru: Shocked!
Izumi Chihiro: Shocked!
Sawamura:???
Because Eriri hadn't appeared in the otaku friend group for a long time, everyone was quite surprised, and they all knew about the manga, so they didn't bother her.
However, since Eriri appeared voluntarily, it meant her work was no longer as busy as before, so everyone started discussing manga creation with her again.
"Eriri, dinner time."
Her mother, Sawamura Sayuri's, voice came from downstairs.
"I know."
Eriri responded.
She was already tired of chatting anyway, so this was a good excuse to escape everyone's enthusiastic entanglement.
Now, she finally understood how Chihiro felt when he was constantly questioned by everyone.
Sawamura: Alright, alright, I can't chat anymore, I need to prepare for dinner.
Kiririn Rino: Hmm, it's almost dinner time.
Saori Bajeena: Wait, before that, I wanted to ask everyone if they have time for Winter Comiket?
Kiririn Rino: Of course I have time, but there are a few busy people in the group.
Kiririn Rino: Oh right, speaking of that, it reminds me of when Chihiro and Stinky Cat abandoned us to go on a beach vacation during summer break! My fists are hardening.
When Eriri saw this message, she also felt uneasy.
Someone was stealing her home, but she was too busy to do anything.
But now that her work had stabilized and it was a holiday, she had plenty of time to make arrangements.
So...
Black Cat: You're envious and jealous, aren't you? Well, there's nothing to be done about it. After all, I'm an already debuted light novelist. My standing is different from yours.
Kiririn Rino: You guy... you're gloating!
Izumi Chihiro: I don't really care. I always have plenty of time. It's just that I'm a little worried...
Saori Bajeena: Worried about what?
Izumi Chihiro: There might be too many people.
There are no walls that can keep secrets, and even if Nayuta and Sagiri haven't spoken, they are in this otaku group. Although they are busy and haven't spoken for now, they will definitely see it later.
Saori Bajeena: I thought it was some big problem. Too many people isn't a problem; the more people, the better the atmosphere, right?
Kiririn Rino: Could those teachers be there? (Starry eyes.jpg)
Black Cat: If nothing unexpected happens, those people will definitely come along.
Kiririn Rino: That's great!
"Damn it."
Eriri's eyebrows furrowed as she watched everyone's comments.
She couldn't stay silent any longer at this point.
Otherwise, her presence would completely disappear.
Sawamura: I also have a lot of time recently.
Saori Bajeena: Then come along!
Kiririn Rino: That's wonderful!
Just as he expected, Sagiri and the others soon found out and decided to go together. This Winter Comiket would probably have the most luxury lineup ever.
Izumi Chihiro, however, felt a strong sense of crisis.
If there were too many people, it would be difficult to coordinate!
They would worry about future matters later. Before the Winter Comiket, everyone still had something else to care about.
That's right, it was Christmas!
Originally, Izumi didn't pay much attention to this holiday, but this year, with Yamada Elf, the cheerful one, she loves to throw parties and enjoys a lively atmosphere.
At her invitation, the Christmas party became something to look forward to.
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter