Chapter 50. Ant Nest (10)

"Idiot... You're such an idiot."

"Y-Yes, I said I'm sorry."

Sniff.

Luna sniffed loudly again.

I rinsed her hair and clothes with water, then took out a hair tie from my subspace and tied her hair into twin tails.

Our Luna, without her twin tails, is nothing but a dog-like personality.

Why do I carry a hair tie around?

When you have a child, you need to carry everything.

Well, the problem was that the child was 15 years old.

But even with my utmost care, there was no way to deal with her puffy eyes.

"Sniff... Don't misunderstand."

"Huh?"

"I'm not crying because of you! I was just worried that you might have gotten hurt somewhere."

Perhaps she didn't want to even mention the word 'dead.'

'Cute.'

She might think her eyes look fierce, but with puffy eyes, her words lack any conviction.

"R-Really? If you died, I wouldn't even blink!"

"Hmm, if that were to happen, it would be a bit sad, wouldn't it?"

"A-Ah, no... I didn't mean it. I'll save you before you die. Losing a friend would be sad..."

Did she realize her slip of the tongue?

Luna seemed at a loss.

I gently patted her head.

"Hmm, you've worked hard. Don't worry, I'll stay by your side from now on."

I could feel Luna's shoulders drooping.

Indeed, when comforting a child, the best combination is praise and a pat.

"W-Who said I'm your girlfriend!?"

Luna swatted my hand away and lunged at me.

Well, now she's back to her usual self.

I ignored her gnawing on my head and fell into thought.

'What was the deal Caron made with Renia?'

There were only three things I was sure of.

Luna was involved.

There was a need to keep an eye on my relationship with Luna.

And Renia, Luna's mother, had made a request.

Could it be...!

'Was the deal to find Luna a good man?'

Then I'm perfect.

I'm a completely good man.

A good man who lets a fierce Luna gnaw on my head!

"From now on, don't take a single step away from me."

"......What?"

"Would you even be able to leave, feeling so uneasy? From now on, we'll go everywhere together. Got it?"

Anger management issues, stalker tendencies.

And now, separation anxiety disorder?

Is this my only party member?

It's really frustrating.

"Oh, Zero! You're safe? That's a relief."

A group of students approached me.

They were the kids from Group 3 who had explored the ant nest with me.

"Luna-san is amazing! Thanks to her, I was able to confess!"

"Right, thanks to her, I survived!"

Even the confession killer (?) who spewed clichés was safe.

From their conversation, it seemed Luna had saved the kids.

'Did Luna fill the gap left by Caron?'

The number floating above Luna's head.

It was 18 before we parted, meaning she had leveled up by 3.

Moreover.

She had gained a new skill.

Suddenly, an A-rank skill appeared.

'The skill is called "Love and Hate."'

A synergy skill is a passive skill that activates when a party member meets certain conditions.

And [Love and Hate] is a skill that increases or decreases all stats.

What does that mean?

If the condition is met, the stats increase.

If the condition is not met, the stats decrease.

'As far as I know, A-rank is ±25%.'

For reference, S-rank is ±50%.

Yes, it's a cheat.

But it also comes with a significant penalty.

First, if the character meeting the condition has a problem, the synergy effect immediately disappears.

In the current situation, Luna's [Love and Hate] target is me.

If I move far away, faint, or die, the [Love and Hate] effect will immediately disappear.

And all stats will immediately receive a -25% penalty.

Second, the penalty is excessively large.

Without me, -25%. That's a 1/4 reduction.

And this will become more noticeable as levels and stats increase.

Third, it's best not to expect this skill to reach S-rank.

It's impossible to reach S-rank through normal means.

In this game, S-rank is not just a step up.

'The skill itself changes to a significant degree.'

Yes, reaching S-rank requires not just hard work, but also luck.

That's why there's a 25% difference between A-rank and S-rank.

And this is why.

'The old players gamble on potential.'

Because they can obtain S-rank skills that are off the charts.

It's a gamble worth taking, considering the value of S-rank skills.

'Come to think of it, I've accumulated more potential points for gambling.'

I leveled up by 10 in the ant nest.

All with a single [Island].

'Maybe... Caron was designed to appear to prevent this?'

The game makes it harder to level up as you progress, but if I kept using skills, I could have reached at least level 50.

The problems that would arise from that would be numerous.

To prevent balance issues, Caron was designed to appear.

Indeed.

'This game is interesting, isn't it?'

I wanted to gamble on potential right away, but I held back.

There were too many eyes watching.

I also had to consider the possibility of getting a skill that forcibly activates.

'Summarizing the gains from this ant nest... '

10 levels up, 100 potential points for gambling.

10 gold and 1 skill level-up point from completing quests.

Discovery of Caron's hidden piece, and the establishment of a minimal trust relationship.

And Luna's growth.

I gained a lot, all in just one day.

'The [Love and Hate] skill... isn't that bad.'

In fact, as long as Luna stays with me, her stats increase by +25%.

Since we won't be separated, there's no need to worry too much.

"Z-Zero! You're safe!"

Someone was running towards us from a distance.

It was Raymond.

Behind him were two more kids.

The game's protagonist, Alex, and the magic prodigy, Yuridia.

'It seems everything went according to plan.'

The ant nest episode is where the first battle takes place.

It's also where the three of them first become aware of each other's existence.

They'll go their separate ways for a while, but will eventually become comrades through various events.

'I was a bit worried about Caron's absence...'

Fortunately, everything seems to have gone as in the original.

'Their levels... are high.'

All three were a level or two higher than I expected.

Not just Luna, but the other kids had also grown a level.

'Was it because of Caron's absence?'

Originally, the ants Caron was supposed to kill were divided among the instructor and the kids, so it was natural.

It's not a bad thing. The stronger the protagonists, the higher the chance of clearing the game.

'This must be one of the hidden pieces. It's fortunate that everything ended without any issues.'

It was also fortunate that the main characters, who need to be in the first party, were safe.

And Raymond had made friends.

It might take a bit more time to join them, but it's just a matter of time.

The important thing is that he now has someone to rely on.

Did he notice my gaze?

Raymond waved his arms widely and said,

"N-No! It's not like that!"

"......?"

"T-They're new friends, but not as close as you, Zero! Don't misunderstand!"

What is this guy saying?

There's no misunderstanding. I was glad they had met!

Still, his pure evil trait is a problem.

"What? Why don't you just go away? Zero is uncomfortable!"

"L-Luna! You're bullying Zero again! The one who should go away is you!"

"Who says? No one treats Zero as well as I do!"

Luna, how about letting go of my head first?

That would make your words more convincing.

"U-Uh... I can have that level of intimacy too, you know?"

Does this look like intimacy to you? Are you sane?

And I don't want to be gnawed on by a guy.

"It's Melong. Zero doesn't just give intimacy to anyone. Despite appearances, I have principles."

Is this considered intimacy?

I'm being forcibly gnawed on.

"I-I'm your best friend! A very close friend."

"B-Best friend!? I'm closer! I'm the bestest friend!!"

Luna, that word doesn't exist.

Just because you add more 'be's doesn't make you closer.

"Give me back my friend!"

"Who's talking back?"

Luna started to tear at Raymond's head.

Her hands are quite sharp.

Thanks for the new information, Luna.

"L-Let go of me!"

"You can play with your new friends! Why are you sticking to us?"

"I-I like Zero more!"

"Our Zero doesn't like someone like you!"

"N-No, I mean my Zero!"

Grr! Grr!

Luna and Raymond's petty argument began.

I didn't really want to stop them.

Kids grow through arguments.

"Hello?"

Then.

Yuridia smiled and greeted me.

'She must think this is a good opportunity.'

To get to know me and make her presence known.

And ultimately, to persuade me to be subordinate to her.

For reference, the Yuridia faction has sent people a few times, but she has never come herself.

'Pride as a noble, and pride in leading a faction.'

She wanted me to come to her to establish her authority.

And this was the same for the Teron side.

Their pride wouldn't allow them to come in person, so they kept sending people.

They kept sending advances, but since I didn't respond, it must have been a headache.

But now, this opportunity has arisen.

'She must think it's the best luck.'

The fact that we met by chance, without setting up a meeting or going to her, is important.

Ordinary people might ask what the difference is.

But to the proud nobles, it's a significant difference.

Like the difference between heaven and earth.

"Hmm, hello. I'm Zero."

"Of course I know. As a freshman, it's impossible not to know Zero's name. Nice to meet you. I'm Yuridia de Rownter, the third daughter of the Rownter family."

Her uniform was slightly torn, but it didn't diminish Yuridia's dignity at all.

She was incredibly polite and courteous.

Of course.

'She must be thinking something completely different inside.'

In fact, Yuridia is quite a troublemaker.

But she is a noble.

Moreover, she is a magic prodigy and the pride of her family.

Even if she wanted to show her true self, she couldn't.

'Apparently, the family believes she has reformed through education and guidance...'

But in reality, they haven't changed even 1% of Yuridia.

Yuridia's acting and patience are quite exceptional.

To put it simply, 'she lives with a mask on.'

Right now, she must be thinking,

'Ugh, this formality is so annoying. But it's the first meeting, so I have to be careful.'

-So to speak.

She's not a bad kid.

Just a kid with a slight (?) difference between her outward and inner self.

By the way, Yuridia has nicknames like Two-Faced Yuridia, Asura Yuridia, and Jekyll and Yuridia.

When playing as Yuridia, her inner thoughts are shown in parentheses along with her lines.

For example,

"It's an honor to meet you. I was a bit disappointed that you didn't respond to my messengers, but only a little."

'Hey, 10, why didn't you come when I sent people?'

'And you're ignoring me? Do you want to fall behind a little?'

...That's what it would be.