Chapter 3

After reviewing it later, there were quite a few typos. Even so, there were nine pieces that I particularly liked...

I wrote with trepidation.

“Huh!?”

Keena, who had been momentarily lost in a rather shocking realization, noticed that the landscape before her eyes had turned orange.

She was stunned to realize that nearly half a day had passed in vain. She forced herself to accept that anyone would be disheartened by such a fact, even though there was no one to tell. She decided to relegate it to the depths of her memory as a black history.

Since there were no windows or other such high-class items, the room became dark immediately when the sliding door was closed. Once closed, she opened the door halfway and looked around the room again, her eyes drawn to the lantern hanging on the wall.

“I’m pretty sure the light here was lit by a lantern...?”

Keena, who had not received survival training or camped out before, had no idea how to light the lantern in the room. The natural method that came to mind was magic.

The light magic to illuminate the surroundings was a necessary skill for those who specialized in dungeon exploration, and could be obtained relatively easily through a simple quest. When that wasn't available, one had to rely on the lantern, which was a rather intricate item. It consumed fuel, had a narrow range of effect, and had to be switched to a free hand in emergencies, making it extremely inconvenient. It was probably only used by true beginners.

Some people cast magic to add white light, not just to lanterns, but to weapons and armor as well. Some imbued their equipment with magic to create magical items. Some, fully committed to the role of a support character, went so far as to make their entire body glow in seven colors.

“Worship me~”

“Whoa, it’s blinding!”

“Halo, halo, it’s shining!”

“Let’s leave the fool behind and go on ahead?”

“Yeah.”

“““Don’t leave me behind!!”””

Recalling the conversation from back then as if it were yesterday, Keena let out a giggle.

Thinking it would also be a practical exercise in magic, she decided to give it a try. She fixed her target on the lantern, called up the skill from her mind, and activated it.

[Skill: White Light LV1: Light: Ready Set]

“Activate”

“Huh!?”

Keena was relieved that the activation method was no different from what she was used to in the game. What was worrying was the small scream that leaked from the half-open door, which was now brightly lit. She sensed someone peering through the gap, and the one who showed her face was the innkeeper's daughter, Litt. Seeing the lantern on the wall shining brightly, she looked startled. Keena, puzzled by her reaction, walked over to the door.

“What’s wrong, Litt?”

“Oh... Is this... okay?”

Keena, understanding that the light was the cause of the unexpected fear, waved her hands to show that it was not dangerous.

“Oh, this? It’s just light. It won’t explode or harm anyone. It’s fine.”

The girl, who had been hesitant to enter, finally came in slowly but still clung to the wall, not moving forward. Perhaps ordinary villagers rarely saw magic, Keena wondered.

“Is this your first time seeing magic, Litt?”

Her small nod confirmed it, and also revealed the reason for her visit. The wick, soaked in animal oil, was lit like a candle on the plate she held. It seemed her job was to light the lanterns in the guests' rooms.

“...Oh, did I get in the way of your work, Litt?”

“No, this is much brighter. You’re amazing.”

“R-Really? I’m glad you’re happy with something like this.”

They smiled at each other. Keena’s heart was filled with warmth from the rare interaction with another woman, other than her cousin.

Still, a new question arose about what had happened to the players who once roamed this continent. If the game operators had announced, “We’re starting the world 200 years from now tomorrow,” it was easy to imagine that the majority of the players would have responded with, “Are you kidding me!?” The Seven Nations War event was undoubtedly one of the factors that made Reideil a popular game.

“Tomorrow, I’ll go to the tower. ...Huh?”

Keena, who had written her plans in her mind, suddenly noticed that the hem of her robe was being tugged, and realized Litt was standing nearby.

“Hey, hey, I came to tell you about dinner.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“It’s okay, you’re the only guest.”

Saying something like that as a waitress is not good, Keena thought, but Litt pulled her hand. Litt had closed the half-open sliding door and latched it while Keena was lost in thought, and now she was leading her downstairs.

Unlike in the morning, the noise from downstairs could be heard faintly in the room. It seemed that the villagers gathered there for relaxation in the evening.

Peeking into the dining room from halfway down the stairs, about twenty men, from young to old, were seated, drinking, eating, and chatting merrily.

Sitting in the same seat as in the morning, Keena’s dinner was promptly served by Malleur.

“Sorry for the noise. They’re not particularly harmful, so don’t mind them.”

Malleur’s cheerful words were met with immediate rebuttals from various tables.

“That’s harsh, innkeeper!”

“Yeah, yeah. They’re contributing to the sales!”

“Watch out, miss. Despite appearances, this guy was the village’s top warrior in his youth...”

The last speaker was doused with a tray by Malleur.

The sudden start of a comedy act left even Keena speechless. The tavern, or rather the bar, was filled with laughter.

“Eat while it’s hot. My cooking is the best.”

Keena, who had been complimenting the food with a smile throughout, was encouraged by Malleur to have seconds.

Some time passed, and as the villagers who had been drinking began to pass out, Keena was sitting next to Litt, having a conversation like close friends. Keena was mostly the one talking. It seemed that Litt was off her waitressing duties at this time by unspoken agreement.

“Hmm. Keena, have you been to this inn 200 years ago?”

“Back then, this place was a border trading route, full of carriages and people. The whole village was filled with inns.”

Keena was internally panicking. She had been asked to tell about 200 years ago, but the world she had been in until recently was so mundane that she had not paid much attention to the surroundings, and her memory was not detailed. She felt a sense of guilt for exaggerating or lying.

“So, you’ve met my great-grandmother. She was rumored to be a beauty, you know?”

“W-Well, I didn’t see that much...”

She was puzzled as to why the appearance from 200 years ago was now a rumor.

“Why did you come to such a remote place, Keena?”

“Oh, I’m looking for something...”

“Looking for something?”

Malleur, who was passing by with several empty mugs, asked, and Litt, who was listening with interest while holding a tray, tilted her head adorably, making Keena want to pat her head, which she did, drawing a fond look from the others.

Keena had said she was looking for something, but in fact, she was looking for a place. According to Key, the support AI, Keena and the others, who were separated from the master system, were in a state where they could not benefit from the world map’s location information. In other words, they were not just lost, but stranded in the world. What she wanted to know was the location of the tower, and how far it was from the village.

This was because she had decided to stay in the village for a while to get used to the world.

The ring’s effect would allow her to go to the tower without any problem, but she would have to return from the outer forest where the tower stood to the village. At first, she considered flying high and then returning, but considering Litt’s reaction to seeing magic, she feared that she might be mistaken for a monster and cause unnecessary alarm among the villagers. She wanted to avoid actions that would inconvenience the peaceful villagers, even if it was just self-satisfaction.

“What are you looking for? I’d be happy to help if I can.”

“Well, a silver tower surrounded by a forest...”

“““What!?”””

Keena’s casual response to the question left the older Litt and Malleur speechless. Their faces were filled with shock, and their eyes with fear.

“W-What are you going to do in such a terrifying place?”

“Y-You should stop. Don’t go to such an unknown place!”

The tremor in their voices revealed their fear of the place. However, Keena could see that they were genuinely worried about her. The fear, however, was directed at Keena herself, the owner of the silver tower. Her head was filled with question marks, as she did not understand the source of the fear.

(What? What? Has a dragon moved in after 200 years of neglect?)

Dragons, a popular monster, did not exist as wandering enemies in the VRMMO Reideil. The most common place to find dragons was in player or guild-owned dungeons, where they served as guardians. To fight a dragon for any purpose other than raiding someone else’s base, one had to have a player with the [Summoning Magic: Dragon] spell summon it. The conclusion Keena reached was that someone might have occupied the tower, which had no owner, and was using it as a base.

However, this concern was betrayed by Litt’s next words, in a bad way.

“There’s a legend that a terrifying ‘Silver Ring Witch’ lives there!”

Thud!

Keena, who had collapsed onto the counter, now had Malleur and the others looking at her curiously. She remained trembling for a while, showing no sign of getting up. Litt, worried that she might be sick, tugged on the hem of Keena’s robe, causing her to abruptly stand up from her chair.

“Are you okay? ...Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine, healthy, no problem. I’ll take my leave for tonight. Good night!”

She spoke quickly, stating only what she wanted to say, and raced up the stairs at an incredible speed, leaving the three of them staring in confusion.

“What’s wrong with the lady...”

“Maybe the name ‘Silver Ring Witch’ triggered some trauma?”

“She didn’t seem like that at all. ...Well, it’s fine. You guys, let’s call it a night.”

With Malleur’s command, the children, who had been working, resumed their cleanup, quickly forgetting about Keena’s odd behavior.

Meanwhile, Keena, back in her room, was shivering under the blanket on the bed.

“To think that ‘that’ would still be around after 200 years... It’s so embarrassing...”

Moreover, for it to reach her ears at the same time was nothing short of the game operators’ malice.

‘Silver Ring Witch’ was a derogatory nickname for Keena.

As a reward for passing the Skill Master, players could receive an artifact of their choice. While there were certain limits to the abilities that could be added, the items that could be obtained were quite special. Keena’s request was for an item that increased magic-related stats and had a barrier built into it. When the design was left to the operators, it arrived as a large silver ring that floated around the user. Up to this point, it was still good...

When equipped, the floating magic was automatically activated, and the first time she saw it in the Seven Nations War, a fellow player commented that it looked like a boss from a shooting game. The appearance and the evaluation were indeed similar. With the racial effect, Skill Master, and the synergistic effect of the level cap, her magic attack value was head and shoulders above all other players. With the added power and the large magic with increased power effects, it was no wonder that players on the opposing side trembled, and she was given the dishonorable nickname on her first appearance.

She never thought that a title she wanted to seal away, a black history, would still be a legend after transcending time and space. Indeed, one cannot control what people say.

She shivered with embarrassment for a while but shook her head to dispel the negative thoughts and changed her mindset. Since she couldn’t ask about the location of the tower, she decided to ask again the next day.

However, the fact that the nickname still existed was clear evidence that players had existed in the past. If other players besides Keena had been human or cat people, they would have reached the end of their lives in 200 years. But there were also dwarves and elves, and it was possible that some of them could still be found if she looked for them...

“I’ll stop thinking about this. It’s just a loop of the same thoughts, and there’s no one to consult with.”

She decided to put it on hold until she found a comrade.

She locked the door to her room and, with nothing to