Chapter 13

"Unable to buy Monster Hunter World, I am serving my sorrow!"

"The yakitori platter I ordered is far away, and what was placed in front of me instead is...

"...vegetable sticks?"

"Yeah, they're root vegetable sticks."

I see, so they're sticks made from root vegetables that grow underground. Yeah, but...

"Go ahead and eat them without hesitation, they're fresh. Besides, Katsuo is paying for it!"

"Hey, aren't fresh potato sticks basically just uncooked French fries?"

"Ah, could I also get Level 2 root vegetable sticks, please?"

Level!? Wait, there's a level system!?

"Alright, Sanraku, choose your words carefully and explain the situation. Depending on what you say, that yakitori could be yours."

"Damn... Torture is a violation of the Geneva Convention..."

"Sorry, the digital world is beyond the reach of the law."

I took a bite of the carrot stick dipped in the seven-spice mayonnaise, and it was pretty good.

"Hmm, let me start from the beginning. The whole thing started with the powered suit I got from the Weatheremon battle."

"Oh, that one."

"The reactor was repaired, and I tried to use it first."

"Wasn't the mayor Pencilgon, and the verdict Guilty?"

"Well, it didn't work due to the curse."

"Prosecutor Katsuo, Not Guilty."

"Hey, you should have called a lawyer too."

Suddenly, the idea of stabbing these guys in the nose with a raw potato stick dipped in seven-spice mayonnaise flashed through my mind, but I held back.

"Anyway, I was thinking of playing a different game... Have you heard of Nephilim Hollow? I wanted to play that."

"I haven't played it, but I heard the controls are terrible, right?"

"Ah, a sequel came out. One of our team members was happy about it."

Nephilim Hollow isn't bad because of its controls; it's just that the game is so focused on its world that it's hard to play realistically. Is that even a good thing for a game?

"Anyway, I ended up befriending the strongest PvP player in Nephilim Hollow."

"Hmm, go on."

"Long story short, I accidentally mentioned the powered suit."

"Guilty, sentenced to one potato stick."

Wow, that's hard.

"Sorry, Katsuo, could I get some more seven-spice mayonnaise?"

"You really take people for granted, don't you..."

"Get it, Katsuo."

"I've decided to punch the pumpkin of evil and tyranny..."

"Then you should take my place, Serinunkatsuo."

Why don't you throw that resolve in the toilet... Anyway, let's move on with the story now that the extra seven-spice mayonnaise has arrived.

"Turns out, he was actually a Shangfuru player. He was retired, but..."

"Mayor?"

"Hmm... Hold on!"

"Anyway, after some back and forth... He agreed to teach me about Shangfuru robots in exchange for a scenario that leads to the Abyssal Kutaniid."

"You can have one piece of yakitori."

This feels like I'm being trained like a dog... but whatever, the yakitori is delicious.

"That's the story before I was invited to GGC."

"I see. So why did you go ahead and challenge it without telling us?"

"Well, there were a few things... Ah!"

Silence.

"Oh? Sanraku, did you remember something?"

"Maybe I need to order Level 3..."

"You guys look so lively..."

Damn, I remembered. If I say things like 'I defeated the Rukaoon and triggered the EX scenario' or 'Someone triggered a unique event with the Vouper Bunny,' it would be bad, right? But now that they've noticed, hiding it would be difficult.

"Ah... Well, you see, that..."

"Here's your Level 2 root vegetable sticks."

Damn it, I'll just go for it!

"I teamed up with the Black Wolf Cyga-0 and defeated the Rukaoon, triggering the EX scenario. And, to make it worse, I triggered a unique event that I'm currently dealing with."

"Could I also get Level 4, please?"

"Actually, I'm working on the Kutaniid scenario with all of them."

"Sorry, but could I get Level 5, please?"

"Um... Is the maximum level okay?"

Level max!? At Level 2, it's just a raw daikon radish stick!!

I want to cancel the order as the server walks away, but unfortunately, I'm being held down by the outsiders.

"I see, I see... So you're trying to clear three unique EX scenarios with players unrelated to your clan, right?"

"Wait, I'm not invoking my right to remain silent, so listen to me, okay?"

If I don't make a concession, I'll end up eating Level 5. I need to find a way to compromise.

"Actually, I ended up fighting the Rukaoon by chance."

"Hmm, go on."

"I had to get to Fiftythia as quickly as possible to meet up with the guy I met in Nephilim Hollow."

"Right."

"I asked Mr. Rei... uh, Cyga-0 for help."

"Oh, a delivery?"

"I could do it solo if I had the time."

But the User Pardragon would be a hassle. Every move he makes is so annoying.

"Then, there was this clan with a zoo-like name, right?"

"SF-Zoo? I heard they got completely wiped out by the Rukaoon... Could it be?"

"You're sharp, I appreciate that. Here, have some daikon."

"I don't want it."

I sneakily add a raw daikon stick to the mountain of French fries that Natsume is quietly eating, hoping he won't notice. The fact that he doesn't stop or say anything just confirms that these guys are outsiders.

"They claimed to have figured out the Rukaoon's spawn pattern and said they didn't need my help, like some low-level boss. Then, they got completely wiped out by the Rukaoon."

"Really? You could have squeezed more out of them, Sanraku."

"Are you a demon?"

"Like the kind that would feed a half-dead Momotaro with meat from a dog, monkey, and pheasant?"

"Hmm, maybe this is a good time to punch someone?"

But I didn't choose this myself. I teamed up with Akitsu Akane and Mr. Rei to defeat the Rukaoon, and when we tried to get the curse lifted, it only got worse. So, we decided to push through and obtained the 'Fool' mystery while entering Fiftythia.

"!!?!!"

Ah, Natsume got a big hit.

Well, I forgot to disband the party and dragged them into the unique scenario, but I decided to go for the EX scenario...

"Basically, that's what happened."

"You're making it sound like an accident, but it's mostly your carelessness, right?"

"Sixty percent is your fault."

"Forty percent is practically one hundred percent."

"So sixty percent is practically one hundred and fifty percent."

You got me, damn it.

"Who!? Who put the daikon in here!?"

"It was 'this guy.'"

"What? You're framing me, Sanraku? No way!"

"Keiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii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