Chapter 70

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

Wimp's fan art inspired a break that turned into nearly 5,000 characters, so there you go, all done (if you look back, there's a mountain of deadlines) (write the main story and it will be fine).

"Welcome!"

Though hesitant, the voice that rang out in the store was seasoned and fluent. The man who entered the store and heard that voice had his eyes droop and the corners of his mouth turn up.

"Hmm, you've come."

"Are you the one who wants a costume change? There's a seat over there."

"Okay."

With a smile that, for some reason, gave the impression of being "intense," the man sat down at one of the seats in the cafe, following the waiter's guidance.

"Here we go."

"Tch..."

"Generally, a man with a bad attitude is rated negatively, you know."

"Hey, brother, how've you been? I'm always ready to hear your last words."

"Yeah, I'm so energetic that I can skip thinking about my will for the next 50 years, brother."

At the table where the mountain bandit, who was sipping tea elegantly, sat, the man who had been assigned to the seat clicked his tongue. However, he himself was a pirate with an eye patch, looking rough and rugged. One might question the sanity of the waitress who seated a mountain bandit and a pirate at the same table, but this was only a concern if one didn't know that they belonged to the same organization and were regulars at this cafe.

"So, what will you order?"

--- It's here.

The pirate swallowed hard at those words. This was the very moment that made him a frequent visitor to the store. Under the scrutinizing gaze of the mountain bandit, who seemed to be testing him, the man instinctively licked his lips, even though he knew it was meaningless in the digital world. He then spoke the words.

"Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze... and a glass of wine."

"Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze... and a glass of wine."

The men cheered.

---

This is the New Continent, at the edge of the frontline base, a cafe called "The Serpent's Apple" New Continent Branch... also known as "The Sea Serpent's Apple."

Here, in addition to the delicious food that can be enjoyed if the taste restrictions are lifted, there is a notable feature. That is a girl who recently started working as a waitress... her name is Wimp.

--- How did you come to know her?

"Well, there are people we call 'Evangelists'... the one who brought Wimp to us is how we came to know her. Now, most of our daily earnings are spent here (laughs)."

--- What is her charm?

"Her diction... I guess. Not that her other charms are lacking, but if everything were rated 100, her diction would be 120... Do you know? She practices and perfects the pronunciation of any menu item she mispronounces. However, the rare sight of her looking very frustrated when she stumbles is highly valued, and her bromide cards are traded at high prices..."

"Hey, what are you guys doing?"

"Wimp-chan!! Thank you for the water!!!!"

"Ah!"

The two men, who were conducting a mysterious interview with each other, received the wooden cup of water with an exaggerated smile and careful handling, which intimidated Wimp. This was a daily occurrence in the cafe, but no matter how many times it happened, it never ceased to be an abnormal situation.

Wimp, who had been staring at the ceiling beam, found nothing there. It was just a ceiling.

"..."

"Wimp, a customer has arrived."

"...Ah, welcome!"

The bald man, who had come out of the kitchen with a dish, called out to Wimp, who had been staring at the ceiling. He was the manager of "The Sea Serpent's Apple" New Continent Branch. He was a much younger brother to the fifteen managers of the fifteen "The Serpent's Apple" branches in the Old Continent... When asked his name, he always chuckled and dodged the question.

"Aww, such a cute NPC..."

"Please go to that seat."

"Hey, can I take a screenshot?"

"Eh?"

"Here, do the peace sign... Eh?"

A screenshot taken by a player who had just entered the store, seemingly on a whim. However, what was captured was two extremely sinister bearded men standing protectively in front of Wimp, who had somehow moved from her table.

"Peace sign...!"

"Eh? Who are you? Hey, you're too close... Eh, eh?"

"This is a place to eat, okay?"

"If you want to take photos, do it somewhere else...!"

A smile, by nature, is derived from a threat. In other words, a smile contains elements of intimidation. The player, who might have become a customer, fled the store, perhaps sensing the sinister nature of the bearded men's density and the smile they wore as they approached the impolite visitor.

"...I'm not saying we don't welcome first-time customers."

"Sorry, boss, we'll order for him too."

"Here is the Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze."

While the owner sighed slightly, he brought the completed dish to the table. These men, who were part of a group of settlers more troublesome than murderers and were the main source of income for the "Sea Serpent's Apple" New Continent Branch, despite being the reason why first-time players rarely visited this "Serpent's Apple," received the dish.

At that moment.

The atmosphere in the cafe tightened. It was a kind of pressure... or perhaps the presence of the always calm and serene owner, who was usually expressionless, was slightly tense, indicating the arrival of someone.

"...She's here."

"You've arrived..."

Instinctively sensing it, or deducing it from experience and the warnings from his "brothers"... the true purpose of "The Serpent's Apple" was the presence of the supreme being.

When she appears, all beings perceive the wind kneeling. Not just the wind... on a stormy day, the rain and even the thunder would soften in her presence.

"She's here."

"Welcome, Miss Teas..."

"I, welcome...!"

The young girl appeared not from the entrance but from the staff room. Wearing a cute dress, as she was not working, her name was Teas, a bounty hunter. The unparalleled "world's fastest," who commands time yet is favored by it... or, in the context of "The Serpent's Apple" operations, a notorious big eater who has been inducted into the blacklist.

"Teas-chan time!"

"Seriously? It's a festival! A real-time encounter is super rare, oh oh oh!!"

For the clan [Teas-chan Costume Change Squad], it was the arrival of their idol.

The exact location of which "Serpent's Apple" Teas would appear at is not clearly known, even by the wise members of the Costume Change Squad. After all, she is an NPC that even the "world's fastest" player regards as a "master." No one can match her ultimate skill, "Transcendent Speed," which allows her to accelerate herself while slowing down the entire world.

Even the world's fastest player admits, "I can barely see what she's doing, but I can't resist. She eats parfaits and once even stuffed a cake into my mouth." This is both enviable and frustrating.

Tracing her steps is impossible, and it's said that bounty hunters have a special means of teleportation. Once she teleports, even if you could track her, she would randomly reappear somewhere else, making it impossible to follow her.

Therefore, they stake out various "Serpent's Apples" to wait for Teas or the next most popular bounty hunter, Lutia. Though, they have a slight reservation about Toul.

However, they can't just hug her when she appears. If they did...

"... ..."

They know very well what would happen if they did. Their clan leader, who is like a reliable older brother, is terrifying. It's not just about dealing high damage in the game; it's the overwhelming pressure one feels when facing him, as if in a real fight against an unbeatable opponent.

They would be crushed and purged. However, this person has recently developed some strange quirks, making him both terrifying and increasingly endearing.

Therefore, the Costume Change Squad remains silent. They just watch. A flower should not be plucked; it is most beautiful when it is rooted, thriving, and vibrant. For this, they would even cling to a cliff... and they hope she would wear a costume that strikes their fancy.

This is the iron rule of the Teas-chan Costume Change Squad, the steel bond that unites them.

"Your order is..."

At that moment, the pirate (his job is actually a Warlord) noticed that Teas was staring at the Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze, which he had ordered.

A bolt of lightning struck his mind. This might violate the iron rule, might crack the steel bond. But it might also be true to the clan leader's constant words...

--- We are the gears that support Teas-chan's healthy life.

"Hey...?"

There was only one answer.

The mountain bandit (Job: Swordsman) called out to his comrade, who was about to lift the plate in front of him, but the pirate, ignoring him, quickly devoured the untouched Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze, in one breath, chewed it at lightning speed, and swallowed it. Then, without staring at Teas but keeping her in his peripheral vision, he said:

"Hmm... This Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze, is incredibly delicious... The freshness of the ingredients? It's not lost even when cooked, as if the Riburumuska-re is jumping on my tongue..."

"... ..."

Hearing this, or perhaps not, Teas turned her gaze from the man to Wimp and said:

"Two Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze."

"Two Riburumuska-re steamed with broth, served with sweet aloe vera that has been kissed by the sea breeze!"

--- The man had won. And not just once, but twice.

"What are you doing...!"

"... ..."

"We should report this to Sabasan... Hey?"

"Thinking about my will...!"

Now, he could write a will longer than his graduation thesis. The man, a new employee, stroked his scruffy beard and thought about his will with a joyful expression.

By the way, on November 17th, the 6th volume of the manga adaptation of Shangri-La Frontier will be released!

The booklet in the special edition contains a novel I wrote, and the regular edition also has a novel at the end. So, no matter where you go, once you pick up Shangri-La Frontier, you can't escape my novel... but don't worry, the main content is the manga by the great magician Fujii-sensei, so please feel free to pick it up.