Chapter 68

The Clan House of the Clan "Knights of the Round Table," where I was invited, was more than large enough to be considered a standalone house, but given that the number of clan members exceeded 100, it was an incredibly small building.

Incidentally, Tōka said she had some business to take care of, so she left with the promise to rejoin us later.

So, the only ones here now are me and Ā-chan. And one more player in a maid outfit, who seems to be a member of the Round Table.

"Hehe, I can see what you're thinking, Sukuna. You're wondering why the clan house is so small for its size, right?"

"Uh..."

"I'm the only one who stays here permanently, so we don't need a larger space. Everyone is busy with their own strategies. We finally reached the sixth town in the top layer yesterday."

According to Ā-chan, the guild's base moves with her, and since her maximum reach is Fīas, the base is here.

When I asked why Ā-chan, the Clan Master, was still in Fīas, it seemed there was a good reason.

"We, the Knights of the Round Table, are heading to Griffith through the World Tree Cave, which doesn't have rock-type monsters. However, we can't seem to find a solid block of time to do it. There are save points in the dungeon, but getting there is difficult. Besides, the area beyond Fīas is so vast that rushing to conquer it doesn't make much sense, so I've been staying here for a while. And I received a message from Shūya."

"That's... about me?"

"Yes. There's someone who defeated a great enemy we once lost to. You'd want to hear about it, wouldn't you?"

Sitting in a chair in the living room, Ā-chan said this with a pleased smile.

She mentioned that she fought the Red Wolf Aria on the third day of the game's launch.

"For three days, I leveled up intensively and was on my way back from the End Forest when the field suddenly became quiet. Then, I faced her. My level was well over 20, but... I was killed in less than five minutes, with my sword broken."

"After leveling up, your weapon's durability would have been quite low, so it was just bad luck."

"That's true, but even if I had been at full strength, I don't think I could have won with my style. She's known for being a killer of magic users, but more accurately, all weapons without a shield are at a disadvantage. Unless you're as reckless as you, of course."

From the effects of the named equipment, it's clear that the Red Wolf Aria's most prominent feature is her absolute stamina, which can drain even the most advanced players.

Given this, the one-on-one battle with Aria, where active attacks and arts are sealed, is essentially a game of endurance.

Moreover, it's not just any endurance game; it requires player skills and stats to counterattack while dodging attacks.

In that sense, having a shield, which is the best way to dodge physical attacks, is a significant factor.

Ā-chan's comment about weapons without a shield being at a disadvantage comes from this perspective.

"Then, are you not going to fight her again?"

"To be precise, it's not that I won't, but I can't."

From the way Ā-chan said "can't," it didn't seem like she lacked the desire to fight.

There was a reason for it.

After a moment, she began to explain.

"The number of named bosses will increase in the future. Some might even be huntable as soon as they appear. However, solo named bosses are a bit different. Before being powerful enemies, they have a characteristic of not appearing once a certain level is exceeded. This is the current mainstream theory."

"Uh-huh."

"For example, the Water Spirit Mellow, which appears over Trillia Lake, stops appearing after a certain level. For the Red Wolf, it's around level 40."

In other words, even if you go to the southern plains of the starting city at level 100, the Red Wolf Aria won't appear.

Even if I'm a bit special, Aria's base stats are set to a level where a level 14 Oni can defeat her.

High-level players might be able to brute-force a win.

But wait, according to what I heard from Kohaku, don't solo named bosses adjust their stats to match their opponents?

If that's true, there's no need for a level restriction, right?

When I said this, Ā-chan nodded in agreement.

"You're right. Kohaku's statement has debunked this theory, so we're currently re-evaluating. If the previous theory was true, you would lose the ability to reach the Wolf King of the Celestial Pivot that Kohaku told you about once you exceed a certain level."

"True. The condition to meet the Wolf King seems to be defeating the Red Wolf, Black Wolf, and White Wolf."

"The only thing I can think of is that you can meet or fight an enhanced version of the solo named boss once you exceed a certain level. I'm not the smartest, so that's all I can think of..."

"Either way, it doesn't seem like you can't fight. Or there might be another way to defeat the three named bosses."

"That's right. There's still a lot we don't know about named bosses."

As we both murmured in agreement, a cup was quietly placed in front of us.

Looking up, I saw the maid outfit player smile and pat my head before leaving.

"That's..."

"That's Sleigh. The 11th member of the Round Table and a player in the maid role. She's my attendant and has the highest cooking skills in the Round Table."

"Is that so? ...But why did she pat my head?"

"Probably because she likes you. She's the type who wants to admire things she likes."

Judging from Ā-chan's slightly strained expression, she must be very fond of Sleigh.

She must be admired to the point of being exasperated.

"Well, she's basically a capable person. She might not talk much, but try to get along with her."

"Okay, I will. Still... it feels like a real home, including Sleigh."

I had imagined a clan house to be more of a place where members gather and have a lively time.

The Knights of the Round Table, despite their name suggesting a bold and heroic atmosphere, had a surprisingly peaceful clan atmosphere.

"Hehe, exactly. This is my personal house, after all. And while I'm the leader of the clan, the Round Table members actually take charge. There's no need for members to return here specifically."

"Is that how it works? Hmm, it's not like a manga."

"If you go to a clan like 'Dragon's Fang,' you might see a scene closer to what you imagined. We just don't have a base despite our size."

As I listened to Ā-chan, I felt a slight unease about how she described herself as if she were just a figurehead.

I remembered Tōka's words.

"Hey, Ā-chan, you're the strongest in the Round Table, right?"

"Of course."

Ā-chan didn't change her attitude at all, saying it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Being the strongest in the clan and being a necessary presence are different things."

She put down her cup and touched the sword with the blue-silver scabbard leaning against the chair.

At that moment, a sharp pressure filled the clan house.

Seeing me instinctively reach for my baton, she laughed heartily.

"Hahaha! Good reaction! Still, since everyone looks up to me, I have no objection to being the leader. My sword is my only strength, after all."

"I see. You're that strong, Ā-chan."

Her words were true. It was evident just by looking at her.

More than that, she was a powerhouse that even Rin could call "strong."

She might look like a young girl, but the moment she touched her sword, the pressure was undeniable.

Even if you weren't particularly sensitive to such things, any player who loved swords would admire her.

"VR is an interesting thing. Some, like me and Rin, can freely dance in the virtual world, while others, like you, struggle with the gap between reality and the virtual. A world dominated by stats must be quite restrictive, right?"

"Hmm? I've never felt restricted..."

"Hehe, the fact that you can still think that at your level speaks volumes about the restrictions. ...You'll understand eventually. The freedom of the virtual world, you know."

Despite being able to do more in the virtual world than in the real world, I felt almost stress-free.

Laughing at my puzzled expression, Ā-chan ended the conversation.

"Come, let's enjoy some tea while we wait for Tōka to return. Tell me a story."

"Okay. What should I start with..."

"Sleigh! Bring some snacks!"

Sleigh didn't respond, but a few seconds later, she appeared with a tray of snacks.

"Ah, this cake is delicious. Come to think of it, I've only eaten potions in this game..."

"What a waste. This world has its own interesting foods. For example..."

As she fiddled with her menu card, Ā-chan showed me images of her favorite gourmet dishes.

It seemed she enjoyed exotic foods, and the dishes she introduced were mostly considered "weird" foods.

She said, "Everyone seems to dislike them for some reason," so we made a plan to eat together next time and decided to enjoy the snacks for now.

The Round Table's clan house is a grand standalone house, roughly 5LDK. Only Arthur and Sleigh live here permanently.

Actually, it's not portable... but the Round Table buys a new one for Arthur every time. The Knights of the Round Table are like an Arthur fan club... (ºωº)

Pedophile! Catch him!