Chapter 90

"Nana, we're going to log in a bit earlier today."

6:00 AM. Despite the fatigue from yesterday, Nana yawned widely and then snapped her eyes open. I called out to her.

Nana, who was just about to bite into a yakisoba bread, looked at me with a puzzled expression, then swallowed the bread as if sucking it in and tilted her head.

"Earlier than 7:00 AM?"

"Yes. Today, you see, I have a bit of a commitment."

"What kind of commitment?"

"You remember Sakito, your junior, right? He's been so busy that he hasn't left Feasus since then. And it seems Toka can make time today, so..."

"Are we going to have tea together again?"

"Something like that."

Nana, who was munching on an azuki bread that was closest to her, seemed to be in a daze, as if she hadn't really been listening to the conversation.

Sakito Kurosaki... I think that's his real name. According to Nana, Sakito is a boy who exchanged contact information with her about two weeks ago. Or, in modern terms, a boyish girl.

Like Toka, he is a student and has a hard time finding time to play the game. Still, he had managed to reach Feasus by the time they last met, making him a formidable player.

Whether it's the World Tree Cave or the Flame Ancient Ruins, they are dungeons so vast that they make you sigh.

He hasn't managed to reach Griffith yet due to his lack of consistent time.

With the event starting, he decided to put off advancing for now.

Nana hasn't been in touch with Sakito since then, so she probably doesn't know about his recent situation.

This kid really has no interest in others.

"By the way, Nana, Sakito is apparently a member of the Dragon Fang clan."

"Fa... ng, like Koneko-maru?"

"Right. It's a large clan, so at the Feasus level, he's probably considered a mid-level player."

The clan "Dragon Fang." It's a clan that is likely to occupy about half of the top spots in this event, currently leading the front lines of story exploration.

They use a sea of people to search every corner for quests while elite players push the front lines.

They are a well-balanced clan with a deep bench, which is their overall strength.

Unlike the top players with overwhelming charisma, the clan's strength lies in their ability to perform routine tasks on a large scale, much like the Knights of the Round Table.

"I think... the leader is strong."

"Yes... but in a different way from Arthur and Nana."

The clan leader, the player "DraGo," is a straightforward attacker who wields a greatsword.

He was also the MVP player in the party that defeated the first named boss in the game.

This means he, like Nana and Rau, is a player who wields a named weapon.

"He will undoubtedly rank in this event. After all, he's been in the game non-stop except for sleeping and eating."

"Wow, he really is a hardcore gamer."

"Well, we're not much different, but I don't think we're as stoic as he is."

Hardcore gamer. Once a derogatory term for online game addicts, it has become more casual in usage.

Nowadays, it's often used to praise or tease someone who is deeply immersed in a game or is exceptionally good at it.

Of course, I myself am called a hardcore gamer, and most professional gamers are typically hardcore gamers.

However, even I am taken aback by the level of passion DraGo has for the game.

"Anyway, let's log in quickly after you finish eating."

"Okay!"

Nana, who had somehow eaten all ten of the sweet breads, gave a muffled response while still chewing the last one.

☆

"... So? Why is DraGo here?"

As soon as we logged in and used the return ticket to return to Feasus, we headed to the café where we were supposed to meet Sakito. Waiting for us were two players.

A rather imposing muscular swordsman and a female warrior clad in battle armor.

Nana, looking at the two of them, seemed to be wondering why there were two of them, and looked at me with a questioning gaze.

"Sorry, Rinne. I was found getting excited and fidgety..."

"Yes. I heard from Bloom that he had met the professional gamer Rinne before. I knew he was a big fan of yours, so I put two and two together and grilled him. When I did, Ms. Rinne, I heard you had plans to meet him, so I brought him along."

"It's fine... but since you're both friends, you could at least send a message or something."

"Sorry, I'll be more careful."

Hearing my words, the female warrior bowed deeply.

After holding that position for a few seconds, she raised her head.

"Ms. Sukuna. It's nice to meet you. I'm DraGo, the clan leader of the Dragon Fang clan."

"Whoa... I thought you were a guy..."

Nana, genuinely surprised, opened her eyes wide.

DraGo.

Also known as the VR specialist professional gamer "Dragon."

Not a NEET, but a genuine woman.

"Hmm, I often get that. I wonder why everyone thinks I'm a guy..."

"Your name, maybe?"

"Maybe... my name..."

Leaving DraGo, who was seriously pondering this, I turned my attention to Sakito, who was slightly shrinking back.

"I'm sorry, did you have a hard time with this weirdo?"

"N-no! The clan leader has been very kind to me... Besides, I should be the one apologizing. I brought him along without even asking, even though it was at the leader's request."

"Wow... Sakito is so buff~"

While Sakito and I were having a serious conversation, Nana was curiously pinching and squeezing Sakito's muscles.

Sakito isn't particularly tall in real life, but in this game, he has a very muscular build.

Perhaps it was unusual, as Nana was curiously rubbing Sakito's muscles.

"Senior, please use Bloom here."

"Your name is so cute for such a buff appearance."

"Ugh..."

"Hey, that's not nice."

"Sorry. I think it's cute."

I don't think that's a very comforting thing to say.

Sakito... Bloom, probably chose this character design to enjoy a different side of himself from his real-life self.

I did think the name was cute, though...

"Sorry to interrupt, but can we go somewhere more private? We're quite conspicuous here."

At DraGo's suggestion, we entered the cafeteria in Feasus.

In the thread, DraGo used "I" as "this humble one," but in reality, she doesn't use that pronoun. Just a playful switch!