C206
The guild life of Anything had begun.
The Silver Star Guild only allowed entry to Masters of the same sector, so Anything was a temporary member, but Seachorom, the guild leader, made no distinction when granting Anything the right to distribute items and assigning him a rank as an official guild member.
From the beginning, the Silver Star Guild maintained the principle that all members, whether the guild leader or temporary members, were equal.
At least, that's what it seemed on the surface.
"It seems our turn never comes."
In the temporary room on the second floor of the mansion.
Belkist was reviewing the registration book.
"From what I know, yesterday two people received resources. But our turn is still last."
"Ah, they said they were given concessions due to urgent circumstances. I guess they can't help it, right?"
"Do only they have urgencies?"
"It seems so..."
Belkist and Jenna looked at me at the same time.
Their expressions asked what we should do.
Receiving distribution rights was fine.
But even after three days, I was still at the bottom of the list.
"It must be because of those bastards from the Self-Defense Squad, or whatever they call themselves."
Apart from the woman earlier, some members of the squad had taken our turns.
According to Adilang, they were heroes to the Masters who had significantly contributed by taking this PvP player field and were the main force of the guild.
After all.
Even on the periphery, there couldn't be zero PvP players approaching the ruins.
Jenna, after scouring the entire island, said she saw a fleet of pirates lurking from afar.
They would seize any opportunity to attack. That woman's words about the Silver Star Guild weakening and being invaded by the enemy made sense.
"An ideal paradise where everyone is equal and at peace?"
Belkist snorted.
This is what Adilang said when he introduced us to the Silver Star Guild.
"An idiot who doesn't know the world. I can't believe he made it to floor 40. Did he only have easy missions?"
Belkist partially drew his sword from the sheath.
Then he looked at me with cold eyes.
"Let's bring it down."
"..."
"You should know, Major. Everything here is an illusion. It's full of hypocrites. It's right for the powerful to take it all. It's always been like this. How long do I have to keep playing these childish games? Isn't it so, archer?"
"Uh, I..." Jenna scratched her cheek.
"Shouldn't we consider what the Master thinks before deciding?"
"Ah, there's that annoying guy. But in the end, isn't he just a puppet of the Major?"
"Puppet? Be careful what you say."
"Sorry about that."
Belkist crossed his legs.
The reason I couldn't decide.
It was because of Anything.
Anyway, the Master controlling Taonier was Anything.
Depending on how Anything handles this incident, the future direction will be decided.
Even if I were to bring this place down, Anything wouldn't blame me.
At best, he'll consult using Loki's email address.
I, being Loki, just need to provide suitable excuses.
'Puppet.'
It wasn't an incorrect description.
So far, the Lobby had mainly followed the direction I wanted.
'If I were the Master...'
It's not like I've never been involved with a guild like this before.
In a way, they're much more troublesome than a carnivorous guild.
They don't employ swords but 'feathers' to exert pressure.
During my time as a Master, I was posted on a major community site for several months as an example of an ill-mannered user.
I had to fight countless users until misunderstandings were resolved.
There should only be one or two who are meddlesome.
If I were a PvP-inclined player, I would gladly fight, but facing off against these types is quite complicated.
Perhaps the Masters with no future don't understand.
Anything, on the other hand, was a prospect with a bright future.
"What would you do if you were the Master, Major?"
"For now, I'd endure."
"Endure? That's unlike you, Major."
"Could you wage a war on two fronts?"
It doesn't end with just snatching the ruins.
Many Masters will storm our main base to punish the disrespectful Master.
Given the current situation, about to assault floor 50, this poses a great burden.
"But, brother, if we keep going like this until the end... would you still endure?"
I picked up the statue that was on the table.
It fit in one hand.
A delicately formed body.
The muscular forelegs were raised.
It was the Statue of the Brave War Horse that Anything had given me as a reward for completing floor 45.
I did well to bring this statue.
Just touching it brings me peace of mind.
"Who knows."
I rolled the statue in my hand.
I looked at the sheath on my belt.
It wasn't Bifröst, but it was a very sharp longsword made with great effort in the equipment factory.
"Well, for a while..."
I must watch how things develop here.
[Guild Channel]
Anything: Hello everyone. Though I'm a temporary member, I hope to get along with everyone.
Seachorom: Welcome ^^.
MeowWoof: Hello Hello~!
Kkalkkumi: Welcome, newbie!
That night.
When Anything logged into Pick Me Up, several guild members greeted him.
They were genuinely herbivorous users.
Having climbed up to floor 40, they had at least the capacity to fight, but now they had abandoned climbing to focus on Lobby operation, hero training, and decoration.
The reasons for abandoning the mission were varied.
Out of boredom. Feeling the limit of climbing. Pity for the dying heroes. Because decorating was fun...
Anyway, they were one of the several users who enjoyed Pick Me Up.
BlueRose: By the way, did you see the new floral decoration in the store? It's beautiful!
MilkLove33: Are you talking about the daffodils?
BlueRose: Yes, those. They would be perfect for the garden! And our kids love them ^^; 300 gems per tile is quite expensive. But if they feel it's cheap, then it is.
Lakshmi: Does anyone have the 5-floor circular Lobby model? I want to expand and copy it.
Seachorom: I have it. Send me a mail, and I'll send you the file.
The conversations in the guild chat were endless.
There was hardly any combat-related information.
Most conversations were about Lobby decoration.
Since Pick Me Up has a well-established system for customizing the Lobby, diving into it can be as exciting as combat.
On the other hand, there were some members whose atmosphere was completely opposite.
They were members of the Self-Defense Squad. When they logged in, they didn't greet anyone. If someone asked questions about heroes or missions, they ignored or diverted them.
When they occasionally spoke,
Melt: Hey
DyDie: Hmm
Melt: Come in
DyDie: Hmm
They only threw incomprehensible phrases in the guild chat.
Probably, 'come in' referred to a private chat channel for a small group of people.
Well, no matter how the Silver Star Guild flows or what those guys do, as long as I get my share, I don't mind.
Anything probably thought the same, as he rarely participated in the guild chat, except when logging in and out.
Then one day passed.
More or less at the time when questions and reports from Edith were coming in the Lobby.
Melt: Is Anything-sama here?
A key member of the Self-Defense Squad mentioned Anything in the guild chat.
I was writing a letter to deliver to Edith when I stopped my hand.
Anything: Yes.
Melt: I'm sorry, but I have something urgent to tell you. Could you come?
[Ding!]
[Melt has invited you to the private chat channel 'Silver Star Self-Defense Squadron'. Do you accept?]
[Yes / No]
I put down the pen.
It seemed like something was happening.
"Are you there?"
There was a knock on the door.
Then, the sound of hesitant footsteps.
Jenna and Belkist had just left for night training, and I was alone in the room.
"You're Han Israt from Taonier, aren't you? I have something to tell you. Open the door."
As I opened the door, a woman in leather armor and tan skin appeared.
She was the woman who, days before, made a middle-aged man give up his turn.
Her name was Sijal Mechne.
She was Melt's Submaster, the leader of the Self-Defense Squadron.
"Ah, you're here. How fortunate."
Sijal entered the room and sat on the couch.
Then, she looked at me intently and said:
"You're the champion of the Dimensional City, right? The so-called Mad Dog who swept away more than a dozen people by himself. I also participated in that tournament. I didn't get good results, but... I saw how you fought in the Battle Royale and in the individual tournament. You destroyed the floor with a single blow."
"And so what?"
"Join the Self-Defense Squadron. Well, to be precise, our Guild that will be reformed."
Sijal opened her mouth.
"Our Master has also recognized your worth. They are probably already talking about it. Honestly, aren't you fed up? Taking care of these weaklings and doing the dirty work."
"...”
"At first, I thought it was fine. But as time goes by, this doesn't seem right."
Sijal's blue eyes darkened.
"Just before you arrived, this place was attacked. Twenty-three heroes from the Silver Star died. And all the dead were from the Self-Defense Squadron. Do you know why? Because no other Master sent reinforcements!"
"...”
"Those shameless ones. Do you think they know how many died to take this place? Even after that, many died protecting the ruins. Weapons, troops, aircraft. Everything was provided by us. They just suck their thumbs and then whine asking for the resources that come out of here. If we take more to compensate for our losses, they complain that it's unfair."
I see.
I fiddled with the War Horse Statue.
It didn't seem like we would need to wait long.
"I'm going to get rid of all of them," Sijal said.
"Those who only seek benefits under the pretext of being weak. Those who shake their heads even at a little danger. All those hypocrites who bow to you and then betray you behind your back. So, please, help us too."
"No thanks."
"What?"
"I said no."
At that moment, Anything also responded.
Anything: No, thank you.
I understand the situation.
Not everyone who is weak is good.
There are those who, upon receiving a favor, believe it's a right and act arrogantly.
I looked at the water bottle on the desk.
It had a flower inserted, a welcome gift from some hero's master.
"So, are you going to give up the resources even though you have the strength not to?"
"What nonsense."
"Then why?"
"Leave. I've heard enough of your complaints."
"If you join us, we'll give you priority in resources."
"Leave."
I reached for the sheath.
Sijal's expression hardened.
"Take the four behind the door with you too."
"You'll regret it."
"It's none of your business."
Sijal gave me one last look before opening the door and leaving.
Anything left the private chat of the Silver Star Self-Defense Squadron right after.
'How ridiculous.'
I had been dragged into this ridiculous political struggle.
I looked out the window. Members of the Self-Defense Squadron, including Sijal, were leaving the accommodation.
"Ah!"
The window slammed open and Jenna entered with an agile movement.
"So that's what was going on!"
"When did you arrive?"
"I've been here a while. I saw some suspicious guys approaching."
Jenna came closer to me.
"It seems I had unfounded expectations. It would have been easier to start fighting. I'm so busy I could die, really."
"So, brother. What are you going to do?"
I threw the letter I was writing for Edith into the trash.
Then, I took the flower from the water bottle.
With just a little force, the flower stem snapped with a crack.
I threw the broken flower into the trash.
Jenna sighed.
"I guess I knew this would happen."
"There must be a Self-Defense Squadron stronghold near the crystal."
"I'll look for the structure."
"Pass the message to Belkist too. Let him get ready."
"Got it!"
I frowned.
'How annoying.'
I was just wasting my precious time.
