ch421-ch440 · 427-ch427
Chapter 427: The Selfish Queen
"I object!"
The dedicated thread for the 'Queen of the Sky,' Uehara Asuka, is said to have two factions.
One: selfish girls are the best, faction.
The other: she's actually a good girl, faction.
"Why? These girls need levels. And above all, if we don't advance, Kasumi doesn't level either."
I've actually met the 'Queen' herself and talked with her a few times.
She's a little quick to anger, but she's not what I'd call selfish.
If anything, she's so weighed down by responsibility that it wears her mind down—she goes down regularly, I hear.
During the Umemoto incident, storing human corpses in her 【Storage】 broke something in her, and she couldn't join the search party.
And because she sat out the search, she got put in the front line and handed an unreasonable order.
The 'Blue Ocean' members and staff, backups included, all know how delicate she is, so not one of them complains about it.
If anything, they're still worried about her from the bottom of their hearts—the good girl she really is.
"There's such a thing as an appropriate level. For leveling, this floor is plenty."
Then why does she carry that disgraceful nickname, 'the Selfish Queen'......
"Kasumi's appropriate level is the next floor. Haruki's is the one after that. We should advance."
And this is why.
"I'm telling you it's dangerous! Until Natsukawa-san's level goes up on this floor, I object to going any further!"
Chiharu-san, who wants to press on, versus Kasumi-san, who won't let her.
The exact structure of the 'Selfish Queen' videos we've all watched.
What Kasumi-san is saying is the more correct, I'd say.
We're on Floor 42 now; if we're advancing to 43, we do it after hitting Level 43—that's the appropriate level.
Aikawa's level went up, but Soushi's hasn't yet.
So Kasumi-san argues we shouldn't go to the next floor.
But viewers always want to look ahead.
Which means the opinions always fall on Chiharu-san's side.
And between Chiharu-san's flat, even answers and the 'Queen' flying into a rage, the 'Queen' inevitably looks like the one being selfish.
That's the reason she gets labeled 'the Selfish Queen.'
"Soushi's out of MP, so focused leveling on this floor is impossible for him. If he can't fight anyway, we should advance and level the others. Isn't that right?"
Chiharu-san puts the question to Soushi.
"Well...... yes. I'm resting, so going ahead without me is fine."
Well, put on the spot like this, that's the answer you give.
"Natsukawa-san...... Kinoshita-san, please say something."
"Hmm. Before I give my opinion, I want to hear everyone's. What does everyone think?"
Ao-san's the one who decides in the end, after all.
In the videos I watched, Chiharu-san and Yukiya-san were the advance faction.
Kaito-san would side with the opposition to back up the 'Queen,' making it two against two.
Ao-san's faction wanted to advance only as far as wasn't overdoing it, so the standing compromise was "one floor, no more"—that was the routine.
Once it comes to this, the 'Queen' overruling the decision inevitably looks like the selfish one.
"Advance, then. Just following along from behind earns EXP too. Even just watching, there's plenty to learn."
Yukiya-san votes advance.
Chiharu-san, Soushi, Yukiya-san—that's three votes already.
"I think we should stay on this floor. Soushi can still fight, you know? If he pushes a little harder, his level will go up. Advancing can wait until then, can't it?"
Oh—Aikawa's against it.
Right, exactly.
You level yourself, after all.
"Haruki-kun?"
Naturally, I'm against it too.
If leveling came easy, fine, but that remark from earlier stung.
Until I'm convinced, at least I'm not moving.
But if I just say "against" here and Ao-san says advance, I lose the vote.
I have to argue them down.
"There are ways to get stronger that aren't leveling, right? Instead of pushing ahead, train us here."
"Nu? We can do that anytime."
That came out weak, huh.
"Well, I mean, I can come to Floor 40 whenever I want anyway."
Thank you, 【Gate】.
"Levels matter."
Huh?
Wait—you don't want to get stronger, you just want levels?
Not what I expected, but—bait taken.
"Then you won't lose to me, right?"
"Hou. You said it. I'll make you regret it."
The flat atmosphere around Chiharu-san clearly changes.
She takes up her sword and stands.
Um, wooden sword, please?
"Looks like that's settled. Today, then—training, right here."
"Alright! Haruki, you're fighting me too!"
It worked.
That selfish grit of hers—we'll just have to knock it into shape......
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"Pyeee—. I yield, I yieeeeld—"
I surrender.
Can't win. At all.
Ten matches, ten losses......
"As I thought—only the first thrust. If you come in at full power, I simply dodge. As long as I don't have to receive one of your funny thrusts, there's no problem."
Gwooooh......
Studied. Countered.
She goes all-in on evasion from the opening move now, dodging the first strike before committing.
Even my trusty 'Mountain Thrust' does nothing if I never make contact.
"Got it. Right—Haruki, next you're up against ME!"
And she went and spilled my weakness on top of it.
What a terrible thing to do......
"Then my partner is—Soushi, come here. At minimum, I'm having you learn to level on this floor without skills. Haruki said strength isn't just levels and stats. If Soushi can fight skill-less on the next floor too, then advancing is fine, no?"
The second half was aimed at Kasumi-san.
Train Soushi, prove the strength.
Then we can advance.
I'm glad she gets it.
Heh. Lost the match, won the war.
"What, you've never fought on sand before?"
Ugh—my feet tangled and I lost a point.
That's what not fighting on the road gets me......
"Oh, I think I could take him now. I'm next."
Pyeeee—!
～～～～～
Now posting a new work for Kakuyomu Con 10.
'The Unluckiest Man in the World Steps on the Level-Down Trap Twice in His First Dungeon'
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https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093086054561683
Chapter 6 is up.
I can't reply to comments on this one, but I'm replying to all of them over there.
If you're so inclined, a comment would be a big help.