"Hey, Sin. Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Are you glad we're talking?
"... about earlier."
After Yumi and Mai decided to talk about going out of the party, Mina asked me.
There's only two of us in this room right now.
I guess she predicted where I'd be in the room where Yumi was gone.
"If you were to lose one person in the party... you'd think it was me"
Mina put her finger bellies together in front of her body and told me as she looked slightly more meticulous.
"What makes you think that?
"Because... you, Sakuya and Yumi are all familiar with VRMMO knowledge and standing around, aren't you? How about a beginner like me sitting in there?
Sometimes you feel different from us in PS (Player Skills), even if there is no difference in status, such as level or gear.
It's also possible enough that something like breathlessness comes from it.
Mina was originally a light gamer.
I'm not in the same mood as us.
"I think I've said something similar before, but if you're breathing with us, you might want to go to another party."
"Beh, I didn't mean it like that."
"Really?
"Yes."
Mina shook her head vertically as I turned my gaze.
"It's just... if you really need to get one out of us, isn't it more efficient to take me off? That's the story."
Efficient.
Surely for me, or Sakya, Yumi, Mai, that would have been the most efficient.
But just because you're efficient doesn't mean you can do anything.
There is no way that an act that seeks only its own interests, such as borrowing equipment, occupying a hunting ground, and flouting party members, can be justified.
Even if that's not explicitly forbidden as a rule of the game, it's as an implicit rule.
You can call it manners for fun.
"Mina, you took efficiency lightly when you worked with me, didn't you?
"? Yeah, sort of."
"Then I don't think about that when I work with you either. So reciprocal."
When I'm playing the game, it's the first priority.
Is that enjoyable or not?
It's fun to think about efficiency and hunt and work well with your peers, but it's not very funny to make everything you do systematic or trump your peers who make bad moves.
I don't think the game is about losing what's important to you as a person.
The reason I got into VRMMO is because I can play on an equal footing with people.
"Besides, Mina is definitely getting stronger. I haven't gotten my foot together, and I'll follow you so you don't. Well, Yumi and Mai followed me this time."
But that's why I'm not good enough to keep partying with bad players.
As long as you're at the same party as me, Mina is going to tap into my knowledge and experience.
That's what I've done before, and I intend to continue to do so.
Unless she turns it up.
"... well. Yeah, thanks. Then I'll keep throwing parties."
"Best wishes, Mina"
"Yes."
Thus Mina seemed to have raised her tone, which she had kept low until then, smiling lightly at me.
"Phew... that's a little refreshing."
"Refreshing?"
"Maybe it's because I thought you felt like you were in my way, maybe."
Hmm.
Maybe Mina was deeply anxious that I would cut myself off for efficiency.
If so, I'm sorry.
Even the discussion earlier seemed odd, and if it was to be truncated, it would have been from me, but I guess I thought at that time.
I wish I didn't have to bother you with that.
Because she's my precious companion and there's no way she could do anything to cut it off.
"Mina, I don't think you're in the way, no matter what."
"Yeah, right. Because you're a sweet man."
"I'm not being nice."
It's just that I'm throwing a party because Mina doesn't have any particular problems with me, and that doesn't include kindness.
I have trouble getting people to think I'm throwing a party in charity.
"If you're lazy, I'll kick your ass up, but I'll move. Be prepared."
"Oh, I'm scared. Then I'll do my best not to get my butt kicked again."
"Oh, do that. Instead, I'll teach you as much as I can."
"Heh heh, soften your hands"
And we smiled, and we started turning our minds around about the future.
"But if Yumi and Mai fall out, we're gonna be four of us, right? What are you gonna do?
"Right, well for now -"
That's why I decided to call someone I knew to fill in one party member.
Then, from the first shot of that contact, Ok came out, so we stand in front of the inn to rendezvous with him.
"... Good morning... Mr. Singh"
"Morning, Phil. Sorry for the sudden favor."
"Yeah, Mr. Singh's favor...... so"
The first shot I made with the call function was Phil.
Phil admitted he would join us in two replies when he heard we were recruiting one party member, and he rushed here.
They were doing pretty well with the members of the party who had such a busy guy as Kyoya she was working with, so I thought it was in the form of pulling them out of there, but Phil said they were happy to accept that Phil would be able to use his powers more fully with us than with himself.
In fact, although Phil's PS is pretty expensive, it's also true that he'll need assistance from other party members to keep it alive.
That's why we had the pleasure of working with Phil.
This made the party five, but as far as I'm concerned, Phil's addition made me happy to be able to resume raising the level of his state abnormality resistance skills.
My MND was even more negatively given the "Guardian of the Necromancer King" from Krall, but I am concerned that some problems will arise as a result.
One of the problems is decreased state abnormality tolerance.
For once, I am fully swinging to VIT, so I think the resulting increase in state abnormality tolerance is quite considerable.
However, it is likely that the negative content of MND has almost eliminated it.
As a tank and healer, I have to make sure that the condition is not abnormal, so whatever this problem is, it should be eliminated.
When that happens, Phil's abnormal state skills are still helpful.
Ask her to help increase her skill level in the future.
"Girl...... you say? Could Lord Singh have harem attributes...?
"Don't treat us harem on your own!?
That's right, I don't have that attribute.
That's what I was thinking, and I saw Phil, the new party member, with the grin that Claire had drawn.
Maybe this guy didn't think all the members but me would be women.
But still, don't say Harlem or anything.
You're rude to Phil and Mina.
Mina is angry.
"I will follow even if Sin is harlem-oriented! But Master Singh's best will always be me!
"So it's not Harlem. And I don't remember you being my best."
I thought you wouldn't really care if Sakya told you it was Harlem or something, but that's why you don't affirm Harlem.
I've learned that you should listen to her half the time, but I can't stand being branded a Harlem bastard here.
"... Harlem?
"Phil, don't listen to these guys. Come on, let's go."
I don't want my innocent, cute junior to have a negative image of a harem bastard or anything.
Pushing Phil's back in reaction to the word Harlem, I walked out to end this story.