"I want you to make that story about wanting to welcome you to my Knights without, okay?

It is the day after Karel's shock statement that

Before noon this day, Hannu and I had come to the 'Urban Area' on the east side of Float Rise Central District.

Unlike the western open-air street across the Lunatic Babel in the opposite direction, it is an area lined with large buildings and complexes.

Hourly rental meeting rooms on the corner. That was the rendezvous point designated by Mr. Karel.

Even if it's a meeting room, it's big enough to fit about a hundred people lightly.

I don't know what you're doing here.

"I would now like to discuss the future of 'BVJ (Bullish Violet Jokers)'. The MC progression will be served by Himself, Karellen Orstead of The Knights of Pale Red Flames"

I can't believe it.

How could it have been such a big deal?

There are about fifty explorers sitting in a chair arranged in a large room. All in all, they were pouring warlike sharp glances at me and Hannu on the wall, and at the summermen, Mr. Karel and Mr. Villey.

Everyone here and he are the people who represent each cluster.

That's from a cluster that we both want to join.

- This, so many people......!?

Next to me, Mr. Karel, with the microphone, cut out the conversation in a taunted manner.

"Now, things have gotten bigger and this is the form for convenience in order to prevent disturbances, but as I have repeatedly said before, we can never just look at the coercion against the two 'BVJs'. Naturally, I think everyone here knows that."

About half the people in the line nodded, yeah, yeah. I'm starting to get a little scared of what the other half of us are thinking.

After carefully looking at the reaction of the cluster leaders, Mr. Karel continues the conversation.

"Today's step, then, is to first confirm your intentions towards the two 'BVJs' - that is, are you unwilling to belong to some cluster? If so, confirm the desired conditions in doing so. However, lotteries will be ordered from clusters that match the conditions, and negotiations will begin - more than that. Naturally, if the first stage meant 'I'm not willing to belong anywhere', there would not have been any talk from there..."

Unexpectedly, Mr. Karel turned his jade gaze towards me.

Moment after moment, the sight of everyone on the spot arrived at me.

This is an impossible order.

"-!?

Not used to getting a lot of attention, I immediately petrified.

"Ah... eh..."

To me, who became an unspeakable statue in cold sweat, everyone around me said, 'You're not going to say anything?' There is pressure to be exerted.

- Uh, uh...!? hey, i have to say something......!?

and if you were gasping with a crucible of confusion and anxiety,

"- but before I do, from our Knights of Pale Red Flames, I would like to say to the lords who gathered me"

In the end, Mr. Karel started talking before I could open my mouth.

As soon as I arrive, the bundle of gaze that was focused on me moves to Mr. Karel.

The pressure on my shoulder disappeared and I stroked my chest down.

but while relieved, Mr. Karel suddenly threw a bomb without sound and light.

"In this case, I'm afraid we've decided to resign. I mean," Beowulf "and" Princess Xiaolong "are off the table."

――

Cluster leaders wavered in unison.

No one would have made it a prediction.

More importantly, I had no idea that 'NPK', which is thus in the role of a compiler, would declare its resignation on the negotiations at the heart.

Everyone can't hide their consternation and agitation, they look at each other.

Naturally, I was not surprised because Hannu and I were asked why beforehand. But the first time I heard it, they poked at me a lot, so I understood very well how they felt about leaking their amazing voice.

Eventually, one of the cluster leaders raised his hand. Mr. Karel indicated him with his palms,

"Go ahead."

urge. Whoever was allowed to speak stood up and said this to represent everyone.

"- I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to know how you decided to quit."

Oh, yes, they do - and a number of voices went up agreeing.

The questioner takes the surrounding voice and goes on to say more.

"We heard you spoke to Beowulf before the Battle of Hercules, so we decided to entrust you with this compiler. In other words, because you" NPK "are going to destroy the priority of the negotiations, I gave you the authority to put them together. Of course, I'm glad you split the opportunities equally in order to be fair... until you quit on the boulder..."

He seemed to swallow the word that people were too good to be trusted the other way around.

Perhaps this question was anticipated for Mr Karel.

Unless it was my fault, Mr. Karel hung the edge of his mouth slightly and laughed lightly.

"Of course, let me explain that. This is probably why it would apply to Sir and others as well. I want you to hear it for your information."

Mr. Karel reached into the hollow and manipulated his "SEAL" AR menu.

Then I guess there was a physical IC embedded in the wall of the room. A large AR board emerged between the left and right walls, each beginning to stream two footage simultaneously. Everyone's gaze travels indoors and outdoors with a chirp.

It took about ten seconds to figure out what footage it was.

Both showed me and Hannu. In more detail, the screen on the right shows the battle of the sea dragon in 197 layers and the battle of Hercules in 200 layers on the left.

Against the background of those footage, Ms. Karel spoke out.

"The reason we're dropping out of this negotiation isn't actually such a difficult story. It's a simple story."

After that, Mr. Karel ran out of words just to say why.

"They're too strong"

To the pitiful words, but no one said anything.

Shin, as we calm down, the footage of us fighting the gatekeepers just keeps flowing silently.

After putting aside such a time as to wait for his words to stain, Mr. Karel connected the words.

"I want you to think about it. Indeed, the power of Beowulf and Princess Xiaolong is broken. In fact, as executed by 'Supernova', the continuous destruction of the gatekeeper - no, on the contrary, in an unparalleled short period of time, we may be able to reach the apex of Renatic Babel. [But]"

A strong reverse conjunction sounded brutally cold.

"I would like to ask the lords. Who in this could be so sure that I am a stronger warrior than Beowulf? Or who can hold my chest that I am a stronger magician than Princess Xiaolong?

What is it that you say yourself, but I thought it was a harsh question.

One, an enhancer who defeated the gatekeeper alone.

One, or the god of the living who destroyed the gatekeeper with one technique.

Let me tell you something else as a HR, if you think objectively, I don't think that many people can tell you with a chest up that you can beat these two.

No, I'm not really proud or anything.

- Or myself, I don't feel like I can beat you in the meantime. So much so that I can insist that you never do the same thing again.

"If anyone is confident, I want their hands up. What do you think?

No one moves as Mr. Karel puts his gaze around.

Cold, dark silence, like a field of shine and snow.

Everyone lost their words and kept their mouths shut.

But in that,

"Yes."

There is a man with a loud voice and a slender hand up.

I looked at the woman standing right next to Karel, thinking, after all.

She is dressed in a supple, even limb with a marine blue shirt, a pure white jacket and black skinny trousers. The trademark, shiny blonde hair, was down straight today.

Villey, the sword lady, is the leader of The Knights of Pale Red Flames.

Beautiful deep red eyes quietly, but somewhere peeking into the swordswallowing glow, I looked to Mr. Karel next to me on the right.

He's no longer going to hide the anger seeping out of his whole body.

Mr. Villey, who has been quiet since this rally began, moved here in a way, as expected.

Because even in yesterday's family, she revolted against Mr. Karel.

As I expected. [M] It can't be that Mr. Karel didn't assume it.

He raised his hand next door and glanced at Mr. Villey as he pointed a piercing gaze.

"I'm sorry. I hope you don't mind my captain."

I responded with utmost calm and lightly dismissed Mr. Villey's case.

And keep talking as if nothing happened.

"I thought. Beowulf, Princess Xiaolong - he and she are too strong. Yes, it is too strong, but therefore, it may be less controllable. Will we be able to restrain their actions then? No, not yet if you just run wild. What if they had ambitions and plotted [below] within the cluster?

As far as I'm concerned, I'm sure I won't think about that, and that's actually what I said to Mr. Karel yesterday.

- Mr. Rag, it's not [what you think] that matters. [What do you think of the surroundings] What?

and vice versa, Mr. Karel told me.

"Also, too strong a force also creates discord. Will the unity of will of your clusters be sufficient? As you can see, I'm ashamed my opinion is broken even inside of us. If we went into negotiations like this, even if Beowulf's and Princess Xiaolong's replies were of good color, the discord that occurs within the cluster would not be prevented. That may result in a collapse of the cluster"

Here, here, and Mr. Karel, gaze upon the LORD of his sword.

"- At least [I] thought so. Therefore, with regard to this negotiating right, we, the Knights of Pale Red Flames, have decided to resign. If we don't at least accept these two, the worst will be avoided, the decision being made. That's why I resign."

Finished, Mr. Karel put the microphone down once.

Then, the cluster leaders who had been listening to the previous stories gradually bothered to come out.

The only thing that gets to my ear is, "What do we do with your place?" "No, if you ask me, I'm sure." "You didn't even think about the possibility of being taken over..." "But that power is amazing." "We need them to join the top group." "Risk would be woven" - etc.

As for the reaction, did I just say that I would listen to Mr. Karel and reconsider, or still not give up on our gains?

And right near my waist, a laugh arose. [M]

"- Just fine. If that's the case, there's something I should tell you first from my concubine."

I don't know what to say. A lovely voice said something strangely disturbing.

Nothing came to my chest at this time but an unpleasant hunch.

"What? Ha, Hanu? Um, what..."

"Karel, give it to me."

Ignoring my voice, Hannu pointed to Mr. Karel's microphone and demanded it.

Mr. Karel responded silently. When will the microphone be handed over to Mr. Villey, who had put his hands down and put his arms together?

- Everybody, listen up.

Suddenly a young voice amplified by a microphone, the cluster leaders who stood deliberately stopped moving simultaneously and looked back.

The girl they call 'Princess Xiaolong' is still wearing a coat from her head today and her face is mostly hidden. The slightly visible mouth was engraved with an invincible grin that was really like hers.

Well, I gave up on the breathtaking sound. It's too late, I can't stop you anymore.

"The concubines are not going into any clusters!

It was a tremendous ruined remark, like the invisible glass slapped and broken simultaneously.

I will probably never forget this sight of about fifty faces being uniformly distracted.

Hanu's bold remarks will not stop.

"In the first place, why is it decided that the concubines will be beneath those here? Don't be ridiculous. [It will be easy to follow below]. It is nature's order that the weak follow the strong, not the reason of the world. Instead of the concubines taking care of each other here, they will all rub their foreheads together and plead with us to subordinate them. What did you get wrong with that, with the concubines being added to the umbrella? Can't give me a minute, you shameless bastard!

Although the tongue sword is lifeless, the tongue wreck caused by Hannu's tongue sword involves her as well as me.

But the girl of the living god, who was not obsessed with such a trivial matter, carried out a sharp tongue, and finally said away to this end.

"Look, listen carefully! Beginning today, concubines and rats are hereby proclaimed to make 'BVJ' the most powerful cluster in the world! Anyone who thinks I am, offer! If that person is qualified, admit to being one of them!

Hannu may have left reluctance, modesty or depth of prudence in her mother's tummy. The mention that you said something so rigid that it just seemed so, speaking, it felt like

"Oh, by the way, then, I don't want the weak. Also, the key is [whether to cultivate friendship with concubines or not]. And inscribe it in your heart. Leader?

At the end of the day, he suddenly shook at me.

"... What!?

Wait a minute. What did you just say?

"... Li, leader?

I pointed at my face with my full, trembling fingers and listened back.

"Mm-hmm. Lato's the leader of the cluster. Naturally?"

Leaning her little neck in the wind, Ethereal and Golden Heterochromia looked up at me from behind the hood.

Surprise exploded late.

"What - Yeah, yeah, yeah!? What's that!? I didn't hear that!? I don't know!? Not at all, not even this one! I didn't hear that. Ooh!?

"That's what I'll do. Because I just said so."

"That's why you say 'I haven't heard'!? Or how come Hanu is not the leader!?

When I asked him to bite, Kufu and Hannu laughed with silly eyes. And somewhere in a pitiful voice,

"Urato...... think about it.... does the concubine look like a vessel called Leader?

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!?

Then why did you just make such a daring and invincible statement on your own? Huh!?

I was surprised that my head turned too white, and I just had to peel my eyes off and flash.

Mr. Karel came from the side there and pulled the microphone out of Hannu's hand.

To all the cluster leaders who gathered me, I say this in terminal terms that have shredded off all the wasted luxury meat.

"Gentlemen. - That's right."

The rally stayed in Gdagda and ended in a quarrel.

In the end, Hannu's remarks whitened the atmosphere and combined it with dissolution so that the tide would draw.

The people gathered together leaked bumps and discontent, but they didn't say anything directly to us, and they all went home.

"After all, I mean, I didn't really think I could win you guys."

Carrell, who remained calm and settled all along, comforted me with a calm voice after all. I accidentally said, "How can you be so calm?," he laughed a little,

"What? This is nothing compared to the other day when you waved me away."

They cut me back like that, and I couldn't help but be frightened. I was apologizing to you when I met you in the family about that, but this look could have kept you from making fun of me with the same stuff.

When Karel ended the conversation there, he called out to Mr. Villey, who was turning that way with a murky face - yes, Mr. Villey was a little more childish than I thought.

"You were right, Captain? Rug, you and Princess Xiaolong will probably form their own cluster, he said. And now you..."

"I'm convinced, but I'm not giving up. Karellen."

As she quickly turned around shaking her golden glowing hair, Ms. Ville blocked Mr. Karel's words and pierced his face with a sharp gaze like a regular horn.

"I'm sure your thoughts and judgments are right. [So], I don't disagree anymore. - [Though], I didn't give up welcoming them into the Nights. Remember that."

Just saying what he wanted to say, Mr. Villey turned his back once again without a scratch.

This is it, so Karel smiles at me like I'm in trouble, and she puts up her shoulders and puts on a sigh.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Villey's gaze turned to me. Then, the youthful face until just now suddenly changes to a full grin. He smiled, smiling so perfectly that he could hear the noise.

"You're right, Rag. I'm sorry, but [this time] I'll let you drop me off. But it doesn't change my desire to explore with you and Princess Xiaolong. One day, I'll welcome you as a knight."

"Oh, uh..."

How can I reply to a time like this? In front of Mr. Karel: "Be sure! There's no reason to say." Or, there's no way I can tell Mr. Villey, "Fine," even if his mouth is torn.

That's how she worried, Mr. Villey took her gaze off of me and suddenly gave in to the spot. Now he's going to talk to Hannu.

eyes directly from the front with Hanu, says Mr. Villey.

"Princess Xiaolong, I'm stronger than you. Then you don't have to rub your forehead on the ground, do you?

"Hmm. You tell me, Villy"

Surely these two have heard stories of getting along there while I was asleep in the hospital.

Or I said to Hannu, 'If I'm thankful for your help, Rag, how about I kiss you?' It was Mr. Villey who breathed a hell of a lot into me.

That was really bad for my heart. No, I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't happy...

Is it because of that history? Even though the two conversations were just challenging words, for some reason, each other's expressions included laughter.

By the way, is it my fault you feel like there's a spark between you two? I want it to be my fault, but I think it's from the bottom of my heart.

"Want to try it? Whatever, Rag, you can put it in, two on one."

"Well? Then the victory of the concubines will be confirmed. There's no way you can beat a rat."

"Come on, what do you think? The battle cannot be determined by simple power."

"Well, it's not enough for a concubine to kneel down. I don't know if she's a sword lady, but she'll blow you away with a blow."

"You'll tell me. Strength would be adorable if it went that far. Ugh."

"That's what I'm talking about. It's not funny how you spit in heaven. Ha ha."

Finally, we rubbed each other's foreheads together gritty and began to tease each other head-on.

Oh, that? This is good friends... right...?

When you're judging whether the two people you're close to are squatting each other or whether you're seriously paying for sarcasm,

"Captain, play's that far, please. It's time to go. Because the time limit is close."

Mr. Karel stopped the two of us. Apparently there is a close separation of rental time for this meeting room.

I'll see you later, Princess Xiaolong.

"Hmm. You can come whenever you feel like lowering your head"

"Slow down."

Hehe, and Mr. Villey laughed with pleasure - good, I knew it was just a fit - and his deep red eyes suddenly looked at me.

"Huh?"

My voice leaked without knowing the strength of my unexpected gaze.

I don't know what to say. Mr. Villey's eyes stared at me, bewildered somewhere, in a strangely pungent, monstrous light.

Mr. Villey's right delicate hand was lifted and the tip of his index finger poked into my face.

Its right hand forms the shape of a pistol,

"Because I will never let you get away with it. Be prepared."

Mr. Villey has one patsy wink.

Bang, I imitated shooting a pistol like that.

――――

It should have been just a gesture - though.

I didn't really know what kind of power it was, but I did feel like it shot out somewhere in me.

Dropping off Mr. Villey and Mr. Carrell as they turned their backs and turned away, apparently I was stunned for a while.

It was too late when he returned to me, and for some reason Hannu was very obstinate.

It was then two days ago that I took Hanu to the coffee shop to get her in a good mood with sweet things.

Discuss cluster formation as it is, then let's start with not only the Gatekeeper fight, but also train the two of us so that we can do our usual explorations properly.

Yesterday, because of normal combat, I installed "Air Ripper" on Hanu's "SEAL" and prepared for various things.

- to this day.

Lunatic Babel First Floor, Central Elevator Hall.

Earlier, in the fifty-third tier, he had committed such a flashy act of destruction that he had fled teasing.

What is it? I'm not sure what it's like to build a cluster, be the wings that lead it, or because the generic Hanu technique I installed is too strong to be used, I've stepped on and kicked it lately.

Funny, I met Hanu and I felt like something had changed with me before...

- And I shouldn't. If Hannu sees me where I'm snagging, I'll be pissed off again.

"Uh, then, Hannu, shall we get back on our minds and do it next time? The orb-shaped one I bought yesterday...... Hanu?

When he noticed, Hannu was solidifying on his knees. It doesn't respond to my voice at all. [M]

"Ha, Hanu?

I don't know what he looks like because he's wearing a coat. I can't believe you're falling asleep standing...

"What's going on? Are you okay?"

Close in, poke your knees, make sure there are no people around, then don't pick the hood of your jacket and shift.

Hannu was not asleep.

It's just that my face was so bright blue that I was breathing so constantly that I could still be dead - eh!?

"- Hannu!? Duh, what's wrong!?

…………

Hanu opened his lips trying to say something, but in the end, he closed again without saying anything. He stares loosely at the floor at his feet with no unfocused golden or silver eyes, and his tiny mouth repeats a thin exhale, "Ha... ha..."

I felt this symptom. If you're expecting something, though this isn't like suddenly dying - but it's incredible, because so suddenly -

"- Huh!? Hannu!"

I guess I've reached my limit. Hannu's body leaned around and collapsed on the spot. I reach out in a hurry and hug my little body.

In my arms, Hannu used to come like a broken puppet. Beautiful silver hair, sticking to her face with sweat. She seemed completely unconscious.

I just saw that face I lost my mind and it hurt so much that my chest was about to break.

"... wait, Hanu, I'll take you to the hospital now!

When I held my light body tight, I layered the support technique Strength, Rapid, and Protection on myself and Hannu, and activated the Serie Walk.

Think later.

Now anyway, take Hanu to the hospital!

I jumped out of the tower with a thunderstorm of disease in my arms, and ran up the sky without metaphor or exaggeration to bust the shortest distance to the hospital.