Chapter 1 We Advance with Greed in Our Hearts! …Wait, That Sounds Bad…
An earsplitting scream echoed across a grassy field at dawn.
“Aiieeeee?!”
A wolf monster’s sharp claws swung toward a girl in priestly garb. A direct attack. The girl died instantly, and she soon lay inside a coffin.
“Augh! The healer’s down!”
“Oh, crap!”
A warrior and a bandit, the girl’s companions, rubbed their eyes in disbelief. But the sight before them remained unchanged.
There were four people in their party—the Warrior, the Bandit, a Shield Knight, and the Priest girl.
The Priest had been their sole healer, and with her down…
“I-if she can’t cast Cura, we’ll… Aughhhhhhh?!”
Mid-sentence, the Shield Knight was struck down by the enemy’s fearsome onslaught. A second coffin appeared, lying beside the Priest girl’s.
“Our tank’s down! Rianimato them or…!”
“I know! An item should… Wait, I’m out?!”
The Warrior and Bandit both hastily checked their storage, but neither had any revival items. They didn’t even have any HP recovery items. They stared at each other in horror.
As they did, the enemy attacked again. “Grrr!” “Gah?!” “Oww!!” Neither the Warrior nor the Bandit had much in the way of defense, and their HP crumbled away.
They were on the verge of wiping.
“Crap! What now…? What do we do?!”
“That’s what I wanna know!”
There was nothing they could do. Except…
“…Ah! Hey, look!”
“At what? …Oh!”
They’d each spotted other adventurers running toward them across the field.
Two of them. At the fore, a woman glittering gold in the morning sun. Behind her, a girl shining with pure white light.
Their bodies wrapped in gleaming garb, both women held staffs aloft. The woman’s staff was magnificently bejeweled, while the younger girl’s was of simpler craft, but both ladies had staffs equipped. That was key.
To the Warrior and Bandit, they seemed akin to gods.
“A-are you…Priests? Or Clerics? If you’ve got staffs, then you’re definitely healers! You can use recovery magic!”
“Please save us! We’ll gladly reward you! Name your price!”
Trying to keep the monsters at bay, both warrior and thief pleaded for aid.
The healer in gold smiled warmly.
“We require no reward. Helping those in need is only natural. Leave this to my daughter and me.”
“Y-you’re mother and daughter?!”
“You’re so beautiful! You’re angels! Goddesses!”
“My, that is high praise! But I suppose it comes as no surprise. Heh-heh-heh. Well, Medhi. Let us show them the power of angels.”
“Yes, Mother.”
At her mother’s urging, the girl, Medhi, raised her staff.
“Conforto Staff! Unleash your power!”
In response to its wielder’s demand, the function hidden in the staff activated.
Light rained down on all adventurers present, granting them a barrier that prevented status effects.
“How was that, Mother?”
“Well… I think this situation rather called for healing effects…but close enough. You did provide them a beneficial effect, so let’s call that a pass.”
“Thank you.”
“But one must never be satisfied. You must always strive to be the best. You will become the greatest healer of all, a healer the whole world admires. The greatest healer in this world or any other world. Understand?”
“Yes, Mother. With your guidance, I’m sure I will.”
“You will. Just as you say. I will train you to be the best. Have faith in me, and I will guide you. Let us proceed onward.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The mother walked triumphantly away, and her daughter, Medhi, followed dutifully behind, leaving the scene…
“…Sigh… Gimme a break…”
…and just then, someone seemed to whisper, “…Did you hear that?” “Hear what?” “Grr?” None present, monsters included, knew who was responsible for the whisperings.
So.
“…Anyway.”
“…What now?”
The status-effect barrier was functioning perfectly, but the adventurers remained in critical condition, beset by monsters. What became of them?
Well, whatever happened, happened. May they rest in peace.
No one knew their fate.
Naturally, Masato and his party had no way of knowing, either.
When he woke, he found himself surrounded by darkness.
“Yaaawn… I guess I could get up…”
Masato reached forward, pushing the darkness in front of him as he sat up. The coffin he was sitting in dissolved.
Alzare always put him in a coffin. He was getting used to it. He wasn’t sure he really should be, but there you have it.
Masato looked blearily around him, examining his surroundings. This was a room in an inn. A plain wooden interior, nothing in the room except a pair of beds.
The high school Sage who always forced Masato into a deep sleep was probably around somewhere, but he didn’t see her.
“Guess she already went down to breakfast…?”
Or was she in the shower? He perked up his ears but didn’t hear running water from the bathroom. She must have gone ahead.
“She could at least say good morning… Geez.”
He’d better hurry and get ready. Masato stood and went to the bathroom to wash his face.
He had to do these things or a certain someone would start to gripe about his hygiene. Shaking his head at this, he opened the bathroom door.
A waft of sweet-smelling steam came spilling out of the shower.
“…Uh…”
He could see a woman through the clouds.
She was naked, wiping droplets of water from her youthful skin with a towel, making no effort to conceal her enticing chest, narrow waist, or anything farther down. This naked woman was none other than…
“Oh, Ma-kun?”
Mamako. Masato’s mom.
Having accidentally walked in on his mother getting out of the shower, Masato crumpled to the floor, his mind and body obliterated in a single instant. He began to decompose.
“M-Ma-kun? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, y’know…just…everything…”
This was wrong. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be.
This sort of surprise fan service was supposed to allow him to catch a naughty glimpse of the heroine.
But all he got was an eyeful of his mom.
“Sigh… What’s the point…? If it was Wise—not that I want that, but if it was—then at least I’d know how to handle the situation…”
“Wise? Oh, Wise…!”
No sooner had the word left Mamako’s mouth…
…than Wise appeared in the bathroom, a towel wrapped tightly around her body. Like she’d used a teleportation spell.
“Sorry for the wait, Mamako! I brought a change of clothes from your room. Wait… Huh?!”
Wise had, naturally, locked her gaze on Masato. And was starting to freak out.
Before she had a chance, though, Masato yelled back, “Wise, what the heck? What are you doing?”
“Huh? Wh-what…? I was taking a shower with Mamako, and she forgot to bring a change of clothes, so I went to get them.”
“Gimme a break! Why would you do any of that? How could you not be here? You’ve ruined the whole thing! God, you’re a constant disappointment!”
“Umm… What? Why am I the villain here? How’d you make it sound like I should be apologizing? Um… Then…sorry? I guess?”
Thoroughly confused, Wise bowed her head. As she did…
Well, she didn’t have much holding the towel up in the first place, so when she bent over, it loosened and fell right off her.
Exposing every inch of the high school Sage to Masato’s eyes.
Thus, the world was restored to its natural order.
“Ah… Hey?!”
“Yes! This! This is how things should be! Maybe your thighs are a little thick and you’re totally flat chested, but still! Or… Right, not the time for that, is it?”
Masato catching a glimpse of her meant only one thing. Punishment.
He slowly closed the door, as if saying, “Take your time.”
But inside he heard the familiar chant. “…Spara la magia…” Wise was getting ready to cast.
Before she could, there was a knock at the door. Outside was…
“Good morning! Masato! Wise! Are you up?”
“Oh, Porta!” Masato called. “Perfect timing! Come on in! It’s a bit of an emergency.”
“It is? O-okay…!”
A young girl with a shoulder bag came running into the room.
She was a Traveling Merchant named Porta. With the items she carried, he might successfully extract himself from this predicament.
“Thanks, Porta. Can I grab a magic seal item from you real quick? I have an urgent need to seal the magic of a certain devil whose magic only works properly on party members.”
“Magic seal item, right? Got it! Oh, but…magic seal items don’t seal magic that’s already activated.”
“Uh… Already activated?”
Masato had not yet been set on fire, frozen, or blown up…but his punishment had already begun.
He looked down at his feet and saw a portal yawning beneath them, one clearly leading to some cryptic void or other dimension.
He began sinking slowly into it, like he was caught in a bottomless marsh.
“Um… Wise. Wise! What spell is this?”
“A spell to throw you into another dimension. Have fun! Geez, why do my spells have such a high success rate only when cast on Masato? They’re like one hundred percent with him! It’s sooo satisfying. Heh-heh-heh.”
Based on the laughter echoing through the door, she wasn’t prepared to cancel it.
“…This is gonna be a rough one.”
Masato was dragged through the portal, his existence vanishing from the world.
FIN
Masato was no more.
But whether you died or ceased to exist, revival spells and items could easily bring you back. This was how the game worked.
So let’s just forget any of that ever happened.
“All right, everyone, sit down. It’s time for breakfast! Hands together!”
“““Thanks for the food!”””
They were on the first floor of the inn, in a dining room for guests, enjoying their morning meal.
The room reeked of European romanticism, with an elegant table laid for just a few people. Only Masato’s party had stayed here the previous night, so they had the place to themselves.
“This miso soup really gets me going! Without it, my magic just isn’t the same! I’d go so far as to say my MP pool is based on miso!”
“I think my Item Creation success rate has gone up since I started eating Mama’s breakfasts! I would like another helping of rice! May I?”
“Of course! We have plenty. Eat as much as you like. You too, Ma-kun!”
“Uh, sure…”
Breakfast with everyone, sitting around a steaming-hot pot of rice.
One glance around and you’d think this was your typical European fantasy MMO inn (because it was). Outside the window, the street was bustling with warriors and mages.
Yet the table itself was filled with rice, miso soup, fried fish, and seasoned seaweed. And everyone was eating with chopsticks.
What are we even doing? Masato couldn’t help wondering. It was a real problem for him.
It wasn’t like everything about the situation bothered him. Eating a familiar Japanese breakfast was a great comfort, even inside this fantasy game. It kept him in perfect health, after all. So even Masato was disinclined to gripe about it all that much.
Yet however disinclined he might be…
I dunno…
If he had to put a finger on what was bugging him, it would have to be her. Her very presence here, her every action, word, and gesture.
“Oh, Ma-kun, what is it? Something you want to say to Mommy?”
“…No, not really.”
He’d merely glanced over at her, and she’d noticed instantly. He was forced to answer evasively and turn his attention back to his food.
Once breakfast was done…
“Well, time to clean up!”
“I can help! Masato, Wise, you can leave it to us!”
Mamako simply would not allow anything to get between her and housework, while Porta was always eager to help with anything she could. The two of them gathered up the dishes and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Thanks!” “Likewise!”
It wasn’t that Masato and Wise were against helping, but it would never do to get in Porta’s way, so they took her at her word.
Masato reached for his teacup. Sipping hot green tea, he glanced over at his mother’s back as she tackled the dishes…and let out a long sigh.
Wise fixed him with a baleful glare.
“…Hey, could you not sigh like that this early in the morning? It’s creepy.”
“I don’t see what’s creepy about it. You don’t need to be so mean all the time, y’know.”
“Yeah, yeah, sorrrrry. But seriously, you’re in a mood. What’s up? …Or are you just letting yourself get bogged down by some dumb stuff again?”
“What do you mean ‘dumb stuff’?”
“You know… ‘Why is Mommy here with me in the game? I can’t take it anymore!’ Or whatever.”
“Well…”
Masato couldn’t completely deny it.
Thrown into a game world with his mom. That was the fate that had befallen Masato.
Being sent into the game was a pleasant surprise, and normally he’d be jumping for joy, but having Mamako there with him had the opposite effect.
But he knew better now.
“I get it, or at least I’m trying to. I know this game was set up for parents to adventure with their kids. I still have no idea how the whole full-dive engine works, but…”
“But now that we’re in it, you can’t beat the game unless you get closer to your mom… You know that, right?”
“I know the victory conditions are tantamount to death.”
“So your only choice is to develop a full-on Oedipus complex, yeah?”
“Uh, I think I’ve got other options! I’m pretty sure the government agency running things doesn’t expect anyone to go that far.”
“Then just get closer to her normally and beat the stupid thing. Easy, right?”
“Easy to say, at least… But the whole ‘normally’ thing is what’s tough… The goal’s so abstract, I’m not really sure how to proceed…”
Masato poked at the air in front of his face, pulling up his status screen.
At the top was Masato’s job, “Normal Hero.” Like it was his duty to get close to his mother in the normal way and achieve a normal level of happiness. The job had been picked for him when they started, along with those instructions.
Personally, he thought that sounded way harder than saving the world.
Even if I try, there’s no script or anything. I gotta do everything myself…
If we were to summarize his predicament in a simple Q&A format…
Q: Exactly how do I get closer to my mom?
A: Up to you!
Q: Have you prepared any events that might help with that?
A: As this is only a beta, no, we have not. We plan to include those in the official release.
Not exactly helpful.
A part of him was ready to throw in the towel, to abandon hope.
But actually, Masato had a theory. More of a hypothesis, really.
Like, if I could get in a position where I had to protect my mom…I think that might do it.
Not in a “I’ll protect my beloved mother!” way or anything.
What he had in mind was more like his dad and grandma: watching out for the toll of her advancing years, quietly carrying her bags for her, checking that she was okay. That sort of thing always seemed nice.
Not to be patronizing, but if he could be the strong one helping someone weaker than himself out of the kindness of his heart…
If it worked that way, it would feel natural to him. Not awkward at all. If he tried that, he was sure he could pull it off. Totally.
The problem was…
…it didn’t really seem like things were headed in that direction…
“Ma-kun, Wise!” Mamako said, emerging from the kitchen, the dishes done. “Thanks for waiting! Let me just get ready.”
“Mama, here!” Porta said, handing over her gear.
“Thanks!”
She removed her apron and equipped an elbow and waist guard.
Then she slung two Holy Swords around her hips—Terra di Madre, the Holy Sword of Mother Earth, and Altura, the Holy Sword of Mother Ocean. And with that, she was ready.
“Well then, Ma-kun! Time for another adventure with Mommy! Yay!”
“Yeah, okay… Yay…”
Once again, Masato had to face the harsh reality.
Shortly after they reached the field…
“…Oh! Enemies! Careful!” Porta cried, her eagle eyes quickly spotting the approaching monsters. She hastily retreated to the back line. Porta was registered as a noncombatant account and was unable to take part in any battles.
Fights were handled by Masato, Mamako, and Wise.
“Right, let’s do this! Prepare for combat!”
“Yes! Mommy will do her best!”
“Expect great things from the super schoolgirl Sage!”
The party makeup was two sword-based DPS units with an all-rounder Mage handling offensive, recovery, and support spells. A handpicked elite unit up for any challenge.
Their foes were a pack of bugs and vermin, ranging from grasshoppers to rats.
The instant both parties perceived each other, the battle began.
“Ha-ha! My magic will end this in a single blow! Spara la magia…”
Wise was the first to take action. She summoned her magic tome, opened it up, and began chanting the words to a spell.
But the enemy was faster. A giant grasshopper got the initiative.
…Vvvvvvvvv…
The giant grasshopper’s wings vibrated, unleashing an uncanny noise.
Masato was unaffected. Mamako was unaffected. Naturally, Porta was unaffected.
Wise’s magic was sealed.
“…Why…? Every time… Why…?” Wise said, crumpling to the ground, her eyes glazing over.
“It shouldn’t come as a shock at this point! That’s all you ever do!” Masato said, dashing past her to attack. “Which means this battle is miiiiine!”
Masato took a firm grip on Firmamento, the Holy Sword of the Heavens. The enemies were right before his eyes.
Firmamento was a sword specialized for fighting flying enemies, but it was naturally capable of defeating ground-based foes as well. The glittering transparent blade swung toward the giant grasshopper.
But sadly…
“Hyah!”
Just before Masato’s attack connected, a feminine squeak far too adorable to ever emerge from someone her age echoed in his ear.
Instantly, rock spikes jutted up from beneath the monsters’ feet, impaling and shredding every creature there.
A moment later, an immense number of water bullets, like a full clip from an assault rifle, riddled the monsters with holes.
By the time the fury of her multi-target attacks subsided, the only trace of the monsters were the dice-shaped objects known as gems. These were generated within the monsters themselves and scattered on the ground where they’d stood.
Yep. She’d beaten all the monsters.
“Look, look, Ma-kun! Mommy did it!”
Mamako had cleaned up. She was hopping up and down happily, a crimson sword in her right hand and a navy-blue one in her left, a broad smile on her face. All this hopping was making her chest bounce all over the place.
Meanwhile, Wise had stepped forward with utter confidence only to have her magic sealed, rendering her useless. And Masato had attempted to seize his chance, moving to attack only to have his efforts prove to be in vain.
“…Look.”
“…Don’t. She’ll just cry again.”
Mamako was quite proud of her two-hit multi-target attacks and her overwhelming firepower.
They never let the other party members get a hit in. Not ever. Not once. Anywhere.
It was hopeless.
Masato and Wise quietly sat down side by side. They’d found sitting with their arms around their knees was a great comfort when they felt like this.
Meanwhile, Porta scrambled around collecting the gems (which could be exchanged for money). Mamako was helping her.
As they absently watched them, Wise started talking.
“I’ve been thinking… I’m really screwed. I dunno, I just feel like I’m losing sight of why I even exist.”
“What a coincidence. That’s exactly what I was thinking… If we don’t do something soon, we’re doomed.”
Mamako was unbeatable in combat. Masato never got a chance to shine.
This was a dire state of affairs. Not as far as the combat results—those went swimmingly—but the toll on Masato’s state of mind was severe.
Essentially, Mamako made him feel inadequate. He was trying to move beyond childish reactions like blaming her or lashing out, but at this rate there was no guarantee he wouldn’t erupt again.
And…
The way things are, I’ll never get a chance to be the one protecting her…
Masato believed that getting closer to her required tenderness and consideration. Or at least, he had a nebulous concept that was similar.
But to put those feelings into specific action required a good deal of self-confidence.
Everyone knows that it’s better to be nice to your mother, to be thoughtful. But the power to do that and think This is the right thing to do was rooted in confidence.
And confidence stemmed from strength.
At least at first.
“…I’ve gotta get stronger,” Masato said in a whisper. He let the words linger in the air.
“Pffft! ‘I’ve gotta get stronger.’ Hearing a guy say that with a straight face is hilarious!”
“Wh-what’re you laughing at?! See, this is what really pisses me off about girls!!”
Masato spent a few minutes seriously thinking about whether the experience he’d gain from defeating Wise (who was still laughing) would be enough to make him level up.
Mornings were spent battling, earning enough money to live on. The daily grind for living expenses progressed smoothly, and when they looked up, they realized the sun was directly overhead. Noon. The party went back to town for lunch.
The town the party was operating out of at the moment was just a set of inns without a name. It lay on the road between the starting town, Catharn, and the capital city farther inland. Just a transitional point along the way. There were a few houses and shops, but it was mostly travelers passing through, which kept the place bustling.
So.
“So where should we get lunch?”
“Mm… Anywhere’s fine. Just grab something at one of these stalls and eat on the Adventurers Guild terrace.”
“Sounds good to me. They’ve got free refills there.”
“Pay a set price and drink as much as you like! The more you drink, the more you save!”
“Well, savings are always good. Let’s do that.”
By unanimous decision, they elected to use the Adventurers Guild like one of those restaurants that let you bring in outside food. They grabbed some fast food from a street vendor and headed toward the guild.
The Adventurers Guild was an association that provided a number of services to adventurers. It had branches all over the game world, wherever you might go. The guild branch in this inn town was smaller than the one in the city, but it functioned the same way.
When Masato’s party reached the guild, they found it full of adventurers. Burly warriors, robe-clad mages, people of all jobs.
“Pretty crowded…”
“It is noon, after all… Any empty seats…?”
“Oh, looks like that table just opened up.”
“I’ll nab it for us! Leave it to me!”
Before they could say anything, Porta’s tiny body slipped off through the crowd, claiming the empty table. She was as quick as she was cute.
Thanks to Porta, they had seats, so the rest of them got drinks and joined her.
“Well, everyone, let’s dig in.”
“““Thanks for the food!”””
The room was loud but not too loud. It was an enjoyable lunch.
Fortunately, the seats they’d found were right next to the quest board. As Masato munched on his burger, he glanced over the posted quests.
The tasks on the board ranged from eliminating specific monsters to delivering specific items; lots of generic stuff.
Don’t suppose there’s a quest that could somehow power up just us kids…
Normal quests would spread the experience evenly among the entire party, so Mamako would be strengthened just as much as them. At this rate, they would never catch up.
Which meant they had to focus on the rewards. A quest that granted boost items that only the kids could equip, or items that would work only on Masato himself, that would be ideal.
He looked around for anything like that…
“…Mm?”
And his eyes locked on one request.
RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS FOR SCHOOL TRIAL ACTIVITIES.
An unusual request. Like the header suggested, they’d be going to school. They’d be students attending that school.
Anyone accepting this quest would be required to take classes in return for the SP used to raise stats and learn skills. And it said these SP could be exchanged for items that would strengthen the children.
That was it! That was exactly what he was looking for.
“This! This is it!”
He wasn’t supposed to rip the quest posting off the board, but he did anyway, and he slammed it down in the middle of the table, gesturing at it.
“Guys, look at this! Isn’t it perfect? We should definitely do this! C’mon!”
“Wh-what the…? Is this…? Huh? School?”
“Attend school, take classes, and get SP…?”
“Um, Ma-kun. What was SP again? Mommy can’t remember.”
“Remember how you get a few points every time we level up? Those.”
“Oh…right… I didn’t really understand it, so I just let them be…”
“Whaaat?! We’ve gone up a bunch of levels and you haven’t used any SP?! Yet you’re still that strong?!”
All mothers are notorious for hoarding points for ages without ever using them. You’ve just gotta let them do it their way. No point in arguing. That aside…
“But doesn’t it sound great? This could be a huge win for us,” Masato insisted.
He was certain this would pay off for him, so he was getting a little intense.
“Hmm… I’ll pass,” Wise said, looking bored.
“Are you kidding? You can’t not do this! Don’t be a doofus!”
“What’s a doofus? It sounds kinda cute, so maybe I’ll let it slide… Anyway, I just thought…”
“…Thought what?”
“I mean, we got permission to get out of school to play this game, right? So why the hell would we go to school in the game? It just sounds like a giant pain in the ass.”
“Th-that’s actually a pretty good point…”
The game they were currently doing a full dive in was being run by the Japanese government, and as test players, they were being excused from a number of obligations.
What was the point, then, of submitting themselves to those exact same obligations within the game? Wise was making a lot of sense, and Masato could totally understand her point…
“Um, can I say something?” Porta asked. “There’s a thing I’m curious about.”
“Uh, sure, what is it?”
“It looks like only children can join in this quest. So Mama can’t join us! I don’t think that’s fair!”
“What? Really?”
“Yes! That’s what it says!”
Porta pointed to the request. The bottom of it read, ONLY OPEN TO CHILDREN FROM ELEMENTARY TO HIGH SCHOOL. It was in such fine print that almost nobody would even notice it was there.
That left Mamako out completely. Only the three children would be able to accept the quest.
Since the goal was to strengthen just the kids, that actually worked in Masato’s favor…
Or would it? They were a party, Mamako included. Even if it was his mother, it hardly seemed fair to leave someone out like this.
But…
“Oh, I think it sounds lovely,” Mamako said. “Ma-kun, Wise, Porta, I think you should do this together!”
She didn’t seem to mind at all.
“Um…? Mom, are you sure?”
“Of course! I don’t see a problem.”
“No, but… We’re here so you and I can adventure together, right? So if we do something that leaves you out… I mean…”
Masato’s expression darkened. He was starting to feel guilty.
Mamako beamed, her smiling face as bright as a sun trying to banish each and every shadow.
“Mommy thinks Ma-kun should be able to do anything he wants to. What’s most important is how you feel.”
Her unshakable conviction easily drove away his worries.
“…You’re sure about this?”
“Yes. Don’t you worry. Porta, you don’t need to worry, either. If you want to go to school, say so. Just say how you really feel. Okay?”
“Unhhh… I…I want to go to school!”
“See, now isn’t that nice? …That leaves you, Wise…”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!”
Wise’s face twisted into an expression no girl should ever make. Eyes locked to the request, she suddenly let out a bloodcurdling shriek. This was Wise, right? It was Wise. The horror.
“Wh…whaaaaat?! M-M-M-Masato! Masatooo!”
“Would you mind not calling my name out? People will think we know each other. It’s embarrassing.”
“To hell with that! Look! At the request! Here!”
“Yeah, yeah, what is it?”
Masato wanted desperately to pretend she was a complete stranger. Wise’s display of surprise was so dramatic she seemed on the verge of spraying snot out her nose. But he looked where she pointed.
At the space below the fine print.
Sample items obtainable with SP: Strength Stemma, Prevenire, Stuffed Animal, etc.
For some reason, this sentence alone was written by hand.
“Um… So what?”
“So what?! That’s a Prevenire! A Prevenire!”
“You can yell that word all you like, but I still don’t know what it is. I guess that means it’s time for our item expert to explain. Porta?”
“Got it! A Prevenire is an accessory that completely prevents magic from being sealed. If she equips one, she’ll never have to worry about getting sealed again!”
“Yes! I neeeeeed one of those more than anything!”
“R-right… That explains why you’re blowing a gasket.”
“Also, the Strength Stemma is an emblem that raises attack power. You stick it to your body like a temporary tattoo.”
“Oh? Nice. I could use one of those.”
“And—and the Stuffed Animal is also amazing! It raises your Item Creation success rate! I…I really want a Stuffed Animal…”
Porta clasped her little hands together, hopping up and down with excitement. She. Was. Too. Cute.
The exchange items gripped the party’s hearts!
“I told you this was gonna be great! If we do this quest, all three of us can get the items we’re after! All three of… Uh…”
Hang on.
The items listed as examples of what would be available were a little too specifically what his party members were after.
Hmm… That sure seems a little contrived…
It had certainly gotten all of them on board.
“Let’s head to the quest location! Yay!”
“Prevenireeeeeeeeee! You will be miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!”
“Wise. I think we’ve all had enough of your ridiculous hype. Please try to consider the feelings of your party members. Even Porta is mildly perturbed.”
“N-no! I-I-I’m okay with it, just… Oh, the carriage is here!”
After several minutes putting up with Wise’s obnoxious behavior, they were all extremely ready for the arrival of the carriage that carried passengers from town to town. Haste was in order, so they were taking a four-horse express carriage direct to their destination. All aboard!
Inside the carriage compartment were long benches, like a train. There were two passengers already waiting inside.
When Masato saw them, he found himself saying aloud, “Whoa… She’s gorgeous…”
He was referring to a girl with long blue hair.
Her gaze was directed slightly downward, and seen in profile, there was a real elegance to her, like an aristocrat’s daughter. Maybe even a princess. Either way, she was gorgeous.
She was wearing proper pure-white attire. At her side, there was a simple, well-used staff. Judging from her equipment, she was a Priest or a Cleric and would be focused on healing spells in combat.
Next to her was a grown woman with similar features. Presumably her mother. She, too, retained her youth and beauty, if not quite to Mamako’s extreme degree.
She was wearing an extremely flashy outfit embroidered with gold thread, like a nouveau riche archbishop. Her staff, too, was studded with jewels.
But it was the girl who drew the eye.
An elegant, beautiful, young healer… That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what a heroine should be!
A girl like this deserved to stand at a hero’s side.
Instead, by some terrible mistake, he had his mom.
If this beautiful healer joined his party, and one thing led to another, and she and Masato became close, that would be living the dream.
“Yo, Masato, what the hell? Hurry up and get in.”
“Huh? O-oh, right. Sorry.”
This was no time to be staring. With Wise poking him in the back, Masato hastily clambered into the carriage.
Masato’s party lined up opposite the healer duo. From the front, Porta, Mamako, Masato (who’d wanted to avoid sitting next to Mamako but had gotten pushed into it and left with no choice), and finally, the weirdo who wouldn’t stop yelling “I’m coming for you, Prevenireeeeee!”
With all passengers on board, the carriage took off.
“Now we just have to wait till we’re there.”
“Yes… My, this carriage’s gentle rocking certainly is soothing. It makes me want to take a nap!”
“Yeah… Wow, two of us are already out.”
Wise had been screaming a moment before, but now she was sound asleep. On the other side of Mamako, Porta was having trouble keeping her eyes open.
Mamako put her arm around Porta, laying her head down on her lap.
“Hee-hee, Porta’s fast asleep… Ma-kun, won’t you join her? Have a little nap on Mommy’s lap, just like the other day.”
Mamako patted her thighs encouragingly, offering her lap.
Her lap was so undeniably comfortable that part of him wanted to just keel over naturally and bury his face in it, but… No, wait, wait.
“D-don’t do that! I can’t! I could never! And seriously, did you have to add ‘like the other day’? It was bad enough already.”
If someone overheard them, it would be beyond embarrassing.
Masato glanced toward the girl in the seat across from him, and she had her hand to her mouth. She was quietly giggling. She’d heard everything. He was doomed.
But then she said, “You’re certainly close to your mother.”
“Oh… Um, no! Not really! We’re not all that close!”
“That’s just not true! Ma-kun and Mommy are very close! We even went in that hot spring together!”
“Aughhhh! Why would you bring that up? She’s gonna get the wrong idea…!”
“A family hot springs visit? How lovely! You really are close!”
“…Huh?”
He’d been expecting all this to creep her out, but apparently she was genuinely impressed. Thankfully. It seemed she was really pure of heart.
In his mind, she was immediately promoted to angel status.
“Oh, excuse my manners,” she said. “My name is Medhi. I’m a test player… By any chance, are you all…?”
“Oh, yeah, we’re…”
“Yes, we’re test players! I’m Mamako. On my right is my son, Masato. The girls sleeping are Wise and Porta. So nice to meet you!”
“Um, wait, Mom, I was about to answer…”
“Oh, you’re all test players?” the woman next to Medhi interrupted. “Then I’d better introduce myself, too. Pleasure meeting you. I’m Medhi’s mother, and I’ve been calling myself Medhimama here. I do hope we’ll all get along.”
Neither of them seemed to mean anything by it, but Masato had now been interrupted twice in a row. Seriously.
Having introduced themselves, the two mothers quickly began chattering away about everything from life in the game to your typical…whatever the mom version of watercooler talk was.
But if they were keeping themselves distracted, that was ideal. This was his chance.
R-right… Just gotta get Medhi talking!
This was his chance to forge a bond between them. Masato fixed his gaze on the smiling angel in the seat across from him. Her face was really far too beautiful. And the swaying of the carriage was definitely making her rather ample chest bounce around like… No, no, eyes off.
Masato gritted his teeth, wrangled his courage, and was just about to speak when…
The mothers’ conversation assaulted his ears.
“Oh, really? You’re adventuring as a party of four? We’ve found two was perfectly adequate, but perhaps the more the merrier. How many quests have you completed? Ten? Twenty?”
“Oh, not at all. I believe we’re maybe at five. They can be so difficult…”
“Really? I suppose so. The two of us have completed thirty, but it certainly wasn’t easy.”
“Thirty already? How impressive. You have my respect.”
“It’s hardly worth that! But, well… Out of all the test players, I think we may be the top-ranked party. At least, I feel like we are. Oh-ho-ho-ho!”
They weren’t exactly talking quietly. Medhimama in particular was quite loud.
“Oh, I know! If you like, I’m happy to share the trick to making good progress in this game.”
“A trick?”
“Yes. Just do exactly as I say. There’s nothing difficult about it. My daughter just does whatever I tell her, and she’s become ever so strong. So… Well? How about it?”
“Um… I appreciate the advice, but…”
“No need to stop there! I’m sure you want to know more.”
“W-well…”
Medhimama appeared to be overpowering Mamako, who was now unobtrusively tugging at Masato’s sleeve.
She seemed to want his help, but there was no way he could…
No, wait, perhaps this was his chance. Masato steeled his nerves and valiantly thrust himself into mom talk.
“Um, uh… Do you mind? I have a question.”
“Oh! Your son seems interested. You see, the basis of it is…”
“N-no, not that… Um… I was wondering where the two of you were headed.”
Well, he was only really interested in where Medhi was headed.
Medhimama seemed slightly disappointed but answered anyway.
“Our destination? Well, obviously, we’re headed to the school town Mahweh. I’m planning on having Medhi attend the school there.”
“Oh, really?! Same as us, then!”
This allowed the two parties—or more importantly, Masato and Medhi—to share the spotlight for a while. That was a good thing. He’d have been quite upset otherwise.
This must be destiny’s hand at work.
A boy and a girl, coincidentally on the same carriage. Bound for the same place, for the same purpose.
After spending that time together, they would support each other, growing closer and closer, until they found themselves always together…
In time, they would be unable to ignore the attraction growing between them, and those soft lips would be his to… Well, one could hope!
What else could possibly happen? I’m sure of it! Medhi and I are just beginning our story together!
He glanced her way to see an expectant smile on her face.
“Then Masato and I will be attending the same school! …Tee-hee-hee! That should be fun! I’m really looking forward to it!”
See? See that right there? Medhi was on board! She wanted what he wanted!
It was starting! Their story was just beginning!
They spent about an hour rocking in the passenger carriage before finally reaching their destination, the town of Mahweh.
This place was also known as School Town. Like the name implied, the school building in the center of the town doubled as the town’s symbol. If you went down any of the town’s tight grid of roads, you’d soon see it.
The building itself was every bit as ornate as a palace, and the students who gathered would be taught all manner of things. A thought that made them all tense…
Or not, as the case may be. It didn’t seem like anyone was all that tense, really.
“As I said, since parents and children are adventuring together, the parent must be the one to take the lead. It is critical that the parent issue clear instructions and continue pushing their offspring forward. Understand? It is the parent who decides how a child is raised. Only you can raise your own child.”
“R-right… That much is true…”
Since long before they left the carriage, and long after they did, Medhimama had been speaking at length about her personal education theory. The endless torrent of words had left Mamako quite worn out. Porta clearly wanted to support her somehow but couldn’t get a word in edgewise, and Wise was doing her best imitation of thin air.
But Masato didn’t care about any of that. All he cared about…
…was that Medhi was giving him an angelic smile and talking to him.
“So you’re also fifteen? First year of high school? I am, too. Wouldn’t it be great if we end up in the same class?”
“Oh, uh, yeah! I agree! It would be really great!”
Did you hear that? Did you hear it? The angel spoke, and she said if they were in the same class that meant her route was open for sure! Wait, she didn’t say that? Well, Masato heard it like that.
He glanced sideways, and she was standing so close their shoulders were almost touching.
This distance alone was all the answer he needed. She would definitely accept him. This was clearly a sign she was on board. He was sure of it. It was a hard-rooted conviction.
The girl next to me is my heroine. My girlfriend. I hope! You gotta hope!
But, well, that did seem to be where things were headed. It was best to be open to these possibilities.
Hoping to progress this story as fast as possible, Masato led the way through the school gates. He called out to the group wilting under Medhimama’s rain of declarations. “Come on, everyone! Let’s get going! Ha-ha-ha!” And led the way to reception, following signs clearly labeled APPLICANTS THIS WAY.
Now they just had to greet the official at the counter and apply.
“Hey! We’re here to enroll! The paperwork of my future, if you please!”
“Understood. Then please write your name and job on this sheet.”
He took the paper and filled it out. NAME: MASATO. JOB: NORMAL HERO.
Wise, Porta, and Medhi all filled their documents out as well.
“Everyone done? Then I’ll turn them all in. Ma-kun’s, Wise’s, Porta’s, and Medhi’s. Five in all!”
“Thank you very much. I appreciate all your help.”
“My, how polite. You certainly have flawless manners, Medhi.”
“Mm. The way she does that slight bow. Her polite speech. As beautiful as she is well-bred. You can only describe her as perfect… Hey… Wait a sec…”
As much as he would have liked to continue extolling Medhi’s virtues, Masato’s brain had caught up with him.
Mamako had gathered up the forms and handed five of them over to the official.
Five?
“…Mom. I’m probably wrong here, but…did you fill out an application, too?”
“…Tee-hee ” She stuck her tongue out.
Mamako’s full-body tee-hee tongue-out attack activated!
Hit full in the face by his actual mother’s adorableness, Masato…
“…Gahhh…”
…takes heavy damage. He’s on the brink of death.
“Whaaat?! Why did he take damage?!”
The reason was simple: because he was her son. What other outcome was there?
Mamako may have applied, but of course, they would not accept such an application. Participants were limited to children only. The official lady managed an awkward smile, quietly placed Mamako’s application to one side, checked over the other applications, and placed her seal of approval on them.
But then her hands paused.
“…Oh? …Your names… I remember them… Oh, right!”
“What’s up?”
“Um… Medhi, there’s no issue with you at all. We’ve accepted your application, so you may proceed directly to orientation. You’ll receive a simple explanation of how the school works. However…”
“…What about us?”
“Masato, Wise, Porta, and Mamako, if we could have a moment of your time before orientation? There’s someone who wants to speak to you.”
Well, then.
Medhimama’s expression grew instantly suspicious. “Um, Mamako?” she asked. “The children with you appear to have been summoned to the principal’s office before they even completed enrollment. Are they…delinquents?”
“N-no! It’s nothing like that at all!”
Of course it wasn’t. This was…
“This again.”
“Seems like it.”
“I agree!”
All three of them had a pretty good idea of who wanted to see them.
And they were more or less right.
A clerk led them to the headmaster’s office, where they found a coffin in the center of the room.
“A coffin? Here?”
“Any time a coffin appears in front of us, odds are it’s her.”
“I agree! I’m sure it’s her!”
“Right… Wise, if you please?”
“Roger. I’ll bring her back pronto… Spara la magia per mirare… Rianimato!”
The shaft of light poured down. The coffin covering the dead dissolved, and the person inside emerged.
Long black hair, excessively calm countenance, fairly attractive.
She was wearing a suit that definitely seemed like something a headmaster would wear, and the moment she was alive again, she sat up like nothing had happened and greeted them.
“Well, well, I see you’ve all come rushing to your dooms— To your duties. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules.”
“If you say the whole thing before you correct yourself, it’s really not very effective.”
“Allow me to cut right to the chase, then. How shall I introduce myself this time?”
“How…? Um, like…Ms. Shirassse, for example?”
“Perfect, I’ll go with that. I am Shirassse. I must inforrrm you that I am the Mysterious Headmaster, Shirassse.”
Right, so her name was Shirassse, then.
To be clear, her real name was Masumi Shirase. She was a government official who always showed up dead and always gave a different name and occupation, which was really obnoxious. “Were you just thinking I’m obnoxious?”
“N-no… We weren’t…”
She was not to be trifled with.
“Why was I dead? …I’m sure this suspenseful development must have come as a shock to you all.”
“Not so much anymore, really. You’re pretty much always equally inexplicable.”
“As you say, I am as inexplicable as I am inexcusable, but if you’ll allow me to make excuses, I shall show you how it’s done.”
“Er, nobody said ‘inexcusable’…”
But as obnoxious as she was, Shirassse never really listened. She walked across the room to the desk by the window.
And fused with it.
“…Uh…?”
The upper half of Shirassse’s body was the same, while the lower half was now a desk. She had always been quite strange, but had she finally become half-furniture? Creepy.
But of course, that wasn’t it. Masato figured it out first.
“Um, is this…a bug? One of those bugs where you can walk through an object you shouldn’t be able to?”
“Indeed! And then this happens.”
From her position inside the desk, Shirassse took a single step. Immediately after…
…Shirassse died. Back in the coffin. “Yeesh, a sudden-death bug.” “What now? Just leave her?” “I think you’d better bring her back again.” Wise cast another revival spell.
“So there you have it. Thoughts?”
“We get it. You were dead because of that bug. This school was hastily slapped together and has bugs everywhere.”
“I’m so pleased you understand… Now that we have solved the bug masquerading as a locked-room murder trick, let us get down to business. If you would?”
Shirassse led the party to the reception area, took a seat herself, and began to explain.
“Let’s begin. I’d like to thank you for answering the call for students. As far as the school itself goes, creation of the headmaster character wasn’t completed in time, so someone said, ‘Can you fill in?’ and here I am.”
“Isn’t that so often the way? We’re with you.”
“The school’s name is officially Gioco Accademia. The school was created to silence a stream of complaints from a certain guardian to the effect of ‘This may be a game, but as long as children live here, it makes no sense that there isn’t a school.’ To that end, it was rather hastily put together.”
“Maybe we don’t need to know that part.”
“Gioco Accademia allows you to earn SP by taking part in classes and getting good grades. And these points can be exchanged for special power-up items. If we don’t offer some benefit, we’d never get any students, so…”
“Yes! I want that amazing item!”
“Hee-hee,” Mamako said. “Looks like someone took the bait!”
“Bait it may be,” Shirassse admitted. “But improving yourselves is hardly a bad thing. If it makes you take the classes seriously, then our goals align. But that’s all there really is to say about the school itself. Any questions?”
Masato’s hand shot up.
“Just one… The flyer posted at the Adventurers Guild had a note written on it that seemed aimed rather specifically at us.”
“You noticed that? Well done. It was well worth personally visiting each guild branch to write that note in so I could convince you to come here.”
“I figured as much. You sure got us hook, line, and sinker. So…did you have some job for us? Beyond just attending the school, I mean?”
“Oh! I know!” Wise said, raising her hand. “You want us to help with the bugs, right? You’ve got too many bugs like that one you just showed us!”
Shirassse shook her head. Bzzt.
“Operations is forever short staffed, so certainly assistance with debugging would be welcomed. And you have a duty to resolve issues that are beyond management’s resources, so it’s only natural you’d assume as much. However…”
“No, wait, I don’t think that’s actually our duty or anything…”
“It is in my mind,” she said firmly.
“You can’t just decide that!”
“But I will be handling the debugging. You can just do what comes naturally to you. You seem to have already established a connection without us doing anything. I leave it all in your capable hands.”
“Um, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“That would be telling!”
Shirassse gave a rare smile. But she seemed disinclined to inforrrm them of what that smile meant.
“With that said, we welcome your participation in this school with open arms. Enjoy your time here, engaging in cheap heroic clichés like the desire to become stronger, lusting after those power-up items, helping out your friends, and tripping them at the last minute because this is, after all, a competition.”
“You make everything sound so unpleasant. How do you always manage that?”
What she said hit uncomfortably close to home, which made it all the worse.
But it wasn’t all bad!
School life… Hopefully Medhi and I are in the same class.
Masato was so excited about that, he’d almost forgotten the original goal.
And thus, their time at the Gioco Accademia adventurer training school began.
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