Twenty Minutes Earlier,

The rowdy canteen went quiet as six individuals walked into the hall, led by a dark-haired beauty. The members of [Silver Spear] exuded grace and confidence in their steps, which inadvertently drew the attention of all those present.

“Hey, hey, it’s those Silver Spear guys. I heard their leader completed the third level two days ago.”

“Hmph. That’s old news. See that big guy? He solo-crushed two teams during a training session!”

“Ah, my idol is Akiyo-chan! So small and cuddly!”

“Akiyo-chan? Go die if you want to! I’d rather face anyone other than that demon. At least with the others, you’ll know how you died.”

Yokina Natsu walked with her head held high and feet steady. One could tell she was used to the attention from her indifferent smile. Rather than whatever the plebeians thought of her, Yokina preferred to focus on her outstanding objectives. Two days ago, she had finally completed the third stage of the Gladiator Training. Her integration and familiarity with her Gladiator were steadily increasing by the day. At this rate, she would be ready for the competition in two weeks.

Natsu took a seat at her regular table—a small, round table with six chairs around it—while the rest went to get their food. She scanned the room, searching for a few key individuals, the only people she considered to be a threat. Unfortunately, it seemed those individuals were still in the game. Disappointment briefly flashed in her eyes, but it receded as quickly as it came.

“Kiyo Delivery!”

Natsu pushed the thoughts to the back of her head, a lovely smile brightening up her expression as she accepted the tray in the little Akiyo’s hands. “Ah, Kiyo-chan, I said you could leave this kind of thing to Ken-san.”

“It’s fine,” Akiyo cheerfully rebutted as she took the seat to Natsu’s right. “Ken-san’s got mine.”

“Haha! My muscles got to be good for something, right?” Takahiro Ken guffawed as he gently placed a tray in front of the grateful Akiyo. He sat down at Natsu’s right with his tray, sending a challenging grin at his leader. “Wanna fight, boss?”

“In-game or out?” questioned a delicate-looking young man strangely dressed in a form-fitting dinner jacket. The young man, Kazue Saito, the only other male member of Silver Spear, took the seat opposite Natsu.

“Saito, stop teasing him,” a tall, auburn-haired woman in her early-twenties chuckled as she took a seat. “Ken-san wouldn’t last two seconds in Line .” Yamazaki Hitomi, at twenty-four years old, was the second oldest of the group after Ken. She often played the role of big sister to the party.

The last member, Nakahara Akiko, quietly sat between Ken and Saito. The fifteen-sixteen teenager’s straight black hair was cut short at the shoulder. The curious eyes behind a pair of prescription glasses accentuated her scholarly aura.

“No problem,” Natsu replied Ken with a light chuckle. “We’ll spar at night after practice.”

Ken nodded, a satisfied grin on his face as he looked forward to night-time. Of course, he would first have to complete his in-game duties. A savage glint flashed in his eyes as he thought back to the orcs that had been giving him some trouble at the Southern Border. He looked at Akiko, who was focused on her salad. ‘ Mm, I will have to ask her for help.’

As they ate, the group began to discuss their separate in-game operations. The task of conquering Daggerfall was undoubtedly not a one-day job. Even with the help of the dwarfs, there was no guarantee they would be able to complete the job, especially with the staunch opposition by the resilient orcs.

Luckily, Ederwood’s trade deal with Elysium Cove ensured the army had ample resources to continue their conquest without fear of Imperium cutting off their supply line. Confident in the supply line, the Ederwood army not only managed to secure a base for themselves but had steadily pushed their way into the country. If it were not for the orcs who regularly carried out sabotage missions on the rear bases, the progress would have been faster.

“It’s strange,” Akiko muttered. “Orcs are supposed to be instinctive creatures. Who taught them tactics?”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing myself,” Natsu replied in a frustrated tone. “If they remained the way they should, we would have long conquered Daggerfall.”

“I believe the key to our victory lies in figuring out the source of their improved intellect,” Akiko put forward. She looked up from her plate to meet Natsu’s intense gaze. “Can I take a small team and check it out?”

“I know you’re only doing this to satisfy your curiosity.” Natsu let out a wry smile. “But, it does not change the nature of the situation. If there is indeed something or someone increasing the orc’s intelligence, I want that thing.” Natsu tapped on the table. “Take Farsight’s team. Remember, safety is your number one priority. It’ll take too long to level up your secondary character.”

Ken inwardly sighed as he watched Akiko happily agree to her assignment. It looked like he would have to deal with the orcs on his own.

“Ken-san, about your orc problem,” Akiko started, causing Ken to raise his head rapidly, ears peeled as if afraid to miss a single word. “I suggest raiding the orc settlements in the area.”

“We already tried that,” Ken revealed with a sigh. “Didn’t take.”

“You’re doing it wrong,” Akiko softly stated. “Next time you raid, disable the adults and take the children hostage. Repeat this for as many settlements as you can, then release a statement challenging the orcs to an all-out battle to determine the owner of the land.”

Ken’s eyelids jumped as a cold shiver ran up his spine. “Th-that’s too despicable! We will be hated!”

“There’s no such thing as despicable in war,” Akiko calmly rebutted. “Besides, this is a videogame. Those guys are just computer codes, no matter how realistic they look.”

“Ah, yeah. You’re right.” Ken struggled to calm the jitters in his heart. Although he was one who enjoyed fighting, such tactics left a bitter taste in his mouth. “What should we do if they refuse to take up the challenge?”

“Make an example out of the hostages,” Akiko said with nonchalance. “Kill one child and display their corpse for every day they hesitate. If the rebels still refuse to face you in open combat, you won’t even have to do a thing. Their fellow orcs will seek them out and destroy them. After all, it’s not like you’re asking them to surrender to a definite death, but instead requesting a formal battle. Any still refusing you would be seen as a coward by the battle-hungry orcs.”

Ken swallowed hard. He raised a hand to his forehead, only to discover a pool of sweat. As expected of Akiko. This girl was often quiet and reserved, but the kind thoughts that ran through her head were on another level. Whenever she opened her mouth, she would seemingly effortlessly solve whatever issue was plaguing the guild members. A significant portion of the reason why their guild rose to prominence so quickly in Ederwood was as a result of Akiko’s unscrupulous means and ideas.

“Ah, yeah,” Ken muttered. “I’ll do that. Than—“

“Look who just walked in,” Saitou interrupted with a dark glint in his eyes.

“Who?” Ken, who had his back to the entrance, turned around in time to see Suzuki’s indifferent expression as he walked to the buffet trays. His brows immediately squeezed in a tight wrinkle. “Ah, it’s that cocky guy.”

“I hate that idiot,” Akiyo cursed under her breath. “Always acting so mysterious. Hmph, he looks like he’s got a stick up his butt.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard he spends ninety-percent of his time in-game,” Saitou revealed. “Aside from the time you guys saw him training, no one else has spotted him in the Gladiator training room.”

“I wonder if it’s confidence or ignorance.” Hitomi lips curled up into a seductive smile as she thoroughly examined the young man.

“Seems like something interesting’s going to happen,” Natsu stated.

Natsu’s teammates followed her line of sight to a table close to Suzuki’s. A squad of five stood up and walked over to Suzuki, threatening glares and purposeful steps, revealing they were not going to inquire about the soup’s sweetness.

The entire hall instantly grew silent as over thirty pairs of eyes turned to the show. Unfortunately, even when the team surrounded Suzuki, the teenager did not react at all, still obliviously intending to enjoy his meal. Disappointment dimmed those excited eyes as they felt this mysterious guy was not all he seemed.

However, it was at this point that one of the men slammed his palm onto the table.

“Yes! Go cliché bad guy!” Akiyo praised with a clap as she awaited Suzuki’s response.

Luckily, Suzuki did not disappoint.

“Where men gather, fools will make themselves known.” Suzuki did not attempt to hide his voice, so it quickly traveled across a significant portion of the completely silent hall.

What followed was a predictable eruption of cheers and jeers as the chaos-loving crowd made fun of the five men. The gamers repeated the phrase, some choosing to commit it to memory to use at a future date.

The faces of the men surrounding Suzuki turned ugly in an instant. They already proved earlier they were not a patient group. Being mocked by the crowd made them excessively eager to wash off the shame. In his rage, the man behind Suzuki clamped his hand on Suzuki’s left shoulder. “Brat! Show some re-urkh!”

The man’s words caught in his throat as Suzuki grabbed the arm on his shoulder and forcefully pulled down. An explosive force left the man unable to resist. He easily fell forward.

Suzuki’s left elbow greeted the man’s nose on his way down, crushing it. Blood seeped out of the man’s nose, but Suzuki was far from done. Once again, his right hand pulled down, dragging the disoriented man to Suzuki’s line of sight. The teenager’s left hand snaked behind the man’s head and ‘gently’ guided it to the edge of his table.

Crack!

Compared to the first impact, the sardonic crack that rang out caused everyone’s pupils to shrink in fright. The man who grabbed Suzuki’s shoulder slumped to the ground, blood pouring ceaselessly out of his broken nose.

Suzuki’s apathetic gaze never once placed the man in its sights. He casually picked up his chopsticks and clapped his hands in thanks. Only then did he mutter, “Never touch me from behind.”

The remaining four men fidgeted, anger and rage burning in their eyes. Yet despite the numerical and height advantage they had, they could not bring themselves to attack. For some reason, the young man who freely ate with a detached air resembled a dragon at rest. If they chose to provoke him at this time, there was no doubt that the seemingly calm dragon would tear them apart.

“We, we’ll get you for this!” Leaving those words which sounded weak even to their ears, the four men quickly picked up their unconscious partner and fled the canteen.

Suzuki did not respond to their taunts. The entire hall once again fell silent as a deathly still chilled its occupants to the bone. The gamers stared wide-eyed as the young man finished his food with the same aloof expression. When he finished, Suzuki once again clapped his hands in gratitude, and then slowly but purposefully walked out.

Suzuki was not a person people would describe as handsome, but he wasn’t ugly either. Most people would call him above-average, a face that, although it might garner a second glance on the street, would just as easily be forgotten in a few minutes. However, when coupled with the mysterious aloofness, cold aura, and hints of untamed wildness in his eyes, the young man suddenly transformed into a figure transfixed in the spectators’ hearts for a long time to come.

Natsu’s brows furrowed as Suzuki left the canteen. She had not wanted to admit it previously, but now she had no choice. This Suzuki was certainly someone worth keeping tabs on. He might just give everyone a shock during the competition.

Suzuki, meanwhile, had no idea a dangerous individual was marking him. Even if he did, he would not have cared. At the moment, Suzuki was taking a walk outside, reveling in the warmth of the early morning sun. He wore his headphones, a small smile curling up the corner of his lips as a slow orchestral viola piece began to hum.

Suzuki placed his hands in his pocket, walking with no destination in mind. For today, he intended to relax and internalize. Suzuki thought back to the past hour, from his conversation with Kemuri to that man's eventual beat down.

As Suzuki thought, Kashi’s experiences had begun to sprout new emotions in him. For one, he no longer viewed everyone as an enemy, even going so far as to appreciate the value of having friends. But the later fight showed that the core of who he was would always remain.

Suzuki clenched his fists as he recalled his instinctive reaction to being grabbed on the shoulder. At the time, despite not feeling angry or enraged, it had still taken a lot out of him to respond so leniently. The majority of his instinct wanted to break every bone in that man’s arm to serve as a warning, but he had somehow managed to rein in that impulse at the last minute. In the end, the assailant only got off with a broken nose, a significant improvement to his days engaging in street fights.

Suzuki smiled. Yes, this was how it should be. Even if his purpose remained the same, he had to learn flexibility in execution.

Suzuki’s thoughts shifted—like it always does—from his own life to that of Kashi’s. He was impressed by the daeben’s style of doing things. Although Suzuki preferred Razznik’s pursuit of strength, which ensured nothing in this world could harm him, Kashi’s guild and community approach were worth learning.

Suzuki could not help but wonder; if Razznik had friends, would he have wanted to die so badly after reaching the top? Suzuki shook his head, dispelling the thought. There was no need to consider the what-ifs. While he could never get his answer from the genuine Razznik, the one in-game might have the answer.

Lost in his thoughts, Suzuki did not realize he had been walking for the better part of two hours. He’d long since left the more populated sectors behind, venturing into more uncharted territory. Suzuki only realized he had strayed a long way off the beaten path when he arrived at a riverbank. Due to the phone in his pocket, he was not afraid of getting lost, so he calmly watched the river flow.

The sun shone overhead, but even with his hood on, Suzuki did not seem to feel the heat as the peaceful waters drew his full attention.

Plop!

A fallen branch suddenly popped out of the river before being pulled down once more. A moment later, Suzuki caught sight of the branch out of the corner of his eyes. Although the surface looked smooth, some rapid undercurrents rapidly flushed away anything caught within.

Suzuki inwardly chuckled. Was this not the current state of the world right now? Although the world seemed to be at peace, various nations had begun making significant preparations for an upcoming battle. Would he be like the helpless branch, forced to flow wherever the current took him, or would he become a fish, daring to swim against the tide?

Suzuki looked to the sky and raised his right hand, seemingly trying to reach something up there.

Better yet, could he find a way to exist outside the tide? Could he become a bird who preys on those caught in the tide?

Suzuki clenched his fist. As expected, his fingers could not reach, let alone grab the sky. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the river. The branch was nowhere to be found, presumably washed away or drowned underneath. Suzuki let out a sigh. Forget becoming a bird. At present, he was most likely no different from the tree branch, forced to flow along with the tide.

“But that’s okay,” Suzuki muttered as he pocketed his hands. “I only need to survive. That’s all there is to it.” Suzuki’s gaze hardened with resolve as his fingers clenched in his pockets.

Suzuki calmed the roiling emotions in his heart, then cast a disappointed glance at the river. What a shame. He should have come with his sketch pad. It wasn’t every day an artist obtained inspiration from a scene. Suzuki committed the scene to memory then turned.

Suzuki froze as he came face to face with Jade, who watched him with a sly grin. Suzuki took down his headphones and regarded the girl with puzzled eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I followed you,” Jade cheerfully replied with a toothy grin as she raised her phone. “Couldn’t find you when I logged out, so I tracked your location.” She glanced past Suzuki to the riverbank. “I gotta admit, this is a pretty nice locale. Far away from the noise too. Is this your secret chill spot?”

If it were any other person, Suzuki would have been more than offended. But hearing Jade unabashedly announce she tracked him somehow diffused any anger he should have felt.

“No,” Suzuki replied. “Just found it. You can stay. I'm heading back.” Suzuki made to move past Jade, but the young woman deftly stepped into his path.

“You can’t just leave like that,” Jade challenged with a pout. “I came all the way out here to find you. The least you could do is wait for me.”

Suzuki thought about it. “Did you come out here with a bike?”

“I rode here, obviously.” Jade sarcastically rolled her eyes. “Why?”

“I’ll wait if I can ride back,” Suzuki stated with a deadpan expression. “I'm tired of walking.”

“Fine, but I ride at the back.”

Suzuki nodded, drawing a bright smile from Jade’s lips. The young man’s heart stopped for a moment, but before he could question what the hell just happened, Jade breezed past him, leaving only the lingering scent of lilies.

Suzuki turned to see Jade unceremoniously plop onto the grass near the river. She closed her eyes, seemingly intending to fall asleep right there. Suzuki’s gaze lingered a moment on Jade’s peaceful expression before he shifted it to the flowing stream. Only then did he realize he had forgotten to ask her how long she intended to rest out here.

“Hey, how long’s your rest?”

Jade patted the grass next to her in reply. “When was the last time you took a load off?”

“Took a load off?” Suzuki repeated in an incredulous tone.

“Yeah, relax,” Jade emphasized with a lazy smile. “You do know what that’s like, right?”

“Yes, I know how to relax,” Suzuki shot back with a snort. “What did it look like I was doing earlier?”

“That wasn’t relaxation.” Jade chuckled. “You were all frowny and serious like you carried the entire world on your shoulders.” Jade once again patted the ground. “Try forgetting for five minutes. Forget everything.”

“Forget?” Suzuki shook his head. His voice trembled as he stated, “I cannot forget. Not yet.”

Jade went silent for a moment as the grass danced in the morning breeze. “I don’t know the burden you’re carrying. And I don’t dare to assume I can help you with it.” Jade turned to face Suzuki, her eyes holding a silent plea within them. “What I do know is that your burden, whatever it is, will still be here five minutes later. Sometimes we need to distance ourselves from our burdens to be able to see things clearer.”

Suzuki's eyes went wide as he thought back to the bird flying over the river. Indeed, the bird could see the entire river because its vantage point was completely different. To the stick and the fish, the river would be their whole world. One was pulled along by the river, while the other tried to fight the flow. However, for both, their movement was forever bound to the river.

Was that what he was missing? Indeed, since the accident, Suzuki had never once allowed himself to rest.

Suzuki wordlessly sat next to Jade on the grass. He then closed his eyes and tried to empty his thoughts. For once, he would not worry over his existence, the grave sin he bore, nor would he worry over Kashi’s life.

A gentle breeze blew past, rustling the young man’s hair as if congratulating him on finally letting go.

A rare smile curled up Suzuki’s lips. ‘ I never knew the wind could feel so good…’

Suzuki lost himself in this state of nothingness. There were no thoughts in his mind, only peace and a very rare hint of satisfaction. Indeed, if the world were to have ended at that exact moment, he probably would not have cared. Instead, he was captivated by the gentle yet powerful nature of the wind around him and the subtle lapping of the river as it washed on the backs.

By the time Suzuki finally opened his eyes, the sun was already close to its zenith. He was not shocked to find Jade sitting in front of him with her cheeks resting on her hands. She winked as a smile blossomed.

“Enjoy your rest?” Jade questioned with a teasing grin.

In reply, Suzuki snorted as he rose to his feet and dusted his pants. “Let’s go,” he ordered as he helped Jade to her feet. “We’re running late.”

Jade pouted as she followed him to her bicycle. She got on the back after Suzuki had set up.

Suzuki wordlessly pedaled back to the Restricted Sector; his expression formally restored to its perpetual indifference.

Upon reaching their building, Jade locked the bicycle then followed Suzuki up the elevator to their apartment. As usual, the young man did not say a word right up until they reached their apartment door, where he abruptly came to a stop. He seemed to freeze at the door, his brows drawing closer as he glared at the door as if confronting some hated enemy.

Concerned, Jade asked, “Did something happ—“

“Thank you. For today, thank you.”

“Wait. What?” Before Jade could wrap her head around it, Suzuki had already opened the door and escaped to the apartment. “Hold up. I didn’t get that!” Jade screamed with excitement as she dashed in, eager to record this milestone achievement. “Hey, repeat that one more ti—“ She failed to complete her sentence as a result of the severe and pensive expression on Suzuki’s face.

Suzuki’s eyes were riveted on the living room screen, a mixture of loss, pride, and worry fleeting past in their depths. Jade, who had never seen so many emotions in the young man’s eyes, turned to the screen.

On the screen was a teenager she did not recognize but held a bow and arrow in her hand. This seemed to be the final for this year’s Nationwide, High-School Archery Competition from the text on the screen. The teenager on the screen seemed like she was born with a bow in her hand, easily hitting struck every target with unnerving accuracy.

Curious, Jade could not help but ask, “Do you know her?”

“You could say that,” Suzuki murmured as he watched Ayumi hit another target. “I think we are friends.”

“You think?”

Jade’s jaw nearly dropped as Suzuki let out a low chuckle in response. “Ah… yes. What we are, I'm not so sure myself.” Suzuki watched the girl on the screen with a smile on his face. “Win.”

Meanwhile, seated in ‘the hole,’ Usman could only shake his head in defeat. “Is my presence so thin, they don’t even realize I'm here?”