『まずは10位......』
一言呟く。
そして女王は玉座に座ったまま目を閉じ、手をアイテムの山に向けてかざす。
俺達がその行動を不思議に思っていると、かざした女王の手が淡い光に包まれた。
続けてアイテムの山へと視点が切り替わり、その中の一つが呼応するように光を放ち始める。
『ミレス』
女王が呼びかけ、彼は山の中から光ったアイテムを取り出した。
ゲームらしいワクワクする演出である。
ここに居るメンバーからも「おー」などという感嘆の声が上がっている。
ミレス団長が女王の傍で膝をつき、品物を恭しく両手で掲げて渡す。
受け取ったそれを女王は大儀そうに一つ頷くと、画面に向けて見えるように持ち直した。
『10位は妾の肖像画である! ううむ、実に美しい......』
「「「初っ端から媚び媚びのヤツ来た!?」」」
叫んだのは俺・ユーミル・トビの三人。
それは見たところ油絵のようだった。
繊細なタッチで女王が美しく描かれ、遠目にも高い技巧を用いて描かれたことを窺わせている。
しかし、本当に女王の機嫌を取ることを一番に重要視した品物だな。
『アイテム名・女王の肖像。出品者の名はクトル、絵画は今回これのみとなる。しかし見事な逸品よのう......』
「む? クトル......どこかで見た名前だな」
「ああ、あれだろ? 画家ではないけど、確かプロのイラストレーターだったはず」
「一番手からプロが入ってきたでござるか。これは今の掲示板の様子が容易に想像できるでござるな......」
昨日の内に俺も掲示板を一通り見たのだが、その中で挙げられていた名前の中の一人だ。
検索してみたら二次元の萌え萌えした絵が多かったのを記憶しているが、ああいう絵も描けたんだな......。
そして女王のこの選評、自己愛が強いにもほどがある。
絵の出来が素晴らしかったのは確かなのだが。
『次、ミレス』
『はっ!』
続けて同じように9位、8位と発表されていくが枕もアデニウムも登場しない。
ヒナ鳥達三人は100位以内に入ったことで既に満足しているようだったが、ユーミルと俺はそうではない。
可能であれば10位以内に入りたい。
だが無情にも、順位はどんどん消化されていき――。
『ではアイテム・その他部門の最後を飾りし第1位は......』
「あー、これは駄目かな......」
「待て、まだ分からんぞハインド! もしかしたら1位かもしれんじゃないか!」
カメラがアイテムの山へと近付き、一位の作品を分かりづらく大写しにする。
近過ぎて茶色い色しか分からない。
......お? はて、この茶色は......。
「二人とも、もしかしてこれ鉢植えじゃないかな? 違う?」
セレーネさんの発言に俺達はハッとした。
確かに鉢植えの茶色に非常によく似ている。
ただ、ピントがぼやけたそれは前後に同じような物が二つ見え......ミレス団長が持ち上げたのは奥側の鉢植えらしきものだった。
「頼む......頼む!」
「アデニウム......アデニウム! 来い!」
頼む、アデニウムであってくれ!
俺達が祈る中、映像が女王の足元から舐め回すようなゆっくりとした動きで手元を映す。
『1位はアイテム名......』
女王が焦らすように間をたっぷりと取る。
隣で祈っていたユーミルはそれを受けて、イライラと足を踏み鳴らす。
気持ちは分かるが、行儀が悪いからやめなさい。
『アイテム名......黄金のアデニウム! 出品者フィオレ!!』
一体どんな手を使ったのか、有機物でありながら金属のような黄金の輝きを放つアデニウムの花がそこには在った。
当然ながら俺達の出品物ではなく、少しの間呆然とした後......。
「だあああ!? 類似品に負けたぁぁぁ!!」
「確かにアデニウムだけどさぁ!? あああああ!!」
俺達は頭を抱えてみっともなく叫んだ。
『妾の名に所縁のあるアデニウムの出品は多数あったが、中でもこの黄金。それから七色のアデニウムは一際目を惹いたものであったぞよ』
「ご丁寧にどうもこんちくしょう! だったら10以内に入れやがってくださいよぉ!」
「先輩先輩、言葉遣いがバグってますよ? 大丈夫ですかー?」
「ぬああああっ! くやしぃぃぃぃ!」
「ユーミルさん、うるさいです。もっと静かに悔しがってください」
「あー、惜しかったでござるなぁ......残念」
わざわざ挙げるってことは、100位以内には入っていたのか。
恐らくあの手前側の鉢......あれが俺達の出品した『七色のアデニウム』だろう。
あれも多様な組み合わせを試す中で突如発生した、偶然の産物だったわけだが。
そこで結果発表が一度中断され、メニュー画面には100位以内の受賞者に一言ずつコメントつけた物が掲載された。
意外とサービス精神旺盛な女王様である。
それによると枕は89位、俺達のアデニウムは13位だった。
全員がそれを銘々眺めながら、ハーブティーを啜って一息。
「思ったよりも、女王の嗜好とやらが占める配点が大きい感じがするな」
俺のざっくりとした総括に、リィズとセレーネさんが頷いた。
「確かにそうですね。10位以内に女王の好きな黄金の物と赤い色の物が計5つですからね」
「そういう女王様が好きな色に関するもの以外にも、比較的豪華な感じのアイテムが多かった気がするよ。宝石の付いた壺とか......」
「あの魔法で灯りが着くシャンデリア、凄かったです!」
「全体的にとても煌びやかでしたね。私達の枕はちょっと地味だったかな......?」
リコリスちゃんとサイネリアちゃんも近い感想を持ったようだ。
こうして話していると傾向が何となくだが分かる。
それ自体は事前に予想していた通りなのだが、悔しいものは悔しい。
「しかしなんだこの選評は。妾の好きな色だけを揃えられたならばもっと高評価であった――だぞ!? 馬鹿にしているのか!」
「雑でござるなぁ。一言だけでござるから、仕方ないとはいえ」
「まぁでも、101位から下はその一言すら貰えないわけだから。これでもマシな方だろうよ」
この後はオークションも控えているし、その女王からの一言の有無で入札の勢いに差が出る可能性はある。
そんな話をしていると、頬杖をつきながらメニュー画面を片手で操作していたシエスタちゃんが顔を上げて俺の方を見た。
「先輩、オークションって出品者からこういう感じで一言コメントを添えられましたっけ?」
「うん? ああ、取引掲示板と同じように添えられたはずだけど」
「どうしてそんなこと訊くの? シーちゃん」
「んー......ほら、私達の枕に付けてくれた女王様のコメント見てよ」
リコリスちゃんにシエスタちゃんが画面を向ける。
俺も疑問に思ったので89位の場所まで画面をスクロールさせると、そこにはこう記載してあった。
一言『中々に良い寝心地であった』と。
まさかシエスタちゃん......。
「こういう選評だから、女王様の使用済み! とか一言添えておけば、オークションで値段が吊り上がるんじゃないかなぁって」
その考え方というか発想に、俺達はそれぞれが「あー」と呟いて微妙な表情になる。
リコリスちゃんだけは純粋な疑問の表情で「そうなの? どうして?」とシエスタちゃんに訊き返しているが。
確かに値段は上がるだろう......主に女王ファンの男からの入札で。
何ともあくどいやり口である。相変わらず中学生離れした考え方をするなぁ。
全く意味が分かっていないリコリスちゃんも、それはそれで極端ではあるのだが。
そんなシエスタちゃんにリィズが半眼を向ける。
「貴女はとてもイイ性格をしていらっしゃいますね。思わず感心してしまいます」
「妹さんにだけは言われたくないんですけども? 貴女が私の立場なら同じことを言ったのでは?」
「......そんなことはありませんよ? 失礼な」
「不自然な間ですねぇ。ま、いいですけど」
人それを同類と呼ぶ。
睨み合うリィズとシエスタちゃんの横では、未だ答えを得られないリコリスちゃんが今度はセレーネさんに質問していた。
やめてあげてリコリスちゃん! セレーネさん超困ってるから!
{First off in 10th place...} (Queen)
A single murmur.
The Queen still sat down on her throne and closed her eyes, then she extended her hand towards the mountain of items.
Just when we thought that those movements of hers were weird, the hand the Queen had extended was enveloped in faint light.
Following that, the light shifted towards the mountain of items and a single item within it started to release light as if it was called upon.
{Miles.} (Queen)
Being called by the Queen, he went to retrieve the item that was releasing light within the pile of items.
It was an exciting production fit for a game.
The members present here let out an [Ooh!]  in admiration.
Captain Miles got closer to the Queen, knelt on one knee and offered her the article by putting it up with both hands.
The Queen retrieved the item with a nod and then picked it up so that it could be seen on the screen.
{In 10th place is a portrait of myself! Uumu, it's certainly beautiful...} (Queen)
[[[She flattered herself right from the get go!?] ] ] 
The ones that shouted were me, Yumir and Tobi.
It looked like an oil painting.
With a delicate touch, the Queen was beautifully drawn. Even judging from this distance, you could tell that it was drawn with impressive technique.
However, this was really an article that would take into consideration what the Queen deemed the most important thing.
{The item name is "Queen's Portrait". The exhibitor name is Kurt, this will be the only painting. But I must say, this is quite the splendid masterpiece...} (Queen)
[Muh? Kurt...that name sounds familiar.] (Yumir)
[Ah, it must be that one, right? He wasn't a painter, but if I remember correctly, he should a be a professional illustrator.] (Hind)
[So the first person to be mentioned is one of those pros that entered the contest huh? I can easily imagine the state of the BBS at this moment...] (Tobi)
I also took a look at the BBS yesterday and it's one of the names that were brought up in it.
I looked him up and I remember that a lot of his illustrations were of 2D moe characters, but it seems like he can draw paintings like this one too...
And this choice and comments from the Queen, there should be a limit to how narcissistic a person can be.
Though it is true that the painting was beautiful.
{Miles, next one.} (Queen)
{Yes!} (Miles)
Then they announced the 9th and 8th place, but there were no signs of the Adenium or the pillow.
The three members of Baby Bird seemed to be satisfied with being within the top 100, but that was not the case for Yumir and I.
If it was possible, we'd like to be within the top 10.
However, cruelly, the spots just kept being taken.
{Well then, as for the 1st place in the item*others category...} (Queen)
[Ah, I guess it was no good...] (Hind)
[Wait, we don't know yet, Hind! Wouldn't it be possible for us to be in 1st place!?] (Yumir)
The camera closed up onto the mountain of items and it was so close that it was hard to tell what the item that took 1st place was.
It was so close that I could only tell that it was of a light brown color.
...oh? Wait, this light brown color...
[You two, isn't this a potted plant? Am I wrong?] (Selene)
We were surprised at Selene-san's statement.
It's true that this light brown color was similar to that of a potted plant.
It's just that, when the screen was blurred out, we had seen two things that looked similar...Captain Miles raised up the thing that looked like a potted plant furthest in the back.
[Please...please!] (Hind)
[Adenium....Adenium! Come!] (Yumir)
Please, let it be an Adenium!
While we were praying, the footage started from the Queen's feet and it slowly went around until it showed what she had on her hand.
{The name of the item in 1st place...} (Queen)
The Queen took her sweet time in order to tease us.
Yumir, who was praying next to me, started getting annoyed and proceeded to begin stomping her feet.
I get what she's feeling, but it's bad manners so please stop.
{The name of the item is...Golden Adenium! The exhibitor is Fiore!} (Queen)
I don't know how the person did it, but even though it was an organic flower, this Adenium released a glow akin to metallic gold.
Obviously, it wasn't the item we sent in, we stood there dumbfounded for a little while and then...
[Daaaaaaah!? We lost to a similar article!!] (Hind)
[It's true that it's an Adenium, but!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!] (Yumir)
We wrapped our hands around our heads and started to unseemly scream.
{There were a lot of entries that had the name Adenium, which is related to my own name, but within those there was this golden one.
[Thanks for the compliment, god damn it! If you liked it that much, make it so that it entered the top 10!] (Hind)
[Senpai, senpai, your speech is becoming weird, you know? Are you OK?] (Siesta)
[Nuaaaaaaaaaaah!! It's so vexiiiiiiiiing!!] (Yumir)
[Yumir-san, you are being noisy. Be frustrated more quietly.] (Riizu)
[Ah, that was so close...it's a shame.] (Tobi)
Since she went as far as to mention it, it should have entered the top 100.
It's probably that pot...that one is probably the {Seven Colored Adenium} we submitted.
That one is also a product of mixing different plants, though it was a coincidence that we made one.
Then, the announcement of the results went on a break and in our menu window, the top 100 winners were announced along with a single comment for their entries.
Surprisingly, this Queen takes her work quite seriously.
According to it, the pillow was in 89th place and our Adenium was in 13th place.
Each member looked at the results on their own and took a sip of the herbal tea.
[The Queen tastes allocate far more points than I thought.] (Hind)
The moment I said that after reviewing the results, Riizu and Selene-san nodded.
[You are right. In the top 10, there are a total of 5 items that are golden or have a crimson color, which the Queen likes.] (Riizu)
[Apart from items that have colors the Queen likes, I get the feeling that there's a big amount of items that are comparatively luxurious. Like a vase with gems...] (Selene)
[That chandelier that illuminates with magic was amazing!] (Lycoris)
[Everything was so gorgeous right? I wonder if our pillow was just too plain...] (Cineraria)
It seems like Lycoris-chan and Cineraria-chan had similar thoughts.
After talking for a while, we more or less understood her tendencies.
Even though it was just as we had previously expected, we can't help but feel frustrated.
[However, what's with this review? "If you had selected only the colors I liked, I would have given it a higher rating"...or so she said!? Is she making fun of us!?] (Yumir)
[Quite the crude review. I guess it can't be helped since it's only a brief comment.] (Tobi)
[Well, since 101th place and lower won't even be getting a comment, I guess this is better than nothing?] (Hind)
After this, the auction will be held and this comment from the Queen might have an effect on the bids.
While we were having this conversation, Siesta-chan, who had her chin resting on one hand while she operated the menu window with the other, raised her face and looked at me.
[Senpai, in the auction, can the exhibitors add brief comments like this?] (Siesta)
[Hmm? Yeah, you should be able to add them the same way as the trading BBS.] (Hind)
[Why are you asking that, Si-chan?] (Lycoris)
[Hmmm...look, take a look at the comment the Queen made on our pillow.] (Siesta)
Siesta-chan turned her windows towards Lycoris-chan.
I was curious so I scrolled down my own window to the 89th place and this statement appeared.
In a brief comment {I got some quality sleep with it} .
Don't tell me Siesta-chan...
["This comment is something the Queen said!", I was thinking we could raise up the value of our item in the auction if we added comments like that.] (Siesta)
Hearing that way of thinking, or rather, that idea, we let out an [Ah] and had mixed feelings.
Lycoris-chan was the only one that was genuinely confused and asked Siesta-chan [Is that so? Why?] .
It's true that it could raise its price...if you were a male fan of the Queen and bid for it.
It was quite the underhanded way to do so. As always, she has a way of thinking that doesn't befit a middle schooler.
Though you could say that Lycoris-chan, who genuinely didn't understand it at all, was at the other extreme too.
Riizu turned to Siesta-chan with her eyes half closed.
[You sure have quite the nice personality. I can't help but admire you.] (Riizu)
[The little sister is the only person I don't want to be told that by, though? Wouldn't you have done the same thing if you were in my place?] (Siesta)
[...I wouldn't have done it? So rude.] (Riizu)
[There was such a weird pause there. Well, not like I care.] (Siesta)
That's what people call, birds of a feather flock together.
Next to Siesta-chan, who was being glared at by Riizu, was Lycoris-chan, who still hadn't received an answer. This time, she tried asking Selene-san.
Please stop, Lycoris-chan! Selene-san looks very troubled!
VRMMO no Shien Shokunin ～Top Player no Shikakenin～
ＶＲＭＭＯの支援職人　～トッププレイヤーの仕掛人～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/vrmmo-no-shien-shokunin-%ef%bd%9etop-player-no-shikakenin%ef%bd%9e/
Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Harem Slice of Life
Adventurers Beautiful Female Lead Blacksmith Brother Complex Calm Protagonist Childhood Friends Clan Building Cooking Crafting Curious Protagonist Dense Protagonist Elemental Magic Fantasy Creatures Game Ranking System Gamers Hard-Working Protagonist Healers Level System Love Interest Falls in Love First Love Rivals Male Protagonist Misunderstandings MMORPG Ninjas Possessive Characters Priests Siblings Siblings Not Related by Blood Sword And Magic Virtual Reality Younger Love Interests Younger Sisters
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4014ds/
二階堂風都