「というわけで、頼んだぞハインド!」
「ハインドさんに預けておけば安心ですね」
「回避に関してハインド殿は忍者の拙者並でござるし、大丈夫大丈夫!」
「えーと......て、適任だと思うよ? 後衛だし、ハインド君の判断力は信頼してるから」
「重い......責任が重い......」
今回のイベントのために用意した渡り鳥+ヒナ鳥の軍資金1000万G。
どういうわけか、その全てが俺のインベントリに収まっていた。
内訳は900万が渡り鳥、100万がヒナ鳥からの出資となっている。
ヒナ鳥達はオークションで枕が高く売れ、農業区の俺達の隣に土地を買って栽培を始めた。
俺達の手助けこそあるものの、ヒナ鳥は少人数ギルドとしては収入も所持金も多い方だ。
王都ワーハの銀行でお金を引き出した俺達は、厩舎に向かってぞろぞろと移動中である。
他のプレイヤーも準備に忙しいのか、商店を中心に忙しく移動しているのが目に付く。
「せめてヒナ鳥ちゃん達の分は、サイネリアちゃんが持ってくれたら良いのに」
「すみません。でも、私も自分で持つよりハインド先輩に預けておいた方が安心で......」
「ウダウダぬかすな、ハインド! いざとなったらグラドタークで逃げれば済む話ではないか!」
「そうだけどよ......」
「はっやいですもんねー。先輩達のお馬さん!」
グラドタークに乗ってさえしまえば、現状追いつける乗り物を持っているプレイヤーは居ないと思われる。
なのでグラドターク二頭の内一頭は俺が乗ることに決定。
もう一頭はユーミルが、他のメンバーはレンタルの馬を借りて移動する予定だ。
「そういえば戦闘不能になった場合って、使っていた乗り物はどうなるんだ?」
「最寄りの町の厩舎に移動させられるそうです。プレイヤーのリスポーンと同じ形ですね」
「おお、リィズ殿がいつの間にかゲームに詳しく」
「攻略サイトをいくつか見ておきましたので。お役に立てましたか?」
「サンキュー、リィズ。つまりいざという時の乗り物の心配はなしと」
グラドタークを盗まれたりしたら堪ったものではないからな。
下手すると1000万Gよりも価値が上の可能性があるし......市場に名馬が無いので比較できないのだ。
そしてワーハの厩舎に着いた俺達は、レンタル馬五頭分の25万Gを払って準備完了。
手綱を引いて王都の出入り口へと歩いていく。
「こうして並べて比べると、やはりグラドタークのデカさは歴然でござるな」
「先輩、借りてきた馬が怯えているんですけど。どうしましょう?」
「少し時間を取って慣れさせるしかないかな。要らんところまで無駄にリアルに作りやがって、全く。いいぞ、もっとやれ!」
「は、ハインド君、大丈夫? もしかしてまだ少し混乱してる?」
俺の発言がおかしいのだとしたら、セレーネさんの言う通り大金を持ち歩いているストレスのせい。
そして件のグラドタークだが、倍まではいかなくとも一般馬と比べると軽く1.5倍はサイズがある。
まずはレンタル馬をグラドタークに慣れさせ......。
更に、馬に乗ったことがないというヒナ鳥ちゃん達の練習に少しだけ時間を使った後――
「では、出発だ!」
ユーミルの号令の元、俺達は王都ワーハを出発した。
目指すはマール共和国・セーピア水域である
八人で適当な隊列を組み、砂埃を巻き上げながら砂漠を東へ向かって進んでいく。
PT構成はユーミル・セレーネさん・俺の三人PTが一つ目。
レベルが若干劣るヒナ鳥達のフォローに、リィズとトビが回っての五人PTが二つ目。
ただ、しばらくの間はこのPTで戦闘することはないと思われる。
現在位置は、オアシスの町マイヤを出て荒野の町バスカを目指しているところである。
「退屈でござるー......」
「盗賊でも構わないから何か出ないのか? ハインド」
物騒なことを言いやがる。
「いやいや、何のためにグラド帝国を経由するルートを通ってると思ってんだよ。一度通ったフィールドなら、エリアボスやら面倒な雑魚敵やらを無視できるからだろう?」
今回の移動ルートは帝国領中央の町ヒースローを経由して南へ......というものだ。
大陸外側を回る場合、途上に居るだろうエリアボスを倒しながら進まなければならない。
またエリアボスが現在のレベルで倒すのが難しい場合は迂回しなければならず、大きなタイムロスになってしまう。
「開催予定までの時間を考えると、他のプレイヤーも似たようなルートを使っていると思うんだが」
「となると、ヒースローにはまたプレイヤーが密集していますかね?」
リィズが片手で帽子を抑えながら手綱を巧みに操りつつ声を上げる。
掲示板情報によると現実の乗馬よりは簡単だそうだが、メンバーの中でも特にリィズは馬を操るのが上手い。
黒っぽい三角帽子は砂漠では暑そうだが、リィズはこれをあまり外したがらない。
「元々ヒースローを起点に四方に散ったからな。そうなっていても何ら不思議はないと思うぜ。あ、そうそう。ユーミルは町に入る前に闘技大会で使ったマントを着ろよ?」
「えー、面倒だな......堂々と歩きたいぞ、私は」
俺達がそんな話をしていると、馬の上で不安定にユラユラしているシエスタちゃんが馬を寄せてくる。
時折すんごい斜めっているのだけれど、よく落ちずに済んでいるな。
やや曲芸じみた乗り方である。
「なんか当然のように自分を除外してますけど、先輩もマントを着けないと駄目ですよ?」
「ん? 何で?」
「何でって......むー、説明が面倒くさい。サイ、後よろしくー」
そう言い残すと、あっという間に馬首を巡らせてリコリスちゃんの真横についた。
取り残されたサイネリアちゃんが呆気に取られた顔をしている。
「――へ!? あ、もう! ......ハインド先輩も、ご自分で考えていらっしゃるより他のプレイヤーは知っているので、きちんと顔とネームを隠した方が良いと思いますよ。多分、シーもそれが言いたかったのではないかと」
「そうなのか? ......あー、そうかも」
あの闘技大会から約二週間。
リプレイ動画を見ても前衛の方が映る割合は高かったし、掲示板で話題に上がる回数もユーミルの方が圧倒的に多い。
でも、一応俺にも専スレが在るらしいしな。
「町で他のプレイヤーに絡まれて、時間を取られると面倒だしな。そしたら一応、俺もマントを着けることにするよ」
「目立つとPKに後をつけられそうでござるし、用心するに越したことはないかと。イベント常連ならば尚更、金を多く持っていると思われてもおかしくないでござるよ?」
「実際持ってるしな。自意識過剰っぽくてアレだけど、分かった」
「そうだぞハインド! むしろお前は私と一緒にもっと目立て! 目立つのだ! この地味メンがっ!!」
「うるせえよ!?」
何だよ地味メンって!?
しかも目立たないようにって話をしてるのに、もっと目立てとか意味が分からん!
「兄さんは一見地味だから素敵なんじゃないですか! ユーミルさんは何も分かっていません!」
「リィズ、もうやめてくれ! ややこしくなるから......フォローかどうか疑わしいけど、ありがとう」
むしろ地味だと駄目押しされてダメージが更に加速したけど。
離れて一人で笑ってんじゃねえよ、トビ!
「あ、あはは......二人が浮かないように私達もフード付きマントを装備するから、町では静かに行こうね。後は、グラドタークを目立たないようにサッと厩舎に入れちゃえばきっと大丈夫だよ」
「そ、そうですね! それがいいです!」
さすがセレーネさん、目立たないようにする術に関しては一流だ。
それと、触れずに話題を変えてくれた彼女の優しさに涙を禁じ得ない。
馬の疲労を回復できるのは各町や村の厩舎だけなので、経由しないわけにもいかない。
厩舎は大抵入口付近にあるので、直行すればそれほど人目に触れずに済むだろう。
ヒースローを避けてアルトロワの村に行く手もあるが、あそこはゲームのスタート地点なので村であるにも関わらずプレイヤーの密度はどっこいである。
その先の町や村がどこに在るか分からないので、結局のところヒースローは避けて通れない。
「ただ、ヒースローさえ出ればマントは要らなくなるかもな。そこから先はみんな、自分のことで一杯一杯になるだろうから」
「他の有名プレイヤーも徐々に集まってくるだろうしな! アルベルト親子やヘルシャフト、リヒトとその取り巻きなんかは私達よりも目立つだろう!」
「お前よりも目立つアバターを使ってる人間は居ないと思うが......」
体の周りに稲妻のオーラが出るPCなんて、他に居ないし。
こう考えると『勇者のオーラ』がもう一度報酬で配布されない限り、このゲームにおいてユーミルというプレイヤーを見つけるのは誰よりも簡単だ。
「まあ、視線が分散するって意味では正しいと思うぞ。そしたら、ヒースローだけ気を付けて進むことにしようか」
全体的に緩い返事が返って来る。
確かに、ゲームで移動するだけってちょっと退屈だよな......眠くなってくる。
余りに頻繁でなければ、流れる風景を楽しめて俺は嫌いじゃないんだけど。
やがて砂漠の景色が途切れ、周囲は荒野へと変わって行った。
[That being said, I'm counting on you, Hind!] (Yumir)
[I'll be relieved if Hind-san is the one holding the money.] (Riizu)
[When it comes to dodging, Hind-dono is at the same level as me, a ninja, it'll be fine!] (Tobi)
[Eh...I think you'll do fine? Hind-kun is a rearguard and I can trust your judgement.] (Selene)
[Heavy...the responsibility is too much...] (Hind)
The funds we have prepared between Migratory Bird and Baby Bird this time is 10 million G.
For some reason, all of it ended in my inventory.
9 million are from Migratory Bird, Baby Bird contributed 1 million.
Baby Bird sold the pillow in the auction for a high price and they bought a plot of land in the agricultural area next to us and they started cultivating there.
While we do help them out, Baby Bird has a high income and they have quite a lot of money even though they don't have many members.
After withdrawing money from the bank in the Royal Capital of Waaha, we headed towards the stables since it was about time we set off.
Maybe because the other players were busy preparing themselves, we could see a lot of activity in the shops on our way there.
[Even though it would be fine if Cineraria-chan was the one to hold the money from Baby Bird.] (Hind)
[I'm sorry.  But, I also feel safer if Hind-senpai is the one holding the money instead of me...] (Sai)
[Stop whining already, Hind! If the time comes, you just have to ride on top of the Grado Turk and run away!] (Yumir)
[That's true but...] (Hind)
[They are really fast after all. The horses senpais' have!] (Lyco)
I think no other player would have a mount that would be able to catch up to me once I got on top of the Grado Turk.
That being said, we decided that I would be riding one of the Grado Turks.
Yumir will be riding the other one and it was decided that the rest would be renting theirs.
[Now that I think about it, what happens to the mount you have when you are incapacited?] (Hind)
[Seems like it's teleported to the closest town's stable. It's like the player's respawn] (Riizu)
[Ooh, before we noticed, Riizu'dono has become knowledgeable about the game.] (Tobi)
[I've taken a look at quite a few walkthrough sites after all. Have I been useful?] (Riizu)
[Thanks, Riizu. In other words, if the time comes, we don't have to worry about our mounts.] (Hind)
I wouldn't be able to endure it if the Grado Turk was to be stolen after all.
If we are not careful, they could even be worth more than 10 million G after all...There are no Fine horses in the market so I can't really compare prices.
Having reached the stable in Waaha, we rented 5 horses for 250k and our preparations were complete.
We took the reins in our hands and walked towards the town's exit.
[Seeing them walk side by side like this, you can really tell how huge the Grado Turks are.] (Tobi)
[Senpai, the horses we borrowed are getting frightened, what do we do?] (Sai)
[I guess we have no choice but to let some time pass and have them get used to it. They even made unneeded things like this realistic, jeez. Fine! Make it even more realistic!] (Hind)
[H-Hind-kun, are you OK? Are you perhaps still a bit stressed out?] (Selene)
Maybe she found my outburst a bit weird, like Selene-san said, walking around with so much money on me was stressing me out.
Regarding the Grado Turks, while you couldn't call it twice its size, it was easily 1.5 times the size of a normal horse.
First we should let the horses get used to the Grado Turk...
Furthermore, we let the members of Baby Bird, who had never ridden a horse practice a bit. Shortly after that...
[Well then, let's set off!] (Yumir)
With Yumir's order, we set off from the Royal Capital of Waaha.
Our destination was the Mahl Republic's Sepia Water Area.
Forming appropriate parties with our eight members, we headed eastward while kicking up the desert's sand.
The 1st party's composition was Yumir, Selene-san and me.
In order to support Baby Bird, whose members were a few levels behind, were Tobi and Riizu making it a 5 man party.
However, I don't think we'll get into any fights for now with this party.
From our current position, we'll leave Oasis town Maija and head towards Town in the wastelands Baska.
[This is so boring...] (Tobi)
[I don't care if they are some bandits, won't anything show up? Hind.] (Yumir)
They are saying dangerous stuff.
[No no, why do you guys think we purposefully took a route that goes through the Grado Empire? It was because if we went through an area we had already gone through we could just ignore Area Bosses and small fry right?] (Hind)
The route we are going through right now is one where you have to pass through Heathrow Town in the middle of the Grado Empire and go south.
If we circled around the continent we would have to beat the Area Bosses while proceeding.
Besides, if we found a boss that would be hard to beat at our current level, we would have to find a way to avoid them and that would be a big time loss.
[Considering the time until the event starts, I think other players would take a similar route.] (Hind)
[In that case, I wonder if Heathrow is crowded with players again?] (Riizu)
Riizu said that while skillfully controlling the reins with one hand and fixing her hat with the other.
From the information I got from the BBS, horse riding in-game should be easier than it is in real life. However, Riizu is especially skillful at it compared to the other members.
You'd think wearing a blackish pointed hat in the desert would be hot, but Riizu hardly ever takes it off.
[To begin with, you would usually split in the four directions from Heathrow after all. That being the case, I don't think it would be weird. Ah, that's right. Yumir, make sure to wear the mantle you used in the tournament before we enter the village.] (Hind)
[Eh...that's such a pain...I'd prefer to just boldly walk in.] (Yumir)
While we were having such a conversation, Siesta-chan, who was swaying left and right unsteadily on top of her horse came over.
She was riding at really dangerous angles at times but she was somehow able to not fall down.
It looked as if she was doing some acrobatics.
[You seem to be excluding yourself as if it was a matter of fact, it'll be no good if senpai doesn't wear a mantle too you know?] (Siesta)
[Huh? Why?] (Hind)
[Why you say...muh, it'll be a pain to explain. Sai, I'll leave the rest to you...] (Siesta)
Leaving after saying that, she reached Lycoris-chan's side in the blink of an eye.
Being left behind, Cineraria-chan looked dumbfounded.
[...Eh!? Jeez! ...Hind-senpai, you are more well known among players than you think, so I think that you should properly cover your face and name too. Most likely, I believe Si is trying to say that.] (Sai)
[Is that so?...Ah, I guess you might have a point.] (Hind)
It's been about two weeks since that tournament.
Even in the replay video, the vanguards are the ones that usually appear more. When the subject comes up in the BBS, Yumir tends to be the one that's brought up way more too.
However, there seems to be threads about me too.
[It would be problematic if we were to get involved with other players in the village and lose time. That being the case, I'll be wearing a mantle too.] (Hind)
[If we stand out there's the chance that PKs will go after us too, it's better to be safe than sorry. It's even more important for people that participate in events often, it wouldn't be weird for them to think that we carry a lot of money on ourselves.] (Tobi)
[In reality that's the case at the moment after all. I know we are being a bit too self-conscious but got it.] (Hind)
[That's right, Hind! In fact, you should be like me and stand out more! Stand out more! You plain member!] (Yumir)
[You are being noisy!] (Hind)
What does she even mean by plain member!
Besides, we are having a conversation about trying to stand out less. I don't understand why she's saying that I should stand out more!
[Isn't it wonderful how Nii-san looks plain at first glance!? Yumir-san, you don't understand at all!] (Riizu)
[Riizu, please stop! It's going to become even more complicated...even though your follow up was questionable, thanks.] (Hind)
On the contrary, I took even more damage by being called plain a second time.
Don't just go further on your own and laugh, Tobi!
[A-Ahaha...we'll also wear a hood and mantle so you don't feel left out, let's just calmly go into the village. After that, in order for the Grado Turks to not stand out, we should quickly go towards the stable and then we'll be fine.] (Selene)
[T-That's right! That's a good idea!] (Hind)
As expected of Selene-san, when it comes down to techniques for not standing out, she's first class.
Other than that, I cannot help but contain my tears from her kindness to try to change the topic.
The only places you can recover the horses' stamina is the stable in each village or town. So it's not like we can avoid passing through it.
Most stables are close to the entrance to the towns so if we go to them directly, we probably won't get noticed.
There's the option of skipping Heathrow and going to Altrowa, but since that's the starting village, the amount of players there should be about the same.
After that, I don't know how far the next village or town is, so...at the end of the day, we can't avoid Heathrow.
[It's just that we probably won't need the mantles anymore after we leave Heathrow. After that, everyone will be worrying about themselves.] (Hind)
[All the other famous players will start gathering after all! The Albert father and daughter pair, Herrschaft, Richt and his followers and the like. All of them probably will stand out more than us!] (Yumir)
[I don't believe there's someone that uses an avatar that stands out more than you though...] (Hind)
A character that's surrounded by an aura made of lightning....there's no one with something like that.
Thinking like that, if they don't reward the {Hero's Aura}  again, finding the player called Yumir in this game will become the easiest thing to do.
[Well, if you mean in the sense that the attention will be divided between us you are correct. If that's the case, let's just be careful in Heathrow?] (Hind)
Everyone gave uninterested replies.
It's true that traveling in this game can be a bit boring...I'm getting sleepy.
As long as we don't do it often, I don't mind enjoying the scenery like this though.
Eventually the desert disappeared and we were surrounded by the wastelands.
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