Translator: Shizukuku
Editor: Lilia
Read at Watashi Wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 131 – “It wasn’t the person I thought it was…”
[ That’s quite an interesting question. Alright, I’ll tell you about the personalities of the four people I know. First, there’s the cool hero. He’s friendly, funny, and good at most things. And as a reward for defeating the Demon King, the king allowed him to marry the third princess. It’s the classic hero story. Even now, he deeply, deeply loves that princess. ]
Once again, a chorus of excited female voices erupted. It was strange because it sounded so romantic when you hear it that way: the hero married the princess and loved her for the rest of his life.
Yuuta was probably listening to this too. He was probably saying something like, “That’s a matter of opinion.” As I unconsciously smiled, Vil-san spoke again.
[ Did you know that the head of the well-known Adventurer’s Guild was also one of the hero’s companions? She’s a beautiful elf who’s skilled in both sword and magic. Surprisingly, she had a young child at the time of the Demon King’s defeat. She still loves that child very much, and she’s a person full of kindness. She’s very fun-loving, which the people lucky enough to have met her should already know. ]
Indeed. Emily-san was quick to make new friends.
[ By the way, the son of that beautiful elf runs a general store in Tre, so if you’re interested, you should go meet him. He’s also very handsome. Just be careful not to cause any trouble, or you might end up in a bad situation. He’s skilled at swords and magic, too. ]
The people around me cheered at the words coming through the microphone.
Vil-san nodded in response and glanced at me as he continued speaking.
[ The hero’s party had two more members. Of course, those who have done a little research on the net might already know this. They are said to have lost their lives during the defeat of the Demon King. The strongest sorcerer and the sage. The two were childhood friends, and although they were of different social statuses, they had a bond that transcended such things… That’s what’s written in the hero-related books in the in-game library. For those interested, I recommend visiting the libraries in each town and giving them a read. Besides the lore, the library is a valuable place where you can learn lots of different skills. ]
This time, both men and women cheered. Ah, the library would be packed for a while after this. Let’s try to stay away until the excitement dies down.
[ As for the personalities of those two… ]
Vil-san paused before taking up the microphone again, and he then looked up at the video playing above.
[ We really don’t know a lot of details. However, it’s said that all of them were cheerful and not at all pessimistic about defeating the Demon King. Although, those two members I just talked about didn’t come back. If you thoroughly explore the world of ADO, you might come to understand more about that. There are many other things you can do in that world besides becoming strong and killing monsters. If you search, I think you’ll be able to find special jobs and skills as well. I hope everyone can enjoy the world of ADO in their own way. ]
Ah, in the end, I didn’t really get to learn much about those two. A little disappointed, I said, “Thank you very much,” and Vil-san winked at me before taking the next question.
As I listened to the questions without paying attention, I started to move around a bit.
A little further into the town, there seemed to be a place where skill lists, basic job lists, and known advanced job lists were publicly available on the screen, so I headed in that direction.
[ How to get a higher position? I see. So you’re working your way up to a higher position. Well then, I’ve got some advice for you. Be good to the people in the city. They are capable of thinking and acting independently. Things you find offensive, they find offensive, and if you save them, they’ll trust you. If you don’t value that bond, you’re not going to get a higher position. That’s all. Good luck. ]
Since Vil-san was using a microphone, I could still hear his voice as I was walking around.
They had similar voices, too. But Vidello-san didn’t wink like that.
Why was I even comparing them?
I let out a little sigh and passed under a brick archway. The crowd of people in the back right corner looked like the place where I could view the rankings.
The far left corner was where they were selling merchandise. If I kept going straight, there seemed to be a place where you could actually see someone logged in and active in ADO.
A crowd had formed around the monitor displaying the list and I could only catch a glimpse of the screen, so I gave up early. I wondered if it was possible to see from above if you were tall enough in such a situation.
As I looked around, unsure which way to go, a staff member approached me and asked, “Are you lost? Are you alright?”
I replied that I was fine and continued on my way.
I should have been excited, but with the presence of Vil-san, my emotions seemed to have shifted into something else. This was reality, this was GameFest, and I was Kengo, not Mac. It felt like all this was a dream world, and my body felt like it wasn’t grounded, as if controlled by some strange sensation. I tried to shift the blame a little, thinking that it was wrong that Vil-san looked so much like Vidello-san.
Plus, I remembered the words of the stone statue.
Vidello-san’s soul was similar to ours.
I’d been told that his mother was from this world, that he had [ Skills ] that residents of the other world weren’t supposed to have, and that his soul was closer to this side.
The more I learned about Vidello-san, the less I understood.
I wondered, if ADO’s service ended and I couldn’t log in anymore, would I still be able to be with Vidello-san? Or was it more like, our souls would be close together, even if just in spirit, a kind of spiritual destiny? What if Vil-san was actually Vidello-san’s real-life counterpart, and Vidello-san’s physical body was here?
As various thoughts spun around in my head, I found myself drawn to the monitor displaying ADO.
Suddenly, as I glanced up at the row of monitors, I noticed a sign displaying the words [ Let’s see who’s currently playing in the world of ADO! (Permission obtained from the individuals being followed) ]. Various cities were being projected.
Some of the people were moving around the city of Tre. I couldn’t help but be captivated by that monitor.
The player who strode through the streets of Tre was waving at the monitors at every turn. Yeah, they definitely have permission. I chuckled to myself. It seemed like the player had accepted a quest from the Adventurer’s Guild, as they occasionally shifted their gaze and nodded.
As they approached the gate, preparing to leave the city, they were shown engaging in a brief conversation with the gatekeepers.
I suddenly realized.
One of the gatekeepers was Vidello-san.
Vidello-san seemed to be pointing toward the forest while talking to the player. Then, he waved goodbye as the player left.
The fact that Vidello-san appeared on the monitor showing the current situation completely disproved my theory that Vil-san was the real-life counterpart of Vidello-san.
I was a little relieved. The more we talked, the more I felt that Vil-san was very different from the Vidello-san I knew. I couldn’t say for sure, though, because we hadn’t really talked that much.
The resignation and disappointment that Vidello-san was indeed a person from the other world gradually sank in, and my excitement waned a little.
But I had been looking forward to the GameFest, so I composed myself and moved my way through the crowds toward the monitors.
As I was wondering which way to go, I found myself at the booth where children under 15 could experience the world of ADO.
Rows of elementary and middle school-aged children were lined up there. Their excited faces shone brightly. I was about to walk past the booth, thinking about how Yuuta and I were waiting for the day when we would turn 15 with faces like theirs, when I saw some staff gathered around one of the gear sets that were set up in the experience-ADO corner.
They weren’t in costume, but in regular suits, which made me feel a little uncomfortable.
As I stopped to pay attention for some reason, a woman wearing a staff armband emerged from the crowd.
She was a beautiful foreign woman with a sharp face and heels.
“Oh, there’s a little problem with the settings here. Let me borrow the terminal and I’ll fix it right away.”
The woman, after receiving the gear and adjusting it a bit, confidently declared so. She then received a mobile device from another staff member, connected some wires to it, and started typing something.
Soon a pinging sound came from the terminal, and the woman pulled the wires out of the gear.
“It should be alright now. Thank you.”
The woman smiled at the waiting children as she handed the headset back to them.
“I’m sorry you had to wait so long. It’s all right now. Please enjoy the world of ADO again.”
With that, she beckoned to the next child in line and personally placed the gear on their head.
To be honest, it was pretty cool.
The capable way she fixed the issue in an instant and the charismatic way she handled the waiting children.
Also, that smile. I couldn’t help but be captivated by that beautiful smile. It was really pretty, but also nostalgic, as if I had seen it somewhere before.
All those “hints” all the time >___<
Thx for the ch :3
do we have a “how i met your mother” right here?