Table of Contents

  Cover

  Color Illustrations

  Introduction

  Prologue: A Cozy Party

  Chapter 1: Tagalong Sisters

  Chapter 2: The Fourth Dimension Wave

  Chapter 3: Fourth Wave Complete

  Chapter 4: Unique Skill—Hunting Gear

  Chapter 5: Division of Labor

  Chapter 6: Frontier Summon

  Chapter 7: Tragic Surprise

  Chapter 8: Crystal Lake

  Chapter 9: Exchange Diary—Kizuna, Emoji, Therese

  Chapter 10: The Lord of the Paddy Field

  Epilogue: Devil’s Dragon

  Bonus Textless Illustrations

  About J-Novel Club

  Copyright

  Prologue: A Cozy Party

  Alto was gone.

  At first, I had assumed he’d gone out shopping or something; I was sure he’d check in with us sooner or later. But it never happened... Romina seemed to notice something strange when she tried to contact him.

  So that greedy Merchant of Death’s finally shown his true colors and turned tail... Or so I thought. Turns out, that wasn’t what it was.

  “Hey, Kizuna,” said Romina. “Could you try reaching out to Alto for me? I tried calling, but the response was strange.”

  “Huh? Don’t tell me he finally snatched our assets and made for the hills.”

  Honestly, it wouldn’t have been surprising to me.

  “Or maybe he got into something speculative and took a huge hit?”

  I can see it. It’ll be a nightmare if we end up having to sell the castle and island rights to pay off his debts. We’ll have to chase that man to the ends of hell, and I’ll be joining in on that execution dance this time. Right, we’ll have to drag him somewhere where we can spawn-kill over and over again.

  “It’s entirely possible with that guy—I won’t deny it. He did have a hand in all sorts of things, and I’m not sure if you guys ever saw it, but he’d give ridiculously long lectures to anyone who wasn’t pulling their weight.”

  No, I didn’t know about that one.

  I did help out with the crab industry, but all I really contributed was labor, and honestly, I left most of it to the Pekkles.

  “Just yesterday, he was griping over how the money in the treasury’s gone down by a bit and how our supplies are disappearing. Said he was going to track down the culprit. I figured he was going to ask you about it today.”

  When you really get down to it, I don’t know what Alto’s been doing these days. It sounds like there’s so much money and supplies flowing he can’t even keep track of it... But is that really all right?

  “That said... He had me do a few checks before he vanished, so I have a grasp on things. Nothing’s gone wrong with the castle treasury. The warehouse, on the other hand... Well, it sees a ton of traffic, so I couldn’t keep an eye on everything.”

  To summarize, the moment Alto saw his calculations weren’t adding up, he had Romina double-check for him. The money hadn’t gone down since then. If this was supposed to be some criminal vanishing act, he would have taken the money.

  Since he didn’t, it was natural to assume it was something else.

  “Have you gotten any strange invoices lately?”

  “None. We just can’t reach him, and only him.”

  Is he finally showing his true colors?

  “Got it. Hey, Alto.”

  With little choice in the matter, I sent Alto a private chat request.

  “Error. The person you are trying to contact has either turned off their device or is in an area without reception.”

  Umm, I’m getting déjà vu here.

  That said, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the wording was a little different from what I remembered. Something was different, but it had been so long that I could hardly remember the finer details.

  Regardless, back when I was trapped on Cal Mira, it was something like this.

  Right, the “this individual” part seemed new to me...

  “Is something wrong?”

  Shouko walked up to me as I was chatting with Romina.

  “Yeah, Romina opened up a chat with me because she can’t find Alto anywhere, so I tried giving him a call.”

  “Hmm?”

  Taking a page out of my book, Shouko sent a private chat request of her own and got the same message back.

  “It’s similar to the message I got when I tried to contact you back when you were trapped on Cal Mira.”

  “Right?”

  “So it’s the same for you guys, huh...”

  Had the man been summoned somewhere, just like I had? Just when things were getting hectic with the next wave knocking on our door? Not that I had any right to complain about that, I’d summoned people at inconvenient times myself.

  “What’s it like if you’re on someone’s block list?”

  “I have never been blocked myself so I do not have firsthand experience, but supposedly, the message says, ‘You cannot contact this recipient at this time.’”

  Sounds like a generic block message to me.

  But what I saw when I tried with Alto was different. For him, it was that he had “turned off his device or was in an area without reception.” If he’d just hightailed it after blocking anyone and everyone, then something wasn’t adding up.

  “His business partners have been blowing up my inbox, and none of them know where he is. I’ve been handling them instead.”

  Well, running a smithy had a business side to it, so Romina could fill in to some extent.

  “What about the Pekkle-o-meter?”

  Any of the guild’s Pekkles that hadn’t been assigned to work under individual players could be managed through the Pekkle-o-meter. The devices came in limited numbers, and surely Alto had treasured his.

  “I found the one Alto carried around tucked away in the castle storehouse.”

  He even left the Pekkle-o-meter behind?

  I was growing more and more concerned.

  “Just where did he go—or rather, where was he summoned to...?”

  “Going off the situation, he was probably caught up in some event or other.”

  “How troublesome...”

  “As long as his businesses didn’t go under... Romina, can you handle it for now?”

  “Sure thing. I’m no Alto, and I can’t spread myself that thin, but I’ll do what I can to keep things afloat.”

  When all was said and done, we had no way of contacting Alto. I went ahead and relayed the news to everyone.

  “Sir Alto had quite the network,” said Yamikage. “I daresay, I imagine his friend list was a lengthy one too.”

  “If he was summoned to a settlement for his skills, then our Alto is in real high demand, huh?” Tsumugi added.

  Pretty much... He’s a pretty reliable merchant, in that sense. But does that mean he’s going to be putting me on the scales against whoever the new guy is, next time we meet? Seeing who he’s going to use? Knowing Alto... Yeah, no worries; he’ll probably choose both of us. He’s a greedy merchant, after all.

  “This is how everyone disappeared, right?” Kanade asked.

  Everyone nodded.

  “I had a rough time, getting ignored, I daresay.”

  “I heard rumors about that,” said Therese. “About poor Yammy. There were people who wouldn’t shut up about calling her the Reaper. L’Arc was grumbling about it.”

  Oh, them... Shouko’s former party members. I hadn’t seen them around since the last time we kicked them out, so I didn’t know what happened to them. Therese must have been taking care of Yamikage along with L’Arc.

  “Such disgraceful people,” Shouko concluded.

  “Well...” Therese replied. “Let’s pray that they’re repenting, wherever they are.”

  “Anyway, the bottom line is that Alto won’t be around. For now...all we can do is prepare to overcome the wave.”

  It felt like we’d just been doing whatever we pleased for a while now, but our preparations had actually come a long way. We’d already cleared out the old hunting grounds and raised our Energy cap while we were at it; we probably wouldn’t have to worry about that for a while.

  If the wave wasn’t coming, we’d be focusing on Mikakage’s quests right around now.

  “It should hit tomorrow or the day after. Alto’s not around, but we’ll get through it!”

  At my big sister’s rallying cry, we all shouted back a hearty “Yeah!”

  Then, “Ah,” Therese interrupted. “I got a call from L’Arc. We’re joining a different party this time.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. L’Arc’s got to pull his weight, or he’ll be in hot water once we get back to real life. Relationships sure are a hassle. Aaah... I wanted to see all the fun events with Kizzy.”

  “Yeah, I don’t see myself running into one of those anytime soon. Just forget about it and go.”

  “Fiiine. See you later. Let’s play again sometime.”

  And with that, we saw Therese off.

  †

  “Sheryl, are you in?”

  I shouted into the workshop that she’d holed herself in for days. Sheryl lifted her head, registered my presence, raised a hand, and put her work on hold before walking over.

  “Welcome back.”

  “Glad to be back. Did you hear anything from Romina?”

  Romina had said she’d tell Sheryl, but I asked to make sure.

  “Yeah,” she nodded. “Revenge. ”

  “You sound motivated, at least.”

  She hadn’t left the workshop these past few days, instead opting to grind out all the crafting skills that had fallen behind. But despite all that nonstop grind work, it was good to know she was still up for a fight.

  “Have you reached a good point in your work?”

  “Uh-huh... Doing some prep.”

  So she’s been getting ready for the wave.

  “Glad to hear it. We’ve been messing around with Cooperation Skills lately; why don’t you try teaming up with Yamikage to see what kind of attacks you can pull off?”

  “Uh...huh...”

  For a moment, her motivation seemed to wane, but...regardless, Sheryl was good to go.

  “You must be the Sheryl that everyone’s talking about.”

  Suddenly, Kanade stepped in and approached her.

  “I’m Kizuna’s elder sister, Kanade. I know I caused some trouble a bit ago, but I look forward to working with you.”

  “Uh-huh... Kizuna and Tsumugi told me about you,” Sheryl said, her eyes shifting to Kanade.

  “Hey, Kizuna, what were you two saying about me?”

  “Nothing too important. Right?”

  “Uh-huh... I don’t know you.”

  Sheryl wasn’t as socially inept as Yamikage, but she was still pretty reserved... It would probably take some time for her to warm up to my sister.

  “Pleasure.”

  “Yes, a pleasure. I’ll be in charge of the kitchen from now on, so there’ll be more than just fish on the table.”

  C’mon, sis. Did you really have to use this chance to show off?

  “So, what kind of food do you like, Sheryl?”

  Kanade’s question was met with complete silence. A bit of time passed before she prodded me and sent a private chat request.

  “Is it something I said?” she asked, so Sheryl wouldn’t hear. “She’s kinda not reacting at all.”

  “Conversations with Sheryl follow a...unique rhythm. Don’t worry too much about it. If she’s uncomfortable or upset, it’ll show on her face.”

  So she’s thrown off by her too.

  “I want to...learn more about Japanese food.”

  “Japanese, huh? Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  When asked about her favorite food, she replied with something she wanted to know more about rather than what she liked. It was a little off, but not worth any concern.

  “All right. Next, let’s pick up some equipment from Romina.”

  “Okay.”

  Sheryl pumped her fist.

  Looks like she’s plenty motivated.

  After that, we moved over to Mikakage to fine-tune our Cooperation Skills and formation while waiting for the Dimension Wave event to kick off.

  “So this is what the furthest map reached in Mikakage is like. It’s a bit challenging, but unfortunately, we don’t have the time to find an efficient grinding spot.”

  “With you on the front line, Kanade, it has become much easier for me to fight. I have a far easier time attacking.”

  “Yeah, big sis always brings a sense of stability.”

  The addition of Kanade solidified our front line.

  “But it looks like the load on Yamikage’s increased a bit,” said Kanade. “We really need a healer.”

  Yamikage would occasionally heal my sister when she asked for it, so her attack frequency had dropped.

  “This game doesn’t require strict formations, so it’s fine, sis. You should look at it more like that hunting game. It’ll all work out.”

  “Tsumugi, I’m telling you to think about reliability. Even if anything can work, there’s always a better option. With the wave coming soon, I know we can’t completely change course, but...maybe I could ask a friend who could fill in.”

  “I don’t know...we’ve got a few shy members...”

  There was Yamikage, and Sheryl too. Bringing someone new at the last second wasn’t going to cut it. L’Arc and Therese both knew a lot of people, but lately, they seemed to be pretty busy.

  “Everyone’s so strong, so we’ll fight way better with a proper healer. Several times better, in fact.”

  “Look, I get what you’re saying, sis.”

  We were just playing for the fun of it, so we didn’t plan on taking it that seriously.

  “Ah... If you hunted with that kid, you’d probably change your mind.”

  There’s someone that amazing out there, huh?

  “Sounds like they’d be stifling to be around.”

  Most of us were just doing our own thing. Tsumugi and Shouko could adapt to most formations, but Yamikage? I wasn’t so sure.

  “She’s a good person, so it’ll be fine. Oh, but... I can’t get in touch with her, so forget about it. Anyway, I’ve got a good sense of how everyone fights. What’s your usual approach during the waves?”

  My sister addressed the first question to Yamikage.

  Well, she was the one with the best track record, after all.

  “I aim at wherever there are the most enemies and Drain, I daresay.”

  “Everyone attacks however they like, and whenever something unexpected happens, Kizuna somehow makes it work out.”

  “We count on bro. Everyone’s looking forward to what he’ll pull off this time.”

  “Come to think of it, I heard rumors about Kizuna’s performance in the Demon Lord Invasion event...”

  As Kanade muttered that, Yamikage and I looked away.

  We’d both been in Kappa Costumes, disabling traps while attacking whenever we got the chance. I had no doubt in my mind that whoever saw our glorious feats stained by joke gear had spread the word to whoever would hear them.

  “Shouko and Tsumugi did well too!”

  “Yeah, bro, but you guys stole the spotlight. That catfight was all everyone was talking about.”

  “It never happened. There were no kappas. I didn’t do anything.”

  Sheryl frowned. She was apparently still frustrated about her loss.

  That was why she was so fired up for her comeback—her revenge.

  Everyone seemed aware of it, and I felt it was time to change the subject.

  “We reject rigid thinking around here... Umm... Yeah, we leverage innovation to create new ideas, adapt within reasonable limits, strive for the best, and create results full of creativity. Any insane hurdles, and the real powerhouses can handle it!”

  “What kind of stuck-up company speech was that, I daresay?!”

  “We’re a laid-back company... A cozy party! We do company BBQs on holidays!”

  Around halfway through that spiel, I was just waiting for someone to call me out. That’s what I loved about Yamikage. She was the sort who could turn all those awkward “what is this guy even saying” faces into smiles. She was the one I needed to complete the joke.

  “Hey, bro, do you even know what you’re saying?”

  “Nah? Not at all? I just strung together some words that sounded good.”

  “You’re the same as ever, Kizuna... Anyway, I’ve got a good grasp now, and I should be strong enough with my new gear.”

  And so, after we’d finished practicing our coordination, we rushed back to the castle where Romina had finished crafting the Brave Pekkle costume we’d requested.

  To think my sister’s trusty shield would be used to make a mascot suit modeled after Brave Pekkle...

  After receiving a new shield from Romina, Kanade didn’t hesitate to don the Brave Pekkle Costume...standing proudly—chest puffed out—next to the real Brave Pekkle.

  “How about that, people?”

  “Honestly, sis... You look like you’re getting desperate.”

  Our Brave Pekkle had multiplied...rather, it looked like we had a Brave Pekkle parent and child.

  “Say what you want, but the defense on this thing is insane. It’s way better than overenhanced crab gear, you hear—more than double it!”

  Just how much defense did they cram into that stupid... I began to think. But considering Brave Pekkle’s stats, it did make sense.

  “Is this the strongest form of Pekkle Costume armor?”

  “I get the feeling it can still evolve. There might even be a Wrath Pengu one that boosts attack.”

  Oh, right...Wrath Pengu’s a thing. I can see that being the next step up.

  “Combine this with the buff from Kizuna’s Santa hat, and I’m invincible. Water-attribute attacks won’t even register to me.”

  “Maybe we should head out to sea and take on some sea monsters that we haven’t fought yet.”

 

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