Magica Technica ～Sword Demon Rakshasa’s VRMMO Battle Record～

038: World Quest Announcement

Translated by Dawn

038: World Quest Announcement

“……Huh?”

Suddenly, a voice resounded, and I widened my eyes and stopped in my tracks.

It felt as if I had been abruptly pulled back into reality. The sensation was chilling, and I found myself gazing blankly up at the sky.

The reaction from Kirara Kurage and the others, who were about to move, was similar. They wore expressions of astonishment in response to the sudden announcement.

It seemed that only the knights were moving normally, indicating that they couldn’t hear this voice.

<World Quest initiation conditions have been met.>

<After the specified number of days, the World Quest ‘Invasion of the Demons’ will commence.>

<For more details on the World Quest, information will be sequentially released on the official website.>

The announcements continued one after another. I tried to process the information as best as I could, but I couldn’t help but furrow my brow.

Considering the timing, it was highly likely that the resolution of the Demon Knight infiltration incident was the trigger for this.

However, if that was the case, it might be a little hasty. If the invasion started too early, there might not be enough players to intercept it.

I was pondering various things, but the last words added to the announcement brought my thoughts to a halt.

<During the progression of the World Quest, the locals will no longer resurrect. Please be aware of this.>

“What…!? Hey, hold on, does that mean――”

<The announcement will now end. Please continue to enjoy Magica Technica.>

There was no way my protest would be heard, and the World Quest announcement came to an end.

The knights, perplexed by our reactions, approached us with questions, but I could only offer a perfunctory response.

If the locals no longer resurrect, it meant that once the demons invaded the town, many of the locals would die as stated in the announcement.

This would be much more troublesome than I had imagined. With a furrowed brow, I signaled Kirara Kurage and the others, then approached Christoph.

“Commander, may I have a moment?”

“Hmm? Ah, what is it, Kuon? If it’s about that demon, don’t worry too much. It’s impossible to interrogate a guy who explodes like that.”

“Well, yes… that may be true, but that demon left behind some information.”

“Oh? Tell me more.”

Christoph’s gaze sharpened.

Well, it was technically information I got from the official announcement, but explaining that would be difficult.

It would be easier to say I heard it from the Demon Knight.

“It seems that the demons are planning a large-scale invasion. The collaboration this time was part of their preparations for it.”

“What? Are you…serious? Is it confirmed?”

“It’s hard to imagine it’s just a bluff.”

After all, it was an announcement made by the official source.

In any case, this information had to be conveyed to the kingdom.

I didn’t know the exact starting time, but we needed time to prepare a response.

I didn’t want to believe it would happen right away, but… well, I didn’t think there would be an attack in this situation with no other players around.

Even if they were demons, it would be too much to expect them to assault us in such a situation.

“From the beginning, their goal was the extinction of humanity. It seems they were secretly trying to erode the country, but if that fails――”

“An all-out attack, huh? It may be shortsighted, but considering their power, it’s not an impossible strategy…”

It seemed that Christoph understood my words properly, as he pondered with a serious expression.

The demon invasion would be a serious situation, not something to be taken lightly. Due to its large scale, we couldn’t act too rashly. However, simply waiting around optimistically was not an option.

Apparently sensing my seriousness, Christoph, with sharp glints in his eyes, nodded in agreement without losing the tense atmosphere.

“Understood, we’ll handle the situation here. As for all of you――”

“We’ll call out to all the outsiders. They’ll be eager to join the battle.”

While it was sobering to think about the locals’ deaths, for outsiders, it would be nothing more than a large-scale event. Every player would rush to the capital like it was a festival.

While the sense of urgency might be lacking, they would still contribute to the forces. They would undoubtedly become a significant part of the defense.

For now, we lacked information. I wanted to check the details on the official website.

“If we find out anything, we’ll let you know.”

“I appreciate it. I’ll report the situation to His Majesty… I never expected things to turn out like this.”

“We have no choice but to do what we can. And… I feel like I can go all out for the first time in a while.”

“Hahaha! I see, you’re dependable. I’ll count on you for sure.”

Christoph’s tension eased slightly, and he smiled while nodding.

He probably thought I was joking, but everything I said was genuine.

Facing an army, even I had no choice but to fight seriously.

Well, it was not like I underestimated my enemies in general, but until now, I had never faced an opponent that required me to go all out after considering their strength.

But this time, I would need to give it my all—yes, I couldn’t help but feel excited.

“For now, leave this to us. Can you take Lirina and the others back home?”

“I don’t mind. We’ll need to report too, after all.”

“I see. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

I returned a nod in response to Christoph’s request and bowed before leaving his presence.

In any case, I should tell Schraid’s daughter that everything had been resolved.

It was almost time for me to log out. I should bid them farewell quickly.

I also wanted to check the information about the event as soon as possible.

*****

Despite various troublesome events, we were able to ensure the safety of Lirina and the others.

After resolving the Demon Knight infiltration incident, we returned to the knight order and then brought Lirina and the others back to the Lamberg mansion.

With the Count Feib family, the root of all evil, gone, Lirina should be safe now.

Back in the living room after all that happened, Lirina finally seemed to relax. She took a deep breath and bowed her head in our direction.

“Thank you all so much. Thanks to all of you, I not only escaped from the clutches of demons, but I was also able to meet my father. I really… can’t thank you enough.”

We exchanged glances, sharing a wry smile at Lirina’s voice that slightly trembled with emotion.

We were all aware that we hadn’t done anything to be thanked for. In the end, our involvement in this incident was driven by curiosity and our own convenience to complete a game event.

That’s why it was a bit awkward for us to be thanked in this way.

But well, we couldn’t refuse her gratitude, or else she wouldn’t be satisfied. Putting away the wry smile, I spoke to her.

“You’re welcome. We’ll accept your thanks. But well, we had our own reasons for getting involved, so don’t worry too much about it.”

“…I appreciate you saying that.”

Lirina raised her head, showing the same wry smile as us.

She seemed to understand our nature to some extent as well. Perhaps realizing that being too submissive would just be a hindrance, she smiled and continued speaking.

“Anyway, I’m grateful. I wish there was something I could do to repay you…”

“Well, even if you say that, I doubt two girls have much leeway. The knight order might provide compensation for the bereaved families, though.”

I wasn’t sure if they had personal income, but maintaining this mansion would be quite challenging for them.

Owning the land was likely true, but regardless, they wouldn’t have much room for unnecessary expenses. Lirina seemed to be worried about this.

Coming to her rescue, as usual, was her maid.

“Well then, Milady. How about lending them this mansion?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Normally, renting a mansion would require a considerable sum of money, but this time, as a reward, we’ll lend them this mansion at a low cost. Kuon-sama and the others will get a base, and you will receive rent. It’s a relationship that benefits both parties.”

At the maid’s words, Lirina widened her eyes in surprise――and in the next moment, a system window appeared before me, as if perfectly timed.

Looking at the contents, I couldn’t help but be speechless.

<Special Limited Event “Memories and Shadows of the Royal Capital” has been completed. Rewards will be distributed.>

<Event Reward: Clan House [Lamberg Mansion] Lease Purchase Right>

A Clan House referred to a house that players who form a clan could use as their base. Even the smallest property costs a minimum of 100,000 per month in in-game time, which translated to 100,000 every 10 days in real-time.

Although this amount might be manageable for players who had come this far, the story took a different turn when it came to a mansion. Even if it was relatively cheap, the price could increase up to ten times more.

And yet…

“What? 200,000 per month?! For a mansion this size!?”

“On top of that, it’s not an individual payment but for the clan… With the four of us, it’s quite affordable.”

Kirara Kurage and the others were looking at the details with wide-eyed amazement.

Their expressions couldn’t hide their excitement.

They had probably been planning to form a clan, and if they could get a clan house at such a low cost, there was no reason not to jump at the opportunity.

Although in normal cases, such a price would be suspected to be a scam or a property with problems, this time it was an event reward from a trustworthy source, so there was no doubt about its authenticity.

“We’re living here as well, so it’ll be a joint living arrangement… But if you’re okay with that, we can offer the place at a low price.”

“Wow, that’s perfect! Yes, please, absolutely!”

“But you guys haven’t formed a clan yet, right?”

“Of course, we’ll go form one right away! We can’t let such an unexpected chance slip through our fingers!”

“I see.”

Looking at Kirara Kurage’s high-energy excitement, I shrugged my shoulders lightly and smiled wryly.

Well, it wouldn’t be a bad story for Lirina to be able to frequently meet with her close friends.

With a regular income coming in and, as Elsa said, benefiting both parties, it seemed like a win-win situation.

But still…

“I’m sorry for asking, but I’ll decline.”

“Kuon-san? What do you mean—?”

“I’m not going to join your clan, so I have no reason to rent this place.”

In response to my words, Kirara Kurage raised an eyebrow slightly but still smiled wryly.

Perhaps she had hoped I would join them.

However, she also seemed to realize that the battles so far had been a burden on me.

Their cooperation was indeed good, but well, they were still far from being on par with me.

“Oh, I see… I thought maybe Kuon-sama would join the same clan too.”

“There’s only one person in this world that I acknowledge to be on par with me. Unless someone at that level, I can’t honestly say I’m willing to join the same clan.”

“Hisana-san, right… She really is on a different level.”

Kirara Kurage’s dry laugh made me wryly smile as well.

For now, the only one I acknowledge was Hisana.

Well, she was still immature, but her innate talent was incredibly high.

If she continued to train, I was confident she’d reach my level someday.

If the condition was to be with her, then I wouldn’t mind forming a clan.

“So, without worrying about me, accept Kirara Kurage and the others. Well, it’s probably more fun to have only a group of girls rather than just adding one guy, right?”

“…I understand. Thank you for your consideration, Kuon-sama.”

“Well then, if I receive an invitation, I’ll drop by at least to say hello.”

Elsa bowed respectfully, and I waved my hand lightly in response.

Honestly, it was true that being the only guy in a place full of girls wouldn’t be very comfortable.

As for the clan and the base… well, there was no need to worry about that right now.

If it became necessary, I could think about it then.

“Now then… I think I’ll take my leave. Thanks for everything.”

“The same goes for us. Thank you for your help with my father.”

“And for taking us this far, even though we just happened to find the event… We’re really grateful! We’ve been nothing but a burden… If there’s anything we can help with, please don’t hesitate to call us.”

“Sure thing… Lumina, it’s about time to go.”

I called Lumina, who was playing with Kuu’s animal ears and gave a nod of farewell to everyone present.

With a content smile, I turned on my heel and left the Lamberg Mansion, logging out shortly after.