NoveLight ™
Journey spoke with a serious tone.
"After all, orc meat isn’t all that different from pork, right? It’s not like we’re eating bugs, and it’s not flavorless, so there’s no real reason not to eat it. Don’t you think?"
“I-I didn’t in the end, did I?! So let it go, already!”
Logging out outside of a safe zone leaves your character there, vulnerable. Fortunately, thanks to Demoninous’s consideration, there are many safe zones scattered across fields, not just in cities, and players can even make their own if needed. This makes it convenient for players to stay out in the field for days without much trouble—as long as there are no NPCs around.
Safe zones outside cities don’t have NPCs, and they can only be created when players are alone. Players have long speculated about why Demoninous opted for such a cumbersome system. Among the many theories, the most popular one is that it’s all for the sake of realism. Since it’s a game, complete convenience can't be sacrificed, but allowing players to log out just anywhere would destroy the immersion. So, they likely balanced convenience and realism to keep the player experience consistent with the NPCs.
‘Only Demoninous would know the truth.’
Even if you were to ask Demoninous, they’d remain silent, so these theories—no matter how popular—remain in the realm of speculation. This unique mix of realism and the time ratio has even led to memes, with escort quests being nicknamed ‘the domain of the jobless’ or ‘the privilege of the unemployed.’ In other words, Journey didn’t avoid orc meat yesterday by logging out; she couldn’t log out in the first place.
‘Streamers have to be a bit shameless.’
She used to deal with things straightforwardly when she started streaming, but now, after some experience, she’s learned how to handle things like this. But viewers have also learned and gained experience from watching her streams.
“…Well, I guess using semi-sleep mode and night watch mode during breaks doesn’t completely get rid of fatigue.”
Journey quickly changed the subject, clearly uncomfortable.
“Oh, right. I tried one of those really pricey capsules once, and I totally get why people use them. It’s not just the features—it’s a whole new level of comfort.”
“I thought the same thing, but they call it negative adaptation, right? Once you try it, the flaws stand out. I barely held myself back from buying it.”
“Of course, I couldn’t pay it all at once. Maybe a 48-month installment? Ice cream? Hey, you can buy that yourself!”
‘It was nice, though.’
Journey smacked her lips. Not every expensive product is worth the price, but the capsule she tried definitely was. Back then, before Celia Online was released, she could easily resist the temptation to buy it. But now…
‘It might not be a bad idea now…’
Now that Celia Online is out, she spends even more time in the capsule. Rather than finding reasons to hold back, she found herself thinking of reasons to buy one as she relaxed to the rhythm of the carriage.
Then, a thought popped into her head.
“I wonder if Kana actually sleeps?”
Last night, the merchant group was considerate enough to let her and Kana share a tent. It was likely an attempt to stay on their good side, but Journey didn’t mind. It meant they could use a spacious tent just for the two of them. She thought she’d be able to watch Kana sleep, but…
‘…Nope.’
Despite what they say about kids needing more sleep, Kana stayed up, hugging her knees, fully awake until Journey logged out. When she logged back in after sleeping in her capsule, Kana was already up and moving. She wasn’t napping in the carriage, either.
Journey knew that NPCs could sleep, so she assumed Kana did too, but having never seen it herself, she was curious.
“Good sleep is important for growth, you know.”
“….”
“...Sorry.”
Kana wouldn’t have understood Arkish, but she somehow sensed Journey’s remark, and the glare she shot made Journey apologize preemptively.
“Ugh…”
Journey gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the viewers spamming initials in the chat. Of course, they paid no heed to her complaints.
I watched Journey rambling on, and I couldn’t help but notice how much she talks to herself.
Laughing one moment, angry the next, then calming down before starting the cycle over again. Watching her like this, I sometimes wondered, “Is she all right in the head?” It would certainly seem odd to most people, but the woman in the carriage with us, who introduced herself as Catherine, didn’t seem fazed by Journey’s antics. Maybe she was used to it.
‘…Or maybe…’
“Kana, what are you thinking?”
“…Nothing.”
“Hmm?”
I evaded her suspicious finger as she tried to poke my cheek.
Why does she always seem so eager to poke at me? I’ve put up with it so far because it’s been too bothersome to react, but maybe it’s time to set some boundaries.
Meanwhile, our carriage continued to the next destination. Thanks to the lack of monster encounters since we ran into those orcs yesterday, the caravan had picked up quite a bit of speed.
Looking at the map, crossing directly through the Empire would be fastest, but the roads never cooperate. Mountains, rivers, and dense forests block the way. That’s why our route skims the northern edge of the Empire.
The Empire of Lo Arca’s border security doesn’t mirror Korea’s strict border control from my past life. Instead, they rely on fortresses and cities, delegating defense to the local lords. Each city and its territory effectively form the borders collectively.
I think this system is called feudalism, or something like that. Either way, our route through a bit of the Empire’s land isn’t much of a problem, though we’ll have to pay a toll.
Was this how medieval Europe worked, too? The reason I pondered this was because our next destination is a small village in a barony of the Empire. Apparently, it used to belong to Grassis but was annexed by the barony after Grassis’s downfall. I wouldn’t have known that, being stuck in the mountains, if it weren’t for someone else telling me.
And who could that be? None other than the Apostle next to me, complaining non-stop.
“There’s a flower field near that village that people visit because it’s so beautiful.”
“….”
“Let’s go see it together, okay? You like flowers, don’t you, Kana? You’ll love it, I’m sure.”
“….”
I don’t like flowers, so the premise was wrong. Since the premise was wrong, it only made sense that the conclusion—me loving it—was also wrong.
Journey seemed anxious at my lack of enthusiasm.
“I’ll give you something tasty if you come along!”
“…I’m not a kid.”
“…I-I know, of course! Who’d dare call Kana a kid? Certainly not me!”
“…I’m not ‘your’ Kana either.”
Even her phrasing was hopeless. Her coddling tone, as if consoling a sulking child, irritated me. I furrowed my brow and sighed. Does she really want to see flowers that badly?
Thinking back, almost all the noble ladies I knew in the knight order loved flowers. Maybe it’s some instinctive thing among women. Perhaps because I was a man in my past life, or maybe because I led a life so rough it stunted my ability to appreciate beauty, I don’t feel anything special about flowers.
Sure, I think they’re pretty, but only enough to go, “Oh, pretty,” and move on. It’s not like I’d go out of my way to visit or sit down and appreciate them.
Out of nowhere, an image of Garid popped into my head, crouched in front of a flower shop, admiring the blooms. A sight I’d never witnessed but could easily imagine. His rugged, muscular frame, a scar running diagonally across his right cheek, and his rough-cut brown hair hardly matched the delicate scene.
“Pffft…”
The thought made me laugh.
Was it pure amusement? Probably more like mockery.
“Oh?! Kana, did you just laugh? You did, didn’t you?”
“….”
Journey immediately made a fuss.
“I didn’t laugh.”
“Oh, come on. It’s okay to laugh, so why lie?”
I should be the one saying that. Why make a big deal out of it?
I looked at Journey holding Catherine’s hand, squealing with delight, and sighed.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
“Wait, really?!”
Journey’s voice shot up in surprise. Why was she so shocked when she was the one who suggested it?
“I thought you’d keep playing hard to get… You must really like flowers after all. Were you pretending to be indifferent because you were shy? It’s adorable, isn’t it?”
“Forget it if you don’t want to go.”
“No, no! I’m thrilled! So, it’s a promise, okay?”
“Yes.”
If it’s nice, I’ll pick up some seedlings or seeds on the way back and show them to Garid. He’d probably love it.
“Oh, I think we’re almost there.”
The caravan’s atmosphere grew busier. It didn’t have the same urgency as yesterday, so it didn’t seem like we were under monster attack again. Journey noticed it too, peeking outside and sticking her head out.
“Oh wow… I see it!”
Her voice was full of excitement. As she sat back down, a bit embarrassed by Catherine’s amused chuckles, she apologized.
“I get really excited because I love traveling… Sorry if I was too giddy.”
“No need to apologize. It’s nice to see.”
I prepared to get off the carriage. My preparations were limited to adjusting my cloak and checking my belongings. As the carriage slowed and the sound of wheels faded, a mix of rustic tranquility and the bustling noise of a small village replaced it.
Pulling back the curtain, I caught a glimpse of an idyllic village that looked like something out of a painting. A young boy met my gaze, his eyes full of curiosity and anticipation. This caravan visit must be a big event for a child living in a place like this. I’d been to similar villages with the knight order, but this was the first time I’d seen such a look of eager curiosity.
Back then, our presence usually meant trouble that the village guards or the lord’s men couldn’t handle, so the faces greeting us were filled with anxiety, fear, or despair. I nodded at the boy, who waved and smiled brightly, thinking that Garid would have liked it here, but…
‘Well, this isn’t so bad.’