The viewers of Journey's stream, as well as those who weren't watching but were still interested, were buzzing about a recent hot topic.

[How strong is Kana-chan?]

It was clear she was incredibly strong, but exactly how strong was the question.

[Comments]

• Why does this post make me feel old?

 

Actually, calling it a "recent" topic was a bit misleading. Kana's strength had been a subject of debate since the days when she was called the Gravekeeper.

In other words, even after all this time, the subject remained interesting enough to capture people’s attention.

And throughout that time, opinions had constantly shifted.

"To be honest, the Gravekeeper’s pattern is what makes it so annoying. What boss wouldn’t be hard with a design like that?"

Sure, she was strong, but most people thought it was more due to the unfair design of Demonix, making it feel harder. When it came to pure combat strength, many believed there were NPCs stronger than the Gravekeeper.

Some even compared her to bosses that had already been beaten so many times that they became farming targets for loot runs.

A water rocket—overpowered by the system’s benefits.

That was the initial reaction.

However, when Kana’s hood came off, and with just two strikes, she slaughtered the Imperial knights...

[You idiots said it was a water rocket;]

Since when did water rockets turn into hydrogen bombs??? If you fired a water rocket twice, you'd wipe out an entire nation! What the hell;;

[Comments]

• Wait... It was just a water rocket, right?

• I’m going to buy a water rocket kit right now, 100%. ┗No, no, don't; ┗Are you trying to start World War III?

 

People finally recognized that Kana wasn’t just a beneficiary of the system.

Of course, the power she wielded was part of Demonix's design, but the same could be said for any NPC, right?

Naturally, curiosity grew.

Even the strongest player, Yuki, couldn’t stand a chance before the Imperial knights.

Yet those same knights trembled in fear and begged for their lives in front of this genius sword master, Kana. How strong could she possibly be?

When Kana’s true identity was revealed, it caused a brief stir, but little changed.

“What?! She was the commander of the Crimson Flame Knights of the fallen kingdom of Grasis?!”

…So what? To people on Earth, who weren’t even familiar with Grasis or Silias, that grand title didn’t mean much.

Maybe the Imperial Knights, who were known for their strength, would understand, but to Earthlings, the power of a kingdom long gone was hard to grasp.

So, while being the commander of the top knights of a kingdom sounded impressive, that was about as far as their understanding went.

But once again, Kana shattered people’s perceptions.

By single-handedly defeating a level 78 dimensional beast.

Who could have imagined that a massive wolf-shaped beast, bigger than a building, would fall at the feet of a small girl?

If it were that easy, weight classes in sports like boxing or wrestling wouldn’t exist.

Even in a world of swords and magic, the basic principle that bigger opponents usually beat smaller ones still held true.

There was a reason players avoided large monsters like ogres or golems.

But Kana, with her tiny body, took down a beast so massive it could block out the sky.

…How?

With a single sword.

That day, among the players watching the stream.

Those who had chosen the lonely path of a swordsman, embarking on adventures with only their sword and the wind at their side, couldn’t help but shed tears.

How long had swordsmen been mocked by those filthy archers and mages?

The archers and mages who didn’t understand that it was thanks to the swordsmen tanking at the front lines that they could deal damage from a safe distance!

Even other melee DPS classes, using different weapons, didn’t sympathize with them.

People often said swords were versatile weapons, but that only applied to those who had received a certain level of training.

For most Earthlings who had never properly wielded a weapon, it wasn’t an applicable idea.

It was more efficient to stab with a spear or smash with an axe rather than swing a sword, which lowered people's perception of swords.

Still, many chose the path of the swordsman.

But among players, swordsmen were often called "aggro bait" rather than being recognized by their class title.

To those swordsmen, Kana became something like a holy book.

A testament that their path wasn’t wrong.

At the end of the road they walked, a brilliant light awaited them.

Many swordsmen…

No, swordswomen…

Were captivated by the small girl’s image.

Kana’s influence was so great that some even put down their weapons to pick up a sword because of her.

Yet despite all this, one question still remained unanswered for the players.

The level system allowed players to estimate strength.

Kana’s level, like that of some other NPCs, wasn’t visible, so no one knew her exact level. But given that she defeated a level 78 dimensional beast without breaking a sweat, it was clear her level was far higher.

“Do you think she’s stronger than the Emperor?”

“Just because he’s the Emperor doesn’t mean he’s the strongest. The Empire’s swords might be stronger than him…”

“I’ve heard the elven chieftain of the Great Forest is supposed to be super strong.”

“Uh-huh~ But it doesn’t matter, one dragon breath and they’ll all be toast.”

“You idiot?”

That Kana was strong was an undeniable fact, and the only remaining question was, just how strong?

And the people knew from experience.

The most efficient way to answer a question was to ask the person directly.

“Kana~”

“…?!”

Kana’s pink hair stood on end, instantly switching into alert mode, ready to strike with her beak, as Da-eun scratched her head.

‘…Maybe that wasn’t the best approach.’

Even Da-eun realized her voice just now was too soft, too syrupy.

It was so sickly sweet, it gave even her the chills.

Though Kana had been showing more affection since they had that heart-to-heart conversation, she still wasn’t used to Da-eun’s over-the-top tone.

Ahem.

Blushing slightly, Da-eun cleared her throat and spoke again, this time to a still-wary Kana, who was watching her closely.

“How strong are you, Kana?”

Kana blinked in confusion at the sudden question.

But Da-eun had her reasons.

[‘Anonymous Benefactor’ has donated …won! Thank you!] [‘Dog Barks When Eating Bad Food’ has donated …won! Thank you!] [‘Yuki’ has donated …won! Thank you!]

The reason was donations.

The messages attached to the donations were all similar.

They were asking Da-eun to directly ask Kana how strong she was.

Da-eun had seen similar requests in the chat many times, but the question always felt too awkward to ask, so she had brushed it off. But today, for some reason, the donations came pouring in all at once, unified in their request.

The chat was also flooded with the same curiosity.

At this point, Da-eun couldn’t ignore it any longer.

‘…It’s not because the donations were too big to refuse.’

It was the atmosphere. The mood was right.

…Besides, what was Yuki doing in the chat? Was it really her?

Checking the donor’s profile, Da-eun confirmed that it was indeed the real Yuki and let out a chuckle.

Anyway, that’s how Da-eun ended up asking Kana the question.

However, for Kana, the sudden inquiry about her strength was bewildering.

After all, how does one describe something as intangible as strength?

If only there was a point of comparison, she could explain it that way…

‘A point of comparison?’

Kana’s eyes suddenly lit up as if she had realized something.

She hopped down from the rock she had been sitting on, grabbing the sword at her waist, scabbard and all.

…!

An attack!

If Kana draws her sword, brace for impact.

The days of training had ingrained this reflex into Da-eun's body, enough to make it a conditioned response.

Had Kana seen this, she would’ve clapped in approval at Da-eun’s readiness, but at that moment, Kana had no interest in Da-eun’s actions.

As the chat filled with laughter at Da-eun’s misunderstanding, she awkwardly lowered her sword.

“What are you doing?”

“…Wait.”

Scrape…

Kana dragged the tip of her scabbard across the ground, leaving a long line in the dirt.

Da-eun let out a confused huh? sound.

Cute, but… what was the point of this dirt line?

“This, right here, is your level, Journey.”

“Oh?”

So that’s what this was about.

Da-eun nodded in understanding.

Seeing her reaction, Kana drew another line, this time a little farther away.

“And this is Greatsword Hatchling.”

“Hmm… quite a difference.”

“It’s a lot closer now than it used to be.”

Kana added, her voice low, as if scolding herself.

Is that so? Well, Yuki is really strong, after all.

Kana wasn’t one to lie about things like this.

The fact that she said the distance had narrowed made Da-eun accept it happily.

“So, where does that put you, Kana?”

“I was just about to show you.”

With those words, Kana, still holding her sword, took off running.

Da-eun, who had been watching her fondly at first, soon found herself gaping in shock as Kana grew smaller and smaller in the distance—so small that she could barely make her out.

Even from that far away, Da-eun could see Kana lift her arm and draw a line in the dirt.

Eventually, the tiny figure returned, mission accomplished.

“…See that?”

Despite her stoic expression, there was a clear glimmer of pride in Kana’s eyes.

…Da-eun had the urge to give the pink-haired girl a little flick on the forehead.

But the law was far, and Kana was near.

If she actually did it, she might be sentenced to "10,000 times training" on the spot.

And since it would be a case of a grown adult taking out their frustration on a child, the law wouldn't even be on her side.

‘Internet streamer in controversy for hitting a young girl in a video game...’

‘Has streaming gone too far?’

• Those kinds of headlines were not what Da-eun wanted to be associated with.

 

Her childhood dream of appearing on television certainly didn’t involve being featured in a scandal like that.

So, with an effort, she forced a smile and said,

“Oh, come on~ Don’t joke around, okay?”

“…Joke?”

It wasn’t a joke.

Kana’s face was deadly serious.

Da-eun’s forced smile faltered.

Just like how Earthlings referred to top-tier mercenaries as "scum," or elite mercenaries as "trash," there was a term Silias used for those who reached the Master level.

A word that referred to a daydream, or a hopeless fantasy.

Daydreamer.

All warriors dreamed of becoming a Master.

But only a handful ever reached that level.

Though it was just one step up from an Expert, the difference between the two was like the difference between the sky and the ground.

Players, backed by their gods, could reach higher levels much faster than Silias natives.

But…

‘Still.’

For now, that goal seemed distant.

Kana shook her head slightly and handed Da-eun a vocabulary card.

“…Huh?”

Still looking dazed, Da-eun glanced up and took the card.

Her eyes sharpened as she read the word on it.

“What the…? Pathetic? Wait a minute, I never used that word!”

Kana should only be learning good, decent words!

Da-eun had carefully filled the vocabulary cards with polite, clean words. Yet somehow, a rude word she had never taught Kana was written there in crooked, cute handwriting—Pathetic.

Kana knew the word, but she didn’t yet know how to write in Arkish.

Still glaring around, Da-eun easily found the culprit.

With only three of them in the area, it wasn’t hard to figure out who was guilty, especially since the prime suspect was nervously avoiding eye contact.

Celine cleared her throat.

“Ahem! I’m sorry. Kana asked me how to write it, and I didn’t think….”

“Celine!”

Ignoring the scolding, Kana calmly added the word “Journey” in Granic next to the Arkish word for pathetic.