Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 66

Whip

He woke up inside the shrine.

The stained glass of the ceiling was sparkling. Ponsuke pressed his hand on his chest from the pain that assailed him there.

He was feeling raw pain that wasn’t limited at all by the game’s  restriction. He was feeling unpleasant sweat trickling down on his body.

He stood up from the stone bed and looked around.

The players with their head hanging down were most likely the Selectors.

They had died many times.

Certainly they weren’t given any death penalty. However the players couldn’t stand up again from their fear toward pain.

There was a player who was hugging himself while trembling and crying.

「Dammit……dammit……I never heard about this. If only that debt doesn’t exist, even I」

The crying player was apparently in debt.

He must have been told that his debt would be taken care of if he helped out.

Red particles of light converged and a player’s figure appeared on top of the stone bed.

The player with pallid expression was wearing a Shinsengumi haori.

He stood up unsteadily and walked outside.

「G-gotta go……everyone is fighting」

Players who kept fighting despite dying and experiencing agony many times.

Players who were trembling and couldn’t stand up again.

Ponsuke too, even though he shouldn’t feel pain, he pressed his hand  on his chest that was pierced by the dragon and headed outside.

A crying player called out to him.

「H-hey, you should give up too. This is just pointless. There are  other guys who are doing their best, so it’ll be better if you take a  rest too.」

Perhaps he didn’t want to sitting and trembling by himself and tempted Ponsuke to rest.

Ponsuke turned his back to him and started walking.

「Something like this isn’t a game at all! Those guys might be lying right? Why is everyone fighting!」

His words at the end were more like a scream.

But, Ponsuke couldn’t criticize the trembling player.

(I need to keep going……I have to apologize to those two)

Ponsuke had been with those two all along since he began playing this game.

Considering how Selectors were giving influence to their surrounding,  that meant those two had been heavily influenced by Ponsuke.

Although he didn’t know anything about it, he still had influenced other people’s heart.

He felt guilty about it. Ponsuke wouldn’t be able to face those two unless this incident was taken care of.

The graveyard outside the shrine came into view.

There he saw Rook and his friends preparing to enter the gate.

Rook’s guild members were checking their equipments and coordinating  each other, while nearby――there were Mariela and Alfie standing.

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「……Go home.」

Ponsuke coldly pushed away Mariela and Alfie.

「W-why」

「Ponsuke, we apologize for what happened at the offline gathering」

Ponsuke shook his head.

「That’s not it. This is something unrelated with you two. That’s why, go home.」

An elf and a human were clinging on an orc.

Around them, there were players who were watching the three of them  absentmindedly, and there were also players who ignored them and charged  into the gate.

Ponsuke tried to head toward the gate in the middle of that boisterous atmosphere.

「Wait, what do you meant it’s unrelated with us. You――」

Mariela spoke loudly. Then Isami stood in the way of Ponsuke.

Even though he should have died many times, his face was filled with drive.

His katana was unsheathed and pointed toward Ponsuke.

Ponsuke stopped walking, then three members of Shinsengumi suggounded him.

The dangerous atmosphere made the surrounding started to become noisy. The information broker ran toward them.

Isami spoke with a strong tone.

「I shall recognize your bravery to keep fighting among these people. But, your skill is dangerous. It harms even your allies.」

Ponsuke had received support from the information broker. They were erasing the demerit after using berserk.

This time he was able to use berserk many times.

「Then I won’t use it. I’m going.」

Ponsuke replied shortly, but Isami didn’t step aside.

「It’ll be troubling if you get cornered and go into rampage. This  battle is not just for the real world……the fate of this world is also  hanging on this.」

Based on his wording, it seemed that Isami was prioritizing the virtual world more than the real world.

He was a type of person who considered the game as real.

Ponsuke tried to push Isami aside.

The information broker looked troubled by the quarrel between Selectors. Then Rook came between them to mediate.

「You won’t have any complain if Ponsuke doesn’t hurt the others right?」

Isami looked at Rook and narrowed his eyes. He sheathed his katana  and left behind two of his guild members in front of the gate while  going into the system.

「I’ll welcome your addition if you don’t attack your allies inside the system. Until then I won’t allow you to come in.」

Shinsengumi members were entering one after another.

Many of them were reliable players, but they had the strong tendency to force their own rule on other players.

Ponsuke turned his gaze toward Rook’s face.

「Rook, I won’t use berserk. That’s why――」

Rook shrugged.

「Well, wait. Even if you say that it’ll be meaningless unless other  people believe it. Those two in front of the gate absolutely won’t  accept it.」

The two Shinsengumi players were vigilantly placing their hand on their katana.

Their gaze looked like they were going to attack at Ponsuke even now.

For some reason it felt like they were harboring a strong anger  toward orc, but Ponsuke had no mental leeway to bother about it right  now so he ignored it.

Mariela and Alfie were hanging their head down behind Ponsuke.

Rook spoke toward those two with a smile.

「Now then, there’s a way to use Ponsuke’s berserk skill effectively here. But, this guy needs the help of other players.」

Mariela lifted up her head.

「Help?」

Alfie’s eyes were serious.

Ponsuke tried to stop Rook, but he quickly spoke the method.

「The berserk state is a state where it’s possible to attack both  monster and player. If anything, it’s a skill that put the user into a  state similar to monster temporarily. In other words, if you have the  job to tame monster――」

Alfie’s eyes sparkled.

「――You mean tamer.」

Tamer wasn’t a job that could be used as main job.

It was unreliable for vanguard, and it was also problematic for rear guard.

But, the job had the skill that allowed player to employ monster.

In other words, there would be no problem if someone tamed Ponsuke when he was in monster state.

Rook was saying that.

Ponsuke grabbed Rook’s shoulder.

「A player who has just become a tamer won’t be able to do anything much! I’m just fine alone――」

However the two Shinsengumi pulled out their sword. They absolutely wouldn’t let him pass.

Ponsuke was hesitating whether he should go ahead even if he had to  push aside those two. Meanwhile Rook said to Mariela and Alfie.

「It will depend on the point you have though. Even if you obtain the  skill, I think it’ll be difficult for just one person to control him.  But, there are two of you. You two can just control Ponsuke together.」

Mariela pondered.

「Is such thing really possible?」

Alfie broke into a run toward the graveyard by herself.

「I’m going back to the Capital of Discernment!」

Mariela was still unsure, but she didn’t want to get left behind by Alfie and headed toward the Capital of Discernment too.

Ponsuke watched the back of those two getting further, then he glared at Rook.

As expected even Rook got scared when he got glared by an orc like  Ponsuke. He passed through the gate with his comrades to run away.

「Ponsuke, believe in those two a little!」

Ponsuke felt irritated toward his friend who vanished while laughing.  He then moved to a spot where he wouldn’t get in the way of others and  sat down.

It was a fact that he was irritated but――he noticed that a part of  himself felt just a bit relieved after seeing those two’s faces.

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Capital of Discernment.

Lighter who received the message from Blaze was talking with his comrades inside the workshop that they were renting.

「We heard that Ponsuke-san got involved in an incident.」

「He’s someone who always get dragged into something without noticing it huh.」

「It was also like that when this guild got formed.」

The craftsmen were talking about how Ponsuke “got dragged into  something again”. At the center of them was the small gnome Lighter.

Depending on how one saw it, this scene might looked like a kid getting surrounded by adults.

(I hope it’s nothing serious. Even so, this time it feels like something really dangerous――)

The noises in the graveyard.

He also heard the story of players disappearing into there.

Lighter was worrying whether Ponsuke was doing something illegal there.

Or perhaps he was getting roped into one?

He was filled with such uneasiness.

But――.

「LIGHTERRRRR!」

The door got opened as though someone had just kicked it hard, and  then two girls slid in. Lighter’s expression turned weary seeing them.

(Maya-chan, be calmer. This is why you’re――)

He was about to warn the cute daughter of his acquaintance, but Alfie got ahead of him and spoke to Lighter with a smile.

「Please make a whip!」

The door that had just gotten opened loudly was swaying with a scraping sound.

The workshop had fallen deathly quiet. Lighter unconsciously asked back.

「Eh, w-what did you ask me to make?」

「I’m telling you, a whip! I want a whip! We’re always helping out you guys to get rare drops, so listen to my demand too!」

She must be in a hurry.

The two were saying that they wanted a whip right away.

The craftsmen behind Lighter were whispering to each other.

「Look, as I thought. She finally ask for a whip.」

「It must be for that. One for use to whip the orcs.」

「No, perhaps it might be for Ponsuke-san you know?」

「I never create that kind of whip for such hobby though.」

Seeing his acquaintance’s daughter begging him for a whip made  Lighter nodded while thinking 「Aa, she finally reach this point――」

「I’m not going to say anything about someone else’s hobby. I won’t.  But, it’ll be better if you have a little bit of discretion you know?  Even if you demand a whip from me so brazenly, how should I say it, it’s  troubling……」

Behind him the craftsmen were saying things like 「They will need candle too won’t they?」 while checking the inventory.

They were preparing to create the whip that the two demanded from them.

Alfie tilted her head.

「Hobby? What are you saying? I mean whip for tamer.」

Everyone turned toward Alfie and Mariela with surprised expression.

Lighter was also covering his mouth with his hands in surprise.

「……Eh? Not the one for that kind of hobby?」

Mariela got angry.

「Why do you think our hobby is related with whip. Enough talk  already, make us a whip for tamer. We only have this much money and  items with us right now though.」

The two’s demand was for a whip to subdue a tough monster.

Voices came from behind Lighter.

「See, as I thought it’s a whip for reward. Surely it’ll be to give the orcs a whipping.」

「Those guys will absolutely become happy.」

「Now that you mention it, none of them logged in today huh.」

Lighter checked the inventory for the required items to create whip.

Fortunately there was the craftsman here for that.

They had a player here who could create such whip.

The problem was the material.

Lighter listened to the story of the two and understood that the whip  that they demanded had to be capable of controlling Ponsuke when he was  in his berserk state.

Even the two didn’t know what was actually happening, but apparently Ponsuke was waiting for them right now.

「To obtain the ability that you two wish for, the material――」

Then Mariela who was checking her inventory noticed the present from Blaze among her items.

Lighter and the others were surprised when she took out the material that was obtained from paying with real money.

「Eh, you used real money?」

Alfie shook her head.

「No, I’m not buying paid equipment because there’s no whip that I  like among them. None of them has the ability that is suitable for this  time.」

Mariela mentioned Blaze’s name.

「Blaze-san gave this to us. He also gave us a lot of other items.」

The two sent a thank you message to Blaze.

(Even Blaze-kun surely never imagined that his paid material will get turned into a whip.)

Lighter was thinking of such thing while asking the craftsman to create the whip in a hurry.

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The graveyard of Capital of Hope.

Ponsuke looked at the two who returned with a smile on their face.

They were holding a whip.

(Eh? W-what?)

Alfie spoke loudly.

「Ponsuke, look at this! We bring this specially made whip!」

Ponsuke choked from too much shock.

Mariela swung the whip.

「Look, it’s making a really nice sound.」

*Snap!* It made such a painful sounding sound. The nearby players jerked and trembled from hearing that.

The way she was swinging the whip looked as though she was accustomed with it.

「With this we can put Ponsuke under control.」

Alfie said that with a radiant smile. Ponsuke wanted to ask her why whip.

(Eh? Tamer can also use other equipment than whip right? Like flute perhaps, there are many other choices aren’t they!?)

Yes, the weapon that tamer used could also be music instrument, not just whip.

But, the two chose whip without any hesitation.

There were many players with tamer job, but there were unexpectedly few of them who used whip.

Mariela was also looking happy.

「With this it’ll be fine even if Ponsuke go into rampage. This whip’s ability is also amazing you know?」

As a weapon, as a weapon for tamer, this whip was really excellent.

Alfie spoke to the dumbfounded Shinsengumi members in front of the gate.

「Now, Ponsuke won’t be out of control with this. I’ll have you two open a path for us.」

The two guards looked at each other. Both of them looked troubled of what decision to make here.

However, the two thought that it would be fine if there were two  tamers accompanying Ponsuke, and so they went into the gate in order to  rejoin their comrades.

The players who were resting at the surrounding were looking at Ponsuke with cold eyes.

But, a small part of the players were looking at Ponsuke with  jealousy in their gaze, or sending a heated gaze toward Mariela and  Alfie.

Ponsuke thought.

(Eh? H-huh? Is this also my fault?)

Ponsuke was extremely troubled by the influence that he gave to the two.

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