Chapter 40
It would be fair to say that Ooyama Sadako's life had been one failure after another.
She happened to learn karate because of her father's fame, entirely against her own wishes, but that part was fine.
People said she wasn't very ladylike, and even mocked her for lacking Kyoto elegance, but she didn't care.
Her father's title as a master... To her young, ignorant self, it had looked cool.
Then the Tower appeared, climbers emerged, and she ended up becoming a climber after her father.
Of course, her father didn't want his daughter going anywhere dangerous, so he put her through harsh training in hopes of somehow making her give up. But perhaps it was because they shared the same blood?
In the end, she entered the Tower.
And she managed to become a Tower conqueror by successfully conquering Osaka's 30th-floor Tower.
Compared to her father's achievements, hers were infinitely modest, but they were nothing to be ashamed of compared to other climbers.
But despite the title of Fist King, her father's dojo kept declining in inverse proportion to his fame.
She knew her older brother was an otaku, but one day he suddenly declared, "Miko is going off to find my master!" and became a beast she never wanted to see again.
When she opened her door because he was being so noisy, the sight of her brother dancing while meowing remained a terrifying nightmare.
Perhaps he had some shame, because he said their father would kill him if he found out. He had left home as an adult and seemed to be doing fairly well, though.
Why was life so difficult?
Her brother hadn't been chosen as a climber, so he lived freely without any particular burden. That good-for-nothing brother was an otaku who hadn't even learned karate in the first place!
As a climber, she was constantly compared to her father's achievements. Meanwhile, her brother had run away from home, debuted as a virtual cross-dresser, and was living that way.
Sadako had grown up without her mother, wandering beneath these men, and decided she might as well become a civil servant.
She knew becoming as successful as her father was impossible.
As luck would have it, her class was [Wizard], but the [Shaman] faction was full of such old fogies that she hated them. She didn't want to bow her head to people who called her father an ignorant gorilla!!
Just then, an opportunity came her way by chance.
"Fox God Wakamo..."
She knew about her, too. Wasn't she the one who had revived her father's dojo while completely destroying the Shaman Association at the same time?
There were even rumors that she was a true messenger of Inari, so perhaps Sadako could enter her service and learn genuine [Shamanry].
This was a choice on which the rest of her life depended, an opportunity that would never come again...!!
She wasn't thrilled about having to become a VTuber, but she was confident in herself.
A working adult, twenty years old this year.
In a way, wasn't she getting a job at a proper workplace supported by the government?
She was practically a civil servant!! The Japanese government and the head of the Japanese Association had packed her bags for her, promising their support, and she boarded a plane to Korea with her dreams soaring.
"Ooyama Sadako... from now on, I am becoming a VTuber...!!"
What sort of concept should she adopt? How would she attract viewers?
How could she get close to Wakamo and learn something like shamanry?
She made diligent plans while thinking about her future.
Worried about whether she could manage life in a foreign country, she nevertheless thought, The language is mutually understandable, so it'll be fine, right? I can just use a translator for Korean, right? With those concerns, she arrived in Korea.
"Are you confident?"
It was Manager Won Da-hye's question. Ooyama Sadako nodded confidently.
Wouldn't she just have to do it the way her brother did?
"What the heck, I'll give it a shot."
※※※
-Is it about to be revealed??
-What kind of lunatic will Wakamo Corporation's new VTuber be?
-I hear she's come over from Japan.
-A VTuber personally brought over by the manager....
-Is she debuting as a unicorn? I'm just curious.
-A VTuber gets flamed if she streams with a man, right?
-Host, say something already.
"My fun has increased again..."
"The captain only does broadcasts... We don't have anything else either."
At Ichigo's words, spoken while tilting her head from side to side and narrowing her eyes, her friends' messages began pouring into the chat.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-I see, Hawk China.
-With the Avengers, you only learn who the members are after they gather.
-Is Iron Man finally coming??
-So she's Spider-Man who came over from Japan?
-A spider from Japan is kind of harmless, thoughㅋㅋㅋㅋ
It was nothing but a festive atmosphere! Neither Wakamo nor Ichigo had heard anything beforehand, so they were simply waiting for the debut stream to begin. Of course, Wakamo hadn't been doing nothing.
"Listen carefully, Manager. Our Märchen princess is making a personal website to introduce herself, too!! When the number of VTubers increases, we need to make an introduction site and all that!! We should also create rules like the ones there and use them as a reference─"
"Yes, yes."
"And for the fan café, there's no need to scatter everything across several places. Change my café's name to Wakamo Corporation, then make a separate board for each VTuber. Add an introduction board for every VTuber underneath that, too, so we can promote them─"
"Yes, ma'am..."
"And for the introduction stream, there's no need for us to put any pressure on her, so make it as relaxed as possible and don't let her feel burdened. It would be nice to prepare a script, too, but since you brought her in, I won't worry about her abilities. The important thing in a stream is what appears on screen, so use this chat window and background. Making a PPT is also essential─"
"Ugh... ngh..."
After holding Manager Won Da-hye captive and explaining everything needed for the upcoming VTuber's stream for about thirteen hours, there shouldn't be any problems. She had even prepared audiovisual materials, cutting up and showing one hundred of the VTuber debut streams Wakamo had watched, explaining which parts were good and which were not. She had also subtly introduced and recommended their cute little chick, telling her to watch the chick play the recorder.
So there was no problem.
Besides, she was coming from Japan... As a native of the country known as a virtual-entertainment powerhouse, she might even be more professional than Wakamo herself!!
'She might have been a big-agency VTuber in her past life!'
If she had known what Wakamo was thinking, Manager Won Da-hye might have regretted not telling her who the girl was. But she hadn't had a chance to say anything. Wakamo had gone wild, demanding that they open the door because she needed to clip the announcement that a new VTuber was joining. All she had managed to communicate was that the girl was coming from Japan.
─♩♬
A gentle BGM rang out over a blue screen.
Before long, a girl appeared with such a vacant expression that she looked downright dimwitted. She wore a naval cap and an outfit that appropriately mixed a naval uniform with a sailor suit, but she didn't introduce herself.
The stream went live, and a minute passed in silence.
-?
-Is the audio muted?
-A new type of mute VTuber.
-Why the hell is the chat window in the centerㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is this a public execution???
The chat window sat in the middle of the screen, while the VTuber who was supposed to introduce herself had been shoved into a corner and was staring blankly into space.
"Ehehe."
"When does this stream start?"
-?
-?
-?
-?
-?
"?"
"?"
Wakamo smacked her forehead at the first remark to come out, five minutes after the stream began.
Ichigo, watching that, pulled out a pistol asset, and when Wakamo pressed it down with her hand to calm her, the viewers burst out laughing. It might be better not to know that she had brought it out in reality as well as in the 3D modeling.
A spectacular broadcast disaster to accompany a debut stream.
Then, perhaps the manager had been watching from behind, because the sound of something being struck rang out with a repeated bang-bang.
The VTuber character stared at the screen, and her eyes spun around once as the sound of fingers striking keyboard keys rang out.
Click.
The stream ended.
-Well, that was an entertaining stream.
-Wow, that debut stream was really fun.
-So what are you going to do now, host?
-No, seriouslyㅋㅋㅋㅋ So who are youㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Ah, you don't know? The Hunter Exam has already begun, you know?
-[True Name], huh? You don't know it..? You're disqualified.
-You really brought us one hell of a girl.
"Aaaaaaaah──!!!!"
-Graaah!! A sonic attack out of nowhere!!!
-Fuckㅋㅋㅋ Was the stream turning off just a misunderstanding?!
-Since when did you think the debut stream was over?
-We got completely played...!
-What the hell did you bring over from Japan!!!!!
-I-I can't hear... ugh....
-If you don't mind me asking, are you a fawn???
"Wait!! Uh... the screen.... Manager! I can't figure it out because the keyboard isn't in Japanese!"
"Um... you can read English, can't you?"
"I don't know either!! Do it for me!!"
At her confident demand, Wakamo could only let out a hollow laugh, while the viewers simply laughed at the situation driving them insane.
Before long, the screen lit up again, and a 3D character showing the back of her head boldly greeted the viewers from the center of the screen.
Her hands moved as well, suggesting she was even using motion capture, and she struck a magnificent pose. But the viewers could only see the back of her head.
"Minna Konpairet!! I'm Mare Pirate-chan, Wakamo Corporation's Navy!!!"
-I see.
-A navy woman from Japan, across the sea.
-Aha! This is an invasion of Joseon!
-Another Japanese invasion targeting the mainland....
-A navy woman in the room of an independence fighter. Was the manager a pro-Japanese collaborator?
-You'll get arrested talking like that. Watch your mouthㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Bonk!
"Ughk."
-Crash!
-Clatter─!
-Are we watching a comedy show right now?
-Where did they find such an outstanding person...?
-What the hell did she trip over just now??
-More importantly, if she doesn't know Hangul, can she even see our chat?
-Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋ That's trueㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-A VTuber stream where communication is impossible... This is basically a blind person's stream.
-Look with the eyes of your heart.
"Aah! Don't worry!! I just tripped over my own feet! We can run the sailors' chat through LINE or Google Translate, right?"
-Should we run it through Aral Trans?
-Jingangae, red-bean filling, yep, there.
-Discipline tree, subject good!
-Ngh! Baldy! Hey!
-What the hellㅋㅋㅋㅋ Her language skillsㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is it really okay for the captain and her sailors not to be able to communicate?!
-That's how the military is, I guess?
-Is that so?
It seemed that the manager had come in, because the character finally turned around and faced the front.
Seeing her chew on her finger with the stupidest expression in the world, the viewers wondered if it was all right to ask whether she was an imbecile... but they endured it through superhuman patience.
"Why am I chewing my finger..? Uh... just because..?"
-Look at how perfectly her expression and voice match.
-Why the hell are you communicating during your own introduction stream?
-Tell us who you are!!!
-Now, look at the camera and say it once.
"Uh─ I'll introduce myself again! I'm Mare Pirate-chan! I want to grow stronger under Wakamo-sama! I'm in the navy, and my dream is to become the strongest in the navy someday!!"
-Then isn't Wakamo-sama your superior?
-For realㅋㅋㅋㅋ If you're a soldier, use the proper titleㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-This is correctㅋㅋㅋ Since you've come to Korea, you should show respect to our independence fighter.
"Ah! Then, Generalissimo Wakamo!"
-I'm sorry.
-I don't think that's right...
-What kind of stream did I just enter...
-That's not okay... Don't do that....
-A fox god called Generalissimo by the Japanese navy... This is quite Wapanese.
-Forget Wapanese—shouldn't we be asking whether she's beating them up...?
-What is this rhymeㅋㅋㅋ
"Huh? Isn't this right? No? Then I guess I should call her Captain Wakamo."
-Korea, with Japan and China beneath it, became the captain.
-It was a long period of persecution.....
-After our country was invaded for hundreds of years..! The suffering our Republic of Korea endured was...!!
-This is so damn longㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
"Anyway! I like alcohol and pachinko! When I get tired from studying every day, I gamble at pachinko with the money I've saved, drink, and have fun."
-?
-This is the navy...?
-What the fuck, one unbelievable statement after another.
-No, seriously, is this okay? Is it really okay!!!
"There wasn't any pachinko in Incheon! They say you can find it at Kangwon Land, so I'd like us all to go there together someday."
-Every single statement is a spectacle.
-I feel like I'm going insane! I feel like I'm going insane!!!
-Gambling is illegal in Koreaㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-???? No, Captain!! What game are you booting up right now!!
"It was hard to get this! Because I'm the navy of the sea! Let's play [Sea Pachinko], brought by the captain!"
Click.
The stream was forcibly terminated.
The viewers were thrown out by the suddenly darkened screen. Yu-ing wore a vacant expression, while Wakamo was cackling like someone who had completely lost her mind.
-Even now, the host's crazy ass clipped it and uploaded itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-No, fuck, stop!!!!
-The owner's risk is blowing upㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-No, no, where the hell did she even get thatㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-They say she smuggled it in from Japan.
-Wow~ The Japanese navy sure is impressive~
-I can't believe this isn't a pirate stream??
Pfft─
"Minna Konpairet. I'm Mare Pirate-chan, Wakamo Corporation's Navy!"
-Debut stream, round three.
-Huh.. when did this happen...? Time went backward..?
-Ah... I see... You protected it...
-We're not trapped in a loop, are we?
Tap, hiss─
-?
-What did she drink?
-What are you talking about?
"Huh? Oh, my hands were shaking a little.... I had some beer... Hoo... Ahh!! I go wild if I don't have beer."
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Welcome, wild Japanese womanㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-No, is this really okay!!!!
-What kind of beer do you drink??
"Huh? What beer do I like? I like all alcohol. I drank two bottles of soju before starting!!"
-?
-?
-Ah, so she wasn't sober.
-I thought she was in her right mind....
-Thank goodness... Wait, is it really a good thing...?
"All right─!! Sailors! I'm going to sing!! Listen!! It's a Korean song that's popular in Japan!!"
-If you don't mind me asking, what's the title?
-Everything sounds ominous, so I have to ask, but is this really okay?
-I'm scared without even realizing it....
-No, this stream isn't just walking a tightrope.
"Do you know Good Night, Young Lady? They say this is a Korean song."
-That's a Japanese song.
-We don't know that song.
-No, don't sing it. I said don't sing it!!
"Yes! I'm getting excited!! I am the captain who sings and dances─!!"
During her introduction stream, the pirate began dancing and singing. The viewers tried to stop her, but she became intoxicated by her own excitement and began belting out the song at the top of her lungs. As if possessed, she sang the entire thing and raised a can of beer.
"Ah, wait. I'll finish my drink first. Ahh─ Since I emptied it, I guess I have to open a new can."
-So a pirate's life is singing, drinking, and dancing.
-Why is nobody stopping her? Is this really okay?
-So this is what VTubers from the mainland are like.
-But, Captain, do you like manga and stuff?
"Huh? I don't watch it because it seems otaku-ish."
Beep.
The stream turned off.
Then a single message appeared on the screen: Please support Mare Pirate's streams from now on.
"Puhahahahahahahahaha!!!!!"
Wakamo couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.
Wakamo clapped and rejoiced, tears streaming down her face at the raw diamond of an all-time talent. Yes, there had to be at least one VTuber who gave people this kind of flavor. Yu-ing always worried about Wakamo and streamed seriously and diligently, but there had been something slightly lacking.
In contrast, Wakamo always had the air of a charismatic leader. It wasn't an image she had particularly wanted, but wouldn't it be nice to have at least one character like this?
It seemed the manager really had brought back a proper one.
"Now that the three of us are together, shall we try something like a collab game...."
[Build Craft] was probably the most famous, wasn't it?
While turning on Steam and wondering what game they should play, Wakamo noticed that there was a gift waiting for her.
It was a gift from the Märchen Queen herself, sent to thank her for clipping the stream!!
"Good heavens! Her Majesty sent me a tiered lunchbox!"
The moment she opened it, a zombie survival game appeared, and Wakamo sighed as she closed the lunchbox's lid.
She won't play it herself, but she sends this servant a horror game...!!
When the Queen had asked what would make a good gift, the sight of her citizens recommending this one and sending it to her was plain as day.
She must have sent it with a goofy smile, asking what game it was...!
"The Queen sent me a horror game!! If Her Majesty has no use for this servant, what reason do I have to live!!"
Well, that was just a joke. Wakamo was prepared to power through any horror game a VTuber sent her.
Wouldn't it be good for a collab?
A game called [Project Apocalypse].
A multiplayer game in the popular zombie-survival genre, famous for the line, [This is a story about your death].
"We're going to get a lot of clips out of this."
Since it involved shooting as well, Wakamo started streaming the Queen's FPS game.
I just have to shoot better than this...!!