Chapter 76
After that, following a fruitless exchange, our permission to stay and our lodgings were settled. In the end, our lodgings were the largest vacant house in the lowest part of the city.
The house has two floors, more private rooms than we need, a spacious living room where about twenty people could relax comfortably, and even a splendid kitchen. It's quite lavish.
As in the real world, it seems to be an unspoken rule that living in a high place is a sign of social status. However, since many of us can't fly, we said that a lower location would be more convenient and had them assign us this place. I had a feeling that if we lived somewhere high up, we'd keep running into the elders and Mr. Hayes by pure coincidence again and again.
In any case, I was utterly exhausted. If I were scheming on my own, that would be one thing, but why did I have to mediate between people quarreling over profits even inside a game? After being given the property, I registered it as my respawn point and logged out immediately.
And today is Sunday. After sleeping for a night, my motivation has recovered as well. Now, what should I do from today onward? Actually, I've already decided. Since it concerns everyone, I'll explain once they're all gathered.
When I headed to the living room, Iris and Ruby were already there. Cal was curled up asleep on the sofa. I wonder if Cal likes the soft sofa.
The two of them chatting amicably was the same sight as always, but Ruby seemed somewhat restless. I wonder what was wrong.
"Good morning."
"Oh, good morning."
"Good morning! Hey, Izamu! Do you remember what day it is today?"
Ruby asked me while bouncing up and down. Now that she mentioned it, was today some kind of special day...? Hmm, I couldn't think of anything at all.
"Sorry, I give up."
"Heh heh heh! Today is the day the Second Wave arrives!"
Ah! That's right! I'd completely forgotten! Let's see, I think the Second Wave will be able to log in starting at noon, right? Which means... they'll arrive in another ten minutes in the real world, or in less than forty minutes here.
I also heard that one of Ruby's friends is among the Second Wave. They must be incredibly excited to play with a friend from the real world.
"Come to think of it, your friend was planning to choose Birdian, right, Ruby?"
"That's right! We have a base now too, so I'll go meet them as soon as they log in!"
"Hmm... You may not need to go meet them."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Actually, there was something I'd been wondering about for a while: the initial spawn locations of monster players. I started in the sewers, Iris started halfway up a mountain, and Genzuro started underground. However, Jigoro started in a Goblin settlement, while Ruby started in a Slime breeding ground.
What this tells us is that it may be possible to start in a settlement or colony of the same Race. If so, wouldn't Ruby's friend start here in Birdie Perch?
I don't think that possibility is particularly low. It would certainly make sense. However, I don't know why Iris, Genzuro, and I didn't start that way. There must be some kind of condition involved.
If we figured that out, it would be worth posting about on the forum. It's frustrating that we have no choice but to wait for the Second Wave to arrive before we can confirm it.
"If that's true, then they can start playing today. How lucky!"
After hearing my explanation, Ruby began bouncing even higher. We don't know for sure, so don't complain if we're wrong, okay?
"Hmm, if that's true, then our schedule is suddenly wide open. We were planning to suggest that we go meet Ruby's friend."
"Ah, about that, I have a proposal."
"What is it?"
Iris bent her tentacles to express her puzzlement. In front of her, I took out a sheet of paper and showed it to her.
"Is that the talisman from the Jiangshi we defeated earlier?"
"It is. I have something I'd like everyone to try with it."
"What is it?"
I said this while tapping the talisman with my staff.
"Overcoming our Weakness Attributes."
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Just after I finished explaining my plan to Iris and Ruby, Jigoro and Genzuro logged in. As I was about to tell them about my training plan, a notification chime sounded in my head.
――――――――――
You have received 2 system notifications.
――――――――――
Oh my, it seems noon has arrived exactly. One of the notifications was a report that the Second Wave had arrived.
The other was a patch note announcing major changes to the specifications. Some of it doesn't seem particularly relevant to players, but it says that we absolutely must read the parts highlighted in red. I'll check it right away.
First, clans can now be created. Simply put, a clan is an organization larger than a party. You don't necessarily have to join one, but apparently members of the same clan can help one another in various ways. Unless you have a particular reason not to, joining one is probably the better choice.
To create one, apparently you just submit an application through the new Clan tab added to the menu screen. They really are considerate toward nonhumans.
Next, an option has been added for Skill level-up notifications. Apparently, you can set notifications to appear only at intervals of your choice, such as every five or ten levels.
I've wanted this function for ages! I have so many Skills that getting notifications all the time is such a hassle... This is a fantastic addition! I'll set notifications for everything except Race and Job levels to appear every five levels right away.
And the final change is the addition of Friendly Fire. We had a tactic where we sent our frontliner charging in and then blasted them and the enemies alike with area magic. It was convenient, but I suppose we can't do that anymore. Well, it was certainly too convenient, so this is only fair. We'll have to review our tactics and coordination.
However, the final change isn't much of a problem for me. In fact, it's almost perfect for carrying out what I was planning to do next.
"Oh! Just as you thought, Izamu—your friend is at the Twelve Gods Temple here!"
"I see. That's good to hear."
Hmm, so Birdians start at the Twelve Gods Temple in Birdie Perch. How enviable. Iris was twisting her tentacles, looking conflicted. She'd had such a lonely and difficult start, after all.
"Also, it doesn't look like there are any other players who chose Birdian."
"Is that so?"
Since it's a Race capable of flight, I had expected it to be fairly popular...
"That's probably because Birdians weren't shown in the promotional video, right?"
"Apparently, there wasn't even a dungeon where one appeared as a boss."
"Ah, I see..."
The showcase event for the Random Dungeon, where we served as bosses. All the bosses at that time were Races that players could become if they fulfilled the requirements.
The Skeleton Executioner I portrayed was one of them. It seems to have become quite popular, so there are probably many players aiming for it. I wonder if walking Skeletons carrying scythes are wandering around near Fars by now.
The other things that became popular online were the head-on battle between the mounted player and Jigoro, Genzuro's magnificent rampage, and several Races that looked cool despite being defeated. The name Birdian wasn't among them. That may have made all the difference.
"But the fact that there aren't any other players is convenient for us, isn't it?"
"Exactly."
If there had been any other Birdian players, we would have had to recruit them into our group by any means necessary.
This may sound boastful, but we've advanced farther than anyone else. Our very existence is enormously valuable. To conceal that fact, we'd have had no choice but to make them our companions, no matter how unpleasant they were.
"I'll go meet them for now!"
"All right, go ahead."
Ruby darted out energetically. They really must be looking forward to it.
"So where are we headed today?"
"Should we head south through the forest?"
Hey, now! The southern part of the forest was where the boss from Margaret's story was located. There was no way we could take a beginner to a place like that, right?
"No. For a while, I'd like us to focus on training together and hold off on adventuring."
"Training?"
Jigoro and Genzuro spoke in unison. They seemed suspicious of my words, but not opposed to them. They probably practiced martial arts or something similar in the real world, so this was likely their reaction because they understood the importance of training.
"Yes. Here's a question for you. Apparently, Birdie Perch trades not only with the village at the foot of the island, but also with countries outside the Vetus Floating Island."
"Whoa! Seriously?"
"Yeah, seriously. Apparently, migratory-bird-type Birdians can fly even while carrying heavy loads."
Incidentally, they trade with a country called 'Hana' in the Aquaria Archipelago. That name sounds familiar, doesn't it?
"So what's the problem?"
"That's right. Here's my question: What specialty product do they use for trade? What do you think it is?"
"Hmm... Maybe bows and arrows?"
"Then I'll say woodcraft."
Oh, both of you are close!
"Close. Those two are vying for second and third place among the specialty products. The amount traded for the first-place product is in a completely different league."
Many birds live around Birdie Perch, and arrows made from their feathers and scraps of wood from the host trees are highly popular among archers. Woodcraft carved from the same host-tree scraps is also popular among the wealthy.
In other words, the arrows sell in large quantities, while the woodcraft is traded at high prices.
"Ah, I don't know!"
"Neither do I. Will you tell us?"
"The answer is this."
Just as I did when I showed it to Iris, I tapped the Jiangshi talisman with my staff.
"A talisman?"
"No. That's not it, Jigoro."
Oh? Genzuro seems to have figured it out.
"I see. This is a treetop city. That means there is no shortage of plants, doesn't it?"
"Plants...? Oh! Paper!"
"Correct."
That's right. The specialty product of Birdie Perch, and the item used for trade, is paper. Apparently, banknotes are used in the nation of 'Hana,' which is why they import it.
I thought the Birdians could simply demand metal goods as payment, but it isn't that easy. Their trading partners know that the Birdians desperately want metal goods, so they take advantage of them.
They would like to find other trading partners, but apparently there are no other countries they could travel to relatively safely that would also trade with monsters. So they continued trading even while knowing they were being ripped off.
"So we showed up with iron and craftsmen who can work it, right?"
"Exactly."
"They even built a private workshop for me outside the city..."
Iris said this with an awkward smile. Building a forge in the treetops would obviously be dangerous, so the Birdians built the workshop close to the host trees, but far enough away that even a fire wouldn't immediately cause trouble.
It was already finished yesterday and ready for immediate use. That showed just how serious the Birdians were.
"But how do paper and training connect?"
"Well, I'll use the 【Talisman Arts】 Skill, which I've never been able to use before."
【Talisman Arts】 is a Skill that creates basically single-use talismans by drawing sigils representing specific techniques on paper and infusing them with magic. As long as you have a talisman, even someone without any magic-type Skills can use a technique, making it an excellent Skill.
However, the sigils you can draw are limited to magic you can use, and the magic's power depends on the level of the creator's relevant Magic Skill. Furthermore, turning it into a talisman increases its portability and versatility, but reduces its power compared to using the magic normally. The rate of that reduction depends on the level of 【Talisman Arts】.
To give a concrete example, suppose there are two people, A and B, who can use 【Talisman Arts】. If A's normal Fireball has a power of 100 and B's has a power of 80, that difference comes from their 【Fire Magic】 levels and serves as the baseline. A is better at 【Fire Magic】, in other words.
However, if the difference in their 【Talisman Arts】 levels means that A suffers a 30% power reduction while B suffers only 10%, the situation changes. A's talisman has a power of 70, while B's talisman has a power of 72. The difference is small, but B's talisman ends up being more effective.
"I want everyone to use this to overcome our Weakness Attributes."
Originally, I had considered using 【Imbuement】 to apply Weakness Attributes and take advantage of the resulting damage, but the fact that paper was a specialty product, along with the addition of Friendly Fire, changed the situation.
If everyone takes Weakness Attribute attacks from talismans I create with my low 【Talisman Arts】 level, my 【Talisman Arts】 level will rise through making them, and the damage should be just right for gradually mitigating our Weakness Attributes. It's a plan where no one loses anything.
"Sounds good! If it works, we'll be able to go punch enemies loaded with Water Attribute, right? I'm in!"
"Me too. I shall become an insect that can fly into flames without fear."
Iris and Ruby were in favor as well, so that settled it.
"For the next while, we'll train Ruby's friend and work toward overcoming our Weakness Attributes..."
Bang!
"I brought them!"
Just as I was trying to wrap things up by explaining our plans for the future, Ruby returned after throwing the door open energetically. Hmm, what an anticlimactic ending!
"These are my friends! Introduce yourself, Shii-chan!"
"Nice to meet ya! I'm Shio! Hope we get along!"
Well, how should I put it... Looks like a lively girl has just arrived.