I spent some time wandering through Suriado and cycling back to Tsudon via my Home to accept some quests. Before long, it was time to log out; I had my real-life job to think about, and I desperately needed some sleep. I'd timed my exit perfectly, hitting the late-night window that left me just enough hours for a solid rest.
Oddly enough, I didn't feel any mental fatigue. If anything, the stress had completely melted away. I couldn't help but feel like I could go for another full day without a break.
As for Mahariku-shi, I hadn't seen her once since we parted ways.
I eventually ran into one of her subordinates—likely San-chan—in the middle of town. When I asked about her boss, she explained that Mahariku-shi usually only appeared in-game once every few days.
It was that sort of setup, then. The kind of system where a player issued an entire week’s worth of instructions in a single burst. It was a common mechanic in management-style adventure games where you selected choices from a list to run a business.
In a way, I felt like the developers were sending a clear message: "Stop overthinking the flow of time."
It was probably just my imagination, though. Probably. Definitely. Yeah.
"Hmm..." I hummed to myself while at work.
『Oho? What’s the matter, Colleague-o?』
"No, it’s just... I guess I'm starting to get curious about Mahariku-shi’s real identity after all."
『Is that so, dao? I wouldn't recommend it, but want me to open a chat line between you two, dao?』
Right. At the very least, my colleague was close enough to her to jump into a private chat whenever he wanted. She really must be his direct supervisor or something along those lines.
"No, I'll pass. If she’s your boss, she must be a high-ranking executive, right? It’d be rude to bother her while she’s working."
『She’s been making a huge racket about game stuff for a while now anyway, so I wouldn't mind if you took her off my hands, dao.』
"Wait, for real? ...No, I'll still pass. I've got my own work to focus on."
Despite the banter, I was actually making progress on my tasks in a separate window while we chatted.
『Well, that’s for the best, dao. It’d be wrong of me to foist my boss on you and get in the way of my colleague’s work, dao.』
Apparently, ever since Mahariku-shi’s identity as a gamer had been outed, she’d been using every spare moment to talk shop with my colleague. She was supposedly unleashing a non-stop flood of casual chatter with terrifying enthusiasm. And it wasn't just about Kite a Lise, either; they discussed all sorts of games, and she’d even invited him to an online match.
"Well, as long as the two of you are having a peaceful conversation, there's nothing better than that."
『Except when a customer complaint comes in, I have to drop everything and respond immediately, dao. Siiigh.』
"It's thanks to the sales department that I can take it easy and focus on my work. I appreciate it."
『You’re very welcome, dao.』
Still, I couldn't shake the curiosity.
As for why I was so hung up on who Mahariku-shi really was... well, it was her speech pattern. In the game, she spoke with a distinctly feminine tone. It made me think there was a high probability she was actually a woman in reality.
Then again, it could just be a very dedicated bit of roleplaying. If a beauty like Mahariku-shi turned out to be some middle-aged guy... well, actually, that would be fine too, wouldn't it? As long as she was a beauty or a cute girl in-game.
If I learned the truth, the real world would always be flickering in the back of my mind. It was probably better to stay in the dark. For now, I'd bet on an eighty percent chance that she was a woman—ideally a beautiful boss. I’d be mentally and physically healthier if I kept believing that.
I’d likely run into her again in-game tonight, anyway. Given her personality, she’d probably apply the Restriction Release Code the moment she got it, which would give her plenty of time to chat again. If I really wanted to ask about her identity, I could just do it then.
"By the way, Colleague. Just tell me what Mahariku-shi is like in the real world. You don't have to mention her gender, but give me an idea."
『Oho, you have interesting tastes, Colleague-o. Let’s see... she’s a total drill sergeant who hides behind a deceptive appearance, dao. Ah, wait—that was an insult to the demons, dao!』
Oh? So her appearance is actually good? Heh. That's good to know.
That night, I successfully reunited with Mahariku-shi back in Suriado.
"Hey, I didn't receive any emails about this 'restriction release' thing you mentioned," she said, sounding frustrated.
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes. Perhaps having a 'Second Character' unlocked is the key? That’s the impression I got when I checked the wiki."
I see. That meant Mahariku-shi, who was still restricted to her first character, couldn't get her hands on the Restriction Release Code yet.
"By the way, what exactly gets released when you use that code?" she asked.
"Oh, it unlocks the ■■■■■... hm?"
"Wait, what did you say?"
"The ■■■■... ■■■■■. Is that coming through as noise?"
"Yes, I couldn't hear a word of it."
"Ah, excuse me for butting in, uo. It releases the ■■... ■■■... yeah, there’s a filter on it, dao. It’s probably because Mahariku-shi hasn't unlocked it yet, dao."
What a persistent filter. Right, I’d forgotten about the Mystery Filter.
"Alto. Tell me the details in the real world tomorrow," Mahariku-shi commanded.
"......Ah, I really can't talk about it, so please forgive me, dao."
"Is it a spoiler concern? You don't need to worry about that with me."
"■■■ to ■■... Oof. I can't even explain the reason, dao...!"
It was likely because it touched on legal restrictions or NDAs. There was nothing to be done about that.
For now, Mahariku-shi just needed to unlock her Second Character. The conditions were still a mystery, though. For us, the option had appeared after defeating a boss monster called an Elementalion, while Penpen said hers unlocked once she’d paid off her debt...
"I wonder what the unlock conditions are?" Mahariku-shi mused. "Nothing of the sort has appeared on my UI yet."
"Well, all I can say is that you’ll be incredibly surprised once the restrictions are gone, dao."
"My, I'm looking forward to it. Based on what I've heard from others, the conditions seem to depend on the individual's scenario. Since I'm running a guild like a company, maybe it triggers when I accumulate a certain amount of funds? Or perhaps it's based on the number of employees. I think I'll shift my strategy toward aggressive expansion for a while."
It sounded like she was planning to get a bit ruthless. Apparently, she was willing to sacrifice public order in certain areas to get what she wanted.
An inevitable sacrifice. I suppose you’d call that collateral damage.