The post-battle cleanup was finally over.
With Mahariku-san successfully cleared to begin her Second Character playthrough and the Jack-of-all-trades office declaring an end to Outlaw Mode, peace returned to Suriado Town.
A few days later, we all gathered once again on the office floor of the Jack-of-all-trades building. It was a massive turnout, with eleven people squeezed into the room.
There were six of us—split into three pairs—and five on Mahariku-san’s side. We had originally planned to throw a commemorative party, but seeing everyone crammed together, it felt like we might have overdone it.
"It is a bit cramped, as expected," someone noted.
"Well, everyone's here, after all."
I took a moment to relax, sipping a cup of normal tea that—thankfully—didn't taste like it had been squeezed out of a pair of socks.
Finally, the time had come for Mahariku-san to start her Second Character playthrough. We, the veterans who had already unlocked ours, watched her with mischievous smirks.
Ho-ho-ho... Come, join us on this new stage!
"To start with, you pick your Second Character from a list of options, just like the initial scenario selection. Keep in mind that the selection is shared among players, so it’s first-come, first-served-o," Mazel explained.
"So it’s the same as the first time... I suppose I should at least lock in my choice now," Mahariku-san mused.
"One thing to be careful of—you can’t return to your first character until you either clear or fail the Second Character scenario-dao."
"...Yes, I saw that information on the Wiki."
"I’m the one who posted it-o."
"I appreciate the contribution."
"By the way, there’s one more surprising thing-o... but that might be a spoiler, so I’ll keep it a secret-o."
"Hehe, I’m looking forward to it! The gameplay changes completely, doesn't it?"
"It does-dao."
I watched them with interest. I was genuinely curious to see what kind of Second Character Mahariku-san would choose.
"I’m leaving things in your hands while I’m away, Ichi," Mahariku-san said, turning to her subordinate.
"Yes! Leave it to me! I shall see to it that the company grows even larger!"
"No? Please just maintain the status quo. I’m the one who wants to do the expanding."
"Yes! That was a presumptuous offer! Orders understood!"
I felt a sense of relief. It didn't look like Ichi-chan would go rogue and trigger Outlaw Mode on her own. It would be a nightmare if we had to deal with another "Save Suriado" crisis mission.
That said, the real question was how long it would take for Mahariku-san to return from our perspective.
"Well then, I’m off! Let’s see... I think I’ll go with this combat-type scenario."
With a soft pop, Mahariku-san vanished.
I blinked. Why did she vanish? Was she actually a formless spirit, unlike the rest of us? My suspicions grew when I noticed that the Halo floating behind Ichi-chan’s head had suddenly become much more ornate. It was the same one that had been behind Mahariku-san just a moment ago.
"Wh-What is it? Is there something on my head?" Ichi-chan asked, tilting her head.
"What’s the deal with this-ssu?" Penpen wondered.
"Does this mean Ichi-chan was the main body all along?" I asked.
"Then Mahariku-san was... a ghost with a physical form?"
If that were the case, it made sense why she’d vanished instead of just logging out like we did. Mahariku-san was likely an entity without a true physical body—a literal spirit possessing Ichi-chan. Or perhaps she could possess any of her employees; after all, the entire Numbers squad was present today.
In a way, she was like Miti-chan—except Miti-chan’s Split Body didn't have a Halo.
"Now then, Ichi-chan, everyone. Let’s get things ready for Mahariku-san’s homecoming party."
"Should we put up decorations-o? Like those paper chains-o?" Mazel suggested.
"Will she succeed or fail... I wonder which it’ll be-ssu? Though if it’s Mahariku-shi, she’ll probably pull it off-ssu," Penpen added.
"Eh? But she only just left," Ichi-chan noted, looking confused.
"Wait, Ichi! This is Mahariku-sama we're talking about! If it's the President, she'll probably save the world and be back in a flash!" another of the Numbers chimed in.
"Should we help with the preparations too?"
"If we use our Inventories, the food won't go bad. I think it’s a good idea to get everything ready in advance."
With that, the party preparations began.
I saw Penpen getting ready to grill. Oh, are those Penpen Steaks? Since Miti-chan can help with the cooking, I should ask her to bake a cake as well.
However, contrary to our expectations, Mahariku-san didn't return after an hour. Or two.
It finally hit me—the flow of time for Mahariku-san was completely different from ours!
Every member of our group was using a Restriction Release Code, which meant our time was moving ten times faster than normal. Even if Mahariku-san planned to return in just one hour of "real" time, that translated to a ten-hour wait for us!
Realizing I’d given Ichi-chan and the others false hope, I suggested we disband for now and reconvene in the evening.
I wonder what kind of person Mahariku-san’s Second Character will be. She mentioned a combat-type scenario, so I'm expecting someone who can act as a reliable vanguard.