ShangriLa Frontier ~ Shitty Games Hunter Challenges Godly Game ~

「…… You must be Sanraku-san, correct?」

「DAAAGH!?」

As soon as I have returned to the frontline base someone spoke to me from behind my back, to which I reacted in the only natural way I could; by letting out a shriek that was so uncharacteristic of a mighty warrior that I wanted to burn with embarrassment. Turning myself around in an instant, I could see some strange and unfamiliar player just standing there and looking at me, as if he was waiting for me. I mean, I should already be familiar with people popping right behind my back all the time in this game, but for some reason every single time it was happening and taking place it was always taking me completely by surprise. Also, what the hell is that player wearing? Some kind of a waistcloth? And what’s that thing that decorates it it? The red letter and a red Pencil. It was seemingly an innocent enough of a logo, but out there in the entire world there is a select bunch of people who are going to see and feel that ominous aura emanating from that thing…… No, wait a second right here!

「You! You are one of the goons of that goddamn Communist Fuck Pencilgton……!!!」

「Fufufu … It’s certainly been a long time, Sanraku-san … You may not remember it all too well, but I was one of the guys who you managed to strike from behind, before I even managed to notice a thing……! Yes, that’s right! It was all at that fateful castle……!!!」

「Ah, I mean…… Thank you for the words of praise, I guess? And I guess…… nice to see you… too?」

「No, no, no, think nothing of it. And rest assured, we do not intend to repeat history in this game. What happened in that world stays in that world, you have our word for it. No, this time around I am here simply to forward you a message from Pencilgton-san……」

On a side note, the name of this player in particular is so strange that I have literally no way of knowing just how the hell am I supposed to interpret it. It reads Death Emperor Pepper…… So yeah, can the words of someone with such an ominous name be trusted? I highly doubt that, but that’s beside the point right now. Now the more pressing matter is that message that he supposedly has for me from Pencilgton. But still, this guy…… Yeah, thinking about it now, he surely must have been one of the members of the Round Table at the end of the eighty ninth century in that game…… Yeah, no matter what, just going back to that point in time makes me think that this whole deal back then was way more troublesome than it was actually worth it.

「Is it possible for you to make that dumbass to go back here pronto, without him being all suspicious and asking pointless questions like a dumbass he is?」

「Hmm, in that case…… I wonder if I should just self-destruct here and be done with it, just to spite that stupid bitch……」

「No, I mean…… Why would you even want to do that in the first place……? Why is that your first choice in a situation like that……?」

「Because I am more than sure that about thirty percent of her motivation is to simply get even for that one time I stabbed her in the back! Talk about being a salty loser through and thorough……!」

Yeah! That’s it! Pencilgton is like a disease! A disease that just keep on spreading with no end in sight, infecting everyone and everything it touches! Or it’s like the soul that was left in Knights of Rounds is now remotely steering the body we call Arthur Pencilgton, aiming for vengeance on those who ended her rule back then! The concept alone in here is more than enough to make my skin crawl all over!

I then assumed the fighting stance and took some much needed distance. I don’t know how serious that guy was about blowing himself up, but I was not going to be at point-blank range if he decides to do it just so that I can find it out. But now that I have put some distance, I might as well listen to what he has to say. I mean, worst case scenario I can just ignore him entirely and just be on my way……

「So? What was that thing that you wanted to tell me so badly?」

「You should go to Thirdrema once your business in here is over. There has been some new developments there and it seems that the situation is finally about to move……」

「…… New developments? But aren’t you basically staging a coup d’etat at this point?」

No, it would be more accurate to say that this bastard was going to stage a coup d’etat on top of another coup d’etat. At least that little shitshow of hers does not seem to have it own name yet, so that’s a relief…… Or maybe?」

「No, no, no! You and your big words! It’s not a coup! I prefer to describe it as keeping the friendly relationships with the people in the New World who would gladly see the old king Toravante reinstalled on his righteous throne.」

「That’s long, dude. Way too long. Can’t you at least abbreviate it? You know, down to the level of a four letter idiom?」

「Then, how about calling it the Puppet Government, hmm……? Hey, I’m, kidding! It was obviously a joke! Seriously, this time around there won’t be any puppet government and the like of that, okay? But, how should I describe it……? We might to see the birth of a new and fresh privileged class?」

What’s the point of calling it differently when the overall meaning is going to stay the freaking same? Or wait, isn’t that actually way worse than a puppet government? Well, I actually have a whole lot to say about royalty (especially stupid shitty Princesses and such), but that doesn’t matter here at the moment. I have already managed to establish friendly connections with some non-human races in the New Continent, so I don’t want to burn it all down thanks to some stupid hostile player-initiated event.

「Okay, I understand. So, the next stop would be at Thirdrema, right? Where exactly are we supposed to gather?」

「Ah, yes, about that. The gathering place would be right at the mansion of the Grand Duke. Once you get there, just give the guards the name of Miss Pencilgton and they should let you inside without any problems.」

Oh, won’t you look at that. Pencilgton at the center of the current political events? Who would have thought? And it seems that she’s so high in the social ladder now that just the mention of her name can open you any kind of doors…… Yeah, really big surprise there……