novel
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Chapter 1
Beginner/Amateur
Part 1
—In a past that was far too long ago.
The Old Deus competed with the ultimate prize of being the supreme, sole G. o. d on the line and started a war, along with their servants and created beings.
This war lasted for a long, long time. So long it felt numbing.
There was no land that was not stained with blood, and cries of agony had never ceased to echo through the skies. The civilised races hated each other, slaughtered each other, and continued to repeat their countless killings.
The Elves had small villages as their bases, and they cast magic to hunt their enemies.
The Dragonias used their bodies for killing purposes, and the werebeasts devoured their prey like animals.
The barren land that was already swallowed by the sunset was also engulfed by the deeper darkness due to the wars waged between the old Deus.
The 'Demon Lords' and their allied monsters that were created by the Phantasma went rampant and dominated the land.
In this kind of world, it did not matter how many n. o. bles, beauties or warriors there were.
Humans were just an insignificant existence.
They had to bet their lives on building their countries and forming clans just to survive.
The legendary hero who could be hailed by the bards did not appear—and just like that, it was a blood-stained era. This was a story that was far longer and older than the skies, seas and land— called the 'Disconnect Board'.
However, the war they thought would continue for eternity suddenly ended. The skies, seas, land—and even the stars that filled the skies.
They lost the will to continue this unending, weary war where they died needlessly and without enjoying life.
And just like that—at this point, the Old Deus with the most amount of power left sat on the only throne for a sole G. o. d.
And so, this Deus who had been watching from the sidelines all this while... Abstaining from the war from the beginning till the end.
The Deus sat on the throne, looking at the devastation on the land around him. He declared to all the people roaming on the land.
"—To everyone, who used up all extremes of strength, violence, desperation, and death. Show me proof that you, who built towers of corpses, are civilised beings as you so claim."'What is the difference between you and the 'unintelligent beasts'?
All the races unanimously said that there was no need to prove their own intelligence. But, in front of this barren and abandoned world, this discourse was too empty.
Ultimately, there was no answer that was accepted by G. o. d. G. o. d said.
—From this piece of Heaven, I command that there will be no plundering or bloodshed. Those words became an [Oath], becoming the absolute unchanging law of the world.
From that day onwards, [War] disappeared from the world.
But the population that considered themselves rational sent complaints to G. o. d in unison.
Even if [War] has disappeared, [Conflict] still exists—
G. o. d said, in that case-
Those of the [Sixteen Races] that claim to be the most intelligent creatures.
Those who use all extremes of your reason, intelligence, ability and financial resources. Build towers of wisdom, and through that thou shalt prove thine own intelligence.
G. o. d took out sixteen chess pieces— and laughed maliciously.
Thus, the [Ten Oaths] were born, and [War] disappeared from the world. All disputes were resolved by [Games].
That was the law of the sole G. o. d, and that G. o. d's name was—TET.
Part 2
Andalusia continent, the Kingdom of Elchea, the Capital— Elchea.
An area limited to the southern part of the equator, stretching to the northeast of the continent, was a small country that was located in the westernmost part, but it was more accurate to say that it was a small city.
It was a country that had previously occupied half of the continent in mythical times, but now it has lost its former glory.
What was left was the last of the once great empire— A small and vulnerable country.
—More precisely.
This was also the last kingdom for the human species.
—At the outskirts of the city not far away.
A tavern and inn that could only exist in RPG games was the first floor of a building.
There were two people who were surrounded by many viewers, two girls that were currently playing a game on a table.
One of the girls looked to be around 15 or 16 years old, having red hair while giving out a sense of elegance with her manners and dress.
As for the other person—
Although she looked very alike in age with the redhead, her temperament and clothing gave out a sense of maturity in other peoples' points of view.
Wearing a black veil draped over her head, resembling a mourning shawl— was a black-haired girl. As for the ongoing game that they were having....... . it seemed to be poker.
The expressions on both their faces were in deep contrast, with the redhead having a stern look due to anxiety.
On the other hand, the deadpan poker face on the black-haired girl face made everyone peek at the color of calmness. Anyway — the red-haired girl was losing thoroughly.
"...... Hey, can you hurry it up?"
"An, annoying. I am still thinking."
—It was a pub, and the already drunken audience roared with vulgar laughter in the broad daylight.
This added a shade of distress onto the red-haired girl's face. But in any case——it was a scene bustling with people.
............ —
During a game that was held outside the pub.
Sitting at a table in the open air, a young girl who was wearing a hood peered through the window from the side and said."....... . How.... . lively......... what happened?"
"Ah? Don't you foreigners know at all?—-But then again, there aren't any other human countries left."
Sitting next to the girl who was peeping into the window, were two people that were playing a game on the table.
The players were a teenage male who was also hooded just like the young girl, as well as a bearded middle-aged man with a bulging beer belly.
The teenager replied.
"Ah—because we are from the countryside, we are not clear with situations regarding the metropolis." Coincidentally, both of them were also playing the same game as the ones inside....... [Poker].
—Only, the bargaining chips they used were bottle caps.
Because of the teenager's comment, the middle-aged man said doubtfully.
"The so-called humans that don't live in this country.......... . aren't they hermits?" "Haha, that is true. Okay, so what is all the commotion inside?"
The bearded man was shot back with the same question after cleverly avoiding it.
"....... Right now, there is currently a gambling tournament to [Elect the next king] for Elchea."
With eyes watching the situation in the pub, the hooded girl continued asking."....... Elect....... . the next king?"
"Yes. These were the previous king's last words before dying."
[The next king shall not be inherited by blood relations, but the coronation of "Humanity's strongest gambler". ] Continuing to add on the bottle caps, the bearded man said.
"In the fight to gamble for the country, the human species were defeated. Now there is only
Elchea, which is also the capital of this country—so there was no time to look decent now."
"Huuu, [Gambling for the country], eh....... that seems to be something very, very interesting."
The hooded teen replied.
He was very alike to the hooded girl, feeling very concerned and peeping into the pub to look at the situation."—Well, why? Are those kids like the candidates to be the next king?"
"Un? The so-called word [Candidate] seems wrong, because as long as you are a human, anyone is eligible to partic. i. p. ate."
Just— adding these words, the man moved his line of sight towards the tavern.
—Obviously playing poker, yet she does not seem to know the meaning of the word "poker face".
Giving a glance to the red-haired girl whose whining voice could be heard and her intent while staring at the opponent's hand could be felt, the man said.
"That red-haired girl over there is called "Stephanie Dora"— the previous king's blood kin. If they followed his will, about a non-royal nor blood-related person becoming the king, then she will lose everything, so her goal is to become the next king."
The blood kin of that guy who made humanity lose, never expected to have such desperate children...... Added the man before sighing, bluntly commenting on the noise inside.
"......... Huuu.... ."
"Un....... [Gambling for the country]—even the so-called borders are decided with games, right?"
The hooded girl and teen expressed their feelings.
The girl felt admiration. The teen felt interest.
"Whatever the case, the system of the gambling tournament is heating up considerably."
"......... Round robin?"
"As long as you are a human, anyone can be the next king, so long as you register your name.
Regardless of the methods, it will be decided with a game. The loser will be deprived of qualification while the last man standing will be the king."
—So, the rules are simple. The easier it is to understand, the better it is. But, the hooded teen doubtfully said.
"....... . It really is that casual, eh. Wouldn't there be any problems?"
"As long as you respect the [Ten Oaths], with both sides judging each other, there would be no restrictions, nor any restriction on the compet. i. tion mode— Including who, what to use and at what time. After all, it is a national gambling thing for the country."
"...... No, I don't mean that."
The hooded teen muttered in an eloquent tone while looking into the pub again. The girl whispered to the teen.
"....... Of course, total defeat." "Ahh, we think of the same things."
Saying it to each other, the teen took out a square-shaped item from his pocket. Facing towards the tavern, he operated it for a while before it sounded with a'Kacha'.
—After that, the middle-aged man secretly laughed.
"So, little brother? It isn't the time for you to think of the outcome of other people, right?"
Apologizing, the man suddenly spread out his cards.
"Full house. Sorry, eh."
The man who was convinced that he had won —thought of the people that would be his later and leaked out a nasty smile.
—But, looking at the hooded teen.
He still showed that disinterested face he had since the start. But now a reaction came and he gave out a response.
"Eh? Ah—sorry. Oh, yes."
Saying this, the teen casually revealed his poker and the middle-aged man stared in disbelief.
"A ro, royal straight flush—!?"
Towards the man who stayed emotionless and yet received the best hand in the game, the man got up and roared."You, you guys cheated me, right!?"
"Hey, hey, hey, how rude....... do you have any evidence?"
Facing against the teen who exposed a thin smile and was preparing to get up from his seat, the man continued speaking mercilessly.
"The probability of getting a royal straight flush is only 1/650000, there's no way you could you get it so easily!" "Then today must be the day where I hit that 1 out of 650000 chances right,
Uncle? You really do have bad luck, eh." Leisurely leaving behind this sentence, the teen spread his hands wide.
"Then, could you get me what you "bet"?" "—You deserve to die."
Clucking his tongue, the man took out his wallet and purse.
"Article six of the [Ten Oaths], 'As per the oath, the wager will be unconditionally adhered to'—
Okay, I will accept it."
".... . Thank you...... Uncle."
The hooded teen stood up casually after finis. h. i. +ng and left.
After nodding with a bow, the girl started chasing after the figure of that teen.
At that time, a figure that seemed to be a friend approached the bearded man who was watching the two people stroll into the pub.
"Hey, although we were all watching from start to end, why did you have to bet on "Everything you had"?" "Ah....... Oh my G. o. d, what am I going to do about the living expenses."
"No, compared to that, what did they bet on, making you put up all your living expenses?"
Sighing, the bearded man responded listlessly.
"They said [Free to do whatever you want with us two]." "What—"
"Although I felt it was a little too fitting...... But I thought it would work seeing that they are from the countryside......... So how?"
"You can't do anything about it....... Oh yeah, which one would you choose?" "—Ha?"
"But...... bis. e. xual or lolicon, both are out of your league, eh.... ." "Wuh- hey, hey, wait a moment!"
"What, ah~ don't worry, I will keep it a secret from Kamei-san. As a consideration, you have to treat me♪" "No, not that! Moreover, my cash has already been taken away! Compared to this—"
"The condition bet did not only include the girl's chast. i. ty, it was also equivalent to [Betting two peoples' lives], but the case of getting a royal straight flush while looking so absent-minded?
What exactly is backing up those two guys......"
—.........
"....... . Nii.... . cunning."
"Ah? Why did that come out from you too."
"....... Deliberately using...... that kind....... of cheat that sticks out by a mile."
—Yep, it was exactly what the man had said.
The royal straight flush could not have simply appeared that easily.
Coming up with this kind of hand was tantamount to declaring openly that you were cheating.
But—
"Article eight of the [Ten Oaths], once cheating has been discovered in a game, it will be deemed as a defeat—" The teen muttered out the rule of this world he had just remembered.
"—Which means, as long as you are not found out then you can do it. Isn't receiving acknowledgement nice." The teen's argument revealed that he had only conducted a simple experiment, before stretching his waist."Well, at least we earned some military spendings."
"....... . Nii............ understands.... . how the money works here?"
"It's impossible to know, right? But, leave this to me- this is within your brother's field of expertise." The teen said it with a tone that the bearded man and his friend had never heard,
Before walking into the building that had the inn and tavern.
Part 3
Despite the bustling commotion due to the heated game on the central table, two people walked to the counter. Reaching the counter, the hooded teen took out his wallet from his purse and emptied the coins out, before asking slowly.
"I'd like a room for two. One bed is enough. How many nights will this amount of money get us?" The figure which had a boss-like aura glanced over quickly.
After a moment of hesitation."......... One day with three meals."
However, the hooded teen laughed towards this remark— and with his eyes covered by the hood, continued talking."Ah haah~I said. Ah, after trekking for five nights straight, the fatigue is enough to kill me. We are totally exhausted already—so could you quickly tell me, [How many nights can we stay]?"
"—What?"
"Although we do look like country people who don't know the monetary value, it's fine with me if you want to raise the price. But, I recommend that when you lie, please take note of your line of sight and tone of voice, 'kay ~♪"
The teen laughed while saying these words- it appeared that his eyes had a keen radiance that saw right through him. With the boss sweating nervously, he sucked in his lips and replied.
"....... Che. Two days, then."
"You see, lying again.... . let's just compromise this- ten days with meals provided, then."
"Wha! What kind of compromise is that!!? You, fine... three days with meals, how meddlesome!" "Ah, so it's like that, eh. Then a discount, five days with food attached."
"Wuh—"
"You are trying to deceive customers into pumping out their oil before lining your own pockets with the money, then splurging it all, right?"
"Whu, wait, that sort of thing—"
"And you are the owner of this tavern but not the owner of the inn, right? Should I report you?"
He had kept a smile on his face since the start of the conversation.
But facing against this teen who spared no pains to negotiate with him, the boss could only make an awkward and stiff expression before replying,
"Little brother, you obviously have a worldly expression, but you're unexpectedly ruthless, eh.......... I get it, four days with meals provided, how's that?"
"Okay~, thank you for the hospitality♪"
Still wearing that smile, the teen took the room keys from the man's hand.
"Your room's at the innermost corner on the third floor. What's....... . your name?"
The hooded youth replied to the somewhat impatient boss who was holding onto the register.
"Un~.......... Kuuhaku[8] would do."
Sora purred and spun the keys on his fingers.
He suddenly patted the head of his little sister, who was ecstatically watching the climax of the game on the central table.
"Look, I finished negotiations, we get to stay for four days. You may quickly wors. h. i. +p your oniisama— what are you doing?"
s. h. i. +ro was staring at that Stephen............ something, the person introduced by the bearded man early on. A distressed expression was exposed on that girl's face.
Her askew expression made people think that that without a doubt, she did not have a hope of victory."....... . That person— will lose."
"Probably. So what?"
Revealing her emotions without hiding them, even if there was a chance, she still would not win.
Maybe it was as the bearded man had said, the lineage of the royal family are stupid.
Just when this idea was emerging in Sora's mind—he realized."—Ah!"
Then, after figuring out the intentions of his sister's words, he could not help but sigh."Whoa, so it is that kind of meaning...... How scary......"
".......... Un."
s. h. i. +ro was sizing up the black-haired girl while nodding at the sighing Sora.
"Really.......... This world's cheating methods are truly incredible. I don't even want to meet against these kinds of opponents......"
"......... Nii, shameful.... ."
Probably provoking him, Sora suddenly got serious and countered back.
"Heh, don't be silly. No matter how clever a cheat is, it depends on how you apply it." "...... Nii, could you.... . beat it?"
"—But this really is worthy of a fantasy world, eh....... There really isn't any sense of reality here, yet we both have a comfortable and relaxed feeling....... . Is it because we've played too many games?"
Sora did not answer his little sister's question, but instead headed for the third story of the building while rambling about non-related topics.
".......... . Really, I asked....... . a stupid question." s. h. i. +ro suddenly apologized.
—Indeed, for 『 』, failure was almost impossible.
Then.......... after making contact by the shoulders.
For some reason—Sora turned towards Steph.......... whatever, the red-haired girl. He thought about it in his mind for a moment— before whispering softly."....... Oh, come on... can't you see you're being cheated?"
"—Eh?"
The girl with the striking red hair and contrasting round blue eyes suddenly glanced over.
Even as he felt the girl who was mysteriously told off stare at his moving figure......... Sora did not utter another word and went straight towards the door of the room.
Part 4
Along with the turn of the key in the lock, came a lack of sense of security when the metal hinge let out a squeaking sound before the door opened.
Inside the room— it was wood that was quite similar to the kind in Skyrim, making the house look kind of cheap. The room was small, and creaking could be heard with every footstep on the floor. The table and chairs that were arranged at the corners looked very perfunctory.
As for the other things, there was only a bed and window. The interior was quite simple.
Walking into the room and locking the door, the both of them removed their hoods.
Wearing a T-s. h. i. +rt, jeans, and sneakers with matted black hair—Sora.
A mess of long white hair that covered her red eyes, a skinny girl who wore a sailor uniform— s. h. i. +ro.
Sora removed the borrowed robes that when worn, would not look conspicuous in a world like this, before revealing a relieved look and threw himself on the only bed.
Taking the phone out of his pocket— he checked off the task that was planned beforehand."—
[Goal]: Ensure accommodation—[Achieved]— it's safe to say *that* now, right?" "...... Un[9], I think...... we can."
After the confirmation, a thousand emotional words were released from the heart.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, so tired, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............." These words......
It was decided early on to never say these until the goal was reached.
Afterwards, bursting out as he could no longer contain himself, were the complaints about the story that came out of Sora's mouth.
"There is no such thing as [definitely impossible]- I can't believe that at our first reunion with the outside world, we had to walk that far."
Similarly, taking off the robe revealed a folded white sailor uniform. Opening the window, she confirmed the scenery.
From the window, you could barely see it— the cliff onto which they fell."....... . For humans, as long as there's a will, then anything can be done."
"Yeah, if there is no motivation then nothing will be done— These realistic words accurately express our current situation, eh."
Although it was such a negative interpretation— s. h. i. +ro still nodded in agreement.
"Honestly, I thought that my legs had become weak from being a hikikomori for so long, so I never expected that we would be able to walk that far."
"......... Because.... . we control the mice.... . with both our feet?"
"Oh— I see! The so-called'mastering one skill so much until it carries into everything else' thing was true then!" "......... That's not.......... what I originally meant...... I meant....... ."
This comical dialogue seemed to have reached its limit. s. h. i. +ro's eyes were half closed.
The little sister, who was staggering as if she was going to faint, fell on the bed that Sora was on.
Although it didn't show on her face, the pained breath from her fatigue could be felt.
—This was of course, a natural reaction.
No matter how much of a genius she was, she was still an eleven year old girl.
Dueling in a chess match after 5 all-nighters was enough to shock anyone with that kind of stamina. Even Sora also felt pain and s. h. i. +fted around (although it was only halfway). For a person to also walk all the way here without complaints was truly worthy of praise.
Because Sora had decided before not to utter out a single complaint.
"You worked hard. How great— indeed, you are your brother's prided little sister." As if combing his little sister's hair, Sora stroked her head and said that.
"....... . Un. Find a place to sleep....... made sure......... that was completed."
"Ahhh, and of course, I was afraid of what was going to happen to us when we were attacked by those thieves."
—With these words, Sora's mind drifted back to a few hours ago.
That is— when both of them were lost and wandering around shortly after being dumped in this world.
Part 5
"—Then, what do we do." "....... . (Shakes head)"
Waking up and regaining a conscious state for the second time.
While cursing in his heart that life was being too unreasonable, the fatigued Sora shouted to the pedestrians pa. s. sing by.
After s. h. i. +ro was temporarily relieved, she let out a sigh.
Both of them felt weary, but they still recovered their composure despite being exhausted.
Moving away from the edge of the cliff, they then slumped onto the unpaved roadside.
"......... Nii, why come.... . here?"
"You see, in an RPG game this would be called a [Street] right? I remember it was to let someone go through some sort of.... ."
Although they didn't know to what extent their practical knowledge about games could help them, but this sort of things should be placed aside first.
"—Well, first things first, let's inventory what things we currently have on hand." Just like any survival play-off game, Sora said it like this.
Understanding the point, both of them started taking everything out of their pockets. What were taken out—
Were Sora and s. h. i. +ro's respective smart phones, two of them. Handheld game consoles, two of them.
Two multipurpose batteries. Two solar power chargers, with multiple charging outlets.
And the last thing was a tablet PC in s. h. i. +ro's hand.
.... . No matter how you looked at it, it was hard to imagine lost victims with such expensive equipment. And— they were all used to play games.
Because no matter where they were, be it on the toilet or in the bathroom—or even during a power outage, they could always play games, so these were items that could not leave their persons.
——Actually, n. o. body knew whether or not these items could be useful in an actual difficult crisis, they were mysterious and yet substantial pieces of equipment.
".......... Sure enough, electrical waves and the like cannot be received in the fantasy world." Sora said, while looking at the display screen on his phone that told him he was out of range.
—But, the backlight of the phone could be used as a flashlight at night, and it could also take photos. The map function—was of course ineffective, but it could still be used as a compa. s. s.
Sora gave a heartfelt thanks to the recent high level performance developments for smartphones.
".......... . Okay, s. h. i. +ro, turn off the phone and tablet PC. Take advantage of the sun being up and charge the photo voltaic power generator. I downloaded an e-book about games onto that tablet and in the worst case scenario, we will just use the survival guide."
"....... . Roger—"
s. h. i. +ro obediently listened to her brother's words and turned off the equipment while using the solar charger to charge it up.
—When encountering unexpected circ. u. mstances, listening to her brother's instructions was the best. s. h. i. +ro knew this due to her own experience.
......... After that, using the power of science (Sora's phone), a direction to head off was determined.
However, using the phone which only had a compa. s. s, their current status was like being thrown into the sea without any nautical charts, so there weren't any changes in the situation.
They were obviously holding the product of the most advanced scientific technology, yet they still got lost in the road of life and fell onto the wayside.
"—Oh?"
Sora spotted a few people approaching from a side-street(or a Street), pacing towards them.
"OHHH! How fantastic, my experience in RPGs really worked!"
"......... Nii...... they look...... weird."
Finis. h. i. +ng this sentence, the group suddenly picked up the pace and enclosed them in a circle.
Dressed in green and easy to walk in boots—
".......... Wowhoa, aren't they thieves!"
Sora could not help but complain to the heavens.
Getting lost on the road and their first encounter was actually with [fantasy world thieves!]
Facing against this ferocious bunch, in full accordance with a typical bad guy group— Sora s. h. i. +elded s. h. i. +ro with his body while really thinking of cursing the heavens.
—But what came out of the thieves' mouths was.
"Hehe.... if ya wanna get past— ya gotta play a game with us."
.............
This one sentence made the two siblings look at each other helplessly— but.
"—This, eh... that brat did say that this was [A world where everything is decided by games]."
".......... . Is that...... how thieves here....... . are?"
The two people who quickly accepted that fact compared the thieves from here with the ones from their own world. They couldn't resist but smile after the comparison. This could even be described as a cute scene compared to an encounter with a real thief, thus forcing both of them to break out in laughter.
"What are you guys laughing about! If you don't have a game with us, don't even think about getting past here." Facing against two people who were laughing for no reason were the thieves.
The siblings then communicated with each other using a quiet voice that the thieves couldn't eavesdrop on."One person deceives the others, then use cheats to cut off their escape route— what do you feel?" "............ Is...... good."
Finis. h. i. +ng the conversation, Sora clapped his hands with a'Pa!'
"OK, fine, let's have a showdown. But unfortunately for us, we are currently penniless." "Heh, no matter, then—"
But regardless of what the thieves said, Sora continued.
"If we lose then we are at your disposal, regardless of where we are sold to or what is done to us." "—Ah?"
The cheeky thief who was about to say out a proposal, was abruptly interrupted, before getting surprised himself, "In contrast, if we win—"
With a chilling smile on his face— the brother said.
"You will take us to the nearest street ♪, and give us the robes those two are wearing. Because we are still wearing conspicuous clothing due to the transfer of worlds, this is a must. And also about the game rules of this world, truthfully tell them all to me☆"
Sora exerted his highly adaptable game brain.
He was already convinced that he would win and had even added some additional requests.
Part 6
Thinking about back then, Sora whispered."[Ten Oaths]——eh. s. h. i. +ro, do you remember?"
"....... Un. Very.......... interesting rules." s. h. i. +ro, looking dazed and about to fall asleep, replied.
They had learned about the rules of this world from the thieves (they were no longer recognizable now) that had lost the game.
Taking out his phone on which he had written the rules, Sora reread them out loud again.
【 Ten Oaths】 ——
It appears that these were the absolute rules that [G. o. d] had laid down.
Although the little sister seemed to have easily memorized it, the brother had still recorded them in his phone, which were as follows:
【 1】 All bloodshed, war, and pillage is forbidden throughout the world.
【 2】 All disputes are to be resolved through the outcome of games.
【 3】 In games, wagers will be made on what both parties decide to be of equal value.
【 4】 Unless contrary to "Three", the game content and the things wagered do not matter.
【 5】 The challenged party has the right to decide the contents of the game.
【 6】 "As per the Oath", the wager will be unconditionally adhered to.
【 7】 All matters for group conflicts will be decided by a representative.
【 8】 If cheating is detected during a game, it will be regarded as a defeat.
【 9】 The above rules are unconditionally everlasting, upheld in the name of G. o. d."And
【 10】 —— Everyone should get along while playing games."
—.......
"Nine is used to wrap up everything from above it, but Ten......."
That is, it was not a mandatory requirement to get along with the opponent, so to speak. Or said in another way, 'Anyhow, it's not as if you guys are living in harmony anyways'.
Feeling the irony of the 【 Ten Oaths】, the mirthful face of that [G. o. d] surfaced in Sora's mind.
"That kid that dragged us here into this world— if that person really is [G. o. d], then he really does have good character.
Pocketing his phone, Sora said with a wry smile. Just when the thought of lying on the bed came.
His fatigue suddenly welled up, and his consciousness began to blur, even his thinking skills began to wear down."....... . If I think about it, of course it is a natural reaction. Pulling allnighters for five days and then the sudden onset of this event......"
".......... Fuu......."
Always thinking about being beside her brother, while clutching onto Sora's wrist, was the little sister who had reached dreamland.
Sweeping away the bangs that were on her face revealed white skin that was like ceramic and a beautiful face that was like a work of art.
Compared with the girl that had a doll-like refined appearance, saying that the both of them were siblings could be perceived as a start of a bad joke.
"—Didn't I always say to at least cover yourself with a blanket...... you will catch a cold."
"......... Un."
Complying with her brother's words, the little sister used a feeble voice to request him to help her cover herself. Although Sora covered his little sister with the blanket that smelled like dust with a bit of hesitation, he still thought it was better than nothing.
Watching his s. h. i. +ro's sleeping face and steady breathing, Sora suddenly became lost in thought.
(—Then, from now on, where should I start.... . )
Sora started fiddling with the phone which he had just taken out.
He wanted to try and see if there was any software that could help his predicament.
(—This is a fantasy about being pulled into a different world, so first I should think about and look to see if there is a method to go back...... )
—Parents who were no longer in this world.
—A sister who was not accepted by society.
—Himself who did not accept society.
—Besides, the surprise that lies beyond the screen— this world.
"....... . Hey, s. h. i. +ro... the protagonists of alternate world stuff... why did they want to return back to
'that' kind of world?" Even though he knew that she had fallen asleep, Sora still tried to raise this question, but he did not receive an answer.
He thought about what he was going to do after the four days.
Sora was going to try and improvise— but before the conclusion of his contemplations, the demon of sleep had already cut off his thoughts.
Part 7
—'Tok Tok!', this kind of sound rang in the air.
The reason why he would wake up only due to polite knocking—
Was because his senses had been sharpened due to coming to an unknown place.
Sora loudly commanded the urges that wanted him to go back to sleep to shut up, then quickly let his brain become active again.
".... . Nyaaa~."
—But his little sister was different from him.
There was drool dribbling down her face and she was tightly grabbing onto her brother's left arm while sleeping. With a face that was more comforting than anything else, it would have made anyone jealous of the one who got to see that dreaming expression.
"Yeah, thinking about it, in this world, killing, looting, and other things are prohibited......."
Which means— things such as being vigilant, are not necessary in this world.
Probably understanding this point— no, she certainly understood. Sora, who looked like he had adapted to this world, gave a wry smile to his little sister who was in a deep sleep and showed that comfortable expression.
"Indeed, the degree of flexibility in my mind can't match up to hers......"
—'Tok Tok!'
Hearing the gentle knocking sound again, Sora replied."Ah- coming, coming. Who is it?"
"I am Stephanie Dora. I have something I would like to ask you regarding the thing about today.... ."
....... . Stephanie....... Ah!
Taking out his phone, Sora confirmed the photos that were taken before.
What was shown on the photo was someone with red hair and blue eyes, similar to a n. o. ble girl.
Yes, the pub downstairs— was also a venue for games to elect a new king.
"Ah, coming, I am opening the door." "....... Miwuuuuu...."
"—My little sister, it is a brother's blessing for you to stick to me like that, but could you let go of my arm for a while? Otherwise I can't open the door."
"....... ?....... What?"
Although s. h. i. +ro was in a half-asleep state, she still let go of Sora's arm.
Dragging his heavy body off of the bed, Sora stepped onto the wooden floors that creaked and proceeded to open the door.
Appearing at the door was an appearance that was a far cry from the photo on the phone— A
[Stephanie] that looked like she had suffered a huge blow.
"—Can you let me in?" "Ah. Ermm, okay."
In short, Stephanie was then invited into the room.
Sora then retrieved the chair from the corner of the room.
He then sat on the chair because his little sister who was sleeping drowsily on the bed kept s. h. i. +fting positions. The first to open her mouth was Stephanie.
".......... What exactly happened?"
"—What? Ah, let me start first, because we are siblings, this is not what—" ".... Guu...... dumped, by Nii......"
—Correction.
Apparently not half asleep— but s. h. i. +ro who was 80% in sleep mode applied more pressure onto
Sora's back. Although they did not know what the common sense was like here, a tentative explanation was still needed.
"Then— is it wrong? I'm Sora. The years I've been without a girlfriend equals my age, and I'm currently seeking a girlfriend right now, whoa♪"
"............. That doesn't really matter at all."
But Stephanie completely ignored the meaning of this sentence and feebly continued."More importantly, I want to ask about something that happened during the day." (Day— day. Un, what was that again?)
(Speaking of which, what's the time now? I can't even see the sun coming through the windows—)
Taking a glance at the phone, he saw that 4 hours had pa. s. sed since the start of the rest— They had probably been sleeping for this long.
"Today, right when you had brushed past my shoulders, you said to me something like'Can't you see you are being cheated?'."
Just when s. h. i. +ro was grumbling vague nonsense, probably something about the current conversation, she closed her eyes and spoke.
"....... So you....... really lost?"
Stephanie seemed to be agitated by s. h. i. +ro's att. i. tude.
"—Yes......... yes, that's right, I LOST! Now, just about everything is over!"
Sora covered his ears to m. u. f. fle the shouting coming from Stephanie, who had abruptly stood up.
"Ah— because of my lack of sleep, the sound will echo back and forth in my head, so please refrain from shouting so loudly........."
Towards Stephanie who threw a heated temper tantrum that included banging the table with her purse, Sora made only a small and humble request, but evidently it didn't pa. s. s her ears, and she started crying with an even sharper voice.
"Since you knew that the opponent was cheating, wouldn't it have been good for me if you had explained the cheat to everyone?! I could have won if you had exposed the truth!"
Sora then remembered what he had read before going to sleep, and said.
"Eh....... . number eight of the [Ten Oaths]: if cheating is detected during a game, it will be regarded as a defeat..." Which is to say, you win if you clearly know that you are being cheated.
But she failed to realize— if it cannot be proved, the person cheating wouldn't be defeated.
"I lost, thanks to you! Arghhh, now I am even eliminated from the compet. i. tion for the throne!"
"...... So.......... ."
The drowsy s. h. i. +ro spoke with a lisp.
"....... So you lost......... and were in denial............. so you came here......... to vent?"
Hearing s. h. i. +ro's blunt and unabashed opinion, the blood pressure that spiked as a result forced
Stephanie to grind her teeth.
"Ah~my little sister, can we not pour oil on the fire while pretending to be asleep?"
".......... . Guu....... . why did.......... you reveal that?"
"You woke up after I said [Looking for girlfriend]............ furthermore, we don't really have any companions here, sooo, we really should be more friendly—"
—But.
Sora suddenly stopped speaking. An idea— surfaced in his mind.
Probably seeing the idea forming in her brother's mind, s. h. i. +ro became silent.
On the other hand, Sora, who seemed like he had changed his mind, said with a sardonic smile.
"—But, what my little sister said was also true. Humans who always fail are taken for granted."
"....... . What did you say?"
The shocked Stephanie's mouth gaped.
But Sora disregarded her shock, and deliberately using vulgar eyes, looked up and down
Stephanie's body. Just like a fantasy world Ojou-sama, she wore a fluttering dress that had lace everywhere.
Sora's eyes seemed to be licking her body, observing her voluminous figure that couldn't be hidden even if she wore a dress.
Carefully selecting words that would set off the opponent— Sora said.
"Not even being able to see through cheating of that degree, and then suddenly running here to have a tantrum.......... you're even getting angry at a child hitting the nail— you really are a simpleton. And if you are really the lineage of that foolish old king, then I suppose failing would be something natural for you."
Part 8
Sora said this with eyes that were filled with a pity reserved for extremely unintelligent organisms.
Widening her eyes, trembling while directing a burning death glare towards Sora, another furious expression emerged on Stephanie's face.
"Please....... . take that back." "Take it back? Haha, why?"
"Be that as it may— I definitely won't allow you to ridicule my dear Ojii-san!" Facing against
Stephanie's solemn protesting, Sora only scoffed and waved his hands.
"The reason why you didn't notice that cheat was because you were too defensive— rather than taking risks, you tried to choose a safer way to win. These kind of people concentrate too much on securing themselves that they don't even have the spare capacity to pay attention to the opponent's actions."
He gave a sarcastic smile while tossing out these cheeky words.
"A simpleton with a low boiling point that can't even control your own emotions because you're so conservative. IMHO[10], that is simply out of the question for a gamer!"
"—Be quiet, if I wanted your opinion, then—"
Preventing his escape from the chair, Stephanie was in a posture like she was ready to grab hold of Sora, but Sora still continued to speak.
"Then, let's play a game." "...... Eh? What?"
Stephanie was suddenly confused. But she remained vigilant and questioned Sora about what he had just said."Nothing, it doesn't really require any complex thinking. It's just rock, paper, scissors. Heard of it? Rock, paper, scissors."
"Rock, paper, scissors—? That.... . un, I know."
"Un, this world is indeed a great help. Then we will use that to determine the winner, just that—"
Saying that, Sora put up his fingers.
As if saying it carefully for Stephanie to hear, Sora slowly continued.
"Not ordinary rock, paper, scissors— do you understand? I will only use paper." "—Ah?"
"If I were to throw anything other than paper, then I would [Lose]....... . but, if I beat you with something other than paper, you will also lose, leading to a [Draw]. Of course, if I throw out anything other than paper and I draw, then I will still [Lose]."
"—"
(Losing if it isn't paper? What does this guy think he's saying?) Stephanie became more alert.
"—The wager, what will it be?"
It was such a big help of you to be so sensible— Sora thought about saying this, then smiled and replied.
"If you win, I will accept all of your requests. Whether you want me to tell you the reason you lost, or the truth behind that cheat, or even if you want me to die in repayment for calling your foolish king a foolish king, it doesn't matter."
"...... Youuuuu!"
"—So! Conversely, if I win, you must accept all of my demands."
Sora looked happy, but he had on an expression that was colder than ice, with a creepy smile that had emerged. Using a tone that was dirty, ugly, and cold, Sora continued speaking.
"We are betting our fates here— so it's not a problem for you to wager your chast. i. ty, right?" All of the hot blood gus. h. i. +ng into Stephanie's head was calmed down due to this coldness.
But, because Stephanie's mind had calmed down, she prudently questioned."What if— we draw?"
"Then I will give you a little hint on how you were cheated...... as consideration."
Sora's att. i. tude suddenly changed, and as if troubled, scratched his head and said with a smile.
"I can make do with a trivial wish. Although what we have on hand seems like it'll last us a few days— I'll be straightforward, after four days of staying here, we'll have no food or place to stay.
And in the long run, we are still worrying about what to do next......."
"—Which means, you want me to provide you with accommodations."
Towards Stephanie's reply, Sora only returned a smile..
—Nothing was said.
Which means that this man was temporarily trying to scrounge a little bit."So, how do you feel~? Accept, or deny?"
"....... ."
"Well, even if you learn how the opponent cheated, you are already disqualified from the throne selection. Not to mention that there is no benefit to taking an unnecessary risk if you are someone who loves a defensive war! So even if you refuse it's nothing."
Sora brazenly provoked her.
Despite it being such a blatant provocation— Stephanie still accepted it without flinching.
"....... Okay, let's do this then— 【 Acciente】!!!"
—That was an oath to make sure the game followed the [Ten Oaths].
A word that declares full intention to G. o. d to perform a wager in absolute compliance to the [Ten
Oaths]— swearing to G. o. d, the absolute requirement when gambling.
"OK, then I shall also- 【 Acciente】."
Sora gave a leering smile— that vow from his mouth was both unpredictable and askew. In
Stephanie's mind, she began thinking intensely.
(—Only throw out paper?)
(Unless he thinks that I would cheerfully throw out scissors. ) (Looking at the conditions he suggested— his intentions are obvious. ) (The goal of that man— is to reach a tie. )
(This man is only trying to get food and accommodation— he doesn't really understand the cheat. ) (This should not be the truth now. )
(If he would lose if he doesn't use paper, then my chances of winning are—) Rock: 2 wins, 1 loss. Scissors: 2 wins, 1 draw. Paper: 1 win, 2 draws.
(He announced that he wouldn't choose anything other than paper. ) (If I innocently sent out scissors, he would choose rock. )
(He plans on mocking me by saying "Haha, just as I expected~ It was hard on you, you singlecelled idiot". ) (But if that was so, if I used paper— it would be impossible for me to lose. )
(But it would still fulfill his goals if the result was a draw. ) (—This man, definitely thinks that I won't use rock—. )
(Because, that's the only choice that I have with a possibility of losing!) (—Treating me like an idiot!)
(Both rock and scissors are good, my chances of winning are [2:1]) (Thinking as you wish— I will not let you get away with a draw!)
Trying to penetrate through Sora, Stephanie stared at him with sharp eyes."——"
—However, Stephanie, who looked at Sora's expression, could not help but take a deep breath.
Because there was a skinny man that was troublesome— or not.
Calmly, the man that was confident that he would win revealed a faint smile.
Seeing Sora's expression— blood rushed into Stephanie's head once again, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on her.
(—No, don't be impetuous, keep calm. )
Finis. h. i. +ng those words in her head, Stephanie started brainstorming again. Rashness, emotions and simplicity- what if he sees through all of these? Stephanie said to herself and noticed something.
—Right.
This, of course, was an obvious matter.
(This guy—this man—declared that paper was the only exception!) (In addition, no matter what other method he uses, he can not [Win]. )
(So— no matter what I choose, this man only announced that he would choose [Paper]....... )
(Victory would come to him if he happens to get a lucky draw and a tie would be expected— that's right!) (The possibility of losing— is the same no matter what!)
"Then, should we start?"
Sora asked with the air of winner— but.
"Yeah, you too. Are you prepared to comply to the Oaths?" Likewise, Stephanie who believed that she would win, replied.
(I have already seen through your tricks— go on and put on the expression of a lost dog[11]!)
"Then let's begin. Ready- rock, paper... —"
—Rock.
Stephanie had used [Scissors]."What—"
—Widening her eyes because Sora had chosen [Rock]."Whu, What— Wh, Why....... like this.... ."
"Although it is laudable that you honestly came out with scissors and did not give into the provocation— in the end you are still too inexperienced."
Saying that— the ruthless edge and thin smile disappeared from Sora's face.
Sora sat on the bed again, and lightly talked through the inner thought processes of Stephanie to her."My provocation was to make rock appear to you as the only way you could lose."
"....... ."
"—But my calm expression drove in an understanding that only by using paper would I [Win]."
"—Wha...... I was being read— So that expression....... was all an act!?"
"So far so good...... But choosing [Paper] would have made me lose....... . this way, not only would you defeat my only chance of winning, you could also double your possibility of winning against me."
—Everything was seen through- no, everything was manipulated by him."Guuu—"
Stephanie bit her lips and knelt down with her hands supporting her body.
The calming down process.... . not only that, but even the winning idea that Stephanie had thought out was also predicted.
—Finally, this.
The reason why Stephanie lost during the day- this was the hint.
However, Sora continued.
"So, yeah, it was already decided that I would win from the outset of this game." "I know. You were aiming for a draw, right? Okay, what accommodations—" Stephanie who had lost casually replied- but.
"Well, about that right there. You're wrong, you know?" "....... Ah?"
"Try re~ally hard to recall it, okay? How did I say it?"
"I can make do with a trivial wish. Although what we have on hand seems like it'll last us a few days— I'll be straightforward, after four days of staying here, we'll have no food or place to stay.
And in the long run, we are still worrying about what to do next......."
"Right, there's a problem here! When... did I ever say what the specific contents of my [Trivial wish] were?" "................... Ah!?"
Stephanie hurriedly got up and protested.
"Eh, because, didn't you already affirm that you only required accommodation!?" "Un, but I didn't confirm it~"
Stephanie tried to recall what had happened like a video playback with sound, fully utilizing her mind. With no place to stay, no food, how did he conceal the next words.
Sora—this man—had only.... Smiled.
—So the reason for his wishful thinking was to scrounge for more— "Ah—ah—"
"Looks like you understand! Then please listen carefully to my [Trivial wish]♪"
With Sora wearing a smile, 'Sha'— he suddenly pointed his finger towards Stephanie."Fall in love with me!"
Part 9
.................. —
....... A long silence.
The first to break the awkwardness, the one who was always silent, was s. h. i. +ro who watched innocently from the sidelines.
"....... Erm, Nii?"
"Hehehe, what is it, my little sister. Was my plan so perfect that it moved you to speechlessness?"
Although he could not understand his little sister's intentions, Sora was already intoxicated with his perfect command.
【 6】 "As per the Oath", the wager will be unconditionally adhered to.
Also considering the case of the ninth Oath— because of G. o. d's power, the order couldn't be stopped by anything. Well, of course, that also includes the individual's free will!
But—
"....... . That......... is.......... what is going on.......... ?"
Facing against his little sister who was simply clueless, Sora also made an expression as if he did not understand anything.
"Oya, it really is surprising that you don't understand, my little sister. Isn't there a saying that
'love is blind'? If it is in absolute compliance with the Oaths, then of course she would have to completely [Dedicate herself] to me, right? Accommodation, money, even talent can be gained... isn't this killing three birds with one stone♪"
Sora said it like this, wondering why she couldn't understand even though she had such a good mind. s. h. i. +ro muttered softly.
"......."Become my property"....... wouldn't that....... . do?" "———Nn?"
"......... For that....... . you......... get everything." "—Eh, ah.... . ehhhh?"
Sora was confused for an instant. After that he started accelerating his thinking process. If it was just as his little sister had said, the command of [Become my property]...
Everything that belongs to a property naturally belongs to its master— "Ah, eh? Wouldn't that kind of way be much more favorable....... huh?" (Why didn't I think of that——?)
Shouldn't he have said that.
Planning policies had always been thought out by himself since the beginning, so why would
Sora, who claimed that he had the performance and strength, do that—
"............... Nii...... your own wish.......... was mixed inside?" "——Ahhhh......."
s. h. i. +ro— gazed coldly at him with half-closed eyes, and not because she was still drowsy.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Sora cried and hugged his head.
"I, I actually......... turned out to be like this!? Was it about that- if I missed this chance, I'll never get a girlfriend?! Did the superficial sense of inferiority of not having a girlfriend cloud my judgement at the last minute!? No, im... impossible...... how could I, I make such a silly mistake—
"
Impossible.
For one of the wings of 『 』 to commit such a mistake— Sora felt dizzy.
As if she was unhappy with something, s. h. i. +ro continued to say with her cold voice.
"...... Nii......... you said you had...... no need for a girlfriend................ . that as long as s. h. i. +ro was here....... that would be good enough............"
"That was me saying too much! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I am so sorry, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" With his little sister pouting on the bed, Sora knelt in front of her as if in a devout kind of wors. h. i. +p and apologized.
"Af, after all I am unable to do those kind of things to my little sister! You are only 11 years old!
If I did it, I would be taken away by the cops! And with your brother of age, this sort of desire is natural—"
Sora who was chattering all kinds of excuses. And s. h. i. +ro who was staring with cold eyes.
Furthermore,
"—"
After being requested to fall in love, Stephanie was thrown aside and had her head lowered while trembling.
Yes. Just as Sora had thought, there could be absolutely no refusal to the Oaths. Which was this world's absolute law.
But— her cheeks were burning, and the rapid beating of her heart could not be stopped.
Because Sora had ignored her to talk to his little sister, Stephanie felt worried.
—Even if this was the law of this world. No.
Because of this man. Because of this guy.
—She actually— "felt jealous"—!
"How can I acknowledge thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!" "Whoa, that scared me!"
With the force built up from her anger, Stephanie finally shrieked out. Intending to resist the implanted feelings, she glared at Sora— but."—Wh, whoaa!"
When their eyes met, her heartbeat suddenly quickened and her face became hotter.
"Wh, wha, what what what kind of [Trivial wish] was that! You, you dare toy with a maiden's heart!?" To try and avoid this effect, Stephanie changed her line of sight and shouted.
Despite standing up aggressively, she still lacked a bit of momentum."Ah, that....... . about that......."
Sora scratched his cheeks, and s. h. i. +fted away his eyes with an embarra. s. sed look on his face.
He had originally wanted a development to happen, but due to his huge mistake, some of his goals were not achieved and Sora could not help but be worried.
"That, about that, s. h. i. +ro? What do I do?" "....... . I.... . don't know.... ."
"Guuuuuu......"
Losing face and seeking help from his little sister, only to be coldly cast aside— "What a pain—
*cough*!"
No matter. Sora, who had finally made up his mind, coughed. He decided to treat the mistake as if it did not even happen. Sora, feeling good again, could not help but giggle.
"The definition of trivial depends on the person. You only wanted one bite of the dessert, but that one bite was the whole thing[12]..."
Probably back to his normal state, Sora fluently said this."Isn't, isn't that a fraud!"
But, Stephanie didn't accept his form of interpretation and strongly reb. u. t. ted.
—The voice of Sora that flowed into her ears made her feel embarra. s. sed.
Even though she really hoped that he would close his mouth, the problem was that she actually wanted to listen to his voice.
Using a [Request for an explanation] as an excuse to try and do this, she repressed the entanglement in her heart and retorted.
With absolutely no idea of how to deal with the kind of feelings entangling in Stephanie's heart(nor any reason to), Sora (eighteen years old, virgin) calmed down.
And as if pointing out a childish mistake, he pointed to Stephanie.
"Yup, right there. You were paying attention to the content of the game, yet you ignored the
[Premise] of it. That won't do, without any specific nature of this statement....... . for example, even if an alarmist emphasizes on hearing the winning conditions, sometimes their focus will deliberately get fuzzed up, get it~"
—After all, the purpose of this game was to have a draw. That was
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