Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 87

Festival

The underwater city of the Capital of Love.

The difference from the city above water was that the number of player there was few.

The setting was that it was a city that sank into water in the past.  Many sections of it were destroyed but, it had a fairy tale-like  atmosphere.

The eight orcs who got dragged into water by the mermaids went to a  place that was outside the eyes of the management using the data that  they received from the former executive.

Dume who was carrying a great sword stayed on guard against the  surrounding while confirming that it was impossible to logout from  there.

All of them possessed item to move freely inside water. They didn’t drown or anything.

「……No doubt about it. The dev is intentionally creating holes in the system.」

After confirming that spots outside of the dev’s monitoring were  being created intentionally, Prey started a discussion between them in  that place.

「Having a secret talk in the place that they prepared is exciting isn’t it?」

His comrades sighed.

「This kind of excitement is a bit……」

「I want to get stepped on by a handsome boy with scornful gaze.」

「Ah, I get you~」

Prey calmed down the others.

「I can understand everyone’s feeling but, let’s finish this talk first.」

One orc reported the result of his investigation.

「First, that former executive’s story is true. The research is  actually being carried out. The field of VR is going through a  technological revolution that advance it to the next generation.」

It wasn’t just at the level of the view that they saw in the virtual  world became more beautiful, or the sense of touch here became more  realistic.

VR was going to greatly surpass the realm of game.

Dume urged the orc to speak the conclusion.

「In other words, it’s dangerous? Then, what if we don’t login  anymore? It’ll be dangerous but, there’s also the option of destroying  the main server.」

The explaining orc shook his head.

「They have taken that into account. When they accessed the new  reactor, they also physically connected Pandora’s server to it. The new  reactor will run out of control if we make a mistake and mankind will  perish.」

The new reactor was too dangerous that it hadn’t even gotten dismantled.

The government couldn’t possibly bring moon’s engineer to do it for  them. It also contained black box that it was too dangerous to be  touched.

At present it could only be maintained as it was.

Also, the new management was connecting Pandora to it.

The new reactor had been set up to run out of control if Pandora was  forcefully ended. Even if it didn’t run out of control, the situation  would still turn dangerous.

「Troublesome. I myself can’t move freely. Besides, we don’t know where they have eyes so there’s no way to make a move.」

Everyone folded their arms.

An orc who was listening to the conversation opened his mouth.

「Hey, is Ponsuke-kun alright? Selector……they are players that are getting marked by the new administration isn’t it?」

An orc who was knowledgeable about that matter gave additional explanation about that.

「It’s alright at present. Rather, from what I confirmed through the list……」

Dume massaged his eyelid.

「Since that incident, most of the Selectors have come back to the  game. It seems the new management explained the situation to them.」

A curious orc lifted his hand slightly.

「Do you have proof that Ponsuke-kun isn’t working with that side?  What about the possibility that he’ll help them even if he know the  truth?」

Dume shrugged.

「Only god can answer that. Besides, someone who learned that game can  possibly affect the reality will surely consider doing one or two bad  things with it. Increasing their positivity level with the girl they  like. Getting stronger to win against a guy they don’t like. You can do  all that with the current Pandora.」

Prey stroked his chin.

「Either way we can only observe the situation right now. But,  according to him――the former executive, we’re here because we were drawn  in by him. We know of his personality. So it’ll be fine.」

Everyone looked at each other.

Prey smiled.

「I’m certain……he too is a hardcore M just like us. He isn’t a bad kid.」

Everyone looked convinced.

「You’re right!」

「No hardcore M is a bad person!」

「That’s right! If it’s him who drew in the queens then there’s nothing to worry about!」

……Ponsuke was getting dragged into another troublesome matter again without him knowing about it.

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The sightseeing area of the Capital of Love.

It had the atmosphere that was like a port city.

Entertainer NPC was performing his craft by playing music.

Entertainment tools from large old ship, yacht, to water bike were lined up.

Ponsuke handed the crepes that he bought from a stall to Inaho and Fran before they sat together on a bench to eat.

「Aa~, delicious. This choco banana really hit the spot.」

Inaho smiled happily.

「Good for you. My strawberry also isn’t bad.」

Fran crossed her legs and stared on her own crepe.

Inaho became curious and tilted her head.

「Fran-san, you aren’t going to eat yours?」

「Hm? Aa, I’ll eat it. But, I’m realizing that it has been a long time  since I eat in sightseeing area like this. At the start I was mainly  staying at the sightseeing area.」

Fran wasn’t interested with game just like Noin.

But, she joined the guild to accompany Noin. After that she worked  hard everyday in order to fulfill the quota that could be said as brutal  from Lighter.

Inaho looked slightly troubled.

「Now that you mention it, a lot of things happened between Ponsuke-san and you wasn’t it?」

「That happened.」

Ponsuke nodded.

Noin making fun of Ponsuke was the beginning of their encounter.

Ponsuke asked Fran.

「If Fran-san is only accompanying Noin-san, how about I talk with Lighter so that you don’t have to do the quota?」

Fran smiled a little.

「That’s not what I mean. I’m not good with getting along with people  ever since I was small. But I’m having quite a lot of fun here so you  don’t need to mind it.」

Certainly Fran also often played around but, the image of her  fulfilling the quota dispassionately had left deeper impression in  Ponsuke.

「Is there something that you want to try out?」

Fran ate her crepe while replying.

「Something that I want to try huh. Nothing comes to mind.」

Ponsuke looked troubled. Then an idea flashed in Inaho’s mind and she smiled.

「Then, how about your dream when you were little or something! You know, like something that you were unable to make come true!」

Surely adult must have a lot of dreams that they had given up on because of growing up.

Maybe their parents forbid them, or reality came crushing down on that dream.

What about trying out that dream in the game? Inaho said. Fran pondered those words.

「……I only kept following my parents’ expectation and never really thought about it.」

Fran started considering it seriously. The voices from the surrounding didn’t enter her ears.

Inaho touched Ponsuke’s arm.

And then she brought her face closer to him when he turned toward her.

「What?」

「Perhaps, Fran-san has that? You know, the sickness that the elites often have.」

The whispering conversation made Ponsuke looked toward Fran’s face. He couldn’t believe that Fran’s case was like that.

「What I want to do……piano? No, I was told to learn that for my future. Idol……it was that girl’s dream so that’s not it.」

She was seriously thinking hard.

This sickness of the elite was the case when they mentally broke down  because they were allowed to do only a particular field because of  their high talent in there.

There was also the case where the parents had laid out the rail for  the optimum path, making their child unable to think of anything else  outside that.

Success wasn’t guaranteed just because someone had great talent.

But, people who made it big were people who had talent and also worked hard in it.

(Come to think of it, there was news about it. I think it said that  some children become unable to do anything when their parents are gone.)

There were elites who could only do what they were told, or perhaps  they would feel crushing anxiety if they did anything else that was  outside their field. The number of such elite who went to receive  counseling was increasing.

「……What do we do?」

「Let’s search for thing that she’ll be interested in. She needs a hobby!」

Inaho said that Fran needed to have a hobby, but Ponsuke thought.

(She can do anything so, is this just like the case with president?  Come to think of it, is president’s personality like that because she’s  suppressing a lot of things? Even elites have it hard huh.)

Fran didn’t look like she was having fun even while in the sightseeing area.

In addition, she was a vanguard who was reliable in battle but……she didn’t look like she enjoyed the role.

In the first place, it was also questionable whether she was enjoying Pandora itself.

「I don’t know what kind of thing to recommend to her.」

「In this situation, we should just try everything. Especially things that she never do in RL.」

Ponsuke tried asking Fran who was deep in thought.

「Fran-san, is there something that you still haven’t done in RL or  Pandora? Like you know, something that might draw your interest.」

Inaho raised her hand and just spoke what was in her mind.

「How about horse riding? There is also cooking, or music!」

Fran replied dispassionately.

「I have done horse riding in RL. I have also learned cooking in  general. I have also learned several types of instrument, but I think  they work fine as pastimes.」

It seemed that she had experienced a lot of things in reality.

(President is also doing a lot of things. These people are amazing.)

Inaho too never expected that Fran had tried all the examples she listed after that. She looked really troubled.

Scuba, pet, photography, etc, etc. She tried saying anything but everything ended up in vain.

「……Ponsuke-san, please help me.」

Inaho sought for help, so Ponsuke tried talking with Fran…….

Firework shot up to the sky of the Capital of Love even though it was still bright.

Fran looked at that.

Ponsuke also looked over there and a screen popped out.

The handwritten advertisement was astonishingly a festival that was held by a player guild.

「Guild of festival? Hee, so something like that also exist.」

It seemed to be an event where players would gather, open stall, and tasted the feeling of festival.

Inaho was also getting excited.

「Nice. Want to try it? Eh, Fran-san?」

Fran was looking at that way wordlessly.

Ponsuke scratched his head.

「……Fumu, let’s have the savages who usually abused us like slave to work this time.」

Ponsuke looked at Fran and nodded several times before sending a message.

After a while, Lighter’s group came running.

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Ponsuke was walking at the front. He was wearing a jinbei (informal summer clothes for men).

The words “Ponsuke” were written on its back skillfully. Inaho who was walking beside him was dressed in yukata.

Naturally Fran was also wearing yukata.

It was concerning because it looked as though her large breasts were  going to spill out. She had gone to festival wearing yukata only once  before. Unlike kimono, the yukata was too thin which bothered her. Her  usual outfit exposed more skin but, it was strangely embarrassing for  her to wear yukata like this.

(T-this is embarrassing)

The craftsmen group of the guild always gave quota that could be said  as fiendish, but they accepted request to create equipment and the like  for free.

When she said that she wanted a yukata to participate in the festival, Lighter and others immediately prepared this for her.

A path was opened up with Ponsuke walking at the front.

Anyone would be scared seeing such burly large man――no, orc walking wearing jinbei like that.

Sometimes there would be children kicking at Ponsuke, but Inaho would tell them off and chase them away after that.

Fran looked around.

(There’s smell of sauce.)

She recalled the past.

She visited a festival that was held by someone who was related with  her father’s work. The small Fran wore yukata and experienced the  festival with her family.

(Aa, come to think of it I asked to buy cotton candy that time.)

Ponsuke stopped walking and bought three cotton candies. He then gave them to Fran and Inaho.

It seemed that a festival that was held by player like this was something that occurred really frequently.

Seeing a winged birdman selling grilled chicken was a little surreal  but, a memory of the past that she had almost forgotten was resurrected.

「This is really fun Ponsuke-san!」

「The last time I went to a festival in RL was when I was at middle school but, this is fun.」

There was sound of drum. The day gradually turned dark and the light from paper lanterns was enhancing the atmosphere.

(Come to think of it, I was also walking behind like this in the past.)

Fran saw the image of her parents over the two who were walking in front of her.

Fran who finished eating cotton candy after that,

『Papa, I want to eat that one.』

She pointed with her finger. Then her mother butted in.

『You mustn’t eat something like that. It’s just flour and sauce. It won’t taste any good.』

Her parents refused to buy her fried noodle and takoyaki. In addition her father said this to her when her hand reached out.

『Papa, hold my――』

『Don’t touch me with sticky hand like that. Good grief, this is why I hate festival. I wouldn’t come here if it’s not for work.』

Fran had fun, but that wasn’t the case with her parents so she stopped saying anything.

They smiled and gave cheerful greeting when talking with the  proprietor of the festival, but they only bought her the cotton candy  without allowing her to do anything else.

(Come to think of it, there was target shooting I think……)

When she looked around, she found a man with a scar on his face holding a rifle.

Inaho yelled.

「Ponsuke-san! Target shooting! It’s target shooting over there!」

「Wait for me, Inaho-chan.」

Inaho ran in her yukata with Ponsuke following behind her with a  troubled look. He then looked back and held out his hand toward Fran.

「M-my bad. My hand is dirty――」

「It’s fine. My hand is also sticky.」

Ponsuke’s large hand grasped her hand, then he pulled her after Inaho toward the target shooting stall.

The leg strength of the rabbit girl Inaho was astounding. The two couldn’t catch up to her even though they were running.

Fran couldn’t take off her gaze from the large hand that was holding her hand.

Her cheeks reddened slightly.

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The Capital of Love turned into night.

The capital’s buildings and the street lights were wondrously  illuminating the city. Ponsuke and others were walking through such  scenery while carrying their loots from the festival.

Inaho was carrying a lot of loots in her arms.

「Inaho-chan is amazing.」

Ponsuke who had a mask on his head was also carrying souvenirs for his friends.

But, one hand was still holding Fran’s hand even now.

「The Festival Kana――err, the Festival Girl is what they called me. It  doesn’t matter whether we are in RL or VR. I’ll ransack all the  stalls.」

The money they had poured in and the loots they obtained weren’t balanced.

The players who were doing the stalls were obviously profiting a lot.

「Ahaha~, today was fun. Fran-san, what about you?」

Inaho smiled.

But Ponsuke felt nothing but bad premonition.

Just from looking it was clear that Fran had fun.

The person herself also said that she had fun.

But, but――.

(Fran-san won’t let go of my hand.)

Fran combed up her hair with her free hand and looked down a little.

「I-it was fun. Besides……pa……Ponsuke-kun was there so it felt reassuring.」

Pa――A part of Ponsuke wanted to know what she was going to say from that, but a part of him also didn’t want to know.

Inaho also smiled.

「Ponsuke-san, nothing can beat you as playboy repellant. You’re just like a dad! Dad, please hold my hand too.」

The energetic Inaho was still high tensioned in festival mood. She put her arms around Ponsuke’s empty arm.

Fran also put her arms around his arm.

「How do you feel, Ponsuke-otousan. You have two daughters who are this lovely with you.」

Inaho teased him. Ponsuke didn’t know how to reply. But, Fran was looking up at him with moist eyes.

This wasn’t an atmosphere where he could crack a joke.

「I-I’m so happy.」

Fran was delighted. Inaho also laughed.

「Ponsuke-san, are you actually older than us? How great it would be if you’re older than us」

Ponsuke smiled wryly at the energetic Inaho.

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