5.

A few days later, after the marriage proposals finally died down, we sat awaiting a guest in the Toudou Estate.

“Coffee is ready. I have to say, this coffee maker—or whatever it’s called—is very convenient,” Adel commented as she served us three cups of coffee.

“I honestly didn’t think it’d be this convenient,” I replied.

“You can get coffee anywhere in Sentrag, but cold beer?” Youkou chimed in. “Forget about that! The beer tap is a real godsend.”

“The prince’s coming, so no drinking now!” I scolded. A palace butler had visited us the previous night to inform us of Prince Leon’s visit today.

Youkou was, as always, looking out for every opportunity to get smashed.

“I know,” she sighed.

“I wonder what he wants to talk about.”

“The Prince enjoys standing on the frontlines, so I assume it’s going to be something about the Empire,” Adel offered.

Youkou nodded along. “You finished their navy off, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he came with a plan to crush their land troops.”

From what I’d heard, the situation at sea had improved significantly since I’d culled their numbers. Now the surrounding countries stood a chance against the Empire’s tyranny. I supposed setting those fireworks off on my way out of the country had been a good idea.

On my map, I noticed two people approaching my front door. I looked out the front window to check and it was Leon and... Jirou? Jirou, the professional ninja who’d blended into the Imperial army as a soldier? His face was nondescript and unremarkable. It didn’t leave much of an impression. He was one of those people you could swear you’ve seen somewhere, but could never recall where or when. Aran told me he was spartan in all aspects of life. He didn’t enjoy being in the spotlight, and got by with minimal necessities.

After confirming their arrival, we went down to the front door to welcome them. “Prince Leon, Jirou, welcome. Please, come in.”

“I’m happy to see you’re well,” Leon said. “Dealing with all those nobles’ and merchants’ advances must’ve been a challenge.”

“I took the palace’s advice and proposed to these two ladies,” I said. “After that, they calmed down. We’ll have the wedding after the war has concluded.”

“A wise choice. I’m sure peace will return to our country once the Empire is dealt with,” the prince said with a nod. “Speaking of which, I’d like to discuss that with you today.”

I’d assumed as much, though I was eager to discuss the topic. The sooner we put an end to this war, the better.

“Of course,” I said. “Please, follow me to the lounge.”

Adel treated Leon as something of a brother. She trusted him completely. With no reason to doubt him, I decided to tell him about the Room. Once I had, he insisted on having our meeting in there.

“So this is what the inside of the Room looks like... incredible,” Leon said, looking around.

“This coffee... I thought I’d never taste this flavor again.” Jirou was enjoying a cup of coffee from his original world for the first time since he’d arrived here.

“I’d be happy to have you as a guest any time. I also have a beer tap that serves cold beer.”

“Whoa! That’s everything I’ve ever wanted!” Jirou leaned onto the table excitedly at the promise of cold beer. You could only get lukewarm beer here, but me and Jirou both knew that beer was best served cold.

“Is cold beer really that tasty?” Leon asked.

“Tasty is an understatement!” Jirou enthused. “After you’ve gotten a taste of the good stuff, you’ll never drink lukewarm beer again.”

“Is that so? Well, I’d love to give it a try... after we’ve finished what we came for. Is that acceptable to you, Jirou?”

“My apologies...” Jirou replied. “It seems I got a bit too excited.”

I figured I should treat them to some fried chicken and fish. That devilish combo’d surely win Leon over in a heartbeat. After the talks, though.

“Let’s cut to the chase then, shall we?” the prince said. “Masaki, we’re launching an operation to recapture one of our forts from the enemy. I’d like you to participate.”

“So we’re recapturing a fort... what would my task be?”

“The Empire has stationed a certain, highly problematic individual there. I’d like you to keep her entertained. Keep her eyes on you and off us. I believe this should be a simple matter for someone who emerged from his scuffle with Leviathan unscathed. What do you say?”

“Being bait is probably what I’m best at, so I’m definitely interested. However, before we set off, I’d like more information on your so-called ‘problematic individual.’” Different kinds of combatants required drastically different measures, so I wanted to get a good feel for what we were up against before the fact.

“Allow me to take that part over,” Jirou spoke up. “I have something important to tell you, Masaki. Or should I say Masaki Toudou, Game Master of Brittalia Online?”

“Wha—?!” the bombshell he dropped shook me to my core. I’d never told anyone which game I played, nor that I’d been occupied as game master. Yet Jirou had read me like an open book. The only way he could have gained that knowledge was if he’d managed to discern the true source of the GM skills I used sparingly. Suffice it to say, I regretted letting my guard down around the single man I should’ve been most wary of.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Leon, Youko, and Adel seemed almost afraid to do so much as take a breath until Jirou finally broke the silence.

“Please, don’t look so distraught. I don’t plan to reveal this information to anyone else. Hmmm... maybe this will help me regain your trust.” He took out a dark brown notebook, weathered with time, and handed it to me.

I opened the notebook to see a golden emblem at the bottom, and a note under a vinyl cover reading, “Jirou Tanaka, Chief of Welfare and Missing Persons Bureau, National Police Agency.”

Jirou looked at me. “That’s who I was in my previous life, Mr. Toudou, reported missing on the seventh of March, 2020.”

“That’s... that’s when I was summoned to this world!” The seventh of March, 2020. That was a date I’d never forget. I took a break from work and was headed to a ramen joint nearby when I was summoned to this world. Jirou’s notebook contained the exact date and circumstances of my disappearance. Not only that, but it also revealed that my disappearance had occurred twenty years ago.

“Where should I start?” Jirou said. “Let’s see... as you can see, I was a police officer. I was investigating disappearances linked to playing games online. As a GM, I’m sure rumors of people vanishing from in front of their computers reached you.”

“Y-Yeah... many of my colleagues and I received tickets to look into players who disappeared.”

“Meanwhile, I was also getting plenty of reports, including from before your disappearance. However, the number of cases seems to have really accelerated around the time I was summoned here, five years later. No one in our department knew anything about MMOs, so I picked up Sengoku Wars to familiarize myself with the genre.

“Ultimately, it didn’t prove to be useful for the investigation, but I kept playing. I was playing one night and all the lights in my room suddenly went out. Before I knew it, I was here, in the body of my character, and with all my skills intact. That was February 2025. By this world’s calendar, it’s been twenty years since then.”

“Wait, am I getting this right? You were summoned five years after me, but you arrived here twenty years before I did?”

“Yes. I think ‘Resurgence of the Wicked Star’ had just come out.”

Resurgence of the Wicked Star? The Brittalia Online expansion that was going into development when I got abducted? I know they were planning to add some new classes, HP/MP Regeneration (Greater), and a bunch of other stuff.

I frowned. “That’s weird, though. I’m sure we weren’t supposed to arrive twenty years apart.”

“Weird indeed. From what I’ve gathered, their spell completely disregards the time and date back in Japan. Speaking technically, the magic transcends spacetime—at least, according to a friend of mine.”

He took a big gulp of air before jumping right back in:

“The country that summoned me was defeated by the Empire a while back. When my summoners first tried to conscript me into their ranks, I used my ninja skills to vanish in a puff of smoke. Then I snuck into a carriage and, ultimately, wound up here. When I arrived, I was half-starved and terribly weak.”

“That’s when Father found Jirou, and decided to take him in,” Leon added.

“Exactly,” Jirou said, nodding. “I went on to fight at His Majesty’s side through all his battles, and helped to put him on the throne.”

Leon was following our conversation just fine. I had to assume Jirou had already shared the details of his previous life with the prince. By contrast, Adel and Youko were totally lost.

“Youko, do you understand what we’re talking about?” I asked her.

She shook her head, making her fox ears wiggle. “Not one bit.”

I felt bad leaving them out of the conversation, but explaining everything would’ve taken forever. At this point, I wasn’t even sure it was worth the effort.

“When your case landed on my desk, I did some investigating,” Jirou continued. “Your parents went into agricultural research, cultivating various vegetables under vinyl tents.”

I nodded. “How did my coworkers take my disappearance?”

“Of course, they were worried you’d been in an accident. I guess they were half right.”

“I see,” I said with a frown. I couldn’t help but feel for them. This really was a pretty serious accident, wasn’t it? I got knocked into another world entirely.

“I brought this up for a reason. That ‘problematic individual’ Prince Leon mentioned is one of us; she comes from Japan.”

“From back home...” Just like Shou. As allies, these individuals were invaluable, I mused, looking Jirou over. As enemies, though, they were frankly terrifying.

Shou hadn’t even been pushing himself when we fought. A guy like that was bound to have a whole deck of cards up his sleeve, just waiting for the right play. What he’d been doing at sea, I couldn’t even begin to fathom. I supposed he’d completed his mission and decided to cut and run before he pushed me too far.

Jirou interrupted my musings. “We have no name or description, but she’s called the ‘Sniper Queen.’ Intel says she’s armed with a knife, a handgun, a machine gun, a rifle, and a rocket launcher. Of course, she only brings that out against the most formidable foes. If I had to guess she’s from—”

“Commando City,” I interrupted. “That VR urban FPS.”

I’d tried the game. Its marketing claimed to put you in the shoes of a soldier fighting through a massive city.

“Yes. She’s stationed at the top of that fort,” he said, gesturing in the fort’s direction.

“Is she so threatening?” Adel asked Jirou. “I’m certain they call her Sniper Queen for a reason, but surely magic should block attacks coming from any distance.”

I considered. In this world, the longest-range spells could travel 1,300 feet. If I really put the pedal to the metal, I could probably do about 2k, but not without taking a brutal hit to my accuracy.

“One point nine miles,” Jirou said flatly.

Those words made my pulse skyrocket, and my palms sweat, but Adel and Youko seemed unaffected. They must not understand what made the Sniper Queen a monster.

“What?” Adel asked innocently.

“Her firing range is one 1.9 miles,” Jirou clarified. “She’ll shoot anyone who comes in range, and the injuries are debilitating. We’re talking manglings, limb loss. The unluckiest victims lose more than one. Her bullets pierce even the highest-grade mythril armor.”

“What?!” Youko squeaked.

“That’s—! We’re done for!” Adel was somehow even paler. “No spell or bow can reach that far.”

Jirou’s bombshell shocked us all. Even I hadn’t expected such an extreme range. She must have had skills to increase her accuracy, making that insane range all the more frightening. I’d sometimes watch let’s plays for kicks, and I found myself remembering seeing somebody in Commando City snipe a fighter jet out of the air.

This was a foe with maximum accuracy, and ultimate range.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’ll do it. Not like anybody else can. Most attacks are ineffective against me, so I should be okay.”

The kinetic force from her bullets would doubtless knock me around, but it couldn’t be as bad as a strike from Leviathan.

“Thank you.”

“No need,” I said. “Now that I’m a noble, defending Sentrag is my duty.”

“I’m glad you take your position so seriously,” Leon said, giving me a brief squeeze to the shoulder. “It’s unfortunate that your first mission is such a dangerous one, but I relish the chance to fight beside you, Masaki.”

I frowned. “You’re planning to accompany us?” I couldn’t imagine who’d put the crown prince on the frontline.

“But, of course,” he replied. “If the brass sits pretty while soldiers are fighting for their lives, it destroys morale. I may be a prince, but I’ll be there for my troops!”

Jirou turned to the prince. “I advise you not to take the frontlines. If you get shot, the mission is pointless.”

I was starting to get the feeling our prince was a bit of a musclehead. Thank goodness Jirou was there to be the voice of reason.

“Should I go in solo, or can I take a team in?” I asked.

After a moment of consideration, Jirou replied, “I think taking an elite squad is the best choice. We’ll be flying in, so bringing two people with you seems right.”

“And you, Prince Leon?” I asked. “I can fly you there, but dangling for hours isn’t going to be easy on you.”

“Worry not. You may not be aware, but I’m a dragoneer,” he said, grinning. “I’ll fly in on my dragon. We can take three more people with us.”

Cool. A bunch of my concerns suddenly flew out the window. If Leon’s dragon hadn’t been able to play taxi, I had some skills that could make the journey less strenuous. This was just as well, though. Better to keep the full extent of my abilities hidden for as long as possible.

“Then I’ll take Adel and,” I paused for consideration. “Youko, I guess? Barbarossa hates heights and Rohas is looking after my crew, so they’re both out.”

As crew chef, Rohas had his hands full. He’d jerry-rigged the flame sword I gave him into a makeshift stove. Recently, he’d even started doing deliveries. If it could talk, I was certain that rare sword would curse his name to oblivion, but I had to applaud his resourcefulness.

Youko tilted her head from one side to the other, thinking. “Hmmm, sure. I’ll go with you. I can make shields from my golems, or overrun the enemy with an army of the little ones.”

“Good,” I said. “Youko, you’ll ride with me and Jirou. We depart at sunrise, two days from now. Make sure you’re fully prepared by then.”

“Of course,” Jirou said with apparent confidence. “I promise we’ll succeed.”

We nodded and began preparing for the operation straightaway.

The next day, I informed the crew that we’d be gone for a little while. Initially, Barbarossa was raring to go, but he backed down fast when he heard how we were getting there. Flying with me seemed to have scarred him for life.

“Leave lookin’ after the sea to us, Admiral,” Barbarossa growled. “Git out there an’ crush those Imperial dogs!”

After that brief discussion, I returned to the mansion to continue preparing for our mission. My crew came outside to see me off, staying until I’d fully disappeared behind a building.

Such good guys. I had to be victorious for them.

The chances that I’d die were pretty low in the first place, but eliminating this Sniper Queen would reduce the odds of one of my boys catching a bullet.

---

SKILL

Passive

MP Regeneration (Medium) / HP/MP Regeneration (Medium) / Physical Stats Boost (Extra) / Melee Combat Boost (Greater) / Perception Boost (Greater) / Trap Detection Boost (Greater) / Knockback Immunity

SKILL

---

My battle with Leviathan taught me how vital Knockback Immunity could be, so I made sure it was in my kit before leaving. Sure, I wouldn’t be killed, but getting knocked about wasn’t exactly what I’d call a good time. Since knockback wasn’t considered a debuff in Brittalia Online, they’d made a skill specifically to counter it.

I chose Trap Detection Boost because I figured the enemy had to be expecting an attack sooner or later. The chances that they’d laid some trap for their would-be attackers seemed pretty high. Anyway, I wasn’t keen on the idea of tripping a C4 charge and blowing the whole fort to kingdom come.

Overall, I wanted to go with less-than-lethal options so we could capture defeated Imperial soldiers. To that end, I decided on the active skills Stun Bolt, Silent Attack, and Jab.

Stun Bolt caused paralysis on strike. It synergized beautifully with Jab and Silent Attack, transforming each of my attacks into silent, but (figuratively) deadly strikes.

The day before we set out, I decided to craft some items to help me in the upcoming battle. I kept High Potions and High MP Potions tucked away in my item box, but, since arriving, I’d had to down a couple of the precious draughts.

Fortunately, even the medicinal herbs required to craft them could be found in any general store in Sentrag. I made ninety-nine of each type, plenty enough to hand a couple off to Adel and Youko.

“You’re a savant... you can cook, brew potions, do anything. I feel useless by your side,” Adel sighed.

“You know,” Youko said slyly, “there’s one thing only you can do for him, hihihihi♪”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Youko leaned in and cheerfully whispered something in Adel’s ear, making Adel flush bright red. Still, she responded to Youko’s mysterious suggestion with a little nod.

I had the sneaking suspicion that I knew what they were whispering about, but I held out hope that I was wrong. Adel and Youko were my fiancées, and though I did catch myself lusting after them every once in a while, we stood on the cusp of a key battle. I simply didn’t have time to flirt with the girls.

To my relief, they both seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. Neither of them tried anything funny. But even if I couldn’t indulge them now, I didn’t want to leave them unsatisfied, either. So I screwed up my nerve and planted a kiss on each of their lips before we set out. Both of them went bright red, and so did I, feeling like a teenager all over again.

In most games and anime, kissing your loved ones before an epic battle would be a death flag for sure. However, I was armed with Invincibility. I had zero concerns I was courting doom.

I went with my usual equipment: my GM items, plus a camouflage layer. The girls’ loadouts needed some overhauling, so I picked out defense-focused items for each of them.

I specifically selected the Light Armor of the Crimson Fairy set for Adel. It increased her defense, MP reserves, and movement speed.

Youko got the Seimei set, which raised her spell power, resistance to physical damage, and gave her MP Regeneration (Lesser). I wanted to be sure to capture her scholar-spellcaster vibe, so the Seimei set fit the bill perfectly.

Finally, I gave each of them a bracelet enchanted with HP Regeneration and Defense Boost, so they could keep up the fight in the event of a drawn-out battle.

After selecting our skills and equipment, all we needed to be ready for the siege was a good night’s rest.

The next morning, we rose before the sun returned to rule the sky, so we could meet Leon and Jirou at the base closest to the fort we planned to raid. Jirou gently helped the half-asleep Youko mount Leon’s dragon, and then added a couple failsafes so she wouldn’t fall as Adel and I soared effortlessly through the sky.

Speaking of Jirou, when I noticed his standard military gear, I frowned. “Is that gonna be enough?”

“Oh, don’t worry. This is all an illusion.” He canceled the spell to reveal his jet black ninja costume. Apparently, it was one of the highest-tier armor options for ninjas in Sengoku Wars.

As a ninja, Jirou could disguise himself much more easily than I could. I did have Invisibility, but I’d heard stories of sneaky Commando City players activating Invisibility, and being shot dead anyway. It was safe to assume Sniper Queen had access to similar skills.

We beelined it to the military base, only resting once the sun began its descent below the horizon. We spent the night in my Room.

“This spell is incredible,” Prince Leon enthused. “There’s no need to take watch and we have all the food and water we could ever need. Um, Miss Youko, may I try that?”

“Nope,” came Youko’s reply. “I don’t care if you’re a prince or the one true god of this world, I’m not giving up my comfort!”

The irresistible allure of the sofa had captured Leon as well, but my future second wife safeguarded the couch, lounging across its cushions. She sank into the pillows and just enjoyed herself.

The dragon didn’t fit in the Room, so I gave him some raw buffalo meat to munch on while we rested. We ate a filling dinner, got a good night’s sleep, and set off for the fort first thing the next morning.

That night, we arrived at the base. Almost every Sentrag soldier stationed at the base came out to welcome us, likely alerted to our arrival by the loud beating of the dragon’s wings. A decorated soldier, clad in full plate, stepped forward from among them.

“Welcome to my base, Prince Leon, Master Jirou. And I assume you must be the entourage I was telepathically informed of. Sir Toudou, the Azure Hero, Adelheid, the Crimson Princess Knight, and Mr. Toudou’s second wife, Miss Youko. Welcome.”

“Indeed, but let’s not waste time with formalities. Your report, please.”

“At once!” he replied with a sharp salute.

Telepathy’s range was dependent on the caster’s power. An expert spellcaster could reach across much greater distances than a novice, however this military base was too far from the capital for even Sentrag’s most powerful casters to reach. To make up for it, Sentrag had expert magic users stationed in towns and cities between this base and the capital. With this network of casters, there was now a line for emergency communication between the capital, us, and the base. Not that this system was unique to us, or even to Senrag. Apparently, it was a pretty common setup for military comms.

I glanced over the soldiers who’d come to greet us. Most sported bandages.

“It seems their healers can’t keep up with the number of injured, and their potion reserves are running low.” Leon summarized the report with a tired sigh.

A base with no potions in reserve was bound to falter in any future battle, so I figured it’d probably be a good idea for me to step in. I decided to offer aid in the form of a healing spell. Just like the base, I wanted to preserve my potion stash.

“How many injured are we talking?” I asked.

“Eighty, serious and light injuries combined,” the decorated soldier replied. “Luckily, we didn’t suffer many battlefield casualties, but tetanus has taken a few lives after the fact.”

“I see. Please take me to the infirmary; I’ll heal them.”

“Very well. Follow me.”

As soon as I pulled back the flap on the hospital tent, the thick, foul smells of blood, sweat, and god-knew-what-else hit me like a physical force. I gagged, barely containing my urge to puke. I’d been in a bloodbath just a couple weeks earlier, so I’d developed some tolerance for the sight and smell of gore.

The bedridden soldiers all turned their eyes to me when I entered. Some were missing limbs, others had bandages wrapped around their chests or stomachs.

I silently walked to the middle of the tent and cast Mass Heal. With such grave injuries, I had no choice but to go all out. I imagined my magic stitching their open wounds together and growing their lost arms and legs back.

“Ah... my wound—!”

“My arm! My arm is back! Look, you got a leg!”

“Wow... I can move it! I can walk!”

As the soldiers celebrated their miraculous recoveries, I collapsed onto my knees. I’d used too much mana. I could barely focus.

“Aghhh...”

“Masaki! Is everything okay?!” Adel rushed to my side, face full of concern.

“Adel... High MP Potion... now...”

“Of course!”

As soon as Adel handed me the potion, I downed it. Instantly, my mind began to clear. Not a good result. Worse than I’d expected. I hadn’t guessed that the spell would surpass my passive regen and knock my MP down to almost zero. It was no wonder healing magic was so rare in this world. If I was going to do a lot of healing, I’d need to add some magic support skills and items to my loadout.

“Hahhhh... thank you...” I sighed.

“I had no idea you could use healing magic,” came Leon’s awestruck response. “I’m glad we decided to bring you along for this operation. Truly.”

“It’s an intense mana drain, so I prefer not to. In any case, I’m sure this’ll help out with the upcoming battle.” I was still feeling a bit light-headed, so Adel helped me up. Youko, ears flat with worry, ran up to us. I sure felt guilty for worrying my girls, but feeling cared for felt really nice.

Glancing around the tent again, something caught my attention. “I expected more casualties.”

“I did too, but... I believe the Sniper Queen has purposefully missed their vitals.”

I could think of a thousand reasons why she’d want to do that, but one of the most logical ones was that she might have been attempting to drain Sentrag’s resources. The army only had so much access to healing potions and medical resources. If the Sniper Queen forced them to rapidly deplete their stores, sooner or later, the Sentrag base would be overrun with the injured.

With so many sick soldiers, the base could become a cesspool of nasty, contagious disease, eventually becoming a health hazard beyond saving. Had that happened, nothing could be done. Sentrag would have to bite the bullet, abandon the base, and raze it to the ground.

On the other hand, soldiers themselves were also a finite resource. Given how many she’d injured, lethal shots would have had the same ultimate effect: Sentrag would be forced to abandon post.

On still another hand, it was possible that she simply didn’t want to kill. If her duty was to protect the fort, killing was optional. It was even possible that she’d been trapped in a slave collar, unable to escape as I had. If so, she’d have no choice but to carry out the Empire’s demands. If she resisted, it’d probably be the end for her.

According to Jirou, the slave collars debilitated the wearer with sharp pain if they tried to defy orders or escape, but it wasn’t lethal. In that case, I might be able to remove the collar with my special lockpicks, and convert Sniper Queen to our side.

“...aki!”

It was definitely worth a shot.

“Masaki! Is everything okay? Are you thinking about something?” Adel was staring me right in the face. I must’ve gone blank as I ruminated.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “We’ll talk about it later. Leon, can we manage a little privacy?”

“That can be arranged,” the prince agreed. “Let’s go to the meeting room. We can talk there.”

“Great. Let’s head.”

We entered the meeting room and cleared it of its occupants. Then I presented my plan.

Almost an hour later, I was infiltrating the Imperial fort through its rooftop, using Wing and Invisibility to effortlessly creep inside.

I opened my map to see the countless people stationed at the fort, going about their days none the wiser. My map, unfortunately, couldn’t distinguish between ordinary soldiers and people who’d been summoned, so I had to scan the building room-by-room to find her myself.

To explain why, exactly, I was making my way there, we’ll have to go back in time for some clarification.

“All right. Let me get this straight,” Leon said. “Your plan is to engage the Sniper Queen before we commence the operation?”

“Yes. Look, she didn’t kill any of our troops. This might be naive, but I’m thinking she may not want to do more harm than she absolutely has to.”

“It certainly is strange that a marksman her caliber is yet to kill anyone.”

“Exactly. The fact that she’s not popping heads lends plausibility to Masaki’s theory,” Jirou added. “I tried to approach her in my Concealing Cloak, but I was found out instantly.”

“I can use Invisibility, a skill that counters any form of detection,” I told him. “Using it in conjunction with Wing should give me easy access to the fort.” Technically, Invisibility wasn’t a skill. Technically, it was a GM-restricted setting. But, technically, they didn’t need to know that.

“That’s certainly an option...”

While Leon and Jirou were nodding at my proposal, the color was draining from Adel and Youko’s faces.

“It is an option—one that’s way too dangerous!” Adel protested.

“Sure, Invisibility sounds great, but what if they catch you?!” came Youko’s objection. “Think for just one second about what you’re trying to pull!”

I hadn’t told them about Invincibility, so it was no wonder they were worried. Jirou might be the only one who knew about it, but even that was uncertain. He probably didn’t look into specific GM skills during his research.

“The less we sacrifice the better,” I said firmly. “That’s not to say I’m going in planning to get caught, but if she’s being controlled like I think she is, I want to help her. I nearly went through that hell myself, so I can imagine how she feels.”

With that, I finally managed to convince them. We went outside, I launched myself into the air, and activated my Invisibility.

“Wow, he disappeared!” Leon cried. “Jirou, I remember you being able to track people. Can you see him now?”

“No, he’s vanished completely,” Jirou replied, eyes on the empty sky. “He might actually stand a chance, especially since he’ll be alright, even if he’s shot.”

Once they’d confirmed the usefulness of Invisibility, I flew off toward the fort. As I enjoyed the calming evening breeze, a loud boom suddenly sounded. A gunshot.

The bullet whizzed right past me. How was that possible? No way anyone could spot me at this distance while I had Invisibility activated.

“Gwaaaargh!”

I whipped around at the sound of the screech, only to hear a wild gryphon crash out of the sky. So that was the Sniper Queen’s target, huh? I had to hand it to her: not many could pull off a shot like that.

I sped faster to eventually touch down on the Imperial fort’s roof. And that’s how I got to snoop around in the fort.

The Imperial base was designed for maximum defensibility, I noted as I studied the map. It had numerous doors that could form choke points. Almost every single wooden window, however, was wide open. They must not have expected an intruder from above. There were rooms with closed windows, all of them filled with little red dots, some of whom were prone. Bedrooms and break rooms, if I had to guess.

The fort’s highest walls were ideal for the placement of archers—and the Sniper Queen herself. From the ramparts, they could freely attack invaders from range. By contrast, anyone below would have a hell of a time reaching their attackers above.

As I was passing by a doorway, a series of clanks sounded from behind. A troop of armored soldiers was approaching. To avoid running into them, I flew up to the ceiling to trail them from above. I could hear every word they said.

“Hahhh, I swear that girl’s driving me insane. Why can’t she just kill ’em?!” One complained.

“Don’t be too hard on her; she’s just a kid,” his companion replied. “Though, her aim is pretty scary for her age.”

“But maaaan, she’s hot,” the other continued. “I wanna have a taste of that cute little bum one day, if you catch my drift.”

“You better give up on that. Remember that idiot who went after her? She cut him up real good.”

“We got the Farmer now, at least,” came the brash reply. “With the Farmer locked up, the girl’s got to do what we say. You might be able to pull something without punishment. Then again, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather tap the Farmer.”

“Ah, yeah, I was thinking about that too. Good lord, those boobs. I wish I got to guard her every once in a while.”

“How comes you’re the only one of us who gets to watch her? Lucky bastard,” another soldier cut in.

“I want to hear her curse me out of this world...”

“I wish she’d whip me.”

“Imagine a threesome with the sisters. Holy shit, I’ll nut just thinking about it.”

“I sure hope we’ll get our piece of the fun once they’re done with their tasks,” a soldier fantasized.

I’d planned to just let most of their chatter slide and stop following them. Instead, I went over the information they’d inadvertently provided me.

Okay, so it’s safe to assume this “Farmer” is Sniper Queen’s sister, and a fellow visitor from Japan. From what they said, it sounds like she’s being held hostage. With a name like that, her skill set probably isn’t suited for battle, but saving her could be a trump card when it comes to getting Sniper Queen on our side.

Though, I wonder. What MMORPG has a “farmer” class? Maybe she was summoned from a different time than me, because I sure can’t recall anything of the sort. Either way, I have to find their so-called “Farmer.”

The intel was nice, but the fort was massive. It might take me all night to find anything if I kept wandering aimlessly. I needed a plan...

A nearby door busted open as a familiar soldier dashed out, yelling, “Uhhhh, I have to piss like a racehorse!” I recognized him as the one who’d occasionally guarded the Farmer.

There was the way out I’d been looking for. All I had to do was ask him where she was being held. More specifically, I simply needed to shuffle through his memories until I saw the location for myself. I hadn’t had an opportunity to test this skill out yet, so I was pretty excited to see it through.

I followed the guard to the toilet and confirmed the room was empty. Then, I crept up behind the man and knocked him out with my Silent Attack/Jab/Stun Bolt triple combo. The aggressive act broke my Invisibility, but a glance at my map confirmed that no soldiers were headed my way.

I dragged the man’s limp body into a stall, closed the door, and activated the GM skill Access Logs. Access Logs allowed me to read past conversations between players in-game.

It had no effect on the non-living, like the bones I’d discovered in Leviathan’s belly. I’d tried to use it on the shell pendant, too, but had no luck. I also performed a test on a cat I found sleeping in my estate’s garden and was granted access to its memories. They played in the form of a video on my console. I could pause, jump back or forward, and even choose specific timestamps to view.

I flipped through the man’s memories and quickly located a well-endowed girl wearing a straw hat. Straw hats weren’t part of a prisoner’s typical uniform, so it was safe to assume the hat was a piece of her equipment. It probably boosted her stats in one way or another.

After a little fast forwarding, I discovered her exact location. They were keeping her in a cell on the other side of the fort. I glanced at the area on my map and discovered two guards stationed by the door.

Having finished everything I’d come for, I slipped out of a window, flew up into the air, and found my way to the lamplit room across the fort. It was an odd place to position a command center, but I was pretty sure I had it right. In any case, I didn’t have time to criticize the positioning of strategically important locations.

Once again, I slipped into the fort and, once again, used Silent Attack, Jab, and Stun Bolt together to take a guard out. As I expected, the attack dispelled my Invisibility, alerting the second guard.

“Hey, are you all ri— wait who are—?!”

I used the same combo to soundlessly take him out. Thanks to Stun Bolt’s paralysis, neither of them could so much as scream. I used some rope to bind and gag them, then I laid them out on the floor. After that, I opened the door to the Farmer’s room.

The first thing I noticed about the room was that it defied my expectations of what a “farmer’s” abode would be equipped with. It looked more like a research lab than anything else, filled with beakers and vials. When I took a closer look, however, I noticed numerous potted plants, along with fruits and vegetables, like apples and sugarcane.

“Wow, this is something else,” I blurted. The girl finally turned my way.

“Oh, a new guest? Welcome, welcome! Hmmm... I see you’re not of the Empire... maybe a thief?” Her tone was calm and carefree.

Her skin was white and her hair reddish-brown. Her chest, though, was more than well-endowed. It was even bigger than the soldier had recalled, and her rear wasn’t anything to scoff at, either. No wonder the men were losing their marbles over her. Even decked out in farmer-like cotton gloves and rubber boots, she was something to behold.

“Ummm... I suppose you could say that,” I replied. “I don’t really know how to start this conversation, but um... all right, let’s start from the beginning: Hi, I’m a thief and I’m here to kidnap you. Can I call you ‘Farmer’?” I’d heard a similar line in a movie, but damn! It was embarrassing to actually say out loud.

Not like I knew what to say, anyway. The only people who’d visit her were likely soldiers or thieves, and I sure wasn’t the former.

“Mm-hmm, I’m a farmer by trade. Are you hitting on me? Oh, no, what should I dooo?”

We didn’t have time to fool around, we had to get out of here before we were discovered. “Are you aware that your sister is being forced to shoot people?” I asked bluntly.

“Oh, yes. Of course I’m aware. I have been taken hostage, and she feels responsible for it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Mhhhm, let’s see. I noticed something dark and terrifying trying to take her, so I reached out. Before I knew it, we were here in this world. Hmmm, what a bummer. I missed the new episode of my favorite show.”

Given her situation, she was terrifyingly nonchalant. She was a hostage, and her sister had been conscripted into popping people off left and right, and she was worried about TV shows? Well, at least now I understood what was going on.

Basically, she’d caught her sister just as the Empire was summoning her here, and got sucked in as well. And now here she was, a hostage.

“Sorry about your show. Can’t really do much about that, but I can at least help you get out of here,” I told her. “Of course, we’ll be taking your sister, too.”

“D’awww, that would be lovely, but you see... this collar won’t let us get too far. I hear it gets realllly tight around your neck if you try.”

“Then I’ll take it off. Hold still for a sec.”

“Oh, will you? Should I close my eyes?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Holy smokes, this girl’s calm as a cucumber. I wonder how the Sniper Queen deals with her?

I checked the collar over and confirmed it was the same kind the Empire had tried to force me into. I took my lockpicks out and easily popped the lock open. It took me maybe three seconds.

“Oh wow, you actually got it off. Thank you, ummm...”

“Masaki. Masaki Toudou. We’re going to your sister now. Do you know where she is?”

“Masaki, Masaki, Masaki... I’m Haruka Kisaragi,” the Farmer introduced herself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My sister is Akiha. Akiha Kisaragi. She’s on the top floor. I wish you luck in your search.”

Are you kidding me?! I just came down from there.

“All right, let’s— What are you doing?”

“Hihihi, I need the poisonous seeds and leaves I’ve been researching during my stay. Bad boys who hurt my sister need to be thoroughly punished.” Her mild smile made the sentence ten times scarier than it ought to have been.

“Oh... all right. Anyway, take my hand.” I offered a hand to her.

“There we... go! I’m ready! Please, lead me to my sister.”

“But, of course.”

I took her hand and cast Invisibility and Wing.

“Oh wow, we’re flying! Won’t this drain your mana?”

“We don’t have time to waste.”

I’d left the two guards just lying there outside, so the whole fort would quickly realize something was awry the moment there was a shift change. We needed to save Sniper Queen before the Empire either transported her somewhere else entirely, or increased her guard detail. Time was of the essence.

◇◆◇

The girl dropped her sniper rifle and let out a tired sigh. After hours of intense concentration, she took a moment to enjoy the cool evening breeze.

Guess I pushed myself a little hard. I thought I felt a presence, but it was just a wild gryphon, huh?

She returned her firearm to her weapon slot, just as someone called out to her.

“I heard a shot, is everything all right?” A guard on patrol poked his head into the room to investigate the sound.

“There was a wild gryphon, so I shot it down,” the girl informed him.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really.”

The guard didn’t bother coming into the room and just let her be. The girl had already been attacked by soldiers she’d let inside. Since then, she’d made it a point to only allow people into her room when absolutely necessary. They feared and respected her skills as the Sniper Queen, so the soldiers obliged, leaving the girl by herself to stare into the wide night sky in her lonely room.

As she gazed out of her window, the girl reflected on how things had ended up like this.

She had been playing Commando City like any other day. She had dropped down to number three in the rankings, but still felt satisfied with her performance. During that session, she’d hunted down a good number of soldiers and some rares.

The girl had intended to take her headset off and lie on her bed for a break, but found herself unable to move, as her body and mind were dragged into a strange space together.

In and of itself, that would’ve been all right, but it just so happened that her sister had come into the room. Seeing the unusual phenomenon, her sister took hold of her hand, and was drawn into the same fate.

After that, her memories were spotty. She had fuzzy recollections of being fitted with a collar and of having her skills assessed.

It turned out that she’d inherited the physical capabilities of her Commando City character. Focusing her will, she could reach her inventory and character sheet, giving her access to everything she carried in that game. She’d acquired the skill set of a veteran, battle-hardened sniper and could shoot birds down from a distance of half a mile.

Her sister, however, was a different story. She had been deeply embedded in Farmer Island, a game that granted you an island on which to grow vegetables, keep livestock, and live a quiet life. She’d reached a pretty high level in the game and could grow high-quality rice, plant sugarcane in her bedroom, and collect eggs in previously unforeseen numbers.

Right under the combat-oriented girl’s nose, her sister had become a bit of a celebrity in her agrarian game. Her skills weren’t exactly what the Empire wanted for its war effort, but they made use of her the best they could. The plan was for her to produce food for the Imperial war effort, while her little sister would bolster their military strength.

Sniper Queen originally declined their offer and tried to make a break for it, but with her older sister held hostage, she had no choice but to give in. She was bound to shoot any target the Empire so much as gestured at, so they gave her an item to aid her in battle.

It was a magic earring enchanted with Farsight. The girl’s ears had never been pierced, but she had to tough it out and equip the earring.

She hated shooting people. The thought of picking up her rifle and really taking someone’s life terrified her. That must’ve been why she most commonly demonstrated disobedience by aiming for targets’ limbs, rather than their vitals.

Occasionally, she came up against a powerful, well-equipped soldier with bullet-repellant armor, but her anti-materiel rifle did the trick. In fact, with Farsight and her scope, she could see exactly how much damage each shot did. Every bone splintered, every drop of blood spilled, every limb mangled.

The anti-materiel rifle was powerful enough to tear a target’s limbs off. It was disgusting. The girl couldn’t always keep it together, and threw up many, many times. Though she pointedly avoided hitting their vitals, she was quietly aware that her targets could die of blood loss or infection at any time.

However, the Empire’s enemies weren’t her only foes. Once, her own captors had attacked her in her sleep. Her assailants had far outnumbered her, but her exceptional knife skills had turned the tables. That was the first time she’d taken a life up-close, and with her own hands.

Since then, she often dreamed of washing the blood from her hands that night, but to no avail. The trauma she’d suffered since being transported to this world gave her panic attacks.

Still, she had no chance to rest. The Empire gave her no time off and forced her to spend her days continuously using her detection skills, and reacting to everything she so much as picked up on.

She could only trust herself, until one day...

◇◆◇

I soared through the sky with the Farmer, Haruka.

“Do you know where they’re keeping your sister?” I asked.

“Hmmmm, right in the middle of the top floooor, I think? That’s the best sniping spot.”

“You’re allowed to talk to her, right?”

“Mm-hmm. Once a weeek.”

Keeping them apart served multiple purposes. It kept the Sniper Queen distressed, and safeguarded the soldiers in case something happened to Haruka. Doubtless, the moment Haruka was harmed or killed, the Sniper Queen would unleash hell on the fort.

“I guess she should be around here.”

“Hmmmm... ah, it’s that room right there,” Haruka pointed. “The window is slightly ajar, so let’s say helloooo from there!”

“We can just waltz in through the door, y’know, but whatever. Let’s just do it quick.”

Dealing with Haruka’s casual attitude took plenty of my mental energy, but we still flew up to Akiha’s room.

“Go and check on her,” I told Haruka. “I wouldn’t want to bust in while she’s changing or something.”

“You can walk in on her; she’s really cute and squishy. I’d know.”

“Yeah, that’s you and not me! Just take a look at her!”

I had no desire to hear Haruka’s tales of sexual harassment while I floated right in front of her sister’s window, yet there we were.

I was starting to feel sorry for Akiha. With a tired sigh, I checked on Haruka.

I can only hope her sister wasn’t cha— huh?! Did she just cancel Invisibility?!

“Heyho, Akiha! Let me iiin!”

She just knocked on the window and canceled Invisibility! Why?!

“H-Haruka?! Wh-What’re you— you’re flying?!” came a voice from inside.

“Sorry, we’ll have to talk about that later. We don’t want the Empire to find us, so try to stay quiet.”

“Who are you?! Okay, nevermind. Haruka, make sure you keep it down too.”

“Oookieee!”

I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and entered the room.

Hahhh, this girl. She doesn’t care for a thing in the world, does she?

“I thought I was dreaming when I first saw you floating outside.”

“D’awww, that’s very sweet of you,” Haruka gushed. “It makes me all kinds of warm and comfy.”

“I’m sure it does.” Akiha turned to me. “Anyway, who are you? I don’t know of any spell that lets you fly.”