And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online [Vol 2] [Prologue]

It was around a year and a bit after I started LA — Legendary Age.  

I had quit the guild because of the pain of confessing to a catfish, and was playing solo, but playing solo in an online game is lonely. So, I figured I’d try playing this game seriously and applied to join a guild that seemed serious.

They were the kind of guild that goes all in on PvP, quests, and leveling—everything. Seriously committed.  

The guild master was †Black Mage†, a guy decked out in shining, powerful gear you could tell was no joke just by looking at him. Honestly, I still remember feeling a little intimidated.  

But I got up my courage and spoke up. This is what happened.  

◆Lucian: Sorry, I want to join the guild...  

◆†Black Mage†: Oh? You want in? Alright, let’s do a quick interview.  

Suddenly, I got hit with that.  

Huh? An interview?! Just to join a guild in a game?  

I couldn’t deny I was a little taken aback, but I didn’t want to make things awkward since I’d been the one to speak up, so I nervously stood before him.  

Well, it’s just a guild in an online game, and even if it’s an interview, they probably won’t ask much, right? Yeah.  

◆†Black Mage†: So, what games did you play before LA?  

You’re starting with that?! My gaming history?! Like a resume?!  

So shocked I almost slipped off my chair, but I answered as best I could.  

◆Lucian: LA is my first MMO...

◆†Black Mage†: Ah, I see. This is your first one, huh? Got it, got it.

What kind of reaction is that? Is that good? Bad?

I got nervous while he seemed to be chatting with some other higher-up nearby in a different chat window.  

◆†Black Mage†: So, what do you do in real life?  

Now you’re asking about real life?! Not the game?!

Oh, I got it now. This isn’t an interview for “Lucian” the game character, it’s for me, “Hideki Nishimura.” Finally, I realized that too late.

◆Lucian: Uh, well...  

◆†Black Mage†: Ah, no need to tell me your job or anything. I just want to know stuff like your login times and how serious you are about the game.  

Serious about the game? It’s just a game, nothing more or less.  

◆Lucian: I’m a student, so I can log in from late afternoon to night.  

◆†Black Mage†: Oh, so you’re probably a high schooler or younger, not a college student. So you log off when dinner’s ready, or when the bath’s ready, and you can’t log in late at night, right? Hmm, our guild usually has people online all the time, but when the hunting starts, we keep going for like three hours straight. So leaving in the middle can be a pain.  

◆Lucian: Y–Yeah.

Whoa, I’m getting shot down! This is basically saying normal student life sucks!  

Am I the weird one? I’m scared! This guild is seriously scary!  

◆†Black Mage†: It’s not that it’s bad or anything. It’s just that if our styles don’t match, it won’t be fun for either of us. We’d end up awkward or stressed out. You might want to find a guild that fits you better.  

◆Lucian: Y–Yeah...  

I just said I want to join a guild, and it feels like I’m getting a lecture from a teacher. What kind of guild says normal students can’t fit in?  

The interview’s probably gonna be a no, so maybe I’ll just say whatever and leave. I started typing with a totally defeated mood.  

◆Lucian: So, does that mean if I quit school, I’d fit in? LOL  

◆†Black Mage†: Well, yeah, pretty much LOL  

He said with a joking tone, and †Black Mage† laughed too.  

Oh, so it’s not like they’re 100% serious about everything? I felt relieved—for a moment.  

◆†Black Mage†: But yeah, we’ve got a bunch of people who quit school or jobs just to play this game, and they all seem happy.  

He said that casually.  

What the hell, that’s scary.  

I stiffened up even more, and †Black Mage† kept smiling without breaking the grin.  

◆†Black Mage†: Oh, and also, tell me your main character’s level and class, gear, crafting skill levels, PvP score, and quest progress?  

◆Lucian: S–Sorry about that!  

◆†Black Mage†: Hey? Hello?  

I ran away. Yeah, I ran away.  

I never went near that guild’s hangout spot again.

◆Lucian: Even now when I think about it, it sends chills down my spine. I’m really glad I found my current friends.  

◆Ako: Lucian, you’ve had it rough too, huh...  

After hearing my story, Ako looked down and said, almost sympathetically.  

◆Lucian: Yeah, yeah, hardcore gamers are scary. That’s why you shouldn’t blindly follow strangers around.  

◆Ako: But I leveled up three times! And got some cute gear too.  

◆Lucian: That’s exactly why I said no!  

You already have that princess-like vibe, you know!  

See, Ako—the one I call “my wife” in LA—had been led around by a really cute-looking girl (according to her, anyway), who took her to an insanely difficult hunting area, got her lost all over the place, and after leeching tons of experience, gave Ako some items as a “thank you” when sending her home.  

◆Ako: But she was super nice. She taught me the enemy’s weaknesses, game controls, all kinds of stuff.  

◆Lucian: Did you get any of that?  

◆Ako: No way, not a bit!  

Told you so. I’m usually the one explaining those things, but every time, you ask the same questions.  

◆Ako: By the way, Lucian, were you okay after that? She didn’t chase you down or bully you or anything, right?  

As if! Bullying in an MMO? That hardly ever happens.  

If anything, it was the opposite.  

◆Lucian: She did follow me afterward, saying even if I’m not in her guild, we’re still playing the same game, so if I ever had trouble, I could always reach out. She helped me with quests a few times.  

◆Ako: That sounds like a really nice person!  

Yeah, they were awesome! Super strong, knew everything! I was sure I’d never be like them!  

◆Lucian: That’s why I respect real hardcore gamers. It’s not like I can’t handle it, but like they said, it’s better to play with people whose style matches yours. Playing with individuals is fine, but when you’re part of a group, differences in play style can cause major problems.  

Play style is seriously important. Forcing people who don’t fit together into a group will only lead to heartbreak and disaster.

Because precious crafting players would just quit!  

◆Ako: Yeah, I was seriously playing for hours and totally wiped out.  

No kidding. I’m in this guild, Alley Cats, where it’s normal to just sit down mid-hunt and chat for an hour. How am I supposed to keep up with hardcore grinding?  

◆Lucian: That’s why you gotta be careful not to blindly follow weird people. If you think you can get along, that’s fine, but if something feels off, just get out of there. Got it?  

◆Ako: Got it—But you don’t have to worry anyway, I’m always with you! I even told that person I’m married to you, so there’s no way I’m duo hunting with them!  

◆Lucian: That part doesn’t worry me.  

◆Ako: That’s mean?!

◆Lucian: I trust you.  

That’s the truth. If I’m going to marry her, there’s no way I don’t trust her.  

Honestly, it’s more about making sure Ako doesn’t get hurt again. She’s still getting persistent WIS messages from that catfish saying “break up with Ako-chan,” and I’m sick of the constant buzz-buzz.  

◆Ako: But it’s kinda nice, isn’t it?  

◆Lucian: Nice? What do you mean?  

As I was closing the annoying whisper windows popping up over and over, Ako smiled brightly and said:  

◆Ako: Like †Black Mage† said, quitting school and just living by playing games — that’s a real dream, right?  

◆Lucian: And you expect me to support you?  

◆Ako: How’d you guess?!  

◆Lucian: Seriously? No way I’m supporting you! You need to get your act together about the future!  

◆Ako: My dream is to be a full-time housewife...  

◆Lucian: Hey, I’m not saying your dream is bad, but I just can’t afford that!  

◆Ako: Ehhh...  

No matter how sad you sound, it’s a no-go!  

Man, this girl is hopeless in so many ways, seriously.  

That was the kind of talk we had three days after the modern trusted gaming club officially started working.  

At the time, it didn’t seem like much, but looking back, that was probably when the first signs started to show.  

And what signs? Obviously, it was about “my wife” causing trouble again.