Empire of Fantasy 7
Natsume: (But well, it is a shame. I do feel bad about Sora, but our hands are tied.)
(It’s because of the order and secret order the SS Administration Committee gave me as the leader.)
(The secret order being that I am to act as leader and play a central role in our activities for this.)
(It’s likely a countermeasure to prevent me from going against the Administration.)
(As usual, if Sora takes the spotlight, there’s no telling what Senpai or I would do for his sake—which could cause trouble for them.)
(I’m not an idiot—I know how to work the room. I wouldn’t do something so stupid as to go against them.)
(I guess they already saw right through me there. In a way, they’re looking down on me, knowing I wouldn’t be so reckless.)
(At the same time, it’s highly likely that Senpai’s orders were outright to not disobey the Administration Committee.)
(And obviously, having guessed that, I wouldn’t want to see Senpai have to violate those orders.)
(So in other words: Don’t do anything that will inconvenience the Administration.)
(It feels as if I’m being given double, even triple warnings. It’s a little depressing, but we’ll have to be good little boys for once.)
(If we disobey, we’ll receive a penalty. And if we don’t advance at SS, we’ll lose our place within ES.)
(As it is now, the agency—NewDi is being kept afloat by Senpai’s skill alone.)
(But if we step out of line and can’t bring in good results, no one will follow us.)
(It will probably hinder our future activities within ES, as well.)
(Which is why we definitely can’t antagonize the higher-ups, and we’ll need to achieve the best results possible without violating our orders or our secret orders.)
(...I’m sure Baru-kun and the others are just doing whatever they like without thinking at all about this mess. A shame I can’t be a protagonist like them.)
(Ahhh, adulthood is so constricting.)
(In any case, the order given to me was to revitalize the Tohoku region.)
(Or more accurately, it was more like they don’t want me to do anything that would be detrimental to the region.)
(It feels like I’m being led around by the nose, but I do have something that can satisfy their demands. That being the SSVRS and the VR world inside of it, SHINSEKAI.)
(This is the secret weapon that will lead us to a brighter future.)
Sora: Master doesn’t look very happy. What’s wrong?
Natsume: Actually, I suppose you could say I’m happy. It’s not as if I dislike having to use a lot of brain power or getting lost in thought.
Sora: HiHi~ ♪ Sora doesn’t want to think too much because he’ll get sleepy, but the SS this time is like a game, so it’s fun! And if it’s fun, Sora can keep doing his best, right~?
Natsume: Yes. Actually, I believe it’s high time we show off what the Yumenosaki game research club is made of.
Perhaps I should offer my condolences to Shu-nii-san and all the other noobs when we clear the game with a high score ♪
Tsumugi: It does look like they’re being eaten alive out there. Do you think they’ll be okay?
Natsume: They’ll be fine. Everything is proceeding exactly as planned.
In the beginning, Nii-san and Mika-kun won’t be able to adapt to the virtual reality and will end up getting tossed around.
But thanks to yesterday’s winner-takes-all match, they have a large amount of SSG in their possession.
They’ll have the power to endure this series of losses and failures.
Tsumugi: Is that why you decided to have that match? Because even without it, we wouldn’t have had any particular obstacles to overcome.
As per our agreement with the Administration, so long as we get good results from our SSVRS experiment, we’ll be able to participate in the main competition.
Natsume: There are no particular obstacles, but there was still some meaning in holding that match.
I don’t want to bring such real-world destinies as winning and losing into the game.
I want the story that’s spun within SHINSEKAI to be one of freedom and happiness, one with no relation to that harsh reality.
And besides, the results of the Qualifying Rounds were announced yesterday during the winner-takes-all match, proving that at the very least, those in Valkyrie are excellent idols.
Should they run into trouble and Valkyrie no longer qualifies to advance, Shu-nii-san will still be able to save face.
If not, I am a bit afraid he’ll hold a grudge against me later.
It’s not that I want to make my nii-san upset or angry or anything. And I’m not a pervert like that Emperor who’s just begging for people to resent him.
Tsumugi: Actually, I think it’s more that Eichi-kun doesn’t think he deserves forgiveness, so he feels bad.
Natsume: Right. What bullies want are the shrieks and cries of their victims, not forgiveness.
He can feel bad all he wants, but that’s still too lenient a punishment.
Reality really is complicated and unjust. Awards and punishments are doled out with blatant disregard for universal rules or common law.
Even today, the world is still dominated by evil, and those bad guys are gorging themselves on the blood of the innocent.
Natsume: However. Within a game where everything is programmed, everything works with much simpler logic.
In this world where everything obeys my every command, I will reign as god and control everything. I’ll make sure they can live in peace and joy within this miniature garden—
And I will give everyone an equal opportunity to experience their own happily ever after.
—Welcome to paradise, my idols ♪
Tsumugi: Um but, no matter how you look at it, I’m pretty sure this world is a dystopia, right?