Ch.11[Chapter 11] Gacha Land 2-3

“Hmm.”

Sir Dominic, who had just finished Area 2 Stage 2, was in a very good mood.

Indeed, combat always made Sir Dominic happy.

Although it felt different from real combat, perhaps due to the lifeless arrows shot by the scarecrows, combat was combat nonetheless.

Sir Dominic caressed his flag.

A brown flag with a white emblem of a dead oak tree with a raven perched on it.

As a knight of Ferallant, he quite liked this flag.

“Now I need to clear 2-3…”

Sir Dominic looked at the newly opened 2-3.

The stages Sir Dominic had cleared so far were not much different from the first one, but the description of this stage was slightly different.

[2-3 Compatibility Test I ☆☆☆]

☆Receive compatibility approval from 0/5 or more people.

☆Receive a total score of 0/20 or higher.

☆Clear

While previous stages had focused on how quickly and safely they were cleared, this stage was completely different.

“A compatibility test. I have no idea what this could be.”

Sir Dominic stared at those words for a long time.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, Sir Dominic’s limited thinking couldn’t reach a conclusion, so he had no choice but to just dive in and see.

“Well, how hard could it be?”

Sir Dominic thought complacently.

Given his personality that had little interest in anything besides combat, this stage was likely to be less enjoyable.

When he selected the stage, the scenery changed once again.

While previous settings had been training grounds or outdoor areas, this stage was different.

It was a space filled with magnificent works of art.

“My goodness.”

Sir Dominic was overwhelmed by the dazzling splendor of the space.

Could the imperial palace feel like this?

Standardized portraits, still lifes, and landscapes were all framed in gold as if to prove their value, and not a single potted plant or piece of furniture was ordinary.

For Sir Dominic, who had lived in the poorest battlefield of the already poor and barren Ferallant, this space was psychologically intimidating in itself.

“Oh my, welcome~”

Suddenly sensing someone’s presence, Sir Dominic turned around.

There stood a middle-aged woman in a purple dress made of high-quality fabric, similar in feeling to the noble lady who had tried to arrange a match for Lady Alice.

The woman before him, who hid her wrinkles with thick makeup, had impressively long hair piled so high it nearly touched the ceiling.

“It’s been a while since anyone came here. I’m glad I came to work today~”

The middle-aged noblewoman approached Sir Dominic with a joyful nasal voice.

Sir Dominic momentarily considered drawing his sword but soon realized she had no hostility and decided to speak with her.

“Pleased to meet you, my lady. I am Sir Dominic of Ferallant. If it’s not impertinent, might I know your name?”

Sir Dominic wracked his insufficient brain to recall the etiquette he had learned during his knighthood.

The middle-aged lady seemed quite pleased with his manners and let out a nasal laugh.

“Oh my, oh my, how polite you are. I’ve been doing this job for a long time, but people like you are rare. Just call me Baroness. My husband’s surname is Baron, so together it would be Baroness Baron, which sounds silly. You can just call me Baroness~”

“Very well, Baroness. I shall call you that.”

The woman who introduced herself as the Baroness seemed even more pleased, her nasal tone becoming more pronounced.

“By the way, could you tell me what I need to do for this stage?”

“Oh my, look at me. It’s been so long since I’ve seen such a splendid knight that I forgot~”

The Baroness gracefully walked toward a purple curtain.

When she pulled a cord hanging beside it, the curtain opened to reveal numerous mannequins.

“The compatibility test determines how much character you have in Gachaland~”

The Baroness elegantly twirled around and tapped one of the mannequins.

New clothes appeared on the mannequin, and Sir Dominic thought he had seen similar clothes on people he had met on the streets.

“More specifically, it’s also a place to showcase your individuality to gain sponsors~”

“Sponsors?”

“Illustrators, composers, story writers. Anything goes~ The stronger your character, the more you’ll stimulate their inspiration. Or they might just like you~”

The Baroness touched other mannequins as well.

Various styles of clothing and equipment appeared. Occasionally, special items like halos or wings would appear.

“You’ve probably heard the word ‘value’ often in Gachaland. What is that value? It’s determined by how appealing your character is to people, or whether you have abilities so useful that people will use you even if they don’t like you~”

The Baroness continued her explanation while bringing fabric samples to Sir Dominic, who was entranced by this fantastic fashion show.

“What’s the point of reluctantly raising a character you don’t want to raise? Isn’t it better to raise a character you love? It lasts longer! And if it’s a character that can sell more skins, how wonderful would that be~!”

The Baroness made a circle with her hand to indicate money and compared different colored fabrics.

Then she started clapping her hands in delight.

“Fortunately, Sir Dominic has decent character appeal. With a little more decoration, you’ll shine brightly~ Descriptors like ‘world’s most beautiful young man’ or ‘a man more beautiful than a woman’ are nice, but nothing enhances character appeal more than highlighting one’s unique charm~”

Sir Dominic received the outfit the Baroness handed him. His clothes changed from a Ferallant knight’s uniform to proper armor.

“My goodness, not many people look good in full plate! Is it because you’re a knight? Or is it the synergy with that charming one eye? Anyway, let’s keep this one! Inspiration is flooding my mind~!”

The Baroness continued throwing outfits at Sir Dominic.

Sir Dominic accepted them, though somewhat bewildered.

After all, he needed to prove his character appeal to clear this stage, and he himself thought he had no sense of fashion.

“Pirate, keep. Holy Knight, keep. Officer? Oh my. This looks great! Keep this too.”

The Baroness let out happy screams.

“It’s rare to find someone who suits so many different outfits. And with such clear concepts and characteristics! You’ll be well-loved~!”

The Baroness added that having so many suitable concepts would be good for selling skins.

“When creative works are made through an artist’s sponsorship, you get a portion of the profits. And increasing your value is just a bonus~!”

It was unclear how much time had passed, but the Baroness finally stopped handing over outfits after trying about 300 different ones.

Sir Dominic was exhausted. He hadn’t felt this drained since fighting the hellhounds tamed by demons.

After contemplating for a while, the Baroness threw one final outfit to Sir Dominic.

Taking it, Sir Dominic looked in the mirror.

While previous outfits had focused on flamboyance, this one was the epitome of simplicity.

Chain mail covered by a cloth with emblems drawn on it.

A surcoat, was it called? Sir Dominic loved this knightly attire.

“Unfortunately, I only deal with clothes, so I don’t know how impressive your equipment might be~”

The Baroness said regretfully.

“But with just the concept of a knightly knight, you can be loved. Trust me. I’ve seen so many people over the years~”

Sir Dominic smiled brightly at the Baroness’s encouragement.

Though tired and exhausted, he was still happy because he liked what he saw.

“Good~ Now let’s have the evaluation. This time, exceptionally, I’ll send both your concept shots and your current appearance. The timing is perfect since it’s late. Those people have trouble sleeping easily~”

When the Baroness manipulated something, the purple curtain closed and reopened.

Strangely, a large screen appeared, displaying these words and a timer:

[Evaluation in progress.]

[Results will be revealed in order of evaluation.]

[02:00:00]

The countdown starting from 2 hours decreased by 1 second every second.

Sir Dominic was curious about this time limit, but the Baroness continued her explanation.

“For the next 2 hours, we’ll send your information to all artists in Gachaland. Then those who like you, or like you but find something lacking, will send their evaluations~ We’ll calculate on a 5-point scale per person~”

Sir Dominic nodded.

However, he was worried about one thing.

What if he failed to meet the requirements?

“Don’t worry~ There are tens of thousands of artists active in Gachaland. And usually—”

Before the Baroness could finish, a new screen appeared on the display.

“Like this, they respond quickly~”

[Illustrator: Memeros]

[A knightly knight. A tanky tank. Even a flag? Finally a character worthy of drawing elegant armor.]

[The downside is that to emphasize the one eye, you can’t draw a helmet?]

[Rating: 4/5]

Sir Dominic looked at the evaluation on the screen.

“They seem to be giving quite generous scores.”

“Of course~ It’s proof that you’re that charming~”

Another new screen appeared on the display.

[Composer: Epic Anderson][4.6/5]

[Live 2D Creator: Apple Pie][2/5]

[Original Artist: Yoruhi Asatsuki][3/5]

Various reviews from artists evaluating him continued to appear.