Ch.192[Chapter 192] Unexpected Connection

“EEEEEEEVIIIIIIIIL HUUUUUUUMAAAAAAN!”

The Orc Chief’s rage was directed at Bell Fleur.

“That’s too loud, poing.”

A peculiar animal that appeared to be a mascot snapped angrily at the Orc Chief’s furious shout.

“You’re scaring our Bell, poing! Looking like an orc and doing this to our cute Bell, what are you thinking, poing!”

“I don’t just look like an orc, I am an orc! You little furball!”

“Furball, poing! I’m not a furball, poing! I properly have a name, Tiramisu, poing!”

“Tira-what? Pirami?”

“Eek…! Bell! It seems this orc shows no signs of remorse, poing!”

“Yes, you’re right, Tiramisu. I think he needs a harsh lesson.”

Sir Dominic heard a sudden ding-ding-ding sound from somewhere.

While Sir Dominic looked around to find the source of the sound, the magical girl and the orcs had already finished their first skirmish.

“…What is that, tiny human?”

Something was embedded in the orc’s rusty metal gauntlet, emitting smoke.

“Well, that’s my ability.”

A cannon made of toasted bread appeared beside the magical girl.

The cannon, which emitted a deliciously crispy smell, contained an enormous amount of baguettes inside, ready to fire at any moment.

The orc pulled out whatever was stuck in his gauntlet and chewed it noisily.

It’s definitely a baguette. And quite a tasty one at that. The Orc Chief thought.

“Quite delicious… no, impressive ability, tiny human,” said the Orc Chief.

“Where did you learn such a technique?”

“I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class.”

The magical girl made a frivolous remark.

“It’s an ability I have as the class president of Sweet Heart University’s Weapons Engineering Department, Year 6, Class 3,” Bell Fleur said with a proud pose.

Her face was somehow filled with pride.

“…Was that what weapons engineering meant?”

“They changed the name to Materials Engineering, so that must be a department about real weapons, right?”

“Does she have no shame?”

The orcs whispered among themselves.

Even to the ignorant orcs, her words sounded completely absurd.

“What do you know, poing! If Bell Fleur says so, then that’s how it is, poing!”

The mascot Tiramisu flared up at the orcs’ comments.

Watching all this, Sir Dominic pressed his temples firmly to calm his throbbing head.

Sir Dominic had experienced many things in Gachaland, but situations this headache-inducing and confusing were rare.

Above all, Sir Dominic felt left out.

Neither the orc who suddenly appeared and challenged him to a duel, nor the magical girl who abruptly intervened and fought the orc on her own terms, gave Sir Dominic any consideration.

However, Sir Dominic was a knight, someone who knew how to sacrifice individuals for tactics, and tactics for strategy.

Sir Dominic was also someone who knew how to clarify his objectives.

His purpose was to find people from Feralant, not to fight these individuals.

So he thought this was actually fortunate.

As Sir Dominic was about to take advantage of this opportunity to leave…

That’s when it happened.

“S-Sir Dominic, is that you?”

Sir Dominic heard someone calling his name.

When Sir Dominic turned his head toward the voice, there was a goblin riding a Tyrannosaurus with a djembe strapped to it.

It was Konga the Goblin King.

…

“Why are you here?”

Sir Dominic asked while sipping hot chocolate generously topped with sugar.

Sir Dominic and Konga were sitting by the window of a café with a clear view of the orcs and magical girl fighting.

“I thought you were…”

“Let’s be clear! Are you asking why I’m alive, or what business brings me here?”

The small-statured goblin Konga asked in a sharp voice.

“…Both.”

Sir Dominic answered honestly.

“Yes, yes! At that time, I truly sensed my impending death.”

Konga put on a solemn expression.

Konga and his pet Tyrannosaurus, Fortissimo Tempest, were data from System Industries and had once been deleted due to a bug.

“But fortunately, it seems I had backup data remaining. C-Cloud? They say I was saved by reserve data stored in such a place.”

At Konga’s words, Sir Dominic suddenly recalled a past memory.

He couldn’t remember exactly when, but clearly Konga the Goblin King was supposed to participate as a raid boss…

As his thoughts reached this point, Sir Dominic was struck by a new question.

“But… aren’t you a raid boss? Is it alright for you to be out here like this?”

“Ah, I’m on rotation. Unlike the newcomer Trom who’s a permanent raid, I’m fine.”

“Rotation?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never done a raid? Raids are typically divided into rotation raids that change weekly and permanent raids that can be challenged anytime with a ticket. I was last week’s, so I can rest for a while.”

The Goblin King Konga grinned, saying he could rest for about a month.

“Gachaland is a wonderful place. If I fight hard and get defeated, my value increases. As my value increases, I can go to higher places.”

“…You say this knowing you’re a created being?”

“That doesn’t matter. Whether all these memories are fabricated, or some mad scientist is sending electrical stimuli to my brain, it makes no difference.”

Konga responded to Sir Dominic’s question with an expression that suggested the question was strange.

“In fact, you are like me. I was created internally, and you came from outside—that’s the only difference. There’s no real distinction between you, who abandoned everything to start anew in Gachaland, and me, who was born and learns new things in Gachaland.”

Sir Dominic fell into thought at Konga’s words.

Konga’s statement sounded quite plausible.

In reality, Sir Dominic had memories of living in Feralant as a knight, but since coming to Gachaland, all of that was merely past memory.

“I can taste flavors, hear music, and vividly feel the sensation of wind passing by. Created, you say? Everyone’s parents create their children. They just do it with genes, while I was made with data. That mere difference means nothing in Gachaland.”

Sir Dominic nodded.

He knew well that this was Gachaland, a place where expecting common sense would lead to betrayal.

“I clearly understand that part now. Let’s move on to the next question. What brings you here?”

“Delivery.”

“Delivery?”

Sir Dominic didn’t understand Konga’s words and asked again.

Konga’s brief answer hadn’t provided enough information.

“Please elaborate.”

Sir Dominic took a sip of his now lukewarm hot chocolate, feeling parched.

As the bittersweet taste lingered in his mouth, Sir Dominic felt slightly more at ease.

“It’s nothing special. After eating delicious food and listening to various music lately, I ran short on Credits. So I’m doing delivery work as a side job.”

Konga glanced at his pet dinosaur Fortissimo Tempest parked outside.

Sir Dominic instinctively turned his gaze to the Tyrannosaurus, which had numerous delivery bags hanging from its back.

“Just how much have you been eating and enjoying yourself…”

Sir Dominic couldn’t finish his sentence.

Sir Dominic was quite popular.

With his popularity, the incentives from Enchant were like a pension, and with the money from selling Sir Dominic’s cards at the card pack exchange, he could live without financial worries.

But not all citizens of Gachaland were like Sir Dominic.

They were always short on resources.

The reasons varied, but they truly lacked resources.

Self-improvement was necessary to increase one’s value.

Saving money to upgrade equipment, making impressions at various events, or diligently clearing stages to prove one’s strength—all these inevitably required money.

Of course, some Gachaland people were obsessed with gacha, but most investments were for self-worth.

Let’s put it that way.

Anyway, for these reasons, the people of Gachaland always keenly felt the shortage of resources.

The Goblin King Konga was no exception.

Despite his title as King of the Jungle, the jungle itself belonged to System Industries, so Konga’s actual possessions were limited to his pet Tyrannosaurus Fortissimo Tempest and his djembe.

Sir Dominic and Konga silently looked out the window, sipping their drinks.

Blood-covered orcs and a magical girl with torn clothes gasping for breath.

The fight between the orcs and the magical girl seemed to be nearing its end.

Ding-dong. An alarm sounded from Konga’s phone.

When Konga glanced at his phone, there was a delivery request.

“Anyway, come visit the raid sometime. It’s a month away, but… I’ll go easy on you.”

Konga said to Sir Dominic as he got up from his seat.

Then, seemingly thinking better of it, he scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.

He realized it wasn’t the right thing to say in front of Sir Dominic, who had already defeated Konga’s bug-enhanced patterns before.

With that, Konga left the café.

Sir Dominic watched the Goblin King riding away on his Tyrannosaurus for a moment before turning away.

Beyond the glass window, the fierce battle between the orcs and the magical girl was still in full swing.