Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 151: A Meeting from the Beta

"...My head hurts."

I sheepishly chuckle as I watch Hayate rub the bridge between his eyes. Then again, I can understand that since he just came from a one-day part-time assistant job with Mom. Plus, I think he's got a headache from hours of helping Mom.

"So let me get this straight. This [Elf] guy, Zale, met you again during a bank robbery event, and you're signing up in some kind of a magic academy [Quest]?" Hayate recaps. "Is that right?"

I nod calmly and say, "Yeah. Not only that, Yur1 agreed to come for the entrance exam in a few days."

He lets out a loud sigh enough to startle me before rubbing his forehead. "I was offline for barely a day, and you found yourself in another mess again!"

"It's not all bad! Zale and Yur1 saved me from that bandit leader, and I managed to stop those players before they could do anything to me." I recall those events in question and sigh in realization. "But I know what you're about to say. It's reckless for me to jump in without a plan. If they hadn't helped me, I would have ended up with another [Death Penalty]."

"At least you're aware of it. I would scold you for going off alone, but I think that little scene was enough to bring you back to reality. I get you're old enough to play [Isekai] on your own, but you still need to be aware of the stranger danger on the internet. Not to mention, some players don't share the same adventuring mentality as we do."

"Yeah, I learned that the hard way, too." Well, I did try to reason with them a bit. But I can't force them to do something they don't like. "I guess that means you're not leaving by my side after the [Guardian Player] shtick, huh?"

Hayate grows silent all of a sudden, and sighing again, he sits next to me on my bed. "It depends. As much as I want to babysit you in [Isekai], I have my own priorities now. Besides, you're now 13. I can't keep treating you like a kid anymore. Otherwise, Mom would give me an earful if I went too far again. If you really want to do that [Quest], then I won't stop you. But don't forget I'm also here to enjoy the game alongside you. I've still got some unfinished business in <Lucidus>, too, you know."

Hayate...

Yeah, I was the one who invited him into the game. Thanks to my invitation, he's managed to open up to a lot of players in [Isekai] and adventure with me in ways we can't do in real life. I guess in a way, he's the one who lets me find the magic academy and some hidden secrets within the game's lore.

"Anyways..." He says while stretching his arms. "We should get ready for dinner. Mom's cooking some mushroom soup and beef steak."

"Alright! First one to the table is a rotten egg!"

I quickly run out of our bedroom to the dining room, with Hayate yelling from behind. It might take a while for me to train myself for the entrance exam, but I'm confident I will pull it off in a few in-game days or so.

-----

The next day, we finish our chores in the morning, and while I want to get into the game afterward, today is a bit different. Or rather, a bit unlucky for me.

"Come on, Kaz! I'm not seeing any sweat on your face!"

I gasp as I try to catch up to Hayate, running in front of me. Of all the topics he and Mom talked about yesterday, why did it have to include my PE grades?! We're running around the neighborhood for almost an hour, and my legs are turning jelly. Hayate, on the other hand, is still running without any hint of exhaustion in his face.

"C-Can we... take a break?" I gasp while trying to catch up. "I-I can't..."

"Seriously, Kazuki? This is what happens if you spend too much time on [Isekai] and novels," Hayate says as he slowly runs backwards. "If you want to stay in tip-top shape, you need to go out and exercise for an hour or so."