Chapter 274

"—Mr. Bell.

What made you fall in love with Motarike?"

Shim, who had only just spoken up until this point, threw a bomb onto the quiet dining table; I, Uranos, and classmate Motarike let out a "Shh!?" and Meleoron at the table over there choked as well.

"Eh. Seem-kun, do you want to hear it?"

Mr. Bell turned around happily. Oh! Hi, I don't want to hear that.

"Even if I say so, it's not like there was an obvious moment for it.

Would you say you fall in love without even realizing it?

I think it was only after Molly left that I realized, 'Oh, I love you.'

You see, this kind of feeling is something you take for granted, something you usually have, and only realize its importance when it's gone. Do you understand?"

"…Yeah. Somehow, I understand."

All in all, it's a good story...

Have I also been poisoned by some bad couples? Phew...

"So, this is the accumulation of what I fell in love with.

Of course, at first I was scouted by the bandits because I was a valuable Nen user.

Molly had a bad personality and was unstable, but she was serious and kind.

If I told him to do something, he would do it correctly while muttering to himself."

Mr. Motarike's expression was very complicated. Probably.

Uranos thought,

"Hmm, what did that picture say when we talked last time?"

"Of course it did.

I had him do all sorts of arts and crafts, make me a fake, and that painting where he used me as a model was the best. If that was the trigger, then that might have been the trigger."

Is that so?

"But that painting used as a model wasn't a fake, was it?"

"Yeah, just hearing that makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Molly occasionally said she wanted to paint normally, not fakes.

When I asked him what he wanted to paint, he said he wanted me to be the model for his painting. I had never said anything like that before, so I was surprised too."

Hmm... if you think about it, this sounds like a stimulant. But it seems it's already the best, could it just be a simple painting?

"You've been like this for a long time. Shape-shifting, isn't it?

Were you like this when you were a bandit?"

"... That's different."

Mr. Bell answered Uranos's question with a gloomy face. Motarike said he wanted to be a model, so the past doesn't seem bad.

That Mr. Motarike had a subtle expression on his face,

"He used to be cooler.

To be sharp and nimble.

It wasn't like this when I was relaxed, but when I got excited, it was a big deal."

"If you're tired, then so be it.

If you don't fight well, you'll get caught, so you can't let your guard down.

I don't want to do that anymore. I'm living as a bride."

Uranos shrugged at Mr. Bell, who seemed to be playing around.

"So, a rejuvenating drug?

I really want to regain my youth."

—Oh! I get it. It would look different.

"Because if it were the way it was before, it would be dangerous since you're a wanted person.

If you're this young, no one would notice."

Well, how old were you originally?

Classmate Senchi looked confused,

"That's why 13 is too much. You're almost a child."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't break it down!"

13... You said you were in your 20s, so I think you look about 15 now. Oh yeah. Calculation complete.

"By the way, how old is Mr. Senchi?"

Seam asked a good question. And since I didn't ask Mr. Bell, I can infer that he finished the same calculation.

"Me? I'm 34 this year, but..."

Heh, you're younger than I thought.... If you're 34 and around 28, well, alright.

"Hmm...

How old are you? I'm not the only one cheating."

Mr. Bell asked in a bad mood. Age or...

"You know me? I'm only 17."

"I'm 11!"

Shim, you're even more childish than I imagined.

"You?"

"I am 14, turning 15 this year."

"—Wah!?"

Student Motarike and student Bell reacted in unison. Haha...

"Wow, you look like you're 14? No way."

I feel like this couple's eyes are both focused on my chest.... Bell-san has something to say, too. I want to say don't compare yourself to me.

As if to deceive myself, I twirled the pasta with my fork and brought it to my mouth.

"And then?

Uranus, do you like girls with big chests like that?"

"—Ughhh!?"

No, you can't say things like that!! The pasta came out of my nose!!

Uranus is spraying coffee and making "geehogehogeho!" sounds.

"Oh, you..."

"Isn't that different?

You seem to have a good relationship, so I thought you were dating.

No matter who asks you, you're always alone, and I heard you have a partner."

"Cough, cough!

Ah... Uranus and I are friends. It's not like that."

"That's right, don't go making guesses."

For some reason, Seam has an indescribable look on their face. Why?

"Really.

Friends. Hey, friends."

"... What is that?"

"No, no. Friends are important."

I don't quite understand what Bell-san is talking about...

After Uranus cleared their throat,

"This is all just messy and redundant stuff...

Yuanchi, what exactly happened to that painting you drew?"

"Don't worry about it.

It was fine to compete on a whim, but I can't easily go back."

"What a waste...

Well, I'm scared, because if I could get that picture in my hands, I might be able to connect the past and the present."

Bell-san muttered complicatedly. Hmm... I wonder if there's anything I can do. If I just retrieve it through a lost-and-found courier service, I should be able to do it.

Uranus looked a little angry,

"So maybe I should go back...

Omara, you don't care at all."

"I told you, reality is reality, it's dangerous, so I don't want to go back."

"It's dangerous enough here, what are you talking about?"

Uranus and Motarike are probably arguing every time. Bell-san looked innocent,

"In that case, I'd like to stay here, is that okay?

The risk is the same."

"Not at all.

There is a risk of being caught there, and a risk of dying here."

"That's true, but in reality, you're very likely to die, right?

Thanks to the efforts of Mr. PK Buster, we are at ease."

"I didn't mean to... damn it."

"Ah, that.

I want to ask you one thing..."

I gently raised my hand. Now is the time to listen.

"Hmm, what?"

"What is a PK Destroyer?"

"That?

Uranus, aren't you talking about it?"

"Why would we talk about it?

I don't have time for that kind of thing right now."

"I don't think I need to.

Because I'm not listening anymore."

Hmm. The discussion with Bell-san and Uranus is ongoing, but they didn't give me an important explanation.... No, maybe.

"Uh..."

"Oh, sorry.

Uranus, can I talk to you?"

"..."

"Uranus...

If you really don't want to know, then I'll let you off."

With the story flow from just now, I understood most of it.

"... I don't mind. It's not even that kind of conceited thing.

I also want to clear up the current situation."

"Mm. Then I'll start."

"PK stands for Player Killer. Do you know about Player Killers?"

"Yes, I do.

Because of the card limit, they actively kill players to solve the situation where the items they obtain cannot be turned into cards..."

"That's right, the cards are secondary; the main purpose is to kill players. There are many reasons, it is said it's just to reduce competition. It's terrifying."

So, Uranus once gathered intelligence on Player Killers, hunting them down while clearing the game. That is why it is called Player Killer Buster, or PK Buster for short."

Hmm... is that so? Don't be so unreasonable, Uranus.

"Why are you like this again?"

When I looked at Uranus's expression and asked, he turned away with a gloomy face.... So, when someone makes an expression like that, I want to poke my cheek like this.

"I heard the same thing.

This is going to be a long story, okay?"

"... Please."

"At first, I chased Molly into the game.

Well, after a lot of things happened, I tried my best to find Molly, and we started living together.

One day, Molly came home looking strange.

This happens sometimes, and most of the time it's a day when I skip work and do some Painting."

"Hm? That is..."

"Molly has a Fixed job, but I don't know if she wants to do Painting, but sometimes she does. It results in a pay cut, so I'm in trouble.

If you do Painting at home, I'll know, so you do it outside, right?"

"..."

Motarike looked away awkwardly.... I see, so doing Painting outside is a hobby and a vacation? Or rather, can I find a Fixed job in the game? I thought it was just a daily task written on a prize sticker.

"So, I wondered if that day was the same, so I asked Molly.

Actually, it was true, I forced myself to look at the Painting she made, but..."

It depicted a child I had never seen before.

Who is this? Usually, it's scenery, buildings, or game characters? Even so, only a cute girl was painted that day.

I know Antokiba's game character, and since there aren't many female players, I asked her how she painted it—"

Oh yes. I know who you are...

Uranus put his hand on his forehead with a pained expression.

"In the city center, I asked a girl I saw at a show to be a model for a photo, and she accepted."

"Oh, I refused at first too...

But this guy is very persistent."

Uranus blushed.

"Is this a pattern of being worshipped and accepted? This is normal operation."

"It looks like Uranus."

"Stop it!"

Uranus covered his face with his wave-like attack with me and Sim. This person is really bad at refusing.

"Hahaha.

At first I refused, but Molly was very persistent. When he talked about why he wanted to be a Painting model, I felt convinced.

Molly, you are very good at misleading girls."

"I wouldn't do that. Let me tell you."

"It's terrible because you don't realize it.

This natural gigolo."

In response to the couple's conversation, Uranus bounced around. Yes... Iki.

"So, I thought it would be bad if I misunderstood, so I thought I would explain it to that child.

Just like today, I let Molly 'communicate' and let me come to this house."

"... So Uranus couldn't refuse that invitation like today?"

"Haaaaa...!"

Between the tightly clenched hands, a thin scream came out. This Uranus could even win over the seams.

"Because...

I took over as the model for the Painting, and asked them to actually paint it for me.

That day, if his lover invited me over because he had something to say...

It's scary to leave it alone. What?"

"Well..."

"Sorry, I scared you."

I invited you to this house, I explained.

Molly just asked me to be a model for this painting, so don't misunderstand my meaning.

Then you tell me you didn't see it wrong."

"That?

Uranus, you know this is a pickup, don't you?"

Uranus let out a groan of "ugh" at seam's casual roast.

"Well... I only found out later that it was a pickup, because I already explained it just now.

If I had known from the beginning, I would have refused..."

"That is the reason I didn't pick you up.

I just wanted a model for this painting."

Motarike's appeal. It's very chaotic...

"Use, damn it...

When I explained that I was a man so that hana could understand that I refused if she knew I was picking her up, she turned her back on me."

"Hmm, that surprised me.

Such a person cannot possibly exist."

"You, Amelo!"

Uranus, try your best to cover your face. Hahaha, it's very funny.

From the other side of the curtain, Meleoron could be heard laughing out loud.

Mr. Bell continued to smile.

"Alright.

Molly slipped and fainted.

I took care of both of you. It was at that moment that we established a connection with Uranus."

Oh yes. Uranus said the same thing.

Then, the next part is that story...

"Is that why you said you were going to hold a wedding?"

"Yes, you know me very well.

If I didn't grasp it correctly, I felt it would wander around and go somewhere.

It was a lot of preparation work, but after talking to a player I knew, we finally understood the flow of the wedding ceremony.

The prologue is already very long, but this is the secret story behind the birth of pkbuster."

King? Is there such a big deal?

Our Uranus

"Are you making a strange dramatization...?"

"I won't. I will only tell you the truth.

A large number of players gathered, perhaps because weddings are rare in the game. Even those who were not invited came to watch. We were also really surprised.

When I threw a bouquet at Uranus, I desperately dodged it, which was funny."

"Oh, um...!"

"Ahahaha. I threw it, you know?

You know what this means, so you avoided it."

"Ingredient...!"

Wedding bouquet? There must be some reason, but what is this reason?

"... However, if there are many people, it should be bad, right?

One of them is mixed in with the dangerous ones."

"..."

Are you a Player Killer?"

"Yes.

I think they were deciding who to target.

However, the target was the worst one—for him.

I don't understand why you would target it."

Mr. Bell remained silent, staring at Uranus. He said uninterestingly,

"... That guy, most importantly, tried to cut my hair with scissors.

After the ceremony ended, it was time to let go and disperse.

Somehow, I sensed her presence, so I tried to sink her with a counter, but..."

Uranus is usually weak. That's how it looks.

"Is that Player Killer a Professional Hunter?"

"Oh.

Blacklist Hunter, Binolt.

He is also a bounty leader himself, I don't know why.

First-class murderer, not good enough.

Just making it unable to fight is fine, but what should I do with this guy?"

Binolt, Binolt... I feel like I've heard it somewhere, but I can't remember.

"We are gathered Together to talk.

This guy is a big villain who eats people; you absolutely should kill him."

Wow... I wish I could stop eating. I don't have much left to eat.... Meleoron, I hope you don't mind.

"But at a celebratory occasion like a wedding, there is a point of view that...

If you force him to wake up and ask him why he cut Uranus's hair, he can learn all the information about that person by eating the cut hair."

"What kind of hobby are you talking about...

Who made him a Professional Hunter?"

Uranus is in a bad mood. It might be Netero. Yes.

Uranus crossed his arms and continued lazily.

"Since there is a bounty, it would be even better if I could catch him and hand him over to the Hunter Association.

But when leaving the port, you cannot leave at the same time, so you can use that time difference to Escape, and even if you use 'Leave', if you leave to a different place, you can still Escape."

Certainly. It's troublesome...

"I know the only sure thing is to kill him.

Well...

It's a hassle, but I dragged Binolt to the port, let him use up most of his Qi, threw him into the port with an En-based arrow, and told him to escape to this port.

Eavesdrop on the escape destination through the door to see if you specified the wrong place.

I immediately escaped the game from the port, went straight to the reality where my airship was, and took her directly to the Hunter Association headquarters.

To do that, it took a lot of effort, like making him keep my card."

Ha.... Uranus exhaled wearily.

"... Thank you for your good work."

"Well, that's an old story, isn't it?

After returning from the game, I explained the details of the event to several people through 'Communication'.

At the same time—

If you have any information about the Player Killer, I want you to give it to me."

"How did you end up like this again?"

"... It's about the matter.

It is rumored that there are at least 4 Player Killers among us.

Anyway, I think I will take them all down and clean them up. It is precisely because of them that the whole game seems a bit cruel."

Mr. Bell nodded in a good mood,

"For a time, the interaction between players became lively.

Information exchange about Player Killers and engaged players.

If you discover one, contact Uranus, and Uranus will go to defeat him.

The name PK Buster comes from the fact that he doesn't even use a Movement Spell to escape when hunting. I gave it that name."

"You!

... I only found out when I thought about having a strange nickname."

"That's right.

After all, the end of hunting players is three people, right?"

"That's what I know.

If it's hunting players, there are more, but that is the only one clearly aimed at killing.

At least we haven't found the Bomber."

One...

"I guess you did a good job.

Players who witnessed the victims also said that they suddenly exploded when no one was around."

"Well.

In the end, it seems there were no more casualties."

"Yeah. I stopped listening completely.

You were warned, weren't you?"

"I wonder...

Even when I was acting actively, there were casualties. The Bomber is the most active and the biggest.

That is to say, the so-called Player Killers have disappeared, which is good.

... That's why I can't agree to be idle in the game."

"Hmm. It's fine."

"I'm fine.

We don't even have a hospital, what if we get seriously ill?"

"Hmm... that's what I'm worried about too.

Because there is no hospital, right? Molly."

Miss Bell's cheeks flushed for some reason, and she looked at Miss Maochi. Miss Maochi also blushed a little and looked away.

For some reason, a mysterious Spell 'paruparuparu...' echoed in my mind.

Uranus also dyed his ears red,

"Hehehe. Normie, get blown up by the Bomber."

"If you want a child, then go out and walk around more."

"Then you might not be able to come back and play, and that wouldn't be good."

"You mean you want to regain your vitality and live a mundane married life, but you're not that kind of person."

"This isn't appropriate, Tuo."

By the way...

If a child were born in the game, how would that child be treated? There are no hospitals, so it's possible not to assume...

Well, that's none of my business, yes. I have a seam, and I don't want to get into a complicated story.

"Anyway, the story of the PK Buster ends here."

Shall we hurry up and clear the Plate?

Molly, make some after-meal coffee for everyone."

"I understand."

"Ah, I'll help you clean up."

"Oh.

It's fine, you are the customer."

"No, no, I heard an interesting story."

"Yes?

Then, may I ask you a favor?"

Mr. Bell, Mr. Maotarik, and I left our seats for the kitchen. Oh, the kitchen looks nice. It's easy to cook here.

While walking back and forth with the tableware, I heard intermittent sounds coming from the dining room.

"Excuse me, sister?

I can't come here."

"It's fine.

Listening is also interesting.

It's fun to imagine Uranus's twisted face."

"You..."

"I drank it when I ate a while ago, but the coffee he brewed was delicious."

"Ah, he works at a game coffee shop.

Even when he was in the thief group, it was considered useful because it was delicious."

"But I think I prefer it with milk."

"Tell me if that's the case. Maybe they will do it."

Sim walked into the kitchen.

"Mr. Maotarik. This is my coffee."

"I heard.

Do you like milk coffee?"

"Yes!"

Sim nodded happily and returned to the dining room.

Mr. Bell, who was washing dishes next to me,

"You two have a good relationship."

"Yes.

We haven't known each other for long, but we hit it off immediately."

"A nice gathering.

I'm talking about Uranus.

Because, you know, he has that kind of personality.

It's always too much if you don't manage it, so please give me some support."

"..."

"Yes, that's what I intend to do."

Your life is really terrible... you will worry about this.

Player Hunter and Player Killer

The "Player Hunter" explained by Genthru in Volume 14 of the original work refers to the same existence as "Player Killer".

The reason for intentionally using different words in the current (this work) "Greed Island" is that they are considered different.

The definition of Player Hunter in the original text is "players who do not intend to steal cards, but intend to kill from the beginning."

It is currently unclear whether Binolt had the purpose of stealing cards (he targeted Beginners), while the original Genthru did not directly kill for the purpose of stealing cards (except after the Hame-gumi were murdered). Therefore, these two are clearly "Player Killers".

Strictly speaking, "Player Hunter" is an act, while "Player Killer" refers to a person.

Although not specifically called so in the original work, "those who attack other players for some purpose, rather than for the main purpose of killing" are defined as Player Hunters in this work. It refers not to those who steal cards using spells, but to those who try to steal cards through direct intimidation or attacks on players.

The reason Uranus does not call "Player Killers" "Player Hunters" is because Uranus is also hunting "Player Killers", and is misunderstood as being included in the definition; players who understand Uranus and exchange information with Uranus based on the possibility of separately defining invitations also adopt the standards he established.

It can be said that the act of harming players and stealing cards is itself a tacit understanding among players. Therefore, we also refer to players who are belligerent but do not kill them, and we call them Player Hunters. Uranus is naturally included among those called Uranus. The harsh reaction to Lataza is a remnant of that event.

Originally, there were also players who wanted to steal cards and would kill if they couldn't, but those players disappeared because they were counterattacked or because they hid their voices out of vigilance against Uranus's movements. Originally, the Phantom Troupe were also Player Killers, but since they have already been captured by Aisa and others, they do not exist on the island at all.

With the disappearance of Player Killers, the focus shifted to the less dangerous Player Hunters. Genthru works between these safety nets. Until that time, when I met Lina.