The King's Mandate: Anomalous System

We are on our way back home. 

Nothing happened at school today other than Elena messaging me in the middle of the lectures.

She is still eating the snacks I bought in the morning, without my permission, of course.

She even took some and put them inside her bag.

"Hey, Das."

"Yes?"

"You are coming to LWO today, right?"

"LWO?"

"Len World Online."

"Oh! Yeah."

"Then wait for me near the fountain, okay?"

"Okay."

"And don't talk to strangers." she added.

"I am not a kid."

"But you were talking with those two yesterday."

"Fine." I sighed as I said, "I won't talk to anyone."

It's not like I like talking with some random humans.

I needed help yesterday, but now that I know the map, I won't be needing any help.

"And if you run into those two, don't talk to them."

They surely don't get along with each other. 

According to them, Elena kicked them out of the party. But I don't think Elena could've ever done that. 

"Why do you hate them so much?" I asked.

"They left me all alone. "

Huh?! Left her alone? But they said she kicked them out; what's going on?

As I was about to ask her for some details, Elena closed her distance to me and said, "Okay, then Das."

"What?"

"Let's kiss."

I know very well that I want to kiss her too. No, not just a kiss, I want to do many things but...sigh.

"Does it not feel good?" she questioned.

"It's not like that."

'It feels wonderful; I want to kiss you all day' as if I could say that.

She closed her eyes, I closed mine, and our lips touched each other. 

Her lips are soft. I can't get enough of her kisses. We have kissed many times, but whenever we kiss, it feels good, I feel like I am--

"Oh my, high schoolers these days."

"They have no shame."

What the---!

I opened my eyes to see two women looking at us.

"Das." 

I glanced at Elena.

Her face was flushed, and she was about to cry.

I glared at those women, and they walked off.

Can't they mind their own business?

Making my Elena cry.

Dammit!

"Hey." I grabbed her hand and said, "It's okay. Let's go."

We always kiss in the park and make sure that no one is around. This time too, we made sure no one was around, but...

"People are dangerous."

As we were walking, I glanced at Elena. 

Her ears were still flushed.

"Hey, it's okay. It's not a big deal." 

"It is!" she flapped her hands in embarrassment and said, "It's super embarrassing!"

"Then don't ask me to kiss you every time we pass through the park."

She puffed her cheeks and said, "I won't stop doing that."

I chuckled as I grabbed her hand and said, "Want to stop by at the café?"

"Can we?!" she exclaimed.

Oh! She is back to normal.

"Looks like there is no need to go now."

She puffed her cheeks again.

So cute!

I want to kiss her.

"I was kidding."

We went to a café. And as usual, I ordered nothing but...

I glanced at Elena, who was stuffing as much as she could in her mouth.

"If you eat this much, you will get fat."

"I am trying to get the fat on my chest."

"..."

Good luck with that.

"You like big ones, right?"

"It's not like that."

"You didn't deny it!" she shouted as she kicked my leg.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday that I will love you no matter--ah!"

Aw shit! I repeated it without realizing it. 

I glanced at Elena, only to see her glaring at me while stuffing the cakes in her mouth.

Dammit!

Why is she so cute!

"Mmf mu mmphmf!"

"Huh? What did you say?"

"I said, 'Das, you idiot.'"

Yeah, I am an idiot to fall for a girl like you.

I wanted to say that I am still not quite ready for the circumstances yet.

I took a deep breath and said, "So hey."

"Mu?"

"Why did you choose this game? I mean, other VR games are less expensive and might even be better than LWO."

"Mmmmf mu mumpfm mu mph--"

"Finish eating first."

"Because this game is good."

"I know, it is good, but I looked at other games which look better than--"

"This game is F2P."

"F2P?"

"Free to play."

"Hah?! This game is crazy-expensive."

"You only have to pay once."

"That is not free then."

"Better than other games."

"Do other games cost more than one time?"

"Yeah. In LWO, you have to level up by hard work, while in other VR games, you can get items and skills with money."

"Wait, you mean like, the more money you spend, the stronger you are?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

Wow, the fuck!

"And you said you like to do something that can be achieved by hard work. So I wanted you to enjoy this game."

She did everything for me, but I am sorry Elena, I think I earned something without hard work, but It's 0impossible to tell her now.

What would she think?

Dammit!

"What happened, Das?"

"Nothing, if you are done eating, then let's go."

I dropped Elena off at her house and went home.

I was reading some stuff from the internet in the living room.

I received a message from Elena saying...

"Hey, mom." I called out my mom.

Mom was making dinner in the kitchen.

"What. Das?"

"Elena said she is coming here on Sunday."

"Oh, is that so."

"Yeah, so don't do anything weird."

"I have never done anything weird in my life."

"Liar, last time she came here, you were clinging to her."

"But she liked it."

"She was creeped out."

"Did she say so?"

"She… didn't."

"Heh." She smirked.

"What are you smirking about?"

"You don't understand girls at all."

"Indeed." my Dad butted in.

"Where did you come from?!"

"I am home!"

"Welcome home, dear."

"I am hungry. Is the dinner ready yet?"

"Dinner is ready, wash your hands, Das."

"Yeah, yeah."

After eating dinner, I went to my room.

"Okay now." I stretched my hands as I looked at my desk, and then glanced at the VR gear and said, "Gaming time."

I patched the gears and wore the dive gear. 

I pressed the switch, and again my consciousness was being sucked.

"I can't get used to this feeling after all."

Soon, I found myself in the air, falling. 

Why!

"Why the hell am I still logged in like this?!"

I thought it was only for the first time.

Though somehow, I am not scared this time. 

The scenery is amazing. 

Since it's night in the real world, it's night here too. 

Soon after, I landed on the giant leaf. 

I slid down from the leaf as I said, "I just hope I log in normally next time."

I sighed and said, "Let's go to the fountain."

[Hey Adas.]

I heard a familiar voice. 

I looked around but no one--

[I am here.]

I saw a small figure poking out its head from my hair.

[Hello!]

She sounds very cheerful.

"Pixie."

She started pulling my hair.

"Hey, what gives?!"

[Call me Lily.]

Oh, right, I named her yesterday.

"Hey, Lily."

[I was waiting for you.]

"You were?"

She nodded while puffing her cheeks.

It's kind of cute--again? Why did I think that?

"I was at school."

[So where are we going today?]

"I am waiting for my girlfriend; then we will go somewhere."

[I see.]

Is it just me, or does she sound less cheerful now? 

Her way of talking, her reactions, the way she acts...it's almost like she is a real person.

"Hey, Lily."

[Yes?]

"What exactly are you?"

[I am Lily.]

"No, I mean you talk and act like a real person."

[Oh, I am not a real person.]

I knew it...I knew it but hearing that from her makes me feel somewhat...sad.

"So you are just an A.I?"

[Not exactly, I am like a real person, but I only exist in this world.]

"Oh?!"

[My feelings, emotions, the way I speak, the way I act, everything is real.]

"I see."

So it's real...everything is real...she is… natural.

"I am glad."

[Huh?]

"Hey Lily, you won't disappear, right?"

[I won't.]

"Thank--"

[Unless the developers decide to get rid of me.]

"Huh?"

[That won't happen, though.]

"I see."

Like hell, they will do that.

I will just buy the entire game.

[Why did you ask?]

"Why did I ask? I don't know either, but...I don't know. It's like I don't want to lose you or something similar to that feeling?"

I suck at understanding feelings.

[Wha...what are you saying?! You can't; you already have a girl--]

"Ah! Now I know why. You see, I don't have any friends in the real world, only Ele...my girlfriend is the one, so here I found you… so it's like that."

She started pulling my hair for some reason.

[Friends, you say? How can you say that?]

"Shut up! It was embarrassing for me to say that you know."

[Idiot.]

"Excuse me?"

[Hmph! Since you are a loner, I will be your friend; you should be thankful!]

"Oh?! Well, thanks."

As I was chatting with Lily, someone covered my eyes from behind.

There is only one person who does that.

"Guess who?"

"Stop that, Elena." I instantly replied.

"Buu buu, you are wrong."

Huh?!

If it's not Elena, then who?! I don't know anyone in the real world, let alone in a game.

I immediately looked back to see a girl with white hair, white skin, slender--it's Elena after all. 

I pinch her cheeks...huh? It's kind of soft. I pinched her again. Yep, it's softer than in the real world.

"Stop doing that!" She grabbed my hand and said, "And my name is Reina in the game."

I got punched, too, by the way. 

I always get punched in the real world, but here, it hurts. 

I have to make sure not to make her angry in the game.

Or maybe I can just dodge all her punches? But let's allow her to hit me since I get kisses after getting hit.

"What are you doing here? I told you to wait for me at the fountain."

"Huh?"

I glanced around to see the fountain was far away from us.

"Sorry."

It seems I passed the fountain as I was talking to Lily, so I didn't realize it.

"And you were talking to yourself, are you okay? I told you not to study this--"

"I was talking with--"

Lily? Where did she go?

[I am on your head, and they can't see me, so don't tell anyone about me. Did you forget you are supposed to keep it a secret?]

.....

I gulped down and said, "Yeah, I was talking to myself."

What is this mixed feeling of guilt?

"Well whatever, we will go clear and the mountain areas now, then tomorrow dessert, then the sea, then ruins--"

"Oh, look, who do we have here?"

"Hey, Adas."

Ricky and Rikka.

Elena grabbed me and said, "What are you two doing here?"

"Playing the game," Rikka replied.

"Yeah, so go ahead and play the game," She made the shooing sign with her hand and said, "Don't you dare talk to my boyfriend."

"Good for you that you can team up with your boyfriend now."

Do girls always talk like this? 

I looked at Ricky, and he was scratching his head as he forced a smile at me. 

He has it hard, too, huh?

"Rikka." Ricky grabbed Rikka's hand and said, "Stop that."

"How can you say that, Ricky?!" she glared at Ricky and then glared at Elena, saying, "This girl used us and kicked us out of the party."

"What?! Did I kick you out? You guys left me alone!" Elena shouted.

"What are you talking about?"

"That day...I waited for you, but you never came"

"Wait a minute; you kicked us out!"

"I never did! You guys left the party!"

"You are saying we are lying?"

"So I am lying?!"

Elena might be rude, but she would never lie. 

And honestly, I don't care about any of this. But if Elena is being wronged here for something she has never done, then I should clear up this misunderstanding.

"Wait a minute, let's talk about this nicely, okay?" They both stopped shouting at each other.

"Yeah," Ricky pointed his finger behind me and said, "Let's talk in the café, shall we?"

We went inside the café, but no one ordered anything. And the tension was so high that the servants didn't come to take the order. 

"So Ele...Reina, tell me exactly what had happened?" I asked,

"They told me that I am being selfish and can't play with me. So I said, 'Stay if you want or leave.'"

"Is that what happened, right? Ricky, Rikka?" I questioned.

They both nodded in reply.

"Then the next day, I waited for them, too, the day after that. But they never came!"

"You kicked us out, so why would we come?"

"I never kicked you out!"

"Okay, Reina." I patted Elena on the shoulder and then glanced at Ricky and Rikka, saying, "Now tell me what happened on your side, Ricky, Rikka."

"It's, as she said, she told us to leave, so we left the party."

"I didn't say anything about leaving the party."

"But that's what it means, right Ricky?!"

"Okay. Okay. Calm down"

I think I got it now. Elena told them to leave, but she didn't exactly say anything about leaving the party. Meanwhile, they both felt that she told them to leave the party.

"This is a misunderstanding; we can talk about this." I stated.

I explained to them what truly happened.

"So you didn't kick us out?" Rikka confirmed.

Elena shook her head.

"I see, so it was just a misunderstanding."

"Yeah."

"It was no one's fault," I added.

"Well then, we should go," They both got up and said, "Enjoy playing with your boyfriend."

Elena didn't say anything. She just sat there looking down.

Does she want them to...

"Wait a minute!" I called out to them.

Ricky turned back and said, "What happened Adas?"

"Do you want to team up again?"

"What are you talking about?"

"We can start again. How about this?"

"I have no problem, but ask your girlfriend if she is okay with this," said Rikka.

I don't think she will say no since she wants them to join. But let's confirm it.

"Ele--Reina, how about it?"

"It's okay," she replied.

"She has no problem."

"Okay then, let's form a party, four of us."

"Yeah."

So we formed a party. And I also added Ricky and Rikka to my friend list. 

It seems making friends in the game is more comfortable than making friends in real life.