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Volume 5 Chapter 2 Part 2

As mentioned before on several occasions, the entire bar lounge was designed in such a way that the purple smoke that was filling the entire place up would prevent the guests from identifying who was sitting at the other tables, all for the purpose of avoiding provoking unnecessary conflict and possible brawls, but in the case of Queen Halloween and her aide, Scathach the Head Butler that precautionary measure did not matter at all, because they have been invited by Shiroyasha herself to watch the first round of the 2^nd War for the Sun’s Authority from her personal table. This meant that Shiroyasha wanted to have her sworn enemy close to her, and it also placed Queen Halloween in a bit of a tight spot, because instead of receiving her guests on her own territory like she usually preferred, right now she was the one stepping on her enemy’s territory, and if there was something that Queen Halloween disliked the most, it would be having someone like 「The Demon Lord of the White Night」so close to her own personal space, where it could get invaded at any moment. That was not fun in her book. Not. One. Bit.

「However. . . . . . . yes. In this one matter, I have to agree with you. I have to admit just having the numbers advantage on your side without strength to back them up will not be enough to achieve victory.」

「Hou hou? Now here is something unusually straightforward that I did not expect to hear from you at all.」

「There is no need for you to be so sarcastic, because all that I am doing is stating a simple fact. You cannot rely on numbers alone, but you also cannot rely on quality alone, since neither of these two alone are going to be enough to guarantee your victory. So, since this time we, the Sponsors and Investors are also compete in order to improve our own rank and standing in Little Garden need to have a perfect combination of both of those things. Is that not right, Scathach?」

「It is exactly like you are saying, my Queen. The only way for you to show your pride as a Sponsor is to demonstrate the power of your Community by sending your Players into the fray in perfect condition.」

Scathach agreed with Queen Halloween’s words while pouring her another cup of tea. . . . . . but then she looked as if she just remembered something that prompted her to glance at 「The Demon Lord of the White Night」with a curious expression on her face.

「. . . . . . . That being said, if my memory serves me correctly, here do seems to be an Investor among us who, even though she has a Community that she favors, only sent two of that Community’s members to participate in the 2^nd War for the Sun’s Authority as Players. That is quite peculiar, would you not say, my Queen. . . . . . . . Lady Shiroyasha?」

Scathach and Queen Halloween looked at each other and exchanged rather smug smirks. Sensing that the situation just took at turn for the worse and that she might be in for something rather unpleasant, Shiroyasha was about to open her mouth and attempt to change the subject to something else that would allow her to still be the dominant side in this conversation, but now that she has stepped into a minefield of her own making, Scathach and Queen Halloween did not to intend to let her escape from it without having her step on at least a few of them.

「Hey, Shiroyasha? You said that it is ill-suited and unsophisticated for such a grand event as the 2^nd War for the Sun’s Authority to try and seize victory for yourself by relying purely on the numbers advantage. . . . . .  but was doing the opposite really a good idea? As an Investor, should you not be doing anything in your power to help ease the burden that the Gift Games of the war are going to be placing on your selected Players as much possible? Because. . . . and do not get me wrong, it is not like I am saying that out of spite or anything, but having only two Players and expecting them to win just by themselves. . . . . . . .  to me it seems like a height of stupidity.」

「Khh. . . . . . . t-that. . . . . . . .  that is, you know. . . . . . . . .」

「The way I see it, Izayoi and Kasukabe You must be having it really tough. I mean, only the two of the out of the entire {No Name} Community to face such a monumental challenge as a War for the Sun’s Authority? Is that not kind of pitiful? In that case, as the Investor who chose them as her champions, you should have given them more support, even if it would go against your principles and made the competition less glorious.」

Scathach’s words directed towards Shiroyasha were spoken half-seriously and half jokingly. However, everyone gathered at the table right now knew perfectly well that {No Name’s} problem with being extremely understaffed on effective combat power was a serious one. And even though Scathach is first and foremost a 「Queen’s Knight」 and a loyal servant of Queen Halloween, it is not that she does not care about {No Name} and what happens to it, so if only they were to ask for help, she would have done anything she could to aid them from the shadows.

While Shiroyasha was grinding her teeth in frustration at not being able to refute Queen Halloween’s accusations, Kuro Usagi stood in front of her with her arms stretched wide as if she wanted to protect her.

「Lady Queen Halloween, please wait! I can vouch that Lady Shiroyasha is not doing anything to harm the {No Name} Community, and she is doing her best to provide us with the best possible support she can for the purpose of our participation in the war!」

「O-Ohhhhh!? Y-Yeah, that is right, you tell her, Kuro Usagi!」

Even though Shiroyasha did not remember asking Kuro Usagi for help, as well as giving her Community any real support whatsoever, she still felt grateful for her words of support, and so she clung onto them and encouraged her to say even more. However, internally she was screaming while holding down her head and sweating waves of cold sweat. There was no evidence of Shiroyasha providing support to the {No Names} for the purpose of their participation in the 2^nd War for the Sun’s Authority even though she was their Investor and pretty much everyone knew about it, so when she heard that, according to Kuro Usagi that was not true, Queen Halloween tilted her head to the side as her eyes shone with great interest at hearing such an information that she did not know about for the first time.

「. . .Hmpf, it is not like you to change your policies. You really went that much out of your usual way to help them?」

「U, umu!  But you know, now that {Last Embryo} has been overthrown, Little Garden will finally be able to go back to what it was originally meant to be: a place where all the cultures and religions of the Outer World will be able to mix and mingle together freely, and as that time approaches ever so closer, I just thought to myself that maybe it is about high time for me to become a little bit more active as well?」

「Exactly! Lady Shiroyasha never faces any problems without thinking about them in great detail first! So there is no way that she would ever forget about the important promise that she made with this Kuro Usagi right here!」

「. . . .  Y-Yeah, sure. Oh, and by the way, Kuro Usagi?」

「Yes, Lady Shiroyasha?」

「What kind of promise did I made with you, exactly? And no, do not think that I have completely forgot about it and am asking you about it because I want to save face! No, no no, I remember that promise of ours but. . . but it just so happens that its contents have slipped my mid due to a spontaneous temporary lapse in my short term memory!」