(Rin POV)

The heat was annoying. I felt really, really envious of Nana’s constitution because she wouldn’t have been sweating even at a time like this.

While I was wandering around the assembly hall, I was thinking about such things.

For some reason, her temperature regulation functions were like this and that. Our exclusive doctor examined her and was surprised, but I didn’t really understand the small details.

「R-Rinne-san! Please give me an autograph!」

The autograph event had ended earlier, and right now I was on free time. However, as a pro gamer, it was my job to continue to promote my popularity.

To the demand of the innocent-looking girl who had mustered up her courage to call out to me, I warm-heartedly answered.

「Sure, it’s fine. Where do you want it?」

「Uuum, let’s see….then, in the center of the controller…!」

「You have good taste…..then, with this, I hope you get better at it, so do your best!」

「Uwaaah…….Thank you very much!」

「Have fun, okay?」

Had she purposefully carried around a white controller for that? Having been presented with that, I signed at a part that wouldn’t hinder playing.

With just that, the girl let out a giant smile and embraced it as she said her thanks.

「U-um, Can I also have one too….?」

Yep, here they came. I basically said that I wouldn’t sign outside of signing events, but after doing a favor to a young girl like that, I predicted that this would happen.

「We’ll do the signing in one straight line, and bring out the things you want to be signed in advance.」

The people who wanted my autograph gradually started to gather up, so I gave out some basic instructions.

☆

「Aah….so tired」

I loved doing fan services. Since I could see everyone’s happy faces, I could internalize a feeling of accomplishment from my efforts.

Though I said I was a pro gamer, most people basically stream as their main job.

You could say that they were a pro if they earned money for it, but as of now, the definition of a pro gamer was quite vague.

Contests with prize rewards had increased, so if there were people who could make their livelihood on some prize money like me then there would also be streamers who could make contracts with an enterprise and receive salary.

But still, in recent times, people who made money from games were, generally speaking, at least partially sponsored by some business.

Video uploading, streaming, even if you didn’t regularly work, you could still make money in various ways through entertainment.

Well, regarding money making methods, if you asked me, I didn’t really care.

I myself had hundreds of millions in savings, and if I did want to earn money, there were much more time efficient ways than gaming to do so.

No matter what game it was, games that were trending each had various ways of enjoying them. If you were playing consumer games then before you knew it, you’d be playing online war games. There was enjoyment in fighting against an opponent who was of equal or higher rank to you.

Regarding an environment where you could fight that kind of opponent on a big stage, it would be way faster if I just made my own.

After all, 《HEROES》 itself was a gaming team that I made for me to have fun with.

「Miss Rinne, thank you for your hard work.」

「Ara, Mr. Daruma. It’s been quite a while.」(9: they are using Shi, not -san or anything, not sure if you guys would want to go with Daruma-shi or Rinne-shi)

Since doing fan service itself was quite stamina-draining, I used the staff room to rest. The one who talked to me was a stout, fat, middle-aged man.

Hayashi Daruma (囃子達磨). He was one of the devs of WLO, and not only that, he was someone with a lot of influence in the gaming world. For me, he was also one of my clients.

「Since it’s been just two months since we have seen each other, it hasn’t been that long, I should think.」

「So when I was a tester, was it? Certainly, saying it, that might be the case.」

「Today’s event summoned the Cloclo RTA-ers, so thanks to that, things got heated one more level. Normally its at the overseas where RTA events get more heated up, so to lure more people, there was a need to invite someone like Miss Rinne as a guest.」

「I know that. Since I also met players from overseas that I haven’t met for a long time, it was worthwhile.」

Because of the nature of Cloclo’s 100% clear RTA, it takes time, and so there weren’t that many participants in Japan.

To be frank, it might even endanger your life. At that time I had done it as well, I had stayed in bed for three days. As gaming culture had spread to the masses, that caused gameplays to become overdone, which was the main problem, so it couldn’t be helped.

Though the super high-ranked RTA record that I held took more than three days to achieve, so it wasn’t like I had to do it in a two-day event like this one.

So the participants today would probably go for twelve hours at the longest. Restricting it to Cloclo, the regulations were probably only limited to 30% of the game.

「However, Miss Rinne sure have found quite a troubling outstanding talent.」

Mid-conversation, Mr. Daruma changed the topic.

He didn’t specify exactly who it was, but it was really something that you didn’t have to directly say.

「Ufufu, Mr. Daruma with that kind of expression, it’s been quite a long time since I have seen it.」

「It’s not a laughing matter, you know? With WLO’s level of AI technology, it is being managed by the computer, but that means that we won’t be able to directly intervene with the NPCs. Of course, we have prepared GM NPCs for events, but a large number of NPCs are 「Living」in that world. To think that the Red Wolf would be defeated this fast…..」

「I wonder if it’s alright to talk about that with just one of the players?」

「We received a huge investment from you, after all. Of course, I won’t spoil things to the point that you won’t be able to have fun playing the game. However, Nana-sama was it? Because of her influence, WLO’s acceleration had begun. It can’t be helped but, it seems like we will have to hurry up the event.」

Mr. Daruma sighed as he said so.

I hadn’t really had anything to do with the development of the game, but the one he asked to guarantee the funding for it was the Takajou household.

Since he was one of the directors that I had set my eyes upon ever since Cloclo, when I begged for it, my dear father happily lent a huge amount of money.

「Was that all your business for today?」

「Not really, there’s just one more. The WGCS that will happen after three months. Are there any plans of having Nana-sama participating in it?」

「Yes, of course. The title this time is a VR shooter, right? It’s the most suitable for Nana, after all.」

WGCS. It was an abbreviation of World Gamer’s Championship, a gaming festival for the whole world.

A humongous event that lasted for a week, its main attraction this time was a shooter game. Previously, there had been MOBAs, fighting games, and every once in a while there were TCG’s as well. (9: TCG basically trading card game, games like hearthstone, shadowverse and stuff)

This year would be the first time a VR game would be chosen. You could say that was why the VR department of 《HEROES》was created.

With an extraordinary prize and supreme prestige. The festival for gamers, the fight for their tickets might be coming soon.

「Our company has also offered our technology, so it’s a shooter game that stands at top right now….though you could also say that it has strategies similar to MOBAs. It’s basically a squad-based battle royale. Wasn’t it the category that Miss Rinne is bad at?」

「For me, yes. But I have scouted someone other than Nana who can excel in that category. Members other than Nana, I’ve been having them practice it as their top priority.」

「Oh, is practice not needed for Miss Nana?」

「You’re right. Since that’s how she is, after all.」

Right now, she was still doing some trial and error in WLO, but Nana had an extreme fear of hurting people.

It was somewhat alleviated because WLO was a game, but from her hesitancy, it seemed she was still not really comfortable with personal matches.

On the other hand, there was a part of her that showed no mercy against animals. If you saw her fighting against a normal monster, you might see that she was fighting with as much brutality as she could.

What Nana was originally good at was projectiles. Throwing weapons, crossbows, bows, longbows, pistols, shotguns, miniguns, sniper rifles, it didn’t matter what it was.

Having to aim for something, doing a drag shot and having one hundred bullets hit one hundred times, she could achieve monster-like feats. And as that wasn’t even in a game, it was reality. That was another ridiculous part of her.

Since she was like that, rather than purposefully making her train, it would be better to get her to the point where she could move freely.

If you just properly gave her the information, it was alright to leave her alone with it.

And also.

Her stats might have increased considerably, but most likely, Nana’s avatar still hadn’t overtaken Nana’s abilities in real life.

That girl’s potential abilities were way greater than what she had right now.

That was something I had gotten a grasp of seven years ago, so it was unknown just how much she had changed since then.

Because she had lived a normal life, Nana’s instincts might have gotten rusty. For Nana to take back her power, a world with many stronger opponents was more suitable to her circumstances.

After one month, there would be a preliminary contest for WGCS.

It was rather complicated whether she could clear up her rustiness before then, but she should make it in time for the real thing.

「Hoho, it was just for a short time, but that was a worthwhile conversation. Since the event is still ongoing, Miss Rinne should also enjoy it.」

「Mr. Daruma as well, don’t collapse in a place like this, okay?」

Fofofo, leaving with theatrical laughter, Mr. Daruma left the room.

「Haaaa…..I should rest a bit more, and after that let’s go the space for Cloclo….」

Since I couldn’t really let loose in front of other people, I forgot that I had been resting because I was tired.

While I was sitting on the chair, I used my device to view the BBS of WLO.