“…………”
“………”
In just 30 minutes after the game began, we were left speechless by the sight of the game ending.
How can one even express this?
This was truly a disaster, no, a catastrophe.
“Bean player…”
“How could Bean player…?”
“No! How could he not stop it even once?! Is he sane?!”
“Johan player, that’s so unfair!!!”
The other audience members were in an uproar.
Some were so shocked they couldn’t speak, others were worrying about Bean player, and some were cursing.
They even aimed their fury at Johan player for his strategic choices.
I had no words left for the disaster that struck before I could even enjoy my lamb sausage.
“What will happen now? Yuren’s disciple?”
My Master said, leisurely enjoying ice cream in my arms.
If we look only at the results, the quarterfinals just ended, and Johan player just advanced to the next match.
But from my perspective…
“Hmm… the tournament is ruined. What a shame.”
The highly anticipated match people were looking forward to ended up in such an anticlimactic way.
Given the remaining players’ skills, there was no one able to stop Johan player.
In other words, the remaining matches became nothing more than Johan’s one-man slaughter fest.
For the audience who expected fantastic matches between evenly matched players, it turned into an already disappointing tournament.
“We don’t know yet!!!”
“That’s right!!! In the world of competition, you can’t know until you play it!!!!”
JYJ and Noirin felt it too, but they tried hard to change the atmosphere, pushing forward the event.
But already, one or two people began to leave their seats.
Then, as expected, the finals ended anticlimactically with Johan player overwhelmingly defeating Elf Elina 3-0 and winning.
However, even after his victory, Johan player didn’t seem very happy.
The image of Johan player, who received the biggest prize yet wore the saddest expression, seemed to symbolize this tournament.
Thus, the first Galaxy Craft Tournament ended, leaving behind only the footage of the event that became legendary for other reasons.
It was a sad tournament that left winners, losers, and the audience all unable to watch without tears.
*
To summarize what happened afterward:
Even though he did his best, Johan player felt he didn’t win honorably and announced his retirement from gaming competitions.
Bean player returned to his hometown, refusing all interviews and similarly retired from gaming events.
Rumor has it someone witnessed Bean player running through the forest, wailing in his hometown.
I could somewhat understand that feeling.
Karl, the commander’s secretary and the head of this event, apparently got thoroughly crushed.
That’s why when I offered my help, it was a pity that it was all already past.
“So Karl was crying and contact me saying he got crushed by the commander.”
“Even high-ranking individuals have it tough.”
“Exactly.”
I was chatting with Julia as we sipped coffee in Zephia’s café.
Since it had been a while since we’d been to Zephia, I took the opportunity for a date with Julia, and here we were together.
Julia, clearly excited about our long-awaited outing, turned heads with a striking yellow dress that revealed a deep neckline and her makeup looked incredibly sexy.
“By the way, Yuren, there’s something I want to say.”
“What is it?”
“Everything is good, but… is it really necessary to drink coffee here!?”
This café, where we were drinking coffee, was my regular spot in Zephia.
It wasn’t a game store, but rather a converted two-story house with a sweet-smelling, quiet atmosphere – a perfect café.
In that second-floor room, I had created a peaceful time for us, so I found it hard to understand why Julia was complaining.
“Why? The coffee here tastes nice, and it’s quiet, what’s not to like?”
“And isn’t it right in front of Harmon Game Store?!”
Inside the quiet café, in the room, we could see directly out to the Harmon Game Store next door.
I often came here for market research and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I decided to bring Julia for the first time.
Yet Julia seemed displeased being so close to the game store.
“Sigh… still, I feel relieved that you’ve grown since last time.”
This time, we had gone to a high-end seafood place in Zephia for Julia’s sake, totally unrelated to games, then enjoyed a musical, having a fun time before arriving here.
But truly, I couldn’t deny we had the best café around.
It wasn’t like we went inside Harmon Game Store, I thought this was a safe choice, but for Julia, it seemed to be a no-go.
“Why! The last date was enjoyable, wasn’t it!!”
Zap!!!
“I’m sorry. I’ll reflect on this.”
I tried to stand my ground regarding the last date, but Julia’s gaze quickly subdued me.
Indeed, understanding a woman’s heart is tough.
However, as time passed, Julia seemed to accept it, quietly observing the Harmon Game Store outside while she spoke.
“It’s interesting. I thought you’d only be making war games, so there would only be older guys, but I see lots of families here.”
“Other schools are creating all sorts of games, and more people are getting into gaming.”
Outside the Harmon Game Store, there were not just men, but many families and children too.
As game development advanced, various gaming factions besides us emerged.
Exciting and promising new factions and teams popped up, and I had invested in several under the name of Irene School. They were like indie teams creating fun and experimental games, helping to foster a healthier game market.
Particularly, the indie game I played last time, “Traveler,” reminded me of “Genie” from my previous life, and I was truly moved.
“Yuren… um… I’ve got something to ask.”
“What is it?”
As I pondered those thoughts, Julia, who had been watching the family customers outside, spoke up.
I mindlessly took a sip of coffee while listening to her.
“How many kids do you want to have?”
“PUUUUUCK!!!!! Cough!!! Cough!!!!”
What on earth is this sudden question?
In shock from Julia’s words, I coughed and asked.
“A… baby? Why the sudden interest?”
“Well… when I talked to Karen last time, she said she wanted at least three with Jiren. So, I got curious.”
“Oh… I see, so Karen is planning that.”
Karen was the daughter of a fallen noble family during the war.
During those perilous times, young Jiren saved young Karen, bringing her into our faction to become part of our family.
Seeing Karen now making such plans while wrapping around Jiren made me inwardly root for Jiren.
“Additionally, Sora and I feel about the same. How about you?”
I suddenly realized I wasn’t the one cheering anyone on.
While Julia spoke casually, I noticed she seemed quite serious about it.
In response to Julia’s earnestness, I also spoke frankly.
“I’d be happy to have as many as possible.”
“R…really!?”
“Yeah… really.”
In my previous life, I died lonely.
So, in this life, I thought about creating a big family if possible. A big family just like the lively Irene School.
“It might not be easy to raise a lot of kids, but it would surely be more joyful than now.”
“I see, I’m glad you think so, Yuren ♡”
Honestly, having cared for the young priests in my previous life, I had become worn out by childcare.
But I can say with confidence.
All those moments were enjoyable.
“And when I have kids, I have a dream I want to make come true.”
“What dream is it?”
Looking out the window, I saw a family buying games with their kids.
I’d seen such scenes before in my past life.
On Christmas, while working late to create a game, I saw families happily heading home with the game they bought.
That’s when the dream began to form within me.
“I once dreamed of a game that everyone, regardless of age or gender, would love. I want to play that game with my kids. That’s my dream.”
“What kind of game is that, Yuren?”
Julia, not able to suppress her curiosity, leaned closer to me.
Wanting to tease Julia, I answered.
“Secret!! If you want to know, you’ll have to surprise me.”
I was curious how Julia would react.
There was a high chance she would smack me on the back, but that wouldn’t be enough to genuinely surprise me anymore.
Then at that moment…
“SMACKKKK♥”
Julia’s lips and tongue entered my mouth.
My brain froze, caught completely off guard in such a way that wasn’t in the 22% odds from my calculations, just like a crashed Windows system.
After a long moment of surprise from Julia, she pulled back and said.
“Was that enough of a surprise?”
Nod… nod…
I revealed ‘that game’ to Julia for the first time in this other world.
It was indeed a day filled with shocking competitions and surprising dates.
