Operation Log: September 8th, 20XX

The repair of Diving Pod Marigold is going smoothly, and the overall system is slated to operate nominally for Player Marigold, as long as there isn’t any anomaly as severe as yesterday’s incident. Reports said that Diving Pod JustADragon and Diving Pod Roadside Rose will also be operating nominally, thanks to our crew’s timely emergency warning, which allows them to mount an effective response on time.

Thanks to that, the two Diving Pod vessels only suffered minimal damage and will be scheduled to recover to optimal condition early. The same can't be said for us, however…

Due to our Player's... Special preposition, we have experienced massive system overload, due to excessive power surge, over-synchronization, and overwhelming data load, straining our structural integrity to a catastrophic degree. Thankfully, none of our nano-worker crew have suffered any casualties, but massive damage has been incurred to the connecting cable and power source of our Diving Pod, and even now extensive overhauls and updates to our entire system are still going on, to prevent such incidents from repeating.

Even Central Processing Command is undergoing an upgrade, and as such I, the Central Command Nanobot, have to move away from my usual spot and lend my expertise and capability to Backup Processing Command instead. It will be a tight squeeze for a while, but we're ensuring that everything will return as normal...as long as everything falls within the expected limits.

However, our maiden voyage has been nothing but unusual incidents one after another, so my hope ain't strong. According to our internal calculation, another incident of this nature will happen soon, as long as the Player under our responsibility continues to behave in this predicted unpredictability.

It's not good for my heart if another catastrophic incident occurs at such short notice, so I hope our impeccable predictive calculation will be wrong for once.

So please... Don’t drag us into another life-and-death situation, I beg you~

(This is Central Command Nanobot speaking, while thinking about getting some beer around here…)

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“So yeah, that’s why we shouldn’t pull that kind of thing again anytime soon.” (Marigold)

“Kyu! (For at least a month...or less!)” (JustADragon)

“...Um, I know that I ask for what happens after that day... But what's with that Star Trek-esque sequence above?" (Delphi)

"Ah, it's just what happens inside our Diving Pod, Del-sis!" (Marigold)

"Kyu! (Apparently we have been quiiiite the trouble, so the workers inside sent us this as a formal complaint. I mean, we reaaallly try our hardest to hold back, you know~ (innocently smiling))" (JustADragon)

"Dra-kun, you said that as if we don’t…” (Marigold)

“Kyu (I mean, not like you allow me to make some modification to it or anything...)” (JustADragon)

“Unfortunately, that would be breaking the Terms of Services, so we can only let them sort themselves out (while “helping” them a little)...Also, as if you don’t just dump it all on to me, anyway.” (Marigold)

“Kyuu~! (Only leave it to the best~~!)” (JustADragon)

Watching Marigold playing around with JustADragon again (via stretching her cheek and twisting it like pizza dough), Delphi once again is in awe at how casually unusual their life is, making a giant-sweatdrop-on-the-side expression of surprise and disbelieving.

But of course, if people learn that an entire sci-fi show is happening right beneath the hood, nowadays they would immediately talk about how to turn it into a 1-cour anime show.

And that’s just from the two of them. Imagine what’s going on with Rose…

“Urgh~, impossible! My divine sword has been stopped!?"

"Argh~, it cannot be! My magic gets cut before I even think about it!? "

"Tsk~, you dare! My voice shall not be interrupted by your blade! "

Giving a side glance at Rose silently having an epic battle against a trio of weirdly dramatic and grandly dressed dummies, Delphi can’t help but ask, not being able to contain her curiosity.

“Little Mari, what are your big sis doing right now? Isn't it a bit early in the day for having a grand battle of epic proportions?" (Delphi)

“Ah, she is doing our Daily Quest at the moment. We want to join in as well, but Sis said that she alone is enough…” (Marigold)

“Kyu (Which, predictably, triggered all 3 of them to immediately dog-pile her. I swear, Bossess can taunt much better than me if she really tries…)" (JustADragon)

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Ahh, that explains it." Looking at the vein-popping expression those dummies make, Delphi nodded to herself, convinced. “Still, aren’t those 3 dummies acting much differently than the one we saw just the other day?”

“Well, there is a certain gimmick to that, in exchange for them being able to hurt people...but we can't tell ya!" (Marigold)

"Kyu! (It's a trade secret!...Apparently.)" (JustADragon)

“No prob, I can sorta guess what that is anyway...So what are you planning to do today?” (Delphi)

“Hm...Training, sightseeing, eating snacks, helping people out...just the usual! Oh, we're planning to learn some magic today!" (Marigold)

“Oh, that's great! Mind if I joined in as well? I do want to learn how to shoot out fireballs, make water from thin air, and all the usual magic stuff!” (Delphi)

“Sure! If you aren’t busy or anything!” (Marigold)

“!!A-Ahaha, of course I ain’t busy! Not like I urgently need to do anything today or anything…” (Delphi)

“”Kyu...””

Immediately, both of their eyes stare dagger at her flustered face, perfectly locking on to her frozen expression, desperately trying to hide something behind her fake, phony smile.

Knowing that someone didn't do their homework for the day, Dragon takes the initiative and casually asks her with a sly grin.

“Kyu~(Sooo, what did you plan out for today, then? I am verrry curious~)” (JustADragon)

“Oh, it’s nothing... I’m just intending to spend the entire day with you two~~." (Delphi)

"? But isn’t it still Friday, and early in the morning at that...Shouldn’t you be at work right now, as a responsible adult?” (Marigold)

“A-Ahaha, no problem! As a responsible adult, I have already done all of my work yesterday, and dumped the rest of the non-essential chores for my employee. That's what a responsible boss should do, creating opportunity!" (Delphi)

"Kyu (...What sort of non-essential chores?)" (JustADragon)

“Oh, you know, nothing major. Just some paperwork, a littttle bit of consulting, a planned meeting...and an important deal with our associates, and a major reopening, and a birthday party for my sister-hey, check out my brand new dress!” (Delphi)

Trying to distract them, she presents to them a new sky-colored sundress she just bought from a shop nearby, along with a complementary straw hat made by a dummy in a particularly hatty mood. Fluttering them around, she constantly made poses like a cat-walking supermodel to both of them.

However, it ain't enough to pull wool over their eyes.

“...Sis, nice dress, but that doesn’t sound like non-essential work at all. Especially the last one.” (Marigold)

“Oh, psshh, it’s finnne! She will get another sweet-sixteen birthday, anyway!” (Delphi)

“Kyu... (Right... Are you suuure you can afford to be that flaky? Aren’t you afraid of your butler finding out that you have been using a VR headset, while holing yourself up in your private room?)” (JustADragon)

"Don't worrry, the room I am staying in is absoluuutely secure, and only I know how to get in! There's no wa-" (Delphi)

[Delphi has logged out]

Suddenly, Delphi disappears right in front of their sight, with an accompanying cyber-effect afterglow. Being left alone in the silence, the two of them continue to chat as usual.

“...So I guess she doesn’t see that coming, after all. Dra-kun, how did you do it?” (Marigold)

“Kyu (Well, it’s nothing...Just making some reasonable guesses, then tattle on to the butler while doing a little something-something. After that, it’s just the matter of keeping her distracted for long enough.)” (JustADragon)

“Guess her vision doesn’t completely work if she’s in her log-in mode, then...Though I feel bad for it, she really does need to do her work after all, and get some rest from the other day’s event as well.” (Marigold)

“Kyu (Yep, her straining her eyes a bit too hard definitely contributes. Well, wonder if Big Bossess is done yet…)” (JustADragon)

“Oi, you done talking? I have something I need to say to you!"

Coming out from the dojo, the Headmaster immediately called out to the two of them, as they were busy watching Rose going on an oppressive offensive against the three after she had done sizing them up. Following their line of sight, Headmaster proceeds to look as nonplussed as ever.

“Speaking of...What is your big sister doing over there?” (Headmaster)

“Just doing our Daily Quest right now, why you ask?” (Marigold)

"That Demon-Lord level fight is considered a daily quest?... Right, why do I even need to ask at this point.” Facepalming with a heavy sigh, he mumbled to himself. “Okay, what I want to tell you is related to that.”

“Kyu? (Hm? What’s wrong with Bossess’s fighting, jealous?)” (JustADragon)

“Tsk, not really...and not just specifically that. It’s like...your whole entire existence.” (Headmaster)

“Hm? What’s wrong with our existence?” (Marigold)

“You dare even ask that as well, you bundle of little pieces of absurdist's fever dream pile of-." (Headmaster)

Gritting his teeth for his dear life, desperately not uttering what he really wants to say in front of those pure beady eyes (and that smug grin on the side), he finally composed himself enough, before saying his piece.

“Okay, okay... In short, you guys are getting way too noticeable!!!” (Headmaster)

Screaming at the top of his lungs, his face warped into that of a tired uncle who dealt with too much shit.