Shinoda Sora is a prodigious young woman endowed with a brilliant mind. She graduated from university at the age of 16 and became a professor at Tokyo University by 19. Content in her leisure role as the professor she balanced her academic pursuits with occasional management of her grandfather's corporation at her mother's insistence.
Yuki, her mother, a traditional and stern woman, now served as the CEO of Shinoda Corp. Despite Sora's reluctance, her mother persistently urged her towards the path of arranged marriage as she believed that marriage was a natural progression after education. Sora resisted two arranged marriages orchestrated by her traditional mother by fleeing from her home both times.
No topic of marriage came out again after that, however, upon turning 20, her mother had her switch flipped as she reignited the marriage discussion again. Sora's reluctance toward marriage clashed with her mother's traditional values, setting the stage for a generational and cultural tug-of-war. During every topic whether it be business or normal exchanges, there were always “marriage” words in it.
Yuki’s favourite phrases were, “You are getting older by the day,” which meant, ‘ Your ephemeral youthful beauty is expiring and your breast is starting to sag so go get yourself a husband.’
Honestly, she was fine with marrying no one until death. Men, from all ages were always looking at her with lewd eyes, always giving her bigger than average chest more than necessary seconds in their look, which made her feel disgusted.
As Sora turned 21, the family's New Year dinner, Yuki brought forth an ultimatum: find a man and marry within the year, or surpass the reputation of her guild, "Pure Snow," in the upcoming VR game ‘New World’. While the latter seemed an impossible task, Sora saw it as an opportunity to reclaim her freedom from the incessant pressure to marry.
Her mother, though not callous, embodied traditional values. Yuki's intentions were rooted in a desire to guide her daughters and make decisions for their well-being. Yet, Sora, a modern thinker, found her mother's influence overbearing, particularly regarding marriage—an aspect of life she wasn't ready to surrender, especially for the next 10 or so years.
_ _ _ _ _
Sora pondered, observing the array of valuable resources that Silent Wind, a veteran assassin, had laid out for sale. While highly skilled, she couldn't fathom how he had amassed such riches.
Having frequented the Shinoda VR Studio for interviews and advertisements, Silent Wind's icy demeanor and ruthless tactics were well-known to Sora. Despite his cold-blooded nature, she saw potential in recruiting him for her upcoming guild, intrigued by his unwavering pride in his assassin profession.
Silent Wind, known for his unrelenting approach and willingness to employ any means necessary, had caught Sora's attention. His refusal to target weaker players and the consistent pursuit of opponents of equal or greater strength left a lasting impression. Sora envisioned individuals like him as the sturdy pillars of her upcoming guild.
She had arrived at the commercial district for a meeting regarding recruitment with Silent Wind but Sora was taken aback by the disparity between the reports and the man before her. Though his face and voice matched the descriptions, something felt off.
What immediately drew her attention was Silent Wind's equipment, deviating from the typical agility-focused gear for an assassin. He sported a shiny, long-sleeved white top, a stark contrast to his proclaimed preference for black in previous interviews. Silent Wind had explicitly stated his inclination towards black over vibrant colors, even opting for lower-ranked equipment if it meant adhering to his color preference. However Sora thought that might have been a sudden and unlikely shift in Silent Wind's fashion taste.
However, Sora noticed a stark contrast in Silent Wind's demeanor. Instead of his usual prideful behavior, he was surprisingly lively, resembling more of a street salesperson. This abrupt shift puzzled her, especially considering his established character.
Adding to her confusion was the unexpected mockery directed at Bloom's vice commander in front of a crowd. This struck her as odd, she had reports that Silent Wind had some affiliations and good connections with Bloom. Maybe, even if there were underlying issues with the vice commander, openly taunting him in front of a crowd seemed an extreme escalation. He should be aware that the consequences of a guild versus an individual was ruinous act for a single individual.
This led Sora to consider two possibilities: either Silent Wind had an unlikely and powerful backing, which seemed improbable given the established power structure in Blue Burn Town, or there was another individual masquerading as Silent Wind, donning his identity to act with impunity, free from the repercussions that would normally follow such actions. She was sure what was the right answer.
Following the verbal altercation with Bloom's vice commander, the Silent Wind imposter initiated an auction for the Mountain Flower.
In the midst of the auction, Sora boldly bid "50 bronze."
In this stage of the game, buying one bronze from the system costs 500 yen. The 50 bronze bid amounted to 25,000 yen, a sum that posed no significant challenge for her. Despite her mother's ultimatum regarding who would establish a better reputation in the New World, she had received a startup investment of '10 million Yen from her. Sora found her stern mother endearing, appreciating the occasional cuteness in her mother's demeanor.
Silent Wind, or the one concealed by the mask, turned around seemingly filled with enthusiasm. However, as his gaze met hers, his wide smile abruptly froze, replaced by a stunned expression that lingered for a brief three seconds. Quickly regaining composure, he continued with the prize chant.
In that fleeting moment, Sora detected a subtle shift in his demeanor — a mix of unsettlement, confusion, or perhaps even panic. The mention of '.something...mary twins' caught her attention, but she didn't thought much as people who perceived her and her sister Aoi always thought they were twins due to their striking resemblance. However, Aoi was younger by a year and not her twin.
"Hello, Shinoda-san. it's an honor to see you," the man behind Silent Wind's face greeted her with a smile that appeared somewhat forced.
In New World appearances cannot be altered, which meant it wasn't uncommon for others to recognize her.
"Thank you Silent Wind-san, I am happy to do business as well, so should we trade the transaction now or later," Sora responded with a professional smile.
“Can we trade later Shinoda san?,” He Put his right hand behind his head and gave a bashful smile.
“No problem Silent wind-San, I would wait”
Meanwhile, the murmurs of recognition rippled through the crowd as they marveled at the unexpected appearance of Shinoda Aoi and Shinoda Sora.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Isn't that Shinoda Aoi and Shinoda Sora? The Shinoda Corp twin angels?"
“They are even more beautiful in person. What are they doing here?”
"I think I am now blessed after witnessing both of them, I can die peacefully now"
"I heard they are recruiting experts to start their own guild. Imagine having her in your party! I think I should talk to them after this".
They had seen Shinoda Sora and Aoi, especially Aoi since for gamers, Aoi was like their war-goddess, in the gaming community she was nicknamed the “Crazed Slaughterer” as she was like a demon who had the instinct and madness of a crazed beast.
But Sora's presence, even though she hadn't played any VR games herself was well-documented through interviewing masters of the gaming worlds and Shinoda VR Studio advertisements. Her media appearances, particularly among the male audience, had earned much popularity for her voluptuous body and adorable baby face.
Aoi, however, struck a balance between maintaining physical fitness and honing her gaming prowess, she was also slimmer than Sora as she had committed herself to a six hours of daily masochistic training. Due to that Aoi maintained a physique with less fat on her chest and butt in comparison to her who just incorporated yoga and regular exercise into her routine.
As the fake Silent Wind persisted the auction by presenting a Blue Mushroom, a 10 mana-restoring item crucial for all classes relying on elemental skills, Sora unflinchingly raised another bid of "50 bronze." While the others hesitated.
The hesitancy among other bidders stemmed from both the scarcity of currency and a sensible reluctance to challenge the presence of the beautiful and influential Sora, whose influence loomed large in the virtual gathering.
Bloom's vice commander, long ago had chosen to leave promptly after encountering Sora preventing him from enduring further humiliation, especially after being publicly mocked by the fake Silent Wind. The power dynamic between Bloom and the juggernaut Shinoda Corp would have likely resulted in an even more embarrassing outcome.
_ _ _ _
Observing the lack of competition, the fake Silent Wind proposed a discount to Sora. "Shinoda-san, since no one is competing anymore, how about I give you a discount on all the remaining stalks? How about just 40 bronze for each of the 6 different remaining stalks?"
Sora, wearing a knowing smile, responded, "Are you in a hurry, Silent Wind-san?"
The imposter hesitated before giving an awkward laugh. "N-Yes, Shinoda-san, I am in a bit of a hurry."
With a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, Sora playfully waved her hand and chimed, "How about a little discount dance for the equipment too? I'll snag them all in a swoosh!" Her whimsical suggestion sparked a merry chuckle from the audience.
The forced laughter from fake Silent Wind echoed in response, "Ok, Shinoda-san, let's do it that way then."
Observing his strained reaction, Sora couldn't help but ponder ' So he's truly in a hurry,’ . She had glanced at his face during the discount proposal, his eyes had widened and started darting glances left and right for a while.
'His thought led him to the conclusion that doing a discounted transaction was not a loss, hmm.. Maybe he's time-constrained, aiming for a quick exit to go somewhere. But that doesn't align with his action earlier on starting an auction because that would delay his time. Maybe if a discounted trade is not a loss for him then, he doesn't need a large sum but…just the right amount.'
“Silent Wind-san, do you have more better equipment than these below”
The Fake Silent Wind remained unfazed as he replied, "I do have more, but they consist of the same 6 bee gloves and a different 1 bee sword."
BUT
‘He is lying,’ she thought. Something about his voices make her feel that he was not being entirely truthful.
Sora proposed, "How about this: we find a more private setting to transfer all the items, and I will compensate you with not a discounted amount but more than the valued price.
A subtle gulp and a hint of hesitation crossed his features. ‘He's tempted,’ she observed.
Sora smiled, “Let's go at that tavern,” she point to a tavern called Blue Ale.
“Yes, let's go.”
“...”
Within the Blue Ale Tavern, a multitude of players lingered, their curiosity piqued by the presence of Shinoda Sora.
As they took their seats opposite each other, the Fake Silent Wind leaned in, his voice hushed, "I am not Silent Wind; my name is Rem, R E M. You can search for that name and add me as a friend so we can commence trading."
"Alright," Sora replied with a sweet smile as she acted like she already know it. Diligently, she navigated her system interface, initiating a search for players and entering the name 'Rem.'
Inwardly, Sora contemplated, 'His name is feminine. Is he a she? More importantly, he doesn't seem surprised that I found out he's not the real Silent Wind. Does he know I'm smart? Does he know me? Is that why he was afraid of me earlier, fearing I would uncover his secret? I'll search for those answers later, Rem.'
She maintained a smile as she sent the friend request, shortly observing the trading options appearing before her. Clicking 'OK,' she perused the lists of items available for exchange.
3 stalk of Mountain Flower
2 stalk of Blue Mushroom
2 stalk of Bell roots
1 stalk of Yellow stalk Mushroom
1 stalk of 100 year old Ginseng flower
10 Snow dew
1 Mountain fruit
9 Bee gloves
1 Black Shiny Doublet
1 Dawn Shield
1 Snow-leather shirt
1 Bee sword
The items Rem presented amounted to traits worth 1450 bronze, equivalent to 14.5 silver, as he insisted on offering them at a discounted price.
Although the system restricted individual purchases to 1 silver per day for each player during these initial stages, Sora had utilized all her team members to accumulate the 15 silvers. This sum translated to an impressive 750,000 yen, it also represented a considerable amount considering her current tight budget, especially with ambitious plans to recruit elite members.
However, Sora remained unfazed by the substantial investment. Without betraying any hint of emotion, she transferred the 15 silvers to Rem, recognizing the potential for significant returns in a day or even less.
Rem smiled and stood up, bowing to Sora. "Shinoda-san, it has been truly gratifying doing business with you. I hope we would be able to engage similarly in future transactions."
Sora returned the smile, saying, "Certainly, I still have the discount ticket with me, don't I?" She recalled that Rem earlier said that he would offer a discount on tomorrow's sales for anyone purchasing 10 silver or more today.
"Indeed, Shinoda-san. I suggest you prepare with a significant amount of silver for tomorrow's opportunities," Rem suggested, his cheerful demeanor from earlier returning.
Rem then glanced at Sora's sister Aoi, who seemed a bit bored with her elbow on the table and her chin resting on her palm, and his expression shifted again from his cheerful exterior. Sora could notice a subtle sadness in Rem's eyes as he looked at her sister and herself as well. Sora couldn't quite grasp the meaning, but it left her intrigued.
Aoi, being uncomfortable under the stranger's gaze, stood up and bristling with indignation she snarled, "What! Do you want to fight, Mister?"
Sora intervened, her voice calm but firm, "Aoi, please, sit down." Reluctantly, Aoi complied upon hearing her sister's directive.
As Sora shifted her gaze back to Rem, she noticed he had turned his back and was preparing to leave. An urge to inquire about the recent tension tugged at her, but her attention was diverted by a system notification. Checking her inbox of friends, she discovered that Rem had sent her another trade item. Intrigued, she focused on the incoming offer, wondering what might be the content of this unexpected exchange.
[Blue Odachi] (Bronze rank)
One handed Odachi
Equipped level: 5
Equipment requirements: Strength 8
Physical attack + 20
Attack speed + 13
Mana +15
Durability: 25/25
A message was there also, “A Gift For the Crazed Slaughterer"