Chapter 24

~ Love-Love Girls Squad ~

SW/SW/SW

“Elvaria!” Ace ran to the pink-haired elf. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did you lose equipment? Or EXP?”

The elf shook her head, “I’m fine, Ace, thank you for asking. As I remember, GeaOnline didn’t support pain yet so it’s impossible for me to feel it.”

Ace took a heavy breath, “Y-Yeah, you’re right. Thank goodness you’re okay…” without realizing it, Ace was hugging Elvaria. The intimate act caused the fair skinned elf to blush heavily.

“A-Ace…?” she stammered.

“I’m so sorry… because of me, you were…” Ace murmured apologetically, “I promise to get stronger and protect you! This way, you’ll be safe! You can play GeaOnline without worrying of getting killed!”

It sounded silly to DPS, but the simple promise charmed Elvaria. She hugged Ace back and smiled, “Thank you, Ace…”

0000

Meanwhile in a place somewhere in the real world…

“Sir, everything is ready,” said a bespectacled woman. “To tell you the truth, the test result shocked me. It is outstanding.”

“Of course,” said a man haughtily, “we have the best coders. It’s… a blasphemy if the result is not even satisfying.”

“If I could be so bold, sir,” the woman interrupted, “this advance AI system… seeing that the NPCs are pretty much like normal human, this development will eventually interfere with the main story of GeaOnline. The storyboard team will not like this…”

His brow arched, “Ah, I see. You weren’t there in the last meeting. Actually, they supported our plan, saying that this world was in need of dynamic, ever changing stories. Our previous storyline was just too linear, but now the players can unlock secret branches and ultimately decide their standing—to uphold evil of defeat it, or even take no part in it. It’s more interesting that way.”

“When will they announce it? The update?”

“Hmm… probably in a week or so? But we still have so many bugs to fix, so I’m not so sure. Ah, deadline~ deadline~” he said in a singsong while moving to grab his cell phone on a table near the entrance.

0000

Elvaria felt something moving inside her. That something was normally dormant until someone specific came into view. This someone was Ace.

She’d tremble, act like a klutz, and stammer like an idiot when he was around. Elvaria herself didn’t know what was wrong with her body. Could it be that she had gotten sick in-game? She took medication earlier and the system informed her that she was totally healthy.

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But why was she acting this way…? Could it be that her game was infected by viruses?

She silently thanked the god that Ace had logged off, but part of her wished that he’d stay longer. What a contradictory wish.

“Wie geht's, Elvaria!” QueeN slapped her butt playfully, earned a squeal from the elf.

“QueeN! What do you think you are doing?!” reddish color crept onto Elvaria’s cheeks.

“Hmm? Zlapped your butt?”

“Stop doing that, please! You just hurt my innocent heart!”

“Ach, come on! Zis ist just a game. Bezides, ve’re both girlz zo zere’s nozing vrong.”

“But even we’re girls…!” slowly Elvaria went quieter, no longer wishing to voice her objection.

“You look down,” QueeN tilted her head. “A family problem?”

Elvaria evaded QueeN’s curious gaze and spoke. Her voice was nothing but a whisper, “…It’s just that… I feel something... umm, strange…”

“Ach, you’re sick. Hav you taken zome medizine?”

“I have, but it seems that I’m not sick. It’s something else entirely…”

“I can’t underztand if you’re being cryptic like zis,” QueeN’s hand flew to her chin as she took a good look at the pink-haired elf. A second later, a big, sly grin bloomed on her pretty face. “I get it! You’re in love!”

“Wh-What? O-O-Of course not! Th-This is just a common cold in-game!”

“Your red face can’t fool me!” QueeN reached out and had Elvaria’s head in a headlock. “Zo vhen vill you confess your viiling, ey? I’m eagerly vaiting vor a vedding invitation!”

“Th-This is just a game! The idea of marrying a stranger who happens to be your party member is kind of ridiculous!”

“Party member?” QueeN’s sly gaze was becoming to get annoying. “Did I say zat? I just said zat I’m vaiting vor your wedding invitation…”

“S-Stop teasing me…! I-I don’t love him! I’m not in love with Ace!”

By the time Elvaria realized it, it was too late. QueeN was smiling like an idiot and her eyes clearly spoke mischief.

“Ey, you confezzed. Zat was cute.”

“I… Umm…”

“Don’t vorry, Elvaria. Your gender in zis game reflects vho you are in ze real world, zo I’m hundert percent sure zat Ace iz really a guy.”

“That’s not the problem here!” she cried, “I just can’t say love to a stranger! A stranger I’ve never personally met in real life, at that!”

“Zo vhy don’t you two meet? It’z zimple.”

Elvaria really wanted to meet Ace in real life, but she chickened at the idea, “B-But it’s not that simple… what if… well, what if he’s not what I think he is? What if his real world doesn’t match the one in the game world? It could be that he’s a pervert, a shut-in or even a weirdo?”

QueeN placed a hand on her chin, “Zat’s true. Zere’s a chance zat he’s totally a different person zan ze one in ze game vorld…” her musing came to a halt and suddenly she slapped Elvaria’s arm playfully, “vhy are ve being so siirious ov? Just meet ze guy und be done vith it! Play a vast ball!”

“Vast ball?” Elvaria frowned in confusion, “…your thick accent is really something, isn’t it? Can’t we do something about it?”

“Actually everyzing ve say or write ist automatically tranzlated into ze language ve use ze most, but you hev ze freedom to partially turn off ze system. Ze result ist mein vay of spiich. It’z to make it uniiq, you know? You can identify vhich nationality a person ist vrom zeir accent.”

“Oh, I see… I guess Ace doesn’t know about this feature, does he? I can hear him perfectly fine without any distinct accent. I wonder where he comes from…”

As soon as she finished saying that, Elvaria look up to meet QueeN’s meaningful stare. A pervert grin made its way to her lips as she whispered conspiratorially, “Ve vere talking avout mein accent, but you hav him inside your mind all ze time. Quite ze love struck girl you are, ey?”

The elf stammered, “It-It’s not true! I’m not i-in love with him!”

“But don’t you want to know hiz type?” QueeN asked, “iich man haz different type of girlz he likes and to know vhat kind ov girl Ace loves ist a must! It ist cruziel in ze matter ov love!”

“B-But I… this is my first time…” Elvaria’s answer was spoken in a quiet, shy murmur.

“Pfft! I zought so! Liiv zis to me, ze Queen ov Love! Come here…” she motioned Elvaria to come closer and QueeN murmured something in her ear.

Elvaria blushed, “Th-There’s no way that’d work…! I’d… I’d rather die than…!”

“Vhat are you saying? Do you vant it to be an unrequited love?”

Taken aback, Elvaria began fiddling with her hair, “It’s… It’s not love… I just…”

QueeN put a hand on Elvaria’s shoulder, “It’z okay, Elvaria. Trust me on zis.”

Sighing, Elvaria nodded.