The meeting between Shido and Kyouko soon came to an end. As for Kyouko's answer to Shido's proposal, it was already obvious, wasn't it?
Of course she agreed, though she couldn't help feeling a little giddy. Shido's eyes seemed to hold a deep interest in her, which made Kyouko blush and look away in embarrassment. To make things worse, she could feel Rinko's gaze on her, one that seemed oddly scrutinizing.
Still, everything was settled, and the paperwork signed, Shido officially became the new CEO of RECT Progress Inc. He assigned Ymir to handle most of the company's operations, while entrusting Kyouko with several other important responsibilities.
Once everything was concluded, Kyouko bowed politely before leaving in her car. As for Shido, he invited Rinko to have dinner with him, and she happily agreed. After all, it had become rare for Shido to personally visit the company these days, usually leaving the work to her and the other trusted members of his team.
...
Three days passed, and RECT Progress Inc. was officially renamed to Ymir, now headquartered in Suginami. Under Ymir's management, the company's operations greatly improved, causing the stain left by the previous scandal to gradually fade. ALO players also began returning, and before long, ALO once again became the most popular VRMMO game in Japan.
Kyouko diligently performed her duties and often contacted Shido by phone after the two exchanged numbers. Sometimes, Shido would even visit Ymir in person under the pretext of conducting inspections. Although Kyouko felt speechless and embarrassed, believing that her earlier assumptions might actually be true, she was also quietly happy that Shido seemed to care about her.
In addition to that, Kyouko often felt quite lonely. Her husband was now retired and spent most of his time at home watching television, essentially living like a NEET. As for her daughter, their relationship still hadn't been mended, which made Kyouko smile wryly whenever she thought about it. And her son, Yuuki Kouichirou, whom the author conveniently forgot to mention in the previous chapters, was currently overseas, handling business matters for the company.
Fortunately, there was Shido, who brought a bit of happiness back into her life.
As for Rinko, she would often accompany Shido during his visits to Ymir, and she was fully aware of the increasingly close relationship between Shido and Kyouko.
While Rinko understood that she herself had begun to develop feelings for Shido, she couldn't help but feel insecure because of her age. But recalling how Shido would often give her massages whenever she was tired, massages that made her involuntarily let out soft moans of relief, and remembering the way he sometimes looked at her.
Rinko started to suspect that Shido might actually prefer older women. The thought made a small smile appear on her lips. And now, seeing him also paying noticeable attention to Kyouko, Rinko felt her guess was right on the mark.
Rinko didn't really mind if Shido had many women beside him, a capable man naturally wouldn't lack beautiful women. She only hoped that, someday, she could be included among them as well.
Meanwhile, over the past few days, Shido had already begun his conquest of the Imp Race. After defeating their leader and forcing him to submit, Shido immediately headed to Aincrad to challenge several Floor Bosses.
Since Aincrad had only recently been implemented into ALO, only the first ten floors were currently open, and players had yet to progress very far.
Because of that, Shido took the opportunity to immediately fly toward Aincrad and begin clearing floors, which caused yet another sensation throughout the game.
He solo-cleared both the 4th and 5th Floors, earning him a place in the Monument of Swordsmen in the Town of Beginnings on the 1st Floor.
Shido didn't waste the chance to build even more fame. With overwhelming support from the Imp players, and with Sakuya backing his rise, he was elected as the new Imp Race Leader.
...
On his way back to his apartment from Suginami, riding in the car, Shido checked the rewards he had received for completing the second quest.
[Quest 2 Completed: Join ALfheim Online and Become a High Level Player]
Rewards:
Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist
Authority of Vainglory
200,000 EXP
37,000 SP
Looking at the rewards Shido had received this time, no matter how ridiculous the previous rewards he had gotten, his lips still twitched at the sight before him.
"Did my actions influence the kind of rewards I'd get?" Shido wondered as he examined his second reward.
The first reward didn't surprise him much, it was just a martial art. Though not overwhelmingly powerful like his other skill, the technique, "Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist," could still be considered top-tier, especially since its creator and user was Bang, the Rank-3 Hero from One Punch Man.
However, the second reward was…
Authority of Vainglory – A manifestation of overwhelming ego and presence. It grants the user the power to shape phenomena itself, altering how others see, think, and feel about them. Those who gaze upon the user may become entranced, awed, or even worshipful, their will unconsciously bending to his presence. This ability feeds on recognition, the more people know of the user, the stronger the power becomes.
Reading the description, Shido was now even more certain that this skill originated from that particular anime full of witches.
"Isn't this the same ability that Pandora has in Re:Zero?"
Thinking this, Shido wasn't quite sure how he should feel. Of course, it didn't mean he was disappointed with the reward, on the contrary, he was thrilled to have such a power. It was just… a little unexpected.
Nevertheless, Shido knew he really shouldn't be surprised anymore by the kinds of rewards the system handed him.
"Still… having this ability… doesn't that mean I'm really going to be the Sin Archbishop of Vainglory?"
He had been joking earlier, but it seemed he really had become a Sin Archbishop. Shido didn't know what would happen if he ever met Pandora, but considering her personality, he suspected a fight between them might break.
Shido smiled wyrly and said. "No use thinking about that right now. It's better to focus on what lies ahead."
As he spoke, Shido gazed out the car window at the shopping district. People strolled with their families, friends, and loved ones, enjoying the simple rhythms of daily life.
It was the weekend, so the streets were busier than usual. As Shido's gaze wandered outside, his eyes suddenly landed on someone he recognized.
"Stop the car!"
The driver was startled by Shido's sudden command but quickly hit the brakes. Turning to him with a confused expression, he asked, "What's wrong, Itsuka-sama?"
Shido had already stepped out of the car, but before walking away, he called back to the driver, "I happen to see an acquaintance of mine. You should head back to the company first and tell Rinko that I sent you."
He didn't wait for a reply, striding off casually. The driver was left momentarily speechless, letting out a wry smile at Shido's nonchalance. Still, as his job was simply to follow his employer's instructions, he obeyed and drove back to the headquarters.