Ryuto stepped slowly down the stairs and walked onto the platform. His voice was calm, almost casual.
"I'm one of the beta testers you're talking about."
"What?!"
A wave of shocked murmurs swept through the crowd. To those who knew him, Ryuto—who had saved countless players—couldn't be further from the selfish image Kibaou painted of beta testers.
Kibaou's expression twisted. "So you're here to kneel down, apologize, and hand over all the col and items you've stockpiled? Looks like your conscience finally caught up with you."
Ryuto turned his head slightly toward the blustering man, his tone steady, as if simply stating a fact.
"As people, none of us owe anyone else anything. Helping others when you're strong is an act of kindness, not an obligation. Refusing to help isn't a crime—it's a choice. Out of my own nature, I chose to help new players. I even wrote that guidebook—the brown-covered one that was handed out for free at the Town of Beginnings' pharmacy. I'm sure you've seen it, Mr. Kibaou."
A few heads in the crowd nodded.
"By your logic," Ryuto continued, "the fact that you're here at this strategy meeting at all is partly thanks to the tactics I recorded in that guidebook. That means you've also benefited from beta tester knowledge—so in a way, you're half a beta tester yourself."
The corner of his mouth lifted. "You've accused us of not helping others. But I helped you through that book, didn't I? So tell me, Mr. Kibaou—why don't you hand over your col and gear to help struggling players? I've already done my part."
Kibaou's face darkened. He knew the truth: without the Brown Book's strategies, he wouldn't have found certain hunting grounds early, nor reached his current level and equipment.
"That… that's different!" he snapped. "I worked hard for this gear myself! Your book just talks about some easy leveling spots—it's not the same thing."
Ryuto gave him a faint, knowing smile.
"Mr. Kibaou, you accuse others of cold indifference, yet you stand by and watch new players struggle without lifting a finger. That's… pretty amusing."
Kibaou clenched his fists, glaring at the silver-haired youth in front of him. In just a few sentences, Ryuto had boxed him into a corner.
"You're twisting words! I'm not a beta tester—I have no obligation to help anyone."
Ryuto's smile sharpened. "A fine line, isn't it? No obligations, yet you think you're worthy to lecture me about them?"
Kibaou's face burned red. His hand twitched toward the hilt of his sword.
"If you want to draw on me, I'll let you land the first hit," Ryuto said, voice cold. "And then, once you turn orange, I'll make sure you understand what real regret feels like."
The tension in the air froze Kibaou in place. He wasn't foolish—Ryuto was the author of the Brown Book, and likely the highest-level player here. Slowly, he let his hand fall away from his weapon.
From the crowd, a voice called out, "We trust the Savior! Anyone who's saved that many people has to be a good person—we'd trust him with our lives!"
"Yeah, that's right!" others echoed.
The cheers swelled, and Ryuto could see the results of the goodwill he'd built over the past month. Kibaou realized he had no support left here. Shoulders tense, he stepped down from the platform and retreated toward the stairs. Players shifted away from him as if avoiding bad luck.
Back on the platform, Ryuto addressed the crowd.
"I've provided information, and still, in just one month, Aincrad has claimed thousands of lives. The floor boss is far more dangerous than any field monster. What matters most right now is how we're going to defeat it."
Pulling his hood back up, he stepped down from the platform. As he walked past, players stopped him to ask if he had a team, creating a sharp contrast to Kibaou's lonely retreat.
"Alright then—shall we begin again?" Diabel's voice cut through the chatter as he stepped forward to resume the meeting.
"As for the boss, the latest guidebook has already been distributed," he announced.
"According to it, the first floor boss is called Illfang the Kobold Lord. He has a team of guards—usually three Ruin Kobold Sentinels."
He glanced around to make sure everyone was listening.
"The boss's weapon is a battle axe paired with a small round shield. Once his four HP bars drop to the final red gauge, he'll switch to a talwar, and his attack patterns will change."
Ryuto raised a hand slightly. "That's accurate for the beta test."
Even so, the players on the stairs murmured in awe.
"So that's it…"
"Incredible…"
All eyes turned toward Ryuto, seated quietly near the back.
He shifted slightly under their collective gaze. I know I'm good, but this is starting to feel weird… Clearing his throat, he listened as Diabel continued.
"That's all the information we have. It's already quite detailed, so let's take a moment to thank… ah—" Diabel paused and looked toward him. "What was your name again?"
"Ryuto."
"Right! Let's all thank Mr. Ryuto for freely sharing his information. A round of applause, everyone."
A ripple of applause spread through the crowd.
"Then that concludes our strategy meeting," Diabel went on. "Finally, regarding loot distribution: col will be automatically split evenly, experience points will go to the party that lands the killing blow on the boss, and item drops will go to whoever receives them—no arguments."
The players responded with a chorus of agreement.
"Alright. We meet here tomorrow morning at ten. Dismissed!"
Chairs scraped back and groups began to disperse—some staying to chat in clusters, others heading to the nearest pharmacy to stock up.
A few players stopped to exchange words with Ryuto, and he replied politely with a smile. But after a while, the idle small talk bored him. Instead, he wandered over to speak briefly with Diabel's party before everyone went their separate ways.
When the plaza was quiet again, Ryuto and Asuna returned to town and rented a double room at the inn. They had meant to rest a couple of days earlier, but Nova's hatching had completely derailed their plans. Finally, tonight, they could relax.
As evening fell, the two stepped out of the hotel and strolled toward a restaurant.
Passing through the central square, Ryuto noticed a group gathered around a bonfire near the fountain, talking and laughing. To his mild surprise, he spotted Diabel and Kibaou sharing cups of wine. The corner of his mouth twitched. Sure, in Japan, sharing a drink can be a gesture of reconciliation… but coming from where I'm from, that just feels a little hard to believe.
Deciding to ignore it, he kept walking with Asuna toward the restaurant. But Diabel caught sight of him and called out,
"Mr. Ryuto! Come have a drink with us!"
"No thanks, I'm not good with alcohol," Ryuto replied.
"It's fine, just one cup!"
Even though he tried to refuse, Diabel and the others were persistent. Before he knew it, Ryuto had lost track of how much he'd drunk. By the time they were done, he was walking in a stagger, and Asuna had to support him all the way back to the inn.
The next morning, sunlight spilled through the window, warming Ryuto's face. His consciousness began to stir.