For several seconds, the three boys from Scatter Shot simply stared at the three students standing between them and the blue-haired girl.
The interruption had caught them completely off guard.
Only a handful of students had been paying attention when the argument first began, but that had changed quickly. A whispered question had passed from one student to another, followed by several curious glances. Someone had stopped walking. Then another person turned around. Within moments, the flow of students moving through the gymnasium had begun to slow as more and more people gathered around the scene.
The whispers gradually became louder.
"What happened?"
"Isn't that Scatter Shot?"
"Are they recruiting?"
"Didn't that girl already say no?"
"I think they're trying to force her to join."
The three boys immediately noticed the growing crowd.
Their confident expressions began to change.
Only a few moments earlier, they had been acting as though they owned the recruitment area. They were members of Scatter Shot, after all, one of the larger guilds represented at the school. Wearing the guild's emblem gave them a certain amount of status, and they had clearly grown accustomed to using that reputation to impress newer players.
But the same reputation that had made them confident was now becoming a liability.
The more students gathered, the worse the situation looked.
Three members of a major guild surrounding a single girl who had already told them she wasn't interested.
And now three other students had stepped between them.
One of the boys glanced toward his companions.
"We should go."
His companion frowned.
"But—"
"Not here."
The first boy lowered his voice and subtly gestured toward the surrounding students.
"Look around."
The other two finally did.
Students were watching from every direction. Some were whispering to their friends. A few had already pulled out their phones, although it was impossible to tell whether they were recording the scene or simply pretending to check their messages while watching.
Either way, continuing the argument would accomplish nothing.
Worse, it could damage their recruitment efforts.
They were at school specifically to attract new players to Scatter Shot. The last thing they needed was for word to spread that their members harassed beginners who refused to join.
Nobody wanted to join a guild whose members had a reputation for bullying new players.
The first boy clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Forget it."
He took a step backward.
"We'll talk later."
The other two hesitated for another moment before finally following.
The blue-haired girl visibly relaxed.
The three boys turned away and began walking through the crowd. One of them muttered something under his breath as he passed, but none of them stopped to continue the argument.
They had realized there was nothing left to gain.
Their guild's reputation mattered more than winning a pointless confrontation with one random beginner.
Within seconds, they disappeared into the crowd.
The whispers slowly faded.
Students gradually returned their attention to the club booths, although several continued glancing back at the group as they walked away.
Sayanaki watched the Scatter Shot members disappear before turning toward Rio.
"So..."
She folded her arms.
"What was the plan?"
Rio let out a quiet sigh.
She had already expected the situation to end this way.
"They backed off."
She glanced toward the direction the boys had gone.
"There was no reason to press them anymore."
Sayanaki raised an eyebrow.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Rio turned toward the blue-haired girl.
"They're not worth our time."
Ryota nodded.
"I agree."
He looked at the girl.
"Are you okay?"
The girl hesitated before giving a small nod.
"Yeah."
Her voice was quiet.
"I'm okay."
Ryota relaxed slightly.
"Good."
Rio looked around the gymnasium.
The excitement of the club orientation was beginning to return. Students were once again moving between booths, club members were calling out to passing classmates, and the noise of the gymnasium was gradually returning to normal.
Rio had already dealt with enough unexpected events for one day.
First Royal Knights.
Then Scatter Shot.
She exhaled quietly.
"Let's go."
Sayanaki blinked.
"Already?"
Rio nodded.
"I've had enough of recruitment booths for today."
Ryota laughed.
"Can't blame you."
The three began walking away from the Evermount section.
The blue-haired girl remained where she was for a moment.
She watched them disappear into the crowd, her expression thoughtful.
Then she looked down at the floor.
Her fingers tightened around the recruitment form still in her hand.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she made a decision.
"Wait!"
Rio stopped.
The voice came from behind them.
She turned around just as the blue-haired girl hurried toward them.
The girl slowed when she reached them, slightly out of breath from weaving through the crowd.
"I..."
She hesitated.
Then she bowed politely.
"My name is Suo."
Rio looked at her.
"Suo?"
The girl nodded.
"Yeah."
She straightened and gave an awkward smile.
"I'm a Level 14 player."
She scratched the back of her head.
"I'm still on Floor One."
Sayanaki looked mildly surprised.
"So you just started?"
Suo nodded.
"I've been playing for a little while."
Sayanaki glanced back toward the direction Scatter Shot had disappeared.
"Then what happened back there?"
Her expression became more serious.
"Why were they trying so hard to force you into their guild?"
Suo's expression became embarrassed.
"Honestly..."
She looked down at her hands.
"I only met them today."
Rio remained quiet, allowing her to explain at her own pace.
Suo continued.
"I've been having trouble clearing one of the public raid dungeons on Floor One."
"The dungeon isn't particularly difficult, but I keep getting matched with random parties that don't coordinate very well."
She gave a small, embarrassed laugh.
"I thought maybe I was just bad at it."
Sayanaki shook her head.
"Public dungeons can be like that."
Suo nodded.
"Earlier today, I saw a poster in my classroom."
"It was advertising a party that helped newer players clear dungeons."
"So after class ended, I decided to check it out."
She sighed.
"I thought they were just offering help."
Her expression became uncomfortable again.
"Instead..."
She glanced toward the distant Scatter Shot booth.
"...they were recruiting."
Ryota frowned.
"And they wouldn't take no for an answer."
Suo shook her head.
"At first, they were friendly."
"They asked about my level, my class, and how far I'd progressed."
"Then they started telling me that I should join them."
She lowered her voice.
"They said they hardly had any female players."
"So they really wanted me to join."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the recruitment form.
"I kept telling them I wasn't interested."
"But they wouldn't stop."
Sayanaki's expression hardened.
"That's not recruitment."
Her voice was quiet but firm.
"That's harassment."
Suo looked surprised for a moment.
Then she gave a faint smile.
"Yeah."
She took a breath and looked at the three of them.
"Anyway..."
She bowed again.
"Thank you."
Rio blinked.
"For what?"
"For stepping in."
Suo looked at all three of them.
"I didn't really know what to do."
"You guys made them back off."
Her smile became more sincere.
"So..."
"Thank you."
Rio smiled gently.
"You don't have to thank us."
She glanced toward the direction Scatter Shot had gone.
"They should have stopped when you said no."
Suo nodded.
For a moment, she seemed unsure whether she should leave.
Then she looked at the three of them curiously.
"Can I ask something?"
Ryota shrugged.
"Sure."
"Are all three of you from the same guild?"
Sayanaki immediately glanced toward Rio.
Rio nodded.
"Yes."
Suo's eyes widened slightly.
"I thought so."
She gestured toward the nearby Evermount recruitment area.
"You were all standing around the guild booths."
"I figured you played Evermount."
Rio smiled.
"We do."
She paused briefly.
"And I'm the guild leader."
Suo blinked.
"You're the guild leader?"
Rio nodded.
"Yeah."
"How many members do you have?"
Rio looked toward Sayanaki.
Then Ryota.
There was a brief pause.
"Five."
Suo stared at her.
"...Five?"
Rio nodded.
"Five actual players."
"We have some NPCs as well."
"Combat units."
"Staff."
"People like that."
"But the player side is just five of us."
Suo looked genuinely surprised.
"You have a guild with only five people?"
"Currently."
Rio didn't seem bothered by the number.
"We're still building our foundation."
Suo opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
She looked as though she wanted to ask the guild's name.
But Rio never mentioned it.
Sayanaki immediately understood why.
Rio wasn't trying to recruit her.
She was simply answering the questions Suo had asked.
Suo seemed to realize the same thing.
Her expression became slightly embarrassed.
"Um..."
Rio tilted her head.
"What?"
Suo pulled out her phone.
"Would it be okay if..."
She hesitated.
"...I added you in Evermount?"
Rio smiled.
"Sure."
Suo immediately looked relieved.
"Really?"
Rio nodded.
"Do you have a notes app on your phone?"
Suo blinked.
"A notes app?"
"Yeah."
"I do."
She opened it.
Rio took out her own phone and typed her Evermount game ID into the notes app. After checking it one more time, she turned the screen toward Suo.
"Here."
Suo carefully copied the ID.
She checked the numbers twice before saving them.
Then she bowed politely.
"Thank you."
Rio smiled.
"No problem."
Suo straightened and glanced toward the gymnasium entrance.
"Well..."
"I actually have something else I need to do."
"So I'll excuse myself."
Rio nodded.
"Alright."
Sayanaki lifted a hand.
"See you around."
Ryota smiled.
"Take care."
Suo nodded.
"Thank you again."
Then she turned and walked away.
The three watched her disappear into the crowd.
For a few moments, none of them said anything.
The noise of the gymnasium gradually swallowed Suo's footsteps until she was no longer visible.
Sayanaki slowly turned toward Rio.
The playful expression she had worn earlier was gone.
In its place was unmistakable curiosity.
"You know her."
Rio looked at her.
Sayanaki continued.
"You definitely know her."
Rio smiled.
"You really are good at reading people."
Sayanaki laughed.
"So?"
She leaned closer.
"Who is Blue Hair?"
Rio sighed.
She had known this question was coming.
"Her name is Suoka."
Ryota immediately looked toward Rio.
"Wait."
Rio continued before he could ask.
"She may not look like much right now."
"But eventually, she joins Royal Knights in my original life."
Sayanaki's eyes widened slightly.
"Royal Knights?"
Rio nodded.
"She joined them partly because she wanted to get away from those three boys from Scatter Shot."
Ryota's expression changed.
"So she eventually becomes a Royal Knights player?"
"Yes."
He stared at Rio for a moment.
"Then you personally know her."
Rio nodded.
Ryota frowned.
"But the name she gave us and the name you're giving us are completely different."
Rio smiled.
"Because Suo isn't her real name."
Sayanaki tilted her head.
"She uses Suo when she's talking to people she barely knows."
"Her real name is Suoka."
Rio paused.
"She's just careful about giving out personal information."
Ryota nodded slowly.
"Fair enough."
Rio looked toward the direction Suoka had disappeared.
"I met her very early during my time in Royal Knights."
"She was one of the juniors assigned to my faction."
"Eventually, she became one of my personal guild assistants."
Sayanaki's expression softened.
"So that's why you recognized her."
Rio nodded.
"She was a really good teammate."
She paused.
"Actually..."
A small smile appeared on Rio's face.
"She was one of the people I trusted the most."
Ryota listened quietly.
Rio continued.
"Unlike me, you, or Sayanaki, she isn't a fighter."
"She doesn't excel in direct combat."
"Her main class is an Explorer Scout."
Sayanaki immediately understood.
"Support class?"
"Exactly."
Rio nodded.
"Explorer Scouts specialize in dungeon expeditions, mapping, gathering, route analysis, and information."
She smiled faintly.
"During that time, Suoka was one of my raid team's scouts."
"If she wasn't working directly as my assistant, she was usually somewhere inside a dungeon."
"Mapping it."
"Recording monster locations."
"Checking dangerous areas."
"Finding safe routes."
"Documenting everything."
Rio's expression became noticeably warmer as she remembered her.
"Her descriptions were incredibly accurate."
"And her mapping skills..."
She paused.
"Honestly, in my opinion, she was better at mapping than I was."
Ryota blinked.
"Better than you?"
Rio nodded.
"Much better."
"She could look at a dungeon once and remember the layout."
"She noticed details other people missed."
"Hidden passages. Terrain changes. Monster spawn patterns. Trap locations."
She smiled.
"Everything."
Sayanaki listened carefully.
"So she wasn't just some assistant."
"No."
Rio shook her head.
"She was important."
"Very important."
Rio leaned slightly against one of the nearby pillars.
"She was a really good teammate."
Then her voice softened.
"And a really good friend."
For a moment, the noise of the gymnasium seemed to grow distant.
Rio's thoughts drifted backward.
She remembered the original timeline.
The countless dungeon expeditions.
The long nights spent studying maps.
The tables covered in notes and sketches.
Suoka sitting for hours with a map spread out in front of her while the rest of the raid team rested.
Rio remembered telling her to stop working and get some sleep.
More than once.
Suoka had always refused.
Rio smiled faintly.
"I asked her a couple of times to take a day off."
Sayanaki raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"She refused."
Rio shook her head.
"She always said the same thing."
Her voice softened as she recalled Suoka's words.
"'I can't fight like the rest of you.'"
"'The least I can do is work harder to make the safest map possible.'"
Sayanaki became quiet.
Ryota's expression softened as well.
Rio looked toward the gymnasium entrance.
"She genuinely believed that."
"She knew she wasn't a frontline fighter."
"So she tried to compensate by becoming indispensable in another way."
Rio smiled.
"And she succeeded."
She looked down at her phone.
The Evermount ID she had just given Suoka was still visible on the screen.
"Honestly..."
Her smile became gentler.
"I'm happy to see her again."
Sayanaki studied Rio for several seconds.
Then her expression became mischievous again.
"So that's why you rushed in to protect her."
Rio looked at her.
Sayanaki crossed her arms.
"But why were you avoiding the conversation earlier?"
Rio blinked.
"What?"
"You barely talked to her."
"You answered what she asked."
"Then you gave her your ID."
"But you never tried to recruit her."
Sayanaki leaned closer.
"You were trying very hard to keep the conversation short."
Rio was silent.
Sayanaki smiled.
"Don't you want her to join Crowned Era?"
Rio looked toward the place where Suoka had disappeared.
"I do."
Sayanaki waited.
Rio continued.
"But that's exactly why I didn't ask."
Sayanaki's smile faded slightly.
Rio's voice became calm.
"I want her to join us because she wants to."
"Not because we saved her."
"Not because I'm the guild leader."
"Not because Crowned Era is an Apex guild."
"And definitely not because I happen to be someone she once worked under."
Sayanaki nodded slowly.
Rio continued.
"If I told her everything right now, she might join us because of the reputation of being an Apex Guild."
She shook her head.
"I don't want that."
"I want her to choose us on her own."
Sayanaki's expression softened.
"That's why you kept the conversation so short."
Rio nodded.
"Exactly."
She slipped her phone back into her pocket.
"If fate lets us meet again..."
Rio smiled softly.
"...then I'll let fate decide whether she joins our journey."
Ryota looked at her.
"And that's why you only gave her your ID?"
Rio nodded.
"I gave her a way to find us."
"But I didn't ask her to."
She looked toward the crowded gymnasium.
"If our paths cross again..."
"I'll let whatever happens happen."
Sayanaki remained quiet.
For once, she didn't have a joke ready.
Rio's expression softened.
"She worked harder than almost anyone I knew."
"She couldn't fight like the rest of us."
"So she gave everything she had to make sure the people who could fight survived."
Rio smiled.
"The least I can do..."
She paused.
"...is give her the freedom to choose her own path this time."
Sayanaki looked at Rio for a long moment.
Then she smiled.
"You really haven't changed."
Rio raised an eyebrow.
"What does that mean?"
"You always cared too much about other people making their own choices."
Rio looked away.
"That's not a bad thing."
"I didn't say it was."
Sayanaki smiled.
Then she lightly bumped Rio's shoulder.
"Come on, Leader."
"We still have school clubs to look at."
Rio sighed.
"Right."
Ryota stretched beside them.
"Can we look at the food club?"
Rio and Sayanaki both stared at him.
Ryota immediately raised his hands.
"Just asking."
Sayanaki laughed.
Rio smiled.
Then the three of them continued walking through the gymnasium.
Behind them, the Evermount recruitment booths remained crowded.
Ahead of them waited dozens of ordinary school clubs, each offering a different path through the school year.
Some students would join sports teams.
Others would discover new hobbies.
Some would make friends they would remember for years.
Others would simply spend their afternoons wandering from booth to booth, looking for something that caught their interest.
And somewhere in that same building, a girl named Suoka carried Rio's Evermount ID in the notes app on her phone.
She had no idea who Rio truly was.
She had no idea that the person she had just met had once been her guild leader.
She had no idea that Rio already knew the person she would eventually become.
And Rio had no intention of telling her.
Not yet.
There was no reason to force the future into place.
The old timeline had been built from countless choices, some made deliberately and others made without understanding where they would lead.
This time, Rio wanted to give the people around her something she had rarely given herself during those fifteen years.
A choice.
If Suoka eventually joined Crowned Era, Rio wanted it to be because Suoka had decided that it was where she belonged.
Not because Rio knew her future.
Not because Rio had protected her.
Not because she had been offered a shortcut.
And not because the Silver War Goddess had reached out her hand.
If their paths crossed again, Rio would meet her as Rio.
Just another student.
Just another player.
Just another person walking through this second life beside her.
And if Suoka chose to walk alongside her again, then Rio would welcome her with open arms.
After all, this wasn't the old timeline anymore.
This was their second chance.
And this time, even the people Rio cared about deserved the freedom to choose their own stories.