Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 4===

Everyone who was going to live in this dorm had gathered inside Mitsuki's room. Although her room was far more spacious than the ones in the girls dorm, it was still a bit cramped with ten-odd people packed inside.

"—Oh my, Mother is here too."

Seeing the presence of Vritra, who had been absent from the previous scene, Kili expressed surprise.

"Hmph, ye shall be determining residence locations. 'Tis interesting to me, more or less."

Suddenly turning her face away in a huff, Vritra was glancing at me for some reason.

"What's wrong?"

When I looked at her questioningly, Vritra glared at me with arms akimbo.

"...'Tis not like I am looking at thee, okay!?'

"But you were looking at me."

I corrected Vritra's strange declaration. Somehow, something about her choice of words seemed odd to me.

"Like I said, I was not looking at thee. I hate thee!"

"R-Really...?"

Finding Vritra's speech very odd, I stopped pursuing the matter.

—I suppose Vritra did hate me after all.

Not only did I foil her plan but also sealed away her power to keep her under house arrest. It would be only natural for her to feel that way. I averted eye contact guiltily.

"Hmm...? How odd... According to that book, 'twould arouse thy interest in me..."

However, Vritra cocked her head and murmured to herself quietly in surprise. Trying to figure if she was angry or not, I concentrated but still could not catch her words clearly.

"Mother seems to be saying something...?"

Kili looked troubled. At that moment, Mitsuki walked to the front of everyone.

"Well then, everyone, according to Firill-san's suggestion, we will be playing a game here to decide the rooming arrangements. For those who are currently living together, namely Lisa-san and Tia-san, Ariella-san and Ren-san, Jeanne-san and Shion-san, as well as Kili-san and Vritra-san, I intend to have you participate in the contest as partners in teams... Is there anyone who would like to change roommates or live alone instead?"

Mitsuki sought confirmation.

"I am fine with the current arrangement."

"Tia is okay with living with Lisa!"

Lisa and Tia answered simultaneously and smiled at each other.

"Let's continue to room together?"

"Mm... I don't want to separate from Onee-chan either."

Ariella asked and Ren nodded deeply.

"I wish to remain with Zwei too. No changes necessary."

"i wAnT tO Be wiTH... Mama."

Zwei held Jeanne's hand tightly. It was clear that she did not want to leave Jeanne.

"Well, someone has to keep an eye on Mother—Let me be the one to protect you."

"...'Tis not a choice for me regardless. Do as thou wishest."

Vritra answered Kili's teasing with displeasure.

After listening to everyone, Mitsuki nodded and continued.

"In that case, there are a total of four teams of two. Furthermore, Nii-san, myself, Iris-san and Firill-san room alone, so we will be participating individually."

However, I raised a question at this point.

"Hold on. If we're deciding on rooms, what point is there for you and I to participate? I'm fine with keeping my existing room..."

When I asked Mitsuki, she nodded with comprehension.

"If I were to win, Nii-san's room will be left unoccupied. If you were to win, Nii-san, you shall nominate someone to take the room adjacent to yours. Naturally, you may choose to leave it empty too."

"Uh..."

Hearing this, I could not help but gasp.

Then it was going to be the same as just now, right? I became painfully aware of the increasing pressure everyone was directing at me. No one was going to allow me to leave the room empty, I guess.

—I'd better lose the game as quickly as possible.

I committed my determination for defeat.

"It's ready. Let's start the game!"

After connecting the game console to the giant LCD television, Firill announced cheerfully.

Thus began the chaotic room wars.



"Simply stated, this is a variation of Double Six or Snakes and Ladders, a game that everyone knows about. You advance by casting dice with predetermined events triggering when you land on squares. This game is essentially based on luck without giving anyone an advantage. Oh of course, Tia, you're not allowed to hack the game."

Firill reminded Tia when explaining the game.

Having inherited Yggdrasil's authority, Tia was able to hack computers through electrical interference.

"Got it! Tia won't be cheating!"

Seeing Tia's matter-of-fact expression, Firill continued explaining.

"—Then there's no problem. Although it's possible to have four-player games, let's have each team play the game individually one after another to determine the rankings."

At that moment, I noticed something and asked Firill.

"Double Six is a race to the finish, right? This game will always end, right?"

Back when we were children, Mitsuki and I played a version of Double Six where we competed to see who could earn the most money. Judging from Firill's tone of voice, there did not seem to be any problems of that sort.

"Don't worry. This game does have a finish but no one can reach it in practice."

"...What do you mean by that?"

I asked with a frown. The same question seemed to appear on everyone else's face.

Next, Firill slowly took out the game software that was stored on casette tape. Judging from the faded packaging, this was an antique. On it was a difficult to read title—

"Mola?"

Reading out the title, Iris tilted her head in puzzlement.

"That's the scientific name of sunfish."

Explaining that, Firill inserted the cassette into the ancient game console and switched it on. Next, a pixelated picture of a sunfish and the title appeared, composed of large dots.

"...Compared to the games I have played with Firill-san so far, this is very old."

Seeing the flashing picture of the sunfish, Lisa murmured with interest.

"Fufu—This was created at the dawn of video games. A curious gem of which very few copies remain because it was too boring. I came across it by chance at an online auction and won the bid."

Firill recounted proudly. However, there was something I could not ignore in what she had said.

"Too boring... Is that the kind of game we want to play?"

When I asked that, Firill waggled her finger and said "you don't understand."

"Too boring is only when played alone. Things get very lively when you play this sort of game in a group."

Firill proceeded to seek agreement from Ariella nearby.

"Well—It's true. We often gather together in Lisa's room to play Firill's games back in the girls dorm... Games that look boring at a glance could actully turn out to be very fun."

"Mm... And there are many ways to enjoy games. Like naming game characters after Onii-chan."

Ren nodded to concur with Ariella.

"...Is that really okay?"

I had mixed feelings about creating clones of me elsewhere without my knowledge.

"Rest assured, Nii-san. I have been guiding 'you' properly the whole time."

Mitsuki spoke with a serious expression. She had probably been showing this look the whole time while playing games with the group.

After picturing her playing games, I was slightly relieved.

—It looked like Mitsuki had been taking breaks properly.

As student council president and captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, Mitsuki was often shouldering a heavy burden. She always looked busy and it made me worried about her.

"Mononobe-kun can't be used here on a whim, so relax. Then let's hurry and get started—Who wants to be first?"

Firill presented the controller and asked us.

"—Then I shall go first."

Mitsuki was the first to raise her hand. As a game of Double Six, the risk in playing right off the bat was very high. Even so, Mitsuki did not hesitate at all to volunteer as the first to play now.

The others intended to check what the game was like, so no one objected to Mitsuki going first.

"Okay, Mitsuki, here you go. Just select single player mode and roll the die."

"Understood."

Receiving the controller from Firill, Mitsuki sat down in front of the console and stared at the television.

Shown on the screen were the squares on the Double Six board. A small white dot was shaking at the start square.

"Is this white dot my position marker? What a plain design even for a game from the past."

"It's an egg, not a marker."

"A fish egg?"

"Yes, it represents your current state. This is a Double Six game about a sunfish's life cycle. When you advance, the egg hatches into fry before growing into young fish, maturing like that."

"...How innovative. In any case, I shall begin."

Mitsuki pressed the button to toss the die on the screen.

"Five? Not bad for an opening toss."

Mitsuki murmured after looking at the result. The white dot—the sunfish egg—advance automatically according to the die. The instant it stopped on the fifth square, the screen turned dark.

Immediately, a pixelated image appeared on the screen. It was a strangely realistic fish.

"Let me see—'A bonito has appeared. Evasion succeeds on four, five or six'...? Oh well, it means another toss of the die in any case."

After reading the message on the screen, Mitsuki pressed the button again. The die swiveled again and stopped on three.

The screen proceeded to darken again. This time, the words "Game Over" were displayed.

"Eh...?"

Mitsuki stared at the screen in shock, frozen in place.

Everyone seemed puzzled but Firill recorded something on a piece of paper in her hand without much surprise.

"Mitsuki, five squares huh..."

Hearing Firill's murmur, Mitsuki looked back hastily.

"W-Wait! Are you telling me that this is over? Umm... Isn't this Double Six? Normally speaking, you miss out a turn or return to the start, right...?"

Firill looked like she had been waiting for this reaction from Mitsuki and smiled proudly.

"Fufufu, this is the reason why this game is known as a curious gem. No second chances... A sunfish's life is over once it is eaten by a bonito. Double Six that ends with death—Mola is this type of game."

"...I feel like it does not even count as a game."

After hearing Firill's explanation, Mitsuki put down the controller, appalled.

"Too naive, Mitsuki. Perhaps that may be true at first glance, but the true value of games like Mola is in their realism."

"Realism?"

"Yes. A sunfish lays three hundred million eggs at a time, but only about one of them survives to adulthood."

"Well... I have heard of that."

Mitsuki could barely conceal the doubt on her face.

"According to the game designers of Mola, the probability of finishing this kind of Double Six game is one in three hundred million. In other words, this game completely simulates the life of a sunfish!"

Firill exclaimed loudly but the room was silent.

"Uh... It's not going to work if it lacks the fun of Double Six itself, right?"

Since no one was talking, I kept my voice lowered to make my comment.

Smiling wryly, Firill seemed to agree about the flaw of this Double Six game.

"Well, don't say it like that. Isn't it fun with everyone screaming and yelling? We also get quick outcomes."

"True... If the game drags on for too long, we'll never finish moving all the luggage tonight."

After I agreed reluctantly, Firill's expression mellowed. Then she sought the next challenger with a "Who's next!?"

"Let me go."

Jeanne instantly raised her hand.

"Mama... Do yOuR beSt!"

With Shion cheering for her, Jeanne walked over with Shion and sat down in front of the game console and picked up the controller.

"—Leave it to me. I'm sorry for everyone else but for me, this isn't a game to leave everything to fate. As long as I track the rotating die with my eyes, I'll be able to choose any outcome I want."

Jeanne spoke confidently and narrowed her eyes at the screen.

Jeanne was an outstanding sniper with excellent vision. Since her reflexes also far surpassed that of ordinary people, it was definitely possible.

"Hey Jeanne-chan, that's too unfair."

Kili gurmbled but Jeanne ignored her and started the game. She stared intently at the spinning die.

"For my sake and Zwei's, I must roll a six!"

Having said that, Jeanne pressed the button. The die read—

"O-One...? That's impossible."

Jeanne groaned with disbelief. Next to her, Firill explained:

"The spinning die is just part of the game's graphics. You can't see through the random number generation with your eyes."

"W-What did you say?"

Jeanne was rendered speechless. However, a serious event popped up on the square where she landed.

"A tuna has appeared. Evasion succeeds on five or six."

The same kind of fish graphic appeared on the screen as before, but this time, it was apparently a tuna fish.

"Hey, the evasion probability is lower than last time's!"

"Well, a tuna is bigger fish than a bonito after all."

Firill calmly replied to the complaining Jeanne.

"Damn it... Please, I must survive to advance!"

Jeanne prayed while tossing the die but the outcome was two. "Game Over" appeared again.

"Zwei... I'm sorry."

"yOu diD YoUr bEst."

Shion patted Jeanne's shoulder to comfort her disappointment.

Just as the atmosphere was turning awkward and silent, Ariella coughed and walked up.

"Well, just relax and take it on since it's a contest of pure luck. Leave it to me, Ren. I'm pretty strong when comes to confronting bad luck."

Despite saying that, Ariella did not show any arrogance on her face. She began the game.

"Mm, you'll definitely do it, Onee-chan."

Ren nodded with a trusting look, standing by Ariella's side to watch the game's outcome.

"Then I'll toss—Oh, it's one. The square with the tuna. But since it's me... Here."

She rolled a six matter-of-factly, successfully evading the tuna.

"Wow, it's the first time someone reached the second round."

Firill remarked poignantly.

"Okay, here I go again."

Ariella rolled the die again, obtaining a four this time. It was the square where Mitsuki had stopped just now.

"It's the bonito this time, but I've no intention of losing here."

Smiling confidently, Ariella rolled for evasion. She escaped the bonito successfully too.

"Amazing, Onee-chan!"

"Fufu—finding a way to survive even in the face of bad encounters. That's what it means to be a child of misfortune."

Ariella replied proudly to Ren who had exclaimed in joy. However, she accidentally pulled the controller, causing the console to choke. Suddenly, static appeared from screen while the cursor and the graphics stopped moving.

"Huh, what happened...?"

Ariella pressed the button but there was no reaction on the screen. Seeing this, Firill sighed apologetically.

"Oh dear... It hanged. It's a console dating back to that era, after all, so it's really sensitive. The slightest movement could cause it to hang. Starting over would be unfair, so this is the end for Team Ariella and Ren."

"......I'm sorry, Ren. Every time, at a critical point, I..."

Ariella slumped her shoulders but Ren shook her head.

"Don't say that. Being in first for now is good enough."

"—Thanks. Then let's pray that no one overtakes us."

Ariella encouraged Ren while moving over to a corner of the room.

Next, Lisa and Tia came over.

"What a shame, Ariella-san—Nevertheless, we will attempt to surpass your record."

"Lisa will come in first for sure!"

Strangely confident, the two of them sat down before the game console. Lisa held the controller while Tia sat down lightly on her lap.

It felt like a customary seating arrangement. I suspected that they always sat like that.

They looked exactly like a mother-daughter pair. However, I noticed Mitsuki's absence at that moment.

After searching back and forth with my eyes, I found Mitsuki sitting behind me—on the bed in the room, watching from outside the circle of spectators like me.

"...What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"

Feeling concerned, I leaned towards Mitsuki and asked. Ever since touching me to resolve the color change in her dragon mark, Mitsuki's state of health had not been great.

However, she had rested properly in Charlotte's room after all the fighting was over and seemed like she was no longer feeling unwell.

Be that as it may, given Mitsuki's personality—Perhaps she was simply enduring it.

"Oh, do not worry—I am feeling fine. It is just that I recalled some memories from the past... It feels a little like... a dream come true."

Mitsuki scratched her cheek shyly and smiled wryly at me.

"A dream?"

"Yes—We had gathered to play like this before... But that was back when I had not located your whereabouts, Nii-san. All this time, I have prayed, hoping you could join us to play in such occasions."

Watching Lisa playing and the others gathered around her getting worked up, Mitsuki explained with nostalgia.

"Since then, so much has happened...  Even including irreversible regrets... However, I feel that this moment already approaches my dream back then."

"Really...? That's wonderful."

Unable to think of anything special to say, I could only offer my thoughts. I was overjoyed to see Mitsuki looking so happy.

"Yes—Oh, it is 'Game Over' for Lisa-san and Tia-san too."

Mitsuki nodded with a smile and pointed towards the others.

"Wah... Eaten by a saury this time..."

"And we only advanced four squares..."

Tia and Lisa shrugged and yielded the stage.

"Very well, go forth, my daughter."

"It feels like you're strangely motivated, Mother. What on earth happened...?"

Next, Vritra walked over swiftly with Kili following her puzzled.

"Hmph—I simply wish to shake off the frustration of a losing streak. Thou intendest to live adjacent to him, yes? Then thou ought to do thy best."

"...I don't need to hear that from you. Although the dependence on luck pisses me off, I refuse to give up on the spot next to Yuu."

Nodding with a tensed expression, Kili sat down before the game console.

Vritra looked back, pointed at me and shouted harshly.

"Make no mistake, I have not the slightest desire to move in next to thee! It is not as though I intend to try hard for thy sake! Truly serious I am!"

"Sure, fine, got it."

I nodded at Vritra who kept nagging me.

"Yes, 'twould be meet... However, thy reaction is weaker than I expected."

For some reason, Vritra looked away with a disappointed expression towards the television.

"Everyone... is trying so hard. Nii-san, are you happy that you are so popular?"

"Not really. How should I put this...? I feel like Vritra doesn't seem to welcome me..."

With Mitsuki looking up at me, I scratched my head, not knowing what to say.

Mitsuki did not seem angry right now, but I had a feeling that irrevocable developments would unfold if I answered without thinking.

"Nii-san."

"Y-Yes?"

Seeing me respond respectfully to her, Mitsuki giggled.

"You do not need to be so worried. The question of whom you would like to live adjacent to you—I will not ask that sort of thing. I do know that you are shouldering the heavy burden of taking responsibility for all of us. However—"

Mitsuki paused there and stared at me with extraordinary seriousness.

"Just as the environment is changing in this manner, the relationship between me and you would no longer remain as it were. Hence, from now on, what kind of relationship you intend to construct with everyone... Please think carefully about it. Naturally, this includes your relationship with me."

"—I understand."

I nodded seriously while looking into Mitsuki's eyes. There was no need to hesitate or delay my response for this sort of thing.

At that moment, I heard someone shouting from the television direction.

"Jeez, what the heck!? Getting caught in an underwater volcanic eruption in the second square, what kind of sick joke is that!? It's instant death without even giving you a chance to roll! This kind of game is—"

"Wawah! Stop, Kili-chan! It's all my turn next!"

Iris pulled back the greatly upset Kili.

"Clearly it would have been possible to recreate all sorts of scenarios if living adjacent... What an incompetent daughter."

Vritra was pouting on the side with displeasure. Her words remained indecipherable but it seemed like she wanted to live next to me.

After she finished consoling Kili at last, Iris started the game. She rolled a six right off the bat.

"Wonderful! I passed Mitsuki-chan and Ariella-chan to become first!"

She cheered with her arms raised. Seeing Iris like that, Mitsuki sighed in dismay.

"—I was overtaken."

"Yeah."

"Oh well, I would simply keep the room adjacent to yours empty had I won, in any case... Whatever."

Without insisting, Mitsuki simply stated calmly.

"...But if you won, couldn't you use this chance to move to that room?"

"Yes, I could, but I am fine with living here. This room is directly above yours, Nii-san."

Mitsuki motioned to the floor suggestively with her eyes. Indeed, my room was right below.

"Mitsuki, you mean—"

I was touched by her expressing her wish to stay near me when Mitsuki instantly continued with solemnity.

"So long as I live here, I will instantly know of any commotion occurring in your room, Nii-san. Public morals are easily violated in this sort of coed housing arrangement. I will keep my eyes and ears open and observe carefully—Please be prepared."

"G-Got it."

Overwhelmed by Mitsuki's gaze, I nodded stiffly.

At that moment, Iris' mournful wail reached my ears.

"Oh, I got swallowed by a whale. That's too bad, since I actually hatched..."

It looked like it was "Game Over" for Iris too, but compared to the others, she had advanced much farther.

"Then that leaves only you and Firill-san. Nii-san, it is time for you to play, right?"

"—Yeah. I'll give it a shot as suitable."

Urged by Mitsuki, I walked over to Iris' side.

"I'm next, Iris. By the way, how many squares did you move forward?"

"...Fourteen."

"That's really—amazing."

I received the controller from Iris' hands while praising in admiration. According to what I had seen so far, reaching that point was quite difficult.

In that case, it was essentially impossible for me to win.

Just as expected, the game ended fast for me. Like Mitsuki, I was eaten by a bonito on the fifth square.

"...Nature is very cruel. Come, you're last, Firill."

Feeling like I had gotten a glimpse of the world of survival of the fittest, I called Firill.

Firill had a laptop on her lap and seemed to be running some kind of calculation, but she raised her head and stood up after hearing me.

"Okay—I've found the path to victory."

With triumphant confidence, she accepted the controller from my hand.

"...Is there a sure-win method? Nothing unfair, okay?"

Feeling a shred of suspicion, I stared at her.

"I'm not going to do anything unfair. I simply recorded everyone's playthrough and analyzed them to find ways to improve the odds. This is called orthodox methods or game strategy."

Firill replied, slightly offended.

"R-Really? Sorry I offended you but—I can't believe there's a strategy in a game that relies on luck."

"There is. The chance events in games are basically all governed by the rules of random number generation. Part of the calculation formula makes use of a value that changes every round, thus altering the result. Because of that, you can predict the result to some extent if you know what conditions appear in this random number generation. Old games are this simplistic."

"R-Random...?"

Firill's explanation basically flew over my head, but Ren, the computer expert, seemed to understand. She spoke up, rather displeased.

"Firill, this is... half cheating. It's bad manners to do it even if it's possible."

"Fufu, I beg to differ. In my opinion, anything humanly possible doesn't count as cheating. I'm simply making records then analyzing the patterns in them."

"Mm......"

Ren pouted, unconvinced.

"Jeez, don't be so angry. I'm not as smart as you, Ren, so even with data, I won't be able to figure out the exact formula. At best, what I know is that the result of the previous die roll and the duration in seconds of the current roll have an influence."

While saying that, firill started the game. She began to roll the die. The first roll was four—The square where Lisa's team had been eaten by a saury.

"See, the first roll can only be left to chance. The random number generator is reset every round, so all I can analyze are the evasion rolls. It's all over if I land on any squares with instant death. But even if that's the case my sunfish's chances of survival will increase greatly!"

Just as she claimed, Firill evaded the saury successfully.

Next, she arrived at the square with the sardine predator event. Calmly and confidently, she escaped again.

"Fufufu—I'm going to pass Iris and take the room next to Mononobe-kun's."

"Wah—Firill-chan is about to overtake me!"

Just as Iris lamented, Firill rolled a six. This placed her at the thirteenth square, one away from Iris' record.

The egg on the square had turned into a tiny fish. That was probably a sunfish fry.

However, I noticed a fundamental issue.

"Um, Firill—"

"Be quiet, Mononobe-kun, I'm currently concentrating. I need to use the data from Lisa's team here... Okay, one, two, three!"

Counting the seconds, Firill rolled the die and evaded successfully.

Next, she rolled a five.

"I did it! I'm first! The room next to Mononobe-kun's is mine!"

Firill cheered.

The fish shown on the screen was even bigger than Iris'. It was flashing on the square.

"Sighhh..."

Iris slumped her shoulders. The other girls sighed too.

"Umm, I'm sorry for interrupting your happy moment, but—"

I patted Firill on the shoulder while she was celebrating on her own.

"What's the matter, Mononobe-kun?"

When Firill turned her head back to look at me in surprise and confusion, I finished what I was trying to say earlier.

"Uh—If we move in all your belongings, Firill, your room will turn into book storage again. Back in the girls dorm, you've been using your room as a library while you stayed in Lisa's room, right?"

"Oh."

Firill exclaimed in a silly voice and froze.

"—In that case, it will be no different from leaving the room unassigned. Hence, no one will feel it is unfair. A most laudable outcome, congratulations."

Mitsuki stepped forward from the back of the group and announced with a shrug.

"That's not good at all—"

"Then will you dispose of your books?"

Mitsuki asked the complaining Firill.

"No way! These books are the absolute minimum."

"Then please resign yourself."

"Sighhhhhhhh..."

Mitsuki's declaration caused Firill to hang her head.

Thus, our little war came to an end without issue to mark the beginning of our new life.