My Unique Skill [Gacha] Will Save the World - Episode 9: The Player Association

Episode 9: The Player Association

The next morning. 

Rindou parted ways with Kyouka and headed home. Though Kyouka looked forlorn as they said goodbye, she quickly smiled and saw him off after he promised to visit again.

“Here, I kept this safe for you.”

“Thank you.”

On his way, Rindou stopped by the security office. The guard from yesterday greeted him and returned the Gale Blade and the broken sword.

“I’ve been monitoring the Player Association reports, and it seems monsters appeared even between the stampede site and here. You’re the one who took them down, aren’t you?”

“Well… yeah, I guess. I was just worried about Kyouka—my sister—and acted on my own.”

Rindou gave a sheepish smile. To which the guard responded with a hearty laugh before bowing his head.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“I want to apologize for yesterday and thank you for defeating the monsters.”

“I just did what I had to do, nothing more!”

“I see. My name is Ittetsu Saiga. If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to come to me. I’ll do whatever I can for you.”

(Note: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. For this novel, characters’ first name are in front just like in the west. I switched it up beforehand to avoid confusion when there are foreign characters. Which often shows up when there are “Players” and “Association”. Very recognizeable pattern I must say.)

“Ah, thank you.”

After a firm handshake with Ittetsu, Rindou hurried home. Once there, he immediately took a shower and freshened up before heading to the Player Association. He wasn’t in a rush, but returning the broken sword to its owner—or submitting it as a keepsake if the owner had passed—was something he wanted to do as soon as possible.

“So this is the Player Association…..”

The Player Association building was ten stories above ground and three below. It was bustling with players, especially today. As the Association sought detailed information about the previous day’s stampede. Staff members scurried around busily. It was visible even from outside.

“Should I come back later? ……No, I need to return this and register as a player.”

Rindou was guilty for potentially adding to their workload. But he resolved himself and stepped into the building, following signs to the reception area.

“Uh… excuse me?”

“Yes! How can I help you?”

The receptionist was engrossed in paperwork. She looked startled when Rindou addressed her. She quickly raised her head, revealing dark circles under her eyes—a clear sign of overwork.

“I’d like to register as a player… or should I come back another day?”

“Oh, no, no! It’s fine, don’t worry!”

Despite her cheerful tone, her exhaustion was evident. Realizing he shouldn’t take too long, Rindou decided to complete his tasks quickly.

“My name is Aoba Yanase, and I’m in charge of player registrations. Please start by filling out this form.”

Handing him a form, Aoba returned to her own paperwork. She was mumbling to herself as Rindou carefully filled out his details.

“…I’m done.”

“Thank you. Let’s see… Rindou Amachi, right? And you awakened as a player………. wait, yesterday?!”

“Y-yes. I happened to be at the site of the stampede and awakened during the incident—”

“Manager! We’ve got another witness to the stampede!”

Hearing this, Rindou felt even more apologetic for complicating her workload.

“I-I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Oh, no, no! It’s not your fault, Amachi-sama… ha-ha… ha…”

Aoba forced a smile. But it came out as an awkward grimace.

“Listen properly, Yanase!” 

“Wha—me?!”

“You’ve got registration to handle, don’t you? Do both at the same time!”

“Wha… but… ehhh?!”

Dropping her arms in defeat, Aoba sighed heavily. She looked utterly dejected.

“R-really, I’m so sorry!” 

“…Haha, n-no, there’s no need to apologize… Haaah…”  

As Rindou completed his player registration, he recounted everything he could remember from the scene of the stampede the day before. Among the details, he mentioned about Gakuto. Gakuto was supposed to be part of the reserve squad but had abandoned his post and fled.  

“… Gakuto Oze-sama, you say? A C-rank player on the reserve squad… I see.”  

Aoba muttered these words, which seemed to hold some hidden meaning. But she didn’t mention Gakuto further. Once the report was finished, she gave him a professional smile and expressed her gratitude.  

“Thank you for your cooperation. Amachi-sama, your report was well-organized and to the point. It really helped us out.”  

“R-really?”  

“Yes! …It truly, really helped us!”  

Hearing her sincere words of thanks, Rindou made a silent vow to continue giving clear and easy-to-understand reports in the future.  

“And, I’m sorry for adding to your workload, but could I ask you to hold on to this?”  

Finally, Rindou took the broken sword out of his bag, intending to hand it over.  

“Amachi-sama, what’s this?”  

“This is the sword I found at the scene. It broke during the fight with the monsters. If it belongs to someone, I’d like to return it……. Of course, since I was the one who broke it, I’m considering compensating them—”  

“There’s no need for that.”  

As Rindou was explaining, his words were interrupted by a voice coming from behind him.