In the deep night, the lights were on in the attic of LeBlanc.
The laptop was plugged in, and the blank page of the WORD document quickly filled with hiragana and katakana at an exaggerated speed.
Kurusu Akira's hands were moving extremely fast on the keyboard.
His Persona, Dioscuri, floated beside him, flipping through a light novel with "No Game No Life" written on its cover.
After typing on the keyboard for about an hour, the Phantom Thief looked up at the Persona floating on the stack of cardboard boxes to his side.
"Can you help me write something?"
He couldn't find any enjoyment in the tedious work of copying books.
Dioscuri patted the guitar case floating beside it, meaning that it was a guitarist, not a slave writer.
The Phantom Thief glared at It for a while, then continued to work silently.
He planned to copy the first volume of "No Game No Life" tonight and submit it tomorrow.
It was time to reverse the debt.
With such anticipation, Kurusu Akira's already exaggerated typing speed increased even further.
Dioscuri's speed in flipping through the light novel also grew faster and faster.
He saw his ten fingers dancing on the keyboard, blurring into countless afterimages in the light.
The hands of the alarm clock on the pillow slowly turned.
In the attic, the monotonous sound of keyboard clicks smoothly ground away time like a stone mortar, grinding away Kurusu Akira's perception.
Although it was just typing, it inexplicably gave him the illusion of moving bricks and pushing a cart on a construction site.
Just as a house is built brick by brick, Kurusu Akira, as a cultural porter of a parallel world, cyber-moving bricks, had to write out the entire book word by word... The light novel in Dioscuri's hand quickly reached the bottom.
Kurusu Akira stretched his somewhat sore fingers, looking at the more than two hundred pages of the WORD document in front of him, and let out a long breath, the accumulated frustration and gloom in his heart dissipating.
-
[The Phantom Thief's stamina decreased.]
[The Phantom Thief obtained "No Game No Life" Volume 1.]
[The Phantom Thief's fatigue greatly increased.]
[Current assets remaining: 11,450 yen.]
-
Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared on the illuminated curtain.
Kurusu Akira instructed Dioscuri to pull back the curtain.
The Siamese cat, which had just jumped onto the windowsill, saw Kurusu Akira and pawed at the window.
It wanted to come inside.
'What's going on? Why isn't this cat going home? But I don't have the luxury of taking in a pet.'
Kurusu Akira stared at the name tag hanging around the Siamese cat's neck for a moment, then ordered Dioscuri to close the window again.
He turned off the light, lay on the bed, and took out his phone, ready to play an exciting game of Master Duel before sleeping.
Unexpectedly, the opponent's deck turned out to be the legendary Runick deck with the sticker trap.
The sticker's lockdown was too strong, even the power of Tearlaments was restricted everywhere.
'But it doesn't matter, as long as I can draw that card—'
'My turn, draw!'
'Come into my hand, Harpie's Feather Duster!...'
As expected, he didn't draw it.
Kurusu Akira looked at the Fusion he had just drawn, then at the "Non-Fusion Area" on the opponent's field, and couldn't help but smile wryly.
'But it doesn't matter, I still have fifteen cards left in my deck, next turn, as long as I draw that Harpie's Feather Duster...'
Then, the opponent activated the effect of "Runick Tip," and while searching for a spell card in their deck, they also sent his Harpie's Feather Duster to the banished zone.
Kurusu Akira, full of helplessness and panic, tapped the small gear icon on the screen, clicked surrender, then quickly exited to the desktop and uninstalled the game.
'Master Duel, get out of my phone!'
This card game is mysterious in that, often, only one person gets to play "Yu-Gi-Oh!" in a single duel.
Kurusu Akira plugged his phone into the charger and tossed it onto the bedside table, then looked up at the curtain and saw that the cat was already sleeping on the windowsill. The moonlight cast its shadow on the curtain, revealing a clear foolishness in its pitiful loneliness, along with a stubbornness and persistence that refused to be outdone.
Such a strong sense of déjà vu...
Whose Iseri Nina is this? Can someone please claim her?
He eventually went over and opened the window, then picked up the cat by the scruff of its neck under the gaze of its lake-blue eyes.
Then he carried it down from the attic and tossed it out through the small ventilation window of LeBlanc's kitchen.
"Meow?!"
Amidst the Siamese cat's confused and surprised meows, the small kitchen window closed.
Kurusu Akira carefully washed his hands in the kitchen sink, then went upstairs to prepare for bed.
In the dark attic, the light from his phone screen guided his way like a lighthouse.
The bright future of a light novel master seemed to be just ahead.
Kurusu Akira found his way to the simple bed.
Someone seemed to have sent him a message on Line.
But Kurusu Akira, deep in weariness, was too lazy to pay attention, so he directly turned off his phone and tucked it under his pillow.
He was very tired today; it was time to rest.
The cold night wind blew in through the open window, and the tired Phantom Thief slept soundly.
...
Waking up early is always a painful experience.
Especially for those who go to work or school.
Still lingering in the peace and ease of sleep, they yawn their way to the platform, only to face another day of toil. It's like a technician re-embedding oiled gears into a continuously operating machine, grinding and turning with spurting steam. No one is indispensable, but just as a machine cannot do without gears, and gears cannot abandon each other, gears also cannot do without the oil applied by the technician to maintain their lifespan.
The vast Tokyo often feels suffocatingly crowded, and only by becoming smooth and well-oiled can one survive longer amidst countless beatings and impacts.
No one likes the feeling of being squeezed into a crevice by various pressures, wriggling to survive like a Shimokitazawa Tsuchinoko.
At 6:30 AM, the second round of alarm bells woke Kurusu Akira from his dream of being a "light novel master."
He felt a pressure on his chest, so he groggily opened his eyes and met the gaze of the Siamese cat squeezed next to him.
This is...
Kurusu Akira turned his head to look at the open attic window, his expression a bit distorted.
He quickly picked up "Iseri Nina" by the scruff of her neck and carried her downstairs again.
"Amamiya, you're up a bit late today. Are you sick?" Sakura Sojiro, busy in the kitchen, heard footsteps from the attic and asked him loudly.
Kurusu Akira, who felt perfectly healthy, heard another meaning in Sakura Sojiro's words, "Is Iseri sick?"
"Yes, she has a high fever. I've already called her school to ask for leave."
Probably due to reduced immunity from frequent insomnia and lack of sleep, Iseri Nina caught a slight chill last night and was completely bedridden.
Kurusu Akira carried the cat to the side of the shop door. "Has she taken her medicine?"
"She has... Hmm? Why is Hanazawa's Nina with you?" Sakura Sojiro came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of chicken curry sprinkled with cheese, and seeing the Siamese cat in Kurusu Akira's hand, his expression was a bit surprised.
"Huh? What's its name?"
Kurusu Akira looked at the Siamese cat in his hand, a little incredulous.
"Nina, that's her name." Sakura Sojiro guessed what Kurusu Akira was thinking. "The name Nina isn't uncommon, you know."
Kurusu Akira, dressed in casual clothes, walked out of the shop door, then stared strangely at Nina in his hand.
"Iseri-san?"
He shook the Siamese cat in his hand.
Nina stared at him somewhat bewilderedly, then tentatively meowed.
After several more attempts, Kurusu Akira confirmed that she wouldn't suddenly transform into a catgirl version of Iseri Nina, and only then did he let her go.
In the nearby bakery, a white-haired old man was kneading dough at a table. A milk deliveryman pedaled strenuously on his bicycle along the asphalt road. Nina jumped onto a low wall, looking back three times as she left...
The morning sun filtered through the sparse camphor tree branches, scattering golden light spots that danced on the stone-paved Showa-style street.
Kurusu Akira returned to LeBlanc, where Sakura Sojiro had already placed a steaming plate of curry and a cup of miso soup on the dining table.
"The seasons are changing soon, so make sure to cover yourself with a blanket when you sleep at night."
"I'll be careful."
After breakfast, Kurusu Akira helped clean the shop and served customers until 7:50, then returned to the attic, put his laptop into a cotton bag, and prepared to take the train to try his luck at some famous publishing houses.
The sudden absence of his chattering little follower on the way to the train station made Kurusu Akira feel a bit unaccustomed.
'No chance to tease a kid today, how boring.'
'I might as well take the day off too.'
He took out his phone and notified Ito Misui, saying he had some things to attend to today and wouldn't be going to school.
In the faculty office, the head of student affairs, who was sternly scolding a group of teachers who had been called to school early, heard his phone emit a pre-set "special alert tone." He immediately made a shushing gesture to those around him, then picked up his phone from the desk.
'Lord Uesugi actually contacted me at this hour? Is something urgent?'
'Please, please don't let it be a transfer request...'
Ito Misui opened his phone, his face full of apprehension.
'Oh, it's just a leave request.'
He breathed a sigh of relief, then, under the strange gazes of everyone, he showed a kind and amiable smile, and then began to reply to Kurusu Akira using one finger on the numeric keypad.
[Shujin Second Year Head of Student Affairs Ito: No problem, do you need me to approve a few more days off for you?]
This message quickly turned to "read" after it was sent.
Ito Misui swallowed, nervously staring at Kurusu Akira's illuminated profile picture.
But the other party's profile picture quickly dimmed.
Ito Misui also put his phone back on the desk.
All the apprehension, amiability, and nervousness on his face vanished in an instant.
The strict head of student affairs returned to his loyal faculty office.
----------------
At this time, Kurusu Akira, having completed the leave process, was preparing to take the train to Chiyoda Ward.
He found the characters for "Chiyoda" on the station sign and waited in the waiting area.
Chiyoda is one of Tokyo's 23 special wards. Along with Minato Ward and Chuo Ward, it is known as one of the "central three wards." Aside from a host of capital functions including politics, administration, and judiciary, it is also one of Japan's largest concentrations of publishing houses.
Basically, the headquarters of all the light novel publishing companies Kurusu Akira could think of were located in Chiyoda.
When the train arrived at the station, he immediately pushed his way into the crowd without a second thought, successfully grabbing a seat before several junior high and elementary school students carrying large backpacks.
The advantage of not carrying a backpack and traveling light was fully demonstrated at this moment.
He skillfully ignored the angry glares of the elementary and junior high school students.
Kurusu Akira leaned against the window, took out his phone, and began to schedule his itinerary.
First, he'd visit the three major bunko publishers.
The so-called "three major bunko publishers" refer to Dengeki Bunko, Fujimi Fantasia Bunko, and Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.
His first choice was naturally the famous Dengeki Bunko—according to online descriptions, it was once the undisputed leading brand in the "bunko book" light novel era, and Dengeki Bunko even became synonymous with "light novels." Many works it published had a significant impact online.
However, with the development of the times, without the support of super popular works that adapted to trends, Dengeki Bunko gradually lost its position as industry leader and began to decline.
Since he's plagiarizing works from his past life, he definitely needs to maximize their profits... If he wants to make a name for himself as quickly as possible, he should submit his work to a declining publisher.
Kurusu Akira opened Dengeki Bunko's bestseller list, his gaze momentarily fixed on the title "Sword Art Online" at the very top.
This book should have already been animated, right?
He tried searching for the corresponding animation studio.
As expected, none of the familiar voice actors' names from his memory appeared.
...
When the train arrived at the station again, the crowd once again began to flow.
But when the train doors opened, the outside was already packed with people waiting.
It was like a tin kettle of boiling water that had just let out a little steam, but before it could pour out the water, its lid was immediately removed and it was placed under an open faucet.
Finally squeezing out of the train car and standing on the street outside the train station brought a sense of relief.
As a "downtown" area, Chiyoda Ward was indeed even more bustling than Setagaya Ward.
Kurusu Akira, surrounded by skyscrapers, carried his laptop and began to navigate using his phone.
After about thirty minutes.
Kurusu Akira stepped through the doors of Dengeki Bunko.
He found the front desk in the bright lobby and asked, "Hello, I'm a new author who made an appointment to submit a manuscript. Could you tell me how to get to Editor Gaen's office?"
"An appointment, you say... What's the author name you registered on the website?"
"Kurusu Akira."
"And your real name?"
"...Amamiya Ren."
"You're still a high school student, aren't you? Writing books isn't an easy path. If your submission fails, it's best to give up early and focus on studying hard back at school..." The woman at the front desk scribbled on a form, then pointed to the corridor behind her. "Take the elevator from there to the fifth floor, then turn left, and the second office is it. The room number is '514.'"
After a brief thank you, Kurusu Akira, holding his laptop, walked into the corridor.
From an office near the elevator, he could hear an editor harshly scolding a new author.
"What's with these plotlines you wrote yesterday?"
"Ah!"
"Why did you let goblins defile Princess Rose?! You spent three whole volumes making the readers fall in love with this female lead, and then you just sent her to a goblin's nest without any buildup? May I ask, is your head filled with goblin semen?!"
"My deepest apologies!!"
"And here, just look at this yourself, isn't there a problem with what you wrote here? Why does the male lead, a reincarnated sage, insist on fighting goblins with a rock when he has no weapons? And... and he even lost, for f*ck's sake?!"
The editor pointed at the text on the tablet and cursed.
"I..." The new author was already stammering, unable to speak.
The editor slammed the table, "Didn't you just write in the last volume that the protagonist learned new world magic?! Where is his magic now? Why didn't he use magic when the female lead was captured?! Why didn't he use magic even when he was about to lose? Is this protagonist a f*cking sage or a throwing goblin?!"
"Go back today and delete and rewrite all these serialized plot sections from the web. Show them to me before we consider publishing. Do you hear me?! If you dare let such sh*t appear before readers, just say you want to die!!!"
The editor's roar was clearly audible even through the wall.
Kurusu Akira, waiting for the elevator, shivered.
The elevator door descended, a cold gust of wind squeezed out from the metal gap, and then the elevator door opened, revealing a bright space that looked like a demon's burning, gaping maw.
Standing at the demon's mouth, he clasped his hands together.
Please, forever.
Then he stepped into the elevator.
Fifth floor, turn left, office 514...
Kurusu Akira knocked on the redwood sliding door.
"Hello, I am Amamiya Ren, the new author who made an appointment to submit a manuscript."
"Please come in." A cheerful voice came from inside.
Kurusu Akira pushed the door open.
An open window, curtains dancing like gauze skirts, and book pages constantly turning open and closing in the morning breeze.
On the rectangular desk sat a succulent plant, a laptop, a printer, and a huge display cabinet filled with various merchandise figures derived from Dengeki Bunko's IPs.
On the wall opposite the desk hung a piece of paper with a powerful line written in running script: "Prajna is ignorant, yet knows everything."
A youthful and beautiful woman who looked like a university student, wearing a baseball cap askew, sat behind the desk. Her meticulously cared-for hands were very beautiful, without nail polish, with neatly trimmed, round nails. Her fingertips tapped rapidly on her phone screen.
Hearing the office door open, the woman didn't look up, staring at her phone screen as she directly asked Kurusu Akira, "Let me see the manuscript."
Kurusu Akira placed his canvas bag on the desk, then took out the laptop inside.
The woman then looked up, examining Kurusu Akira's features, "I am Gaen Izuko, editor-in-chief of Dengeki Bunko's Group A."
"I am... Amamiya Ren, a second-year student at Shujin High School."
The Phantom Thief opened the computer, clicked on the WORD document titled "No Game No Life - Volume 1," and then turned the screen towards Gaen Izuko, "This is the work I'm submitting. Please take a look."
Gaen Izuko stared at the nearly three hundred pages in the bottom right corner of the screen, revealing an interested gaze.
Then she took her mouse, connected it to Kurusu Akira's computer, and scrolled down for about half a minute...
"Alright, it's approved."
"Huh... ah?" Kurusu Akira looked at Gaen Izuko with some surprise.
"Yes, it's approved, and it can be published online right now." Gaen Izuko stared at Kurusu Akira's face with an appreciative gaze, "Come and sign the contract now, and we'll start preparing for publication tomorrow simultaneously."
Then, she pulled open a drawer and took out a thick stack of contracts onto the desk.
Kurusu Akira dazedly took the forty-odd pages of the contract, sat beside the desk, and began to flip through them.
He looked at the black words on white paper crammed together before him, and his expression gradually became strange.
The world is indeed a giant makeshift operation.
But even a makeshift operation needs logic, and Gaen Izuko's actions, without a doubt, went beyond everyday logic—
The Phantom Thief's intuition activated at this moment.
Kurusu Akira pretended to read the contract, but secretly observed Gaen Izuko opposite him.
She doesn't seem to be a Persona user...
Kurusu Akira turned to the fourth page of the contract and decided to get straight to the point. "Editor Gaen, I have a question."
"Please speak."
"Deciding on publication and such after reviewing the manuscript for less than a minute, isn't that a bit too hasty?"
"Not hasty at all, because this isn't a book publishing contract to begin with."
Gaen Izuko stood up, walked behind Kurusu Akira, closed the office door, and locked it.
This action almost made Kurusu Akira jump.
Then, Gaen Izuko's next sentence directly stiffened him in place, "But on second thought, this is a work brought back to reality from death by a 'resurrected person'... I'm very curious to see what kind of stories the afterlife holds."
She smiled, looking at Kurusu Akira, who suddenly seemed like a different person, "How lucky, after three years, to actually meet a second 'chosen one' in Tokyo..."
Kurusu Akira expressionlessly put down the contract in his hand, "You really know about the Velvet Room."
Gaen Izuko waved her hand, "I know everything. Yes, including that you are the 'Phantom Thief' who caused such a stir in the 'Shinjuku Kamo Group incident.' I'm perfectly clear on information of that level."
She tugged at the baseball cap askew on her head, "Let me reintroduce myself—"
"Gaen Izuko, Chief Consultant of the Japan Anomalous Event Countermeasures Bureau."
"Amamiya Ren, the Phantom Thief, I sincerely invite you to join us."
Suddenly, a strong wind swept through the office, and the contract began to tear page by page.
One printed page slowly drifted down, landing in Kurusu Akira's hand.
This was a very formal letter of recruitment.
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