“Uhhehe… hehe… uhhehe….”
Mumbling in front of the mirror was Adelheid.
Mei Xiao Long Bao… so, Wakamou Inarizushi was curious about how she even climbed up to the 10th floor.
Even if a gun were pointed at a person and fired, it would do no damage.
Even if she swung a chair, it would cause no harm since it’s not an artistic tool.
Her powers were so absurdly restricted by the Legendary Class.
There are many types of towers. But usually, many can be climbed together.
In the case of the Incheon Tower, certain floors can be climbed together, and certain floors must be climbed alone.
Japan’s Kyoto Tower is a tower that forces climbers to go solo.
However, all towers mandate that climbers climb floors 1 to 9 solo for growth.
To be precise, it is the standard for “first-time tower climbers.”
Climbers who have conquered a tower are not bound by this restriction in the next tower.
They must have gone through all means in 4 years, but even with the dagger Wakamou gave, they couldn’t cause damage.
Being able to use a trick to interfere with the [carving knife] from afar was the only reason she succeeded in climbing the first floor.
Looking back now, maybe she should have avoided even entering the tower.
Even if [Inari’s Dew] could cure diseases like pancreatic cancer, it would have caused an uproar.
As the King of Authority’s disciples investigated, as expected, it merely cured colds or fevers at best.
Even with support from the German government, she would have tried every method to climb the first floor but failed.
“So if she climbed up with the [Skill] obtained on the first floor…”
The skill isn’t lost, so doesn’t it imply she can’t “harm” and thus can’t kill?
Taking an excessively long time to climb to the 10th floor felt unsettling.
Climbers recover immediately after climbing floors. Wakamou could climb without rest if he willed it.
The dagger… no, the carving knife soaked with blood was also worrying… But since they’re living together now, should they not worry about it?
“Is it okay not to stress over climbing towers? Adelheid. Today I’ll introduce you to other members… seniors?”
“Ah…! Right! First, I need to do my makeup and pick out clothes since I’m meeting seniors… Please wait!!”
…This part made her seem like an adult woman.
Sadako would say her body and clothes are one and just walk out, and Liu Ying always preferred easy-going tracksuit styles.
Asuka, interested in fashion as one might say, dressed as vibrantly as possible like Her Majesty… It’s a bit too much. She lacks a human touch.
On the other hand, Adelheid prepared by dressing neatly and putting on makeup to meet her seniors and was seriously contemplating buying something.
Having packed something wrapped in a cloth, she declared she was ready─and when a portal appeared before her, Adelheid’s eyes sparkled.
“Wow…. Amazing…. But isn’t this Wakamou’s ability?”
“Adelheid, I’ve told you, Wakamou and I are the same person…”
“?”
Seeing her tilting her head in complete bewilderment feels like a personal wound here.
Well, with Mei’s open expressions, Wakamou contrasts with a naturally solemn demeanor even when quiet.
Or perhaps it’s merely a matter of… chest size…?
“Is it alright for someone like me to come along? If I seem useless, please, just let me know….!!”
Upon meeting Sadako and Liu Ying who were waiting, Adelheid bowed 90 degrees and greeted them.
She introduced herself as Adelheid von Bismarck, kindly handing out business cards she’d made during her time working as an Artist.
Asuka awkwardly lowered her empty hands and glared, but Adelheid seemed unwilling to offer a business card, glaring back at the AI.
“What happens if you make a clicking sound like AI here?”
“She’s awakened to sadism, Asuka”
“This is the first time I’m being maligned like this. If you curse at me, I think I could grasp the feeling”
“Stop it. The attributes you’ve raised are too precious”
Already itching to speak, Asuka seemed to treat Adelheid as good broadcast material.
Meanwhile, Sadako was explaining various tips for climbing the tower to Adelheid.
She suggested that even if consumables aren’t an option, drinking a potion might be─ to which Adelheid shared a mournful tale of drinking poison only to find spitting fire caused no harm.
Had she left anything untried during those 4 years?
“So it’s best to strike strong and first. It doesn’t matter if it’s unfair, the winner takes it all”
“Like Pearl Harbor?”
“Yeah, strike first like in the Winter War”
Sadako, skilled with words, firmly countered Adelheid’s joke without hesitation.
When Adelheid asked if they’d lose, the reply was that it was merely because the Germans didn’t learn karate.
Adelheid slyly smiled, murmuring about them being monkeys.
Perhaps due to everything she’d been through, the resentment towards her homeland seemed unfathomably deep and dark.
“I wanted to draw properly and did”
Wakamou also drew nicely, didn’t he? Liu Ying, too, tried her hand, showcasing a drawing.
The naive masterpiece seemed akin to a child’s scribble, but Adelheid recognized the 4 figures and a woman with gray hair in a skirt as herself, evaluating it with trembling excitement and teary eyes.
“It looks like a car-crash victim drew it. There’s no distinction of line and color, no concept of perspective for the background, and the composition of the characters is a mess! It’s a novice’s scribble with no artistic merit!”
“Ugh…”
A searing critique indeed. Liu Ying responded, accepting she showed her drawing to a tower-acknowledged Artist, earning such a rebuke.
But shortly, Adelheid burst into tears, raising the drawing high and praising it.
“But look at the radiant purity within!! Strong, clear essence is captured with instinctive colors, faithfully sketching the untainted emotions which anyone can understand through its simple clarity. Even without explanation, it symbolizes those close as family! Untaught, it’s, on the contrary, a pure piece of art!!!”
Crying out in joy, claiming how happy she was to receive such a gift, she leaned onto Wakamou.
“Please don’t discard this useless, weed-like artist!! You can give me just one bread and three cups of coffee a day, and I’ll live in a kennel!!!”
“Are you insane, human?”
Admitting her defeat in art to Liu Ying, claiming her superiority to Liu Ying’s pure art was lost.
Astounded by her own slimy, filthy self against the pure white canvas, she nearly crawled into a trash can before Asuka hurriedly pulled her out.
“I’m worthless trash with no value!! A failed artist wasting money with no reason to live! Sob…”
“No, no. Creating various merchandise designs including goods and the like would be excellent. You’re a pro, Adelheid, aren’t you? As an artist, as an artist, you’re professional. Your expert help, Adelheid, is needed! Though otaku culture might be a bit tricky….”
“Germany and Japan were allies too, so it’s fine! I’ve drawn everything from muscular gay furry commission drawings to being devoured and digested by giant women!! Adelheid can draw anything!! Put me to work as much as you like!!”
Clinging to Wakamou’s leg like a cicada, she rapidly poured out words, asserting her capability spans infinitely broad fields.
Alright, alright, you’re doing well, Wakamou patted her head, complimenting her efforts, and she burst into tears, moved by her life’s grief.
She didn’t just cry; she literally burst, causing Asuka beside her to be drenched in tears and spit, rolling on the floor.
“Wanting to be an artist, my parents said it’s not profitable and didn’t support me, and when successful, claimed they’d manage the money, taking what I earned selling my work. Becoming a Legendary Class, my country dismissed me as a worthless, floorless climber ruining the nation’s honor, praised my talents, hailed me as the avant-garde leading the German art frontier, then criticized, sued, and vilified me, but……”
Rappers might not be able to spit words out this quickly.
Adelheid was truly overflowing, venting nearly like a scream.
“All this pain and hardship was to meet Wakamou!! Misery, despair, frustration, tragedy, and suffering!! These all heighten the sweetness of joy and happiness!! Just like art never abandoned me, after all is gone, Wakamou came!!”
“C, Calm down”
“The leader, guide to useless, pitiful, and trivial Adelheid… Ah… the light of my life.. the flame of my spirit… the hope of my dream… my soul… Mein Führer!! The very proof of great Übermensch, the modern idol!! Yes! This is the world where followers like me exist… Lebensraum!!”
“No, you’re already here”
Maybe because the portal was kept open, Jackson, concerned about Adelheid, came to check on her and quietly interjected at her remark.
In Wakamou’s tower, only those who subscribed to Wakamou and watched the VTuber broadcast were accepted at that point. So, well… it was a place for only the chosen ones, wasn’t it? There was some concern about it going too far.
“Truly Wakamou!! How dare a trifling artist like me try to assess you!! I’ll hang myself and die for committing an error against Wakamou!!”
“No, live!!! Calm down!!”
“Calm down”
“Too fast…!!”
She, regaining her composure, began to mumble and calculate where to start and end with the goods, how to consider designs, and what margins to leave after production costs. The point of seeking art while calmly considering reality reminded her of Wakamou.
“But, are you really going to broadcast like this? They say Germans can’t do humor”
“Right! At best, they’ve got jokes about East and West Germany, Nazis, and bananas, right? I like bananas, haha…”
“To understand banana jokes, you must first know about East and West Germany. That’s why German jokes aren’t funny”
“An alcoholic. Surprisingly looks smart, huh?”
“Huh? Of course, I’m smart. I’m a woman who even got a driver’s license”
“Whoa….? What? What does a driver’s license have to do with being smart?”
“It means I can distinguish between comics and reality!!”
“Are you crazy, human?”
Asuka sighed, frustrated by the lack of communication.
Meanwhile, Adelheid looked like she was melting with happiness, saying everyone was so friendly and she would work hard, raising her fist in determination.
“It must be because Mr. Wakamou has a bigger plan for recruiting me!! Planning to conquer even Germany beyond East Asia…!!”
“No, there’s no such plan. Adelheid, it’s okay not to overdo climbing the tower. Just help with the VTuber broadcasts and work of Wakamou Corporation….I’ll even build a gallery on the first floor for comfortable art. Oh, it’s already built? Let’s have exhibitions and such. Got it?”
“Ah….Thank you…thank you…sniff…. Even a gallery for someone like me….”
“I was the one who built it?”
“Mr. Wakamou built it for me!!!”
With a chisel naturally in her hand, staring fiercely with wide eyes, Jackson slyly hid behind Liu Ying. Liu Ying looked surprised as if questioning, hiding behind her now? The young black man was unexpectedly shameless.
“Right, right. You’re not even in a combat position, right? While we’ll have to work hard to collaborate on the 50th floor, you don’t have to”
“Right, right”
“I want to do it too!!! No!! I can do it because I want to help Mr. Wakamou!!!”
“No, don’t force it. You’re an artist. Fragile body─”
“Pushing, are you?!”
Like some ghost, Adelheid clung to Sadako’s clothes.
She was so fast that Sadako couldn’t react and was shaken while being grabbed by the collar.
Adelheid, eyes bloodshot, poured out not anger but sadness, a sense of betrayal, and a hurt heart.
“Ah, ah, like an engineer, pressing, pressing me down?! Am I disliked? Surely, right?! Because I’m a rolling stone, right?! You’re angry I’m sharing Mr. Wakamou’s attention, right?! But still… I want to work hard! Getting trampled like a weed is fine, but pushing and pressing me out is bad!! People should give everyone a chance!! Why say such sad things? It’s upsetting! I’ll cry!!”
“Then cry. Prove your innocence by crying”
Plop.
“Torschlusspanik, Weltschmerz─!!”
“Translated, it means the fear of falling behind in life compared to others, often missing out on important things… It refers to fear of not crossing a closed door. The second word refers to deep sadness, pain, and depression felt when viewing the imperfect world full of non-ideal events.”
“Just two words, but unnecessarily content-heavy”
“Germans are like a dictionary of ambiguous sorrow”
“Can’t you be kinder to your juniors? You guys…?”
Wakamou lightly hugged and comforted Adelheid, crouched sorrowfully on the floor. Maternal warmth… love… comfort… All worries and anxieties melted away, letting her snuggle in peace. But soon she jumped back and rolled on the floor.
“Even though I’m happy, the thought of Mr. Wakamou holding someone like me makes me want to die from disgust. But since being hugged makes me happy, the bitterness of life feels like bitter chocolate in my mouth…”
“You’re talking too much! I was worried you’d get hurt! Just do what you’re good at, alright? If you’re an artist, show it through your art”
“Doing what I’m good at…Strength…What only I can do…I have something I want to show Mr. Wakamou!”
Adelheid shouted for Jackson to guide her to the gallery.
He wondered about his treatment but allowed it since he felt sorry for Adelheid, who had completely changed into a mad person after four years. He guided her to a grand, splendid gallery. Large enough to be called a massive museum but seemed vacant due to the lack of artworks, making it look quite desolate.
In the meantime, Wakamou slapped his forehead at finding another pure gold Wakamou statue here.
“Now, these are my nine Monster sculptures!”
From the Peral Deer to Goblins and Orcs… Incredibly lifelike in vivid motion that they seemed almost alive, Monsters stood poised in glass cases.
This level of artistry could even serve as study specimens of Monsters. Curiosity about the artist’s immense skill arose… This was genuinely at a marvelous level.
“Wow~ Really looks real. Well made!!”
Sadako, familiar with Monsters, went close to scrutinize when she glanced away from the Orc, feeling like it made eye contact with her. Believing she had mistaken glass eyeballs for genuine eyes, Sadako, a martial and karate expert, decided not to look again out of fear.
Maintain ignorance of the eye contact.
“Wow, Junior Adelheid. I thought it was a real stuffed one! These are sculptures, right?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“…They are, right..?”
“…..(grin)”
Seeing the confident smile regarding her artwork, thinking ‘Right! An art piece!’ Sadako showed a slightly more polite posture.
Meanwhile, Adelheid framed a painting by Liu Ying and displayed it on the wall, with a frenzied 58-line description magnified three times the size of the framed painting. Writings seemed hasty and messy but looked more refined than Wakamou’s penmanship—both Liu Ying and Sadako were impressed.
Then she said she’d hang a portrait she painted and took a canvas wrapped in cloth.
The painting of Wakamou hung on the wall appeared so photo-like people could be convinced it was a photograph.
Drawn in a Mona Lisa reminiscent pose, it oddly complicated Wakamou’s feelings.
“This is not it──!!”
She clutched her hair and screamed until her throat tore while looking at the wall-hung painting. Her larynx was probably made of adamantium, as bellowing like this left it unscathed.
“Oh, oh why… From the painting I drew, only vile desires and greed seep… That blank look devoid of thought and indifferent to the world’s affairs…? It can’t be that Mr. Wakamou, sketched by me, shows such a thoughtless, simple expression!! As an artist, it’s utterly over! Mr. Wakamou..!! I shall die!!!”
“No no… You drew well, so it’s okay. You’ll do even better next time”
“But like this!! It seems crazy about VTuber broadcasting only, appearing as a worldly fool with no worries!! This painting is a total failure!”
Artists are extremely frightening.
Is this insight…? Should be wary about cues around Adelheid.
Her sharp perception into Wakamou was slightly terrifying.
Stroking her head and smoothing her, comforting her, Wakamou told her not to be chained by him but to pursue art freely, to fill this grand gallery only with her works. Experiencing no economic stress, she was encouraged to live her dream and do VTubing.
Adelheid was moved by the words and cried again.
“Mr. Wakamou was my real mother!!”
Referring to some nonsense while shedding heartfelt tears, Wakamou found it enough…understanding that VTubers could feel maternal love too, and she laughed it off.
After that, Liu Ying handed over a spray can containing toxic gas and paint made of poison as a gift.
Though art supplies doubling as weaponry…Adelheid appreciated the attempt, hesitantly thanking Liu Ying with a spontaneous embrace.
“Then, about your VTuber debut, have you decided on a fandom name?”
“Yes! FuchS KirStyn! [Fox Followers], I plan to call it!”
“Whoa, shortened to FK? Or FSK? Sounds a bit like expletives”
“Then how should it be cutely shortened?”
“How about SS”
“Sadako”
“Then as Wakamou Führer’s SS guards!”
“Adelheid”
Certainly, pairing these two means the broadcast will 100% explode.
Wakamou and Mei each grabbed one member to separate.
For the first generation’s initial team, starting in this manner brings great unease.
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