Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Ten minutes passed after Selena’s assassination attempt.

After her attempt to attack Lawran, she had been restrained by Setsuna and was under heavy watch now.

Frey and Hinagiku were patrolling the surroundings of the hut, in case someone else tried to attack them.

Meanwhile Crim…she was lying on the couch in the hut riddled with bible pages, her head resting on Freya’s lap, and fully embracing Frey’s orders of *”You’ll just get in the way, go and rest.”*

Her paralysis from stepping on a bible page and the cut from a silver blade were still present too.

Those were two of her biggest weaknesses…so she was lucky to still be alive, but her body was still in a weakened state, and could not even move a finger until she healed back.

“…Are you okay?”
“……Yes, I think I’ve gotten much better, thanks…”

Freya was taking care of healing her, and while she was still largely paralyzed, at least she could feel her hands and feet again.

Everyone relaxed a bit seeing that Crim’s state was improving…and then Lawran confronted Selena, who was still restrained by Setsuna, with a troubled voice.

“…Selena, why would you ever do something like this?”
“Are you really asking why?”

But…for some reason, she replied with an accusatory stare, her voice loaded with anger. And those embers of anger were then set ablaze, like live coals inside a burning house once the windows shattered to allow fresh oxygen in.

“Do you really think we have a chance?! Against those swarms of bugs! And now we’re at fault just because of a little drug?!”

She was shouting with so much vigor she appeared to lunge forward, despite being restrained by Setsuna.

But her eyes did not seem to be filled with as much anger as sadness and regret. And Crim seemed to identify what she felt. Those were the eyes of someone who had lost all hope…

“You’re always talking about your brethren that suffered fates worse than death! Maybe it’ll be in ten or twenty years, but humans will always betray us! You know that better than me, and still…!!”

She howled, wrestling with Setsuna’s restraints…but her energy did not last for long before she fell on her knees.

“…He’s too weak to do much of anything, let alone evacuate this forest. Who cares about ten or twenty years in the future…he hasn’t even lived ten..!!”

Her words rang as if she was spitting blood with them…and then she fell silent.

On the other end stood Lawran, completely silent as he was overloaded with all sorts of emotions, not even knowing how to look back at Selena.

There was also an internal conflict in him, as he realized that the ideals he had preached for so long in the village had pushed a young girl to attempt backstabbing him.

*Taking advantage of his conflict to push for an alliance would be really easy now.*

Such devilishly sweet thoughts coursed in Crim’s mind…and she had to shake her head to push them away. Instead she signaled at Freya, whose lap she was resting on, that she wanted to sit up. She was still too weak to do that on her own.

…Conflicting feelings aside, there was something more important they had to worry about. If the traveler that brought the drug there was the person Crim suspected it was, then she also had a clear idea of what he would attempt to do now that his first plan had been foiled.

The most likely option…the whole hut was just a distraction and he would directly attack Floria.

“We should be more concerned about returning to Floria. Now that it’s clear he knows we’re onto him, it’s more than likely that this is all a big red herring…”

Just as she was trying to alert everyone…

*”You don’t worry about that.”*
“… Your majesty?!”

Suddenly a call window popped up in front of her. And it was coming from queen Florite, who should be in the palace.

*”Your hunch was right, a swarm of specters has started attacking here… But thanks to your foresight and the companions you left behind, they’re all falling like flies.”*
“Like flies? Just how…”
*”Heheh, I just have really good vision.”*

The queen said that with a teasing voice…but Crim just frowned.

*”Either way, just take it easy and don’t worry about getting back quickly. That applies to you too, Lawran, and the girl…Selena, right? I’m sure you’ll both appreciate some calm time to think things through.”*

She spoke with a gentle voice, and Selena twitched hearing her name mentioned too…and then finally seemed to calm down, allowing Setsuna to restrain her.

“By the by… was thy face ever this pale?”
*”…Oh, heheh. What do you mean?”*

She just brushed aside Crim’s question and ended the call on her side.

“…Hmm, elves sure are an eccentric bunch, every single one of them.”
“Crim?”
“Never mind that, let’s go.”

Crim decided to bite her tongue to not complain further and suggested they head back.

“Here Crim, take my hand.”
“O-Okay… Hyawah?!”

Freya offered to help Crim stand up, only for her whole body to be suddenly hoisted into the air.

She frantically looked around trying to figure out what was happening…and realized that Lawran, who was rather burly compared to the average elf, had easily lifted her up.

“I’ll carry her, priestess. It’s the least I can do after she saved my life.”

Freya’s round eyes blinked a few times as she tried to understand the situation, while Crim just let out a sigh and relaxed her body.

…But there was one thing still bothering her.

“I do appreciate thy aid… but why didst thou deem carrying me like a sack of potatoes the finest course of action…?”
“Hmph, it’s your fault for being too light.”
“Ahahah…I’ll let you take care of Crim then.”

Crim was a bit displeased by the rough treatment she was receiving, and Lawran gave a disinterested response. Their curious exchange made Freya chuckle awkwardly as she followed the two.

◇◇◇

Meanwhile over in Floria…

*”I feel bad that your cute leader had to go through that…but it seems she’s fine now.”*

Lycoris let out a sigh of relief hearing the queen’s update.

And Lycoris was currently just outside Floria…way up in the air.

…That Skill was called Support Device [Floater].

That support device consisted of two sets of three stacked heatsinks on her back, resembling wings, which were emitting blue particles and keeping her afloat in the air…

She did not have too much mobility in the air that way, but it was just enough to give her a clear view of the incoming enemies.

*”Are you holding well up there, Lycoris?”*
“Umm, ahh…yes! I’ve successfully taken down the undead that were sneaking around here.”

On the other side of Lycoris’ sniper scope, on the ground…had been undead monsters based off animals like deers and wolves, but now they had been turned into craters with black smoke billowing up.

*”I see, that’s good then. You aren’t hurt?”*
“N-No, I’m fine.”
*”And Kasumi, how’s it there…”*
*”I’m good too, I got rid of them without getting hit once!”*

Positive results were announced from both sides.

They had been able to fend off the enemy without any losses… That was all thanks to the queen’s ability to spot the position of every single enemy, which she relayed to the two so they could exterminate them in the shortest time possible.

…To be specific, her power gave her a complete view of the area of Weisswald where Harunia trees grew, and also allowed her to communicate telepathically with anyone in that region as well.

No matter how secretive one was about a surprise attack, it would all be revealed to the queen once they crossed that threshold.

The elves were excellent archers too, so coupled with Lycoris’ aerial support, they easily shot down all the undead animals from a safe distance, and Kasumi made quick work of the unarmed zombies on the other side too.

The queen’s power was extremely useful, essentially turning things into a tower defense game to keep the village safe.

But…

“Umm, Your Majesty?”
*”Yes? What is it?”*
“Ah, no, never mind…”

Hearing the queen reply in her usual kind voice, Lycoris swallowed the question she was about to ask.

She was worried… After all, Skills that expanded a player’s perception were known to come with a heavy mental burden as well.

Farsight or reaction speed Skills could only work when the player was fully focused on them, and it did not take long to become fatigued.

And the queen’s was far greater than that, spanning a huge area.

She was trying to cover it up, giving the necessary information and indications in her regular voice, but she had to be under a lot of stress as well.

“I wonder if she’s actually okay…”

Being a sniper, Lycoris was also familiar with such Skills, so she muttered to herself as she could not stop worrying about it…