Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The Kingdom of Nordglacier encompassed nearly the entire Northern Continent.
Most of the land was a frigid wasteland covered in snow and ice. In the north lay the world’s largest spring, said to have never melted for thousands of years. And on top of that thick layer of ice, peculiarly, was where the royal capital occupied.

Why must it be structured that way, you may ask… According to one theory mentioned in an NPC dialogue, there existed an ancient underground structure that pierced through the ice surface, and beyond that, at the bottom of the lake, lay the old city.
The lore suggested that this kingdom’s capital was built by people who, for some reason, were forced to evacuate and subsequently constructed their city atop the ruins that emerged above the lake’s surface.

Among the four continents currently implemented in this world, this region is a hub for many players focused on magic-based Jobs, as it excels in magical technology and features events where players can learn rare spells.

Although this is a frigid land, the southern part of the country is relatively warm, with a climate roughly equivalent to that of Hokkaido in Japan.
Since the in-game seasons roughly correspond to real life, it is now approaching early summer within the Kingdom, and the streets were suddenly becoming more crowded with people—including those who had recently relocated here in search of cooler weather.

At the southernmost tip of the Northern Continent, on an island situated at the center of the four continents, lay 『Commers』, a trading town equipped with a large-scale teleportation portal leading to 『Acrocity』.

At the center of this town is a plaza with the teleportation gate; from there, main streets stretch north and south, and the surrounding area is lined with various street stalls, making it a bustling commercial hub.
Incidentally, according to the game’s lore, there are apparently red-light districts at the end of the back alleys. In fact, as you venture deeper and deeper into the alleys, the number of unsavory NPCs increases and the atmosphere becomes more seedy—but since this is a game rated for all ages, that’s as far as the implementation goes.
Thanks to its location, which facilitates travel between continents, and the difficulty of obtaining a business license in 『Acrocity』—the town is bustling with player-run stalls.

.

As I stepped through the gate and into the town, I instinctively closed my eyes against the glare of sunlight—my first in a month within the game.
As I stood still, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the brightness and my vision to clear, I could hear the hubbub of the surrounding players growing louder.

“…Hey, isn’t that the Princess?”
“Oh, you’re right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. I wonder what she’s been up to.”
“Grinding levels, obviously. They say support jobs have it tough… Ah, but she’s so tiny and cute.”

…Crap. It’s been so long since I’ve been out in public that I’d completely forgotten how much my appearance stands out.

Come to think of it, the cloak I used to use to hide my appearance had been damaged during recent hunting trips and was now unusable; it had been removed from my equipment as a broken item and stored in my inventory.
Right now, I’m wearing a cute white dress called the 『Maiden Dress』, part of the high-level Bishop’s gear set, which is lavishly adorned with frills.
And there I was, parading around in such a conspicuous outfit in the crowded Central Square.

By the time I got used to the brightness, it was already too late; glancing around, I realized I had completely become the center of attention.
No matter how many years pass, I just can’t get used to having all these eyes on me whenever I’m all by myself, and inwardly, my face contorted in embarrassment.

“Uh, Princess, we’re about to go level up with our guildmates—wanna come with us…?”

A male player approached, sounding slightly intimidated, as he was met with a barrage of pressure-filled stares from the crowd that seemed to say, *”Think you can steal a march on us, b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲?!”*

I couldn’t very well tell him “Nah, man, I’m done for the day,” so I hurriedly put on my act again.

…By the way, my friend calls this my Naive GIRL¹ Mode and it’s painful that I can’t deny it.

“…Um, sorry, but I’m already right up against my daily play time limit today.”

I clasped my hands in front of my belly button, lowered my gaze slightly toward my feet, and consciously tried to “look” apologetic and dejected with my head slightly bowed. The player in front of me, perhaps concerned about the stares of those around him, frantically glanced around.

“Oh, s-sorry, I guess it’s already late at night in real life… Well then, I’ll help you out if we get another chance.”

Seeing him stammering and apologizing like that, I somehow felt a pang of guilt.

Setting aside whether he had any ulterior motives, I figured his underlying intention was probably just kindness. I’d feel bad if he got scrutinized for this.

“Yes. It’s not possible today, but if there’s another chance, I’d appreciate your help then.”

I look up, tilt my head slightly, give him a soft, gentle smile, and with a light bow to the dazed-looking him, I walk away.

Is it creepy that my inner thoughts and my actions are so different? That’s just how the world tends to be, you’ve got to accept it. Since I’ve seen my little sister’s true self at home time and time again—even though she’s known at school as the “demure young lady”—I gave up on that long ago.

Ever since I started being drafted into official events, the admins have been nagging me endlessly to “be careful not to ruin my image,” so there’s nothing I can do about it.
Thanks to this connection, I’ve even been offered an exclusive contract in the real world and am being set up with work, so I don’t really have a say in the matter.

Finding a slightly wider open space, I scampered over, turned to look back at the plaza, spread the wings on my back, and

“Forgive me for the disturbance. I’ll be on my way.”

I said, lightly tugging at my skirt and bowing slightly before fluttering my wings and floating gently upward.

Even among the Celestials, not many fly around town… since it’s easier to just walk… but due to some circumstances, this is actually easier for me.
Floating around town without any particular reason doesn’t usually go over well with those around me, but since my “circumstance” is fairly well known, people often offer warm words of encouragement like, “Be careful!” In response to those voices, I gave a little smile and waved my hand in return, then quickly ascended to reach my destination.

.

Despite the general disadvantages of healing Jobs, there was one famous female healer among the players who was nicknamed “Princess.”

That said, she wasn’t one of those typical online game characters who surrounds herself with men who approach her with ulterior motives and uses her femininity to get them to shower her with gifts.
If anything, she wasn’t particularly comfortable being fawned over and surrounded, and she was famous for absolutely refusing to accept any items given to her for free by those approaching her.

What made her a celebrity was not only that she was a top-tier healer—capable of handling even rare end-game content thanks to both her character level and her skill—but even more so her appearance… the perfection of her avatar.

Her name first appeared in the first officially organized avatar contest.
At first, all the players watched with somewhat disinterested expressions, assuming that corporate-produced entries would inevitably dominate the podium. And indeed, there was a huge gap in quality between amateur creations made as a hobby and corporate productions that had invested money, time, and personnel as part of their business.

Yet, when she appeared amidst all this, she immediately made headlines.

Just how much time and passion had been poured into creating that avatar?

――Silvery-white hair, fine and flowing smoothly down to her waist.

――A delicate face so ethereal it seemed almost unreal, as if it might melt away at any moment—a face that could have belonged to a fairy.

—Her petite frame, barely 150 cm tall, was so delicate it seemed it might snap if touched.

Her smooth, fine-grained porcelain skin appeared to have been textured from scratch; while it possessed a texture that set it apart from its surroundings, it was refined to the point where it barely stood out from the game’s world… that was the level of craftsmanship.

Combined with the pure white wings on her back—a hallmark of the Celestial race (surprisingly, though those wings weren’t immediately noticeable at a glance, a subtle touch had been added so that when viewed up close, the soft, fluffy texture was distinctly different)—she looked as if an angel had descended upon this world, and those around her simply stared at her with rapt attention.
Her mannerisms were graceful and incredibly cute; if someone were to say she was a young lady from a wealthy family, you’d find yourself convinced.

……Her only apparent flaw was her somewhat awkward gait—as if she had difficulty walking—but even that was said to inspire a desire to protect her.

In the men’s division, one player also drew attention.

He appeared to be the brother of the “Princess”, and their features were strikingly similar. Though he wasn’t particularly tall—standing at just over 170—it suited his androgynous appearance well.
Framed by smooth, straight silver hair cut just past his shoulders, his features retained a faint resemblance to the girl from earlier. However, with his refined, noble appearance and demeanor, he drew the envious glances of the women and the jealous stares of the men alike.
It is said that their behavior—which perfectly embodied that of a close-knit brother and sister when they were together—was so captivating that it caused several people to faint.

…Ultimately, the two of them swept aside the avatars created by major companies and monopolized both the men’s and women’s divisions.

On a whim by the game administrators, they were later granted titles indicating they were royalty of their chosen country, and thus became—officially recognized within the game’s lore—the princess and prince of the magical kingdom of Nordglacier, spanning across the Northern Continent.

Furthermore, some time later, the girl was handpicked—despite being a mere player—to play key roles in an officially organized raid event. She was frequently treated as a semi-official character and gradually came to be regarded as “the Princess” in both name and reality.

Inspired by these events, avatar creators were spurred on to create their own, and one after another, they began producing avatars with all sorts of creative touches; it’s even said that the overall quality of in-game avatars has risen ever since.

—Iris Nordglacier, the Jewel Princess of the North.

A plucky yet ethereal princess who, despite being just a player, often graces promotional artwork during official events set in the North. Rumors are beginning to circulate that she’s actually an NPC equipped with a high-performance AI currently under development, but…

……The truth is that a guy like me is the one behind that Princess. Everyone, I’m truly, extremely sorry.