I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

The archipelago was the Empire's capital.

Though it brought to mind a certain nodding Japanese politician, being the Empire's capital held deeper meaning than expected. It meant a neighborhood where people tough enough to handle the land prices lived, among the ridiculously vast territory and huge population compared to the Kingdom.

While there were slums made by prostitutes' abandoned orphans and vagrants who'd come seeking scraps, the archipelago mostly attracted capable people of various sorts. And in a virtual reality game based on gacha mechanics, "capability" meant "★".

'Really, is this a capital or a monster's lair...'

Just looking at that guy who'd greeted me and casually disappeared made it clear.

The potbelly visible despite messy hair, unkempt beard and wrinkled shirt. At first glance he seemed like a good-built guy who'd let himself go, but... looking closer something was off.

For someone wealthy enough to retire with a house in the archipelago, he must have worked at least 20 years, yet when he took off his shirt after exercising, there wasn't a single scar on his body.

For someone who lived by the sword, having no scars after decades meant one of two things: Either a bottom-rung nobody who never fought and just carried luggage for merchant groups before retiring, or someone overwhelmingly confident in their skills. But how could a mere luggage carrier afford a house in this expensive area?

And he wasn't the only one like that.

Limping guard patrolling the market street, estimated 5★

Grocery deliveryman crushing on the flower shop girl, estimated 5★

Priest distributing food and volunteering in the slums, estimated 5★

In just a week, we'd already met four 5★-level people we'd actually conversed with, not just passed by. While Han Se-ah remained clueless needing system windows to gauge strength... I'd already seen over twenty including those we'd just passed.

Setting aside the gacha-like ★ ratio, with the large population there were many capable people, most gathered in the archipelago.

"I'm back, Roland?"

"Am I the last? Where's Katie?"

"She said she'd run a lap following the carriages, so she's not late."

After getting a feel for things swinging the wooden sword, I returned to find our companions gathered at the inn. More precisely, three of them minus Katie sat at a table eating snacks while drawing guests' attention.

Katie and I exercised properly, Irene and Han Se-ah spent time in meditation and prayer. Meanwhile Grace mixed light exercise with walks around the inn.

Especially Grace, who kept buying desserts claiming to save money on arrows while exploring the inn area. I wondered if they'd be offended if I mentioned their cheeks seemed even more plump and soft than a week ago.

"Oh? Everyone's already gathered?"

"Katie's here. Here, we saved yours."

As I chewed a macaron Irene handed me while having thoughts that might be rude toward ladies, Katie finally entered through the inn door.

Like me, she wouldn't exercise in full gear, so in light thin clothes and slightly sweaty, her entrance alone stirred up viewers.

Oblivious to the camera's reaction, she plopped down beside Irene and stuffed dacquoise into her mouth. Watching her, I thought one of those sweets would be enough to get sick of them, yet she somehow ate three or four, when her widely opened mouth finally closed small.

"Hmm, Roland doesn't like sweets much?"

"I eat them, just not a lot."

Seeming conscious of my gaze, she awkwardly nibbled. Her cute small lips took tiny bites, not even half but maybe a quarter of the already modest dacquoise.

When I smiled at her unconcealed affectation, she grinned back. Finding Katie cute, Irene reached out to fix her messy bangs, then exaggeratedly opened wide and popped in a whole macaron.

"Mmm, the taste is different with cream filling my mouth."

"Using the word cream to be lewd will get you... and they're already gone before I finish."

Some toxic viewers disappeared at that, but there was no need to mourn them.

"By the way, today's the day right?"

"Yeah, meeting Elize. We should head out soon."

The table cleared quickly as they swallowed a couple bites, apparently planning a light snack while waiting. The group slowly rose, cheeks still puffed out and chewing.

※

We'd waited a week because of Elize. She'd been doing business with mercenaries in alleys looking for someone capable of killing a witch. When we joined without question, she asked for time to wrap up her ongoing work.

At first glance it seemed like a scammer buying time to escape, but with the "For Elize" quest activated in the game window, it probably wasn't a lie. She'd said she needed to settle her business, pack up her witch costume, and gather as much information as possible before returning.

But we hadn't expected her to return like this.

"Roland!"

"...What the fuck."

Heading to our meeting spot, we found Elize still wrapped head to toe in robes and gloves, alongside blue-haired Jacob with his daughter on his shoulders.

What an odd combination. As I tilted my head wondering, Jacob grinned and strode over to explain.

Elize had been looking for someone in the archipelago to grant her wish, even dressing as a witch to kill a witch. So naturally she'd reached out to adventurer and mercenary circles to find people.

Since she couldn't entice nobles or noble house knights with a witch costume, she must have tried luring skilled adventurers or mercenaries. So getting involved with Jacob, head of the archipelago's Adventurer's Guild branch, was a natural result.

"...But why bring your daughter?"

"Hehe, doesn't matter since we'll leave her when we depart the archipelago."

The little blue head had already scampered down from her dad's shoulders and into Irene's arms to have her chubby cheeks squished. I muttered quietly as he giggled. Still lacking even fragments of past memories making things awkward, and this guy had to join us.

The one fortunate thing was that due to the 11-year gap, even my grumbling distance was brushed off with "Roland's still the same~"

Jacob just grinned saying it had been a while since we'd worked together, linking arms and standing firm regardless of my reaction. At this point it seemed he'd love anything I did as "typical Roland" whether I liked him or not, hugged him or slapped him.

"So Elize, we head toward your hometown with Jacob?"

"Mm, that alone won't be enough."

As Jacob and I naturally paired up, along with Irene and his daughter, Han Se-ah hurried over to Elize. A week felt like eons to a K-gamer, so she probably wanted to progress the quest regardless of whether it was Jacob or Jason.

But unfortunately Elize didn't give a straightforward answer. Seeing Han Se-ah's expression crumble, she quickly added explanation.

"I'm not doubting the hero's strength. The issue is searching. We need to comb through ruins in the wilderness swept by monster waves and then the witch."

"So we need both someone who can kill the witch and someone who can find her."

Han Se-ah nodded reluctantly, seeing the logic. Her cheeks puffed out and lips protruded, but what could she do?

During our week of waiting, Elize had apparently truly worked to hunt the mad witch, suddenly pulling documents from her robes. She claimed to have found additional skilled collaborators beyond the hero party and Adventurer's Guild branch head.

And the small pictures attached to those documents showed familiar faces.

"Oh, this person...? Saw them at the sword guild branch."

"My! This is the brother who was volunteering."

The sword instructor who'd come to the archipelago on his successful student's recommendation after teaching in the countryside. The squinting priest who distributed food while reading scripture to slum children. Finally the potbellied retired mercenary who'd shown me the training ground.

Elize handed out the list of suspiciously suspicious people and suddenly asked:

"We can hire one of the three. Who should we take?"

"...Eh? I get to choose?"

To Han Se-ah, famous for her poor choices.

Enjoy the chappy!