Season 4: Chapter 146. A Proper Move (2)
“Um... But sir, do you remember the exact coordinates of that village?”
“I’ll have to rewatch the stream.”
Almond had to log out to rewatch his previous stream. Most online games had a stream lock to curb stream sniping and save capsule resources.
“Let’s not log out right now. How about we hold a meeting first?” Not knowing what Almond would do, Radish Servant hurried after him. “Realistically, we can’t find their location and attack immediately. The recruits just joined. And also...” He opened the Survival Craft date calculator. “It’s in five days.”
“Five hays? Where do we get that?”
“Not hays. Five days of in-game time.”
Almond tilted his head. ‘A period of five days?’
“The invaders. Orange Village.” Radish Servant called Paprika Village, “Orange Village,” after discovering Orange’s identity.
“They said they’d be here in five days in Survival Craft time. That’s soon.”
“Ah...!”
They would arrive before the Knights even set out.
“And there’s one more thing.” Radish Servant tapped at the calculator again.
— Radish Servant is doing everything
— Almond unlocked an external walnut again...
— Almond’s Napoleon!
“The waves of monsters... They’re coming tonight when night in reality overlaps with night in Survival Craft.”
More monsters spawned at night in Cheese Village, but the true wave hit when both clocks aligned. Radish Servant had learned this data the hard way.
“Mmm... Got it. Good. Well done.” Almond nodded.
Radish Servant sensed that he was thinking about something else.
Clap.
Sure enough, Almond turned to the recruits and announced, “All right. Lunch break. Let’s reconvene after we eat.”
They had just been in a heated discussion about the Knights’ path forward. Suddenly, Almond proposed a lunch break.
Pop.
Almond logged out.
“Uh...”
Everyone froze. None of them had ever seen a streamer so punctual about lunch in person.
Someone muttered, “Wow. Work-life balance in the Knights is insane.”
— Culture shock lol
— Is he talking about actual lunch?!
— Amazing
— This is literally a company lunch hour
— Peak human adulthood
“Sigh.” Radish Servant simply sighed and logged out too. “Right. See you after lunch~”
Pop.
“Then we should...”
However, lunch wouldn’t be equal for everyone.
“Hold it!”
Thud.
Potato Servant barked at the recruits trying to log out, “You punks. Who said you could leave first?”
“Gasp...”
“S-Sorry, sir!”
Almond probably didn’t remember what happened last time everyone left their posts for lunch, but Potato Servant clearly did.
“You’re on two shifts. Lackeys first, then peasants. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
Tap!
After the three trials, their discipline was set in stone. No one questioned it.
— This really is the army
— Seniority rules lol
— Phone watch duty lmao
— Two-shift lunch LOL
— Seniors go first? figures
“Maid Black Tea. Lemon Servant. Same for you two until they settle in.”
“Yes...”
It wasn’t just the newcomers. Even the lackey tier got a full lunch. Maid Black Tea took charge of the lackeys while Lemon Servant led the peasants, acting as squad leaders for each unit.
— Perfect personnel placement, GOAT
— Is this... Sweet Potato leadership?
— Goatato!
— Drill-sergeant energy
— How did he hold back till now? lol
“Lunch runs generously until three in the afternoon. Be back and assembled before then!”
“Yes, sir!!”
Viewers marveled at Potato Servant’s smooth manpower plan.
Meanwhile, ForeverAlone whispered on his stream-only channel, “Wow... this is so damn fun.”
His cheeks flushed from feeling genuinely thrilled. After all, he was a military nerd.
— You little perv
— Only someone who never served would say that
— War games are fun tho
— Knight hype is real
— This is the most other voices I’ve ever heard on ForeverAlone’s stream lol
***
While the Knights enjoyed a peaceful lunch, Donuts made his move.
“It’s about time we start the vote.” He cornered the admins. “The invasion is soon. Please gather the villagers in one place so we can hold a vote.”
For him, the timing was perfect. The Knights still had fewer members while the Union had grown. The vote would be a landslide. If they waited, the Knights could gain more followers. It had to be now.
“A vote?” Admin Camebert blinked.
He was hearing about this for the first time.
“Yes, we’ll be handing over food to the invaders soon. We need to vote on how to divide the tribute.”
“Hmm...” Camebert stroked his chin, unsure. “Shouldn’t we hear the villagers’ opinions first? We can’t jump straight to a vote.”
“Anything is fine. Just set up the space.”
“Understood.”
Moments later, everyone received a notification.
Ding.
[In a short while, at 2:30 P.M., there will be a village-wide meeting on countermeasures against invaders. Please gather at the marked location.]
The Union was ready, but most villagers were busy with their livelihoods. For them, this news came out of nowhere.
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“Sounds like they want a vote?”
“Who announces it like this?”
It was abrupt, but the admins had little choice. In a game like Survival Craft, everyone played their own way. Nothing would happen if they waited for everyone.
In the end, the villagers gathered in the square at 2:30.
Camebert stepped onto the stage as host. “Good to see you, everyone. So... it’s today. Or is it tomorrow in Survival Craft time?”
Murmur, murmur.
What was “today?” Everyone looked confused. They had forgotten when the invaders first came, and the mismatch between reality and Survival Craft time only made it worse.
On top of the Knights vs. Union feud, everyone had been busy. Some had gone herb-hunting while others had designed a mill and embarked on the bread-making journey. They had forgotten that invaders even came to the village.
“Tonight, in Earth time, the invaders will come again to collect food.”
“...!”
“Residents of Cheese Village, please deliberate on this matter. Someone has requested a vote, but...” Camebert paused before delivering the verdict. “To be blunt, it’s not possible.”
“What?”
The Union members froze. No vote? What was he talking about?
“Of course, you’re free to create your own system and vote however you like. However, an official vote can’t happen yet. There’s no required building.”
Murmurs spread. The phrasing was strange, as if they needed some mandatory structure for governance. Wasn’t Cheese Village just a sandbox where they could build anything?
“For civilization to develop, certain buildings and institutions are necessary. Regarding this issue, we, the admins, decided to give you a hint.”
— What is it?
— ??
— There’s more to the village system??
— Hidden gimmick?
“Build a Council.”
A Council? The word set the hall buzzing.
“What? We can build whatever we want! Who decides what counts as a Council?”
True, anyone could stick a sign on a shack and call it a council chamber. A church didn’t need a cross on the roof to be one. Likewise, a council didn’t have to look like the Pantheon with marble pillars.
Camebert added, “Which building qualifies as a Council... That’s for you to discover.”
That meant a hidden element existed.
Clap.
Before curiosity could spiral out of control, the admins intervened. “In the meantime, we’ve prepared this meeting hall. Please, step inside.”
It was a small, church-like building.
“From here on, we won’t intervene.” The admins withdrew.
Donuts glanced around. “Well then... everyone here for the meeting?”
— Raise your hand if you’re not here?
— Why ask that here? lol
— What is this?
— Knights aren’t here
The Knights were absent. Donuts noticed, but didn’t know why.
‘Where are they?’
‘Could it be... Another lunch break? Like before?’ He smirked. ‘How careless.’
“Then let’s begin...”
Boom!
“Wait!!”
The doors slammed open.
[ForeverAlone]
ForeverAlone stood there.
“Wh-What are you doing, Donuts? Starting a meeting without the Knights?”
‘Huh?’
Donuts burst into laughter. “ForeverAlone, why do you care? Since when were you a Knight? Sit down. After what they did to you, you...”
“Call me Lackey ForeverAlone.”
“What?”
“Pfft!” Laughter spread through the hall.
Lackey ForeverAlone? What nonsense. Even Donuts was baffled.
“Lackey? Why are you suddenly a lackey?”
“Because...”
Clank. Clank. Clank.
Behind ForeverAlone, armored Knights marched in. The lackeys had just finished their lunch.
— What the hell??
— LOL
— Insane
— ForeverAlone really made it
— No way
One Knight stepped up beside ForeverAlone.
“ForeverAlone has joined the Knights and proudly received lackey rank.” Maid Black Tea led the lackey squad.
“Wh-What... ForeverAlone joined the Knights!?” Donuts looked as if his sworn enemy’s child had been adopted into his own family. “What are you saying!?”
ForeverAlone looked timid, but answered firmly, “I-it’s true. I’m a Knight now, lackey-rank!”
“But why would you...?”
Maid Black Tea cut in, “Tired of the Union’s lies, Lackey ForeverAlone, though still a farmer second class, chose to apply. Why is that so surprising?”
Donuts became speechless, unable to decide which challenge to tackle first.
“Even now, look, you try to start a meeting without the Knights.” Maid Black Tea sharply glared at him, her voice dripping disdain. She gestured back to the others. “Secure the doors.”
“Yes!”
“Keep them open and stand guard.”
“Yes!”
— LOLOLOL
— Are they gangsters??
— This is insane
— Maid Black Tea’s aura is terrifying
The Knights shoved aside those trying to close the doors and stood guard, holding the entrance open.
The Union leaders shouted from the tables.
“Are you insane!?”
“This is outright military action!”
“Y-You insolent brats! Shut that door at once!”
Shouting was all they could do.
— Why aren’t they moving tho?
— Just sitting there yelling
— Boomer energy lol
“Tch... Disgraceful.”
“Back in my day...! These punks!”
They could only manage empty rants.
“The lord will be here soon after his meal. Wait patiently.” Maid Black Tea had no intention of stepping aside.
The villagers watching shook their heads in disbelief.
“W-Wow... Are they the strongest faction in this world now?”
“Almond is the lord, right? He runs Cheese Village.”
“Insane... so badass.”
It was both a show of force and perfect publicity. In the very hall where everyone wanted their voices heard, the Knights made their presence undeniable.
“The lord arrives!!”
Thump. Thump...
Drums rolled as a column of Knights marched from afar. At the front stood the most powerful man himself.
[Almond]
Potato Servant waved a massive banner on the left while Radish Servant stood guard on the right. Behind them, the newly recruited Bard beat the drum in rhythm.
Boom! Thump!
Almond climbed the steps and entered, the drumbeat guiding him.
“Hmm.” He slowly scanned the hall before seating himself directly opposite the Union leaders at the head table.
Thump.
The final beat echoed. One by one, the Knights filled the chamber.
Only nervous gulps could be heard.
— Chills
— That aura
— This is the Knights
— Holy shit these guys
— LMAO
— The ruler of this land
— Majestic...
The Union had tried to start the meeting early. Instead, Almond now looked like the rightful star of the show.
‘Dammit!’