With the office back up and running, things began to proceed much more smoothly. Unfortunately, there was still a great deal to be done for the update to be perfect. Even though the numerical gap between 2.75 and 3.00 was only 0.25, it felt insurmountable.
Regardless of all the additions that I added, it still didn’t reach the desired score.
’Is this still not enough?’
Rubbing the bottoms of my eyes, I looked away from my laptop.
A voice called out for me after.
"Boss, I’ve added the things that you’ve asked me to add," Ryan spoke up, his expression looking a little tired.
Joseph followed right after.
"Same on my end," he said, not looking up. "Though expanding the map is going to take longer than expected. Scaling it outward without breaking continuity isn’t exactly light work." He finally glanced up. "Still, since you already rendered the entire hotel, it saves us a ridiculous amount of time."
Noah hesitated, his voice lowering, "...I still find it hard to think that we can finish this on time. Especially since you’re leaving soon."
"Hm? I’m leaving?"
I looked at the members in my team curiously.
"What makes you think I’m leaving?"
"Are you not?"
"Why would I be?"
There was nothing scheduled for me over the next few days. The World Congress was the only event I needed to attend, and even that was still quite far off. Well, not exactly, but I definitely had time to finish the game before going.
Noah suddenly pulled his attention away from his laptop.
"Wait, are you not going? Seriously?"
"Going? Where would I be going? There’s still time before the World Congress."
Seeing the strange looks that I was receiving, I started to become confused. If not for the World Congress, what? Where would I...
Ah.
Realization struck me.
"You think I’m going to be in the ranking event?"
I almost found it amusing. Did they really think that highly of me?
"Are you not going to be?"
"Of course not."
It wouldn’t make sense for me to be invited. While it was true that I’d achieved a few things during the Malovia incident, the fact remained that I was still only a First Order in the eyes of the world. Followed by my report on the incident, I would struggle to believe people actually thought that I was worthy of getting a rank.
This was also why many people believed I’d gotten to where I was purely through luck.
Maybe not the general public, who were largely ignorant of the situation, but most others thought the same. That I’d simply been lucky.
I wouldn’t blame them since I made sure to make it look that way during my report.
After all, I was in no position to reveal too much.
Let alone my identity as the "Jester," there was also the simple fact that if anyone ever found out about the system, I would be dead.
The plan was to slowly reveal my abilities with time.
’There’s also the fact that I’m not quite in the Fourth Order yet.’
The doppelganger’s body had been an exact copy of mine from before I turned, placing it firmly at the Third Order. Thanks to the Emblance Shards, I was able to stabilize my mind and suppress the side effects of everything that had been happening to me. Now, I could safely advance to the Fourth Order.
I was only missing the fragments.
’For that, I can always ask the Guild.’
"Are you really not going?" Joseph interrupted my thoughts, pulling out his phone and scrolling through several reports he’d apparently saved beforehand before showing them to me. "There are a lot of news articles about you. People are calling you one of the up-and-coming stars of the industry. A hidden gem. Some are even saying you might end up on the rankings."
"That’s nonsense. I’m still a First Order. This is all just recency bias."
"...Oh."
The three of them exchanged glances, clearly unconvinced by my words. Watching them, I wasn’t sure how to react. They were giving me far more credit than I felt I deserved.
"Whatever, we’re wasting too much time talking about this nonsense. Let’s focus on the upcoming update. Don’t worry about the invite. I won’t be receiving it."
I urged everyone to continue working after that.
We didn’t have much time, so we pushed ourselves until we reached the maximum duration we could remain inside the Gate before finally leaving.
By the time we were done, everyone looked haggard.
I was similarly tired.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I mumbled, "We managed to accomplish quite a lot today. Maybe we can actually get this done in time."
"Mhhh."
"...Huuu."
"Errr."
It felt like I was working with zombies. When I looked back, the three of them could barely meet my gaze, staring at the floor with hunched backs.
Rubbing the bottom of my eyes, I opened the door and went back to the office.
But that was also the moment I paused.
Especially when I took note of the black envelope resting on top of my desk.
My heart tightened.
’Don’t tell me its another system item.’
Hesitantly, I moved toward the envelope and examined it carefully. I only relaxed when no strange pop-up appeared, finally reaching for the letter and opening it.
——●
Dear Seth,
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the upcoming World Annual Ranking Update.
This update represents an important milestone, bringing together key contributors and stakeholders to review results, highlight progress, and discuss the outlook for the year ahead. Your involvement and perspective would be a valuable addition to the discussion.
.
.
——●
"....."
"....."
"....."
Before I knew it, three heads had crowded in around me, their gazes shifting back and forth between me and the letter.
Reading the letter again, I closed my eyes and set it down.
’Fuck me.’
***
"Here are the reports for those who were invited to the ranking event."
A report was passed on to the Guild Master.
"The list is within our expectations, with a similar number of entrants as in previous years. But..."
The assistant hesitated, eyes fixed on the report spread across the table. There was a hint of confusion on his face, as though one particular selection didn’t sit right with him. As if sensing the assistant’s uncertainty, the Guild Master’s lips curled into a faint smile.
Although he was usually smiling, this smile...
Even the assistant could tell the Guild Master was pleased.
He pressed his hand over the report.
"Proceed as we originally planned. Set up a PR campaign for each member. While rankings are mostly decided by achievements, there’s also a voting aspect to consider. If we can secure the favor of enough voters, it’ll work to our advantage."
"Yes, I have already contacted the PR team. We’ve already talked with several who we were already sure were going to be invited. They are willing to cooperate with us fully."
"Mhm. That’s good."
"But..."
The assistant’s eyes flicked down the page, stalled, then settled on a single name. He cleared his throat.
"We don’t actually know how we can PR him."
Across the table, a smile appeared.
"You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already got that sorted."
"You have?"
The assistant lifted his head, surprise flickering across his face.
The Guild Master answered with a slow nod, eyes resting on the final name. His smile widened, just a fraction, as he interlocked his fingers before him.
"Yes. You can say... it’ll be quite an interesting campaign."