Chapter 215
"An event, huh..."
For now, the meeting with the Spirit King had concluded. Considering the request we'd been given, I already had a few ideas in mind, so the next step would be deciding which one to pursue.
A high-ranking thunder spirit, who seemed to be the Spirit King's aide, guided us to a small house where we could stay for a while. After tying up the carriage and horses in the front yard, we stepped inside to discuss our plans.
"Do you have any ideas? We don't have anything prepared—no live equipment, no costumes, no instruments."
Of course, we hadn't brought any concert gear with us—we had come to Madalda for battle, after all.
"I do have some ideas, actually. And as for costumes and instruments, I might have a lead. Even if the spirit world lacks entertainment, that doesn't mean there aren't spirits capable of crafting items."
If we asked the Spirit King, he could probably arrange for an instrument or two. Background music was essential for a live performance.
"As for costumes... well, worst case, if we just have fabric, I can make them myself." "You can make them?!" "Well, yeah. I'd have to draft the patterns from scratch, though." "Is there anything you can't do?"
For the costumes, I could handle the sewing, and with Nel and the others helping, we'd manage somehow. Lady Esmeralda looked stunned at the sheer breadth of my skills, but honestly, I didn't think it was that impressive.
When you play FBO for a long time, just mindlessly grinding battles gets boring. That's why I picked up crafting skills as a way to mix things up.
FBO had a surprisingly deep creation system, so I ended up learning all sorts of things.
There were even times when I got so absorbed in crafting my own gear that I completely forgot about fighting—any longtime FBO player would nod and say, "Yeah, I've been there."
Fortunately, I've always had dexterous hands. There was even a period where I enjoyed crafting so much that I only fought to gather materials. That experience was paying off now.
Once, a friend begged me to help them make a cosplay costume last-minute in real life. Between the all-nighter and the adrenaline, I somehow pulled off something ridiculously high-quality.
Looking back, there were even times in-game where I stayed up for three days straight working on what I thought was the coolest gear—memories so embarrassing I'd rather forget them.
Compared to that, making an idol costume or two wasn't that difficult.
"But what about tools? Even if Libert can make them, we don't have any sewing supplies." "We'll just have to ask the Spirit King to prepare what we need."
Even in the spirit world, towns existed, and so did daily life. Spirits crafted things too. While entertainment was lacking, that didn't mean there were no spirits who engaged in such work. In other words, tools did exist here.
"Couldn't we just ask for instruments as well?" "We could, but traditional instruments are starting to fall short compared to Amina's singing ability. I've been thinking it's about time we upgraded our gear, so maybe we should craft some new instruments while we're at it."
With the right tools, we could make just about anything.
"Saying you'll make them is easy, but won't this put too much burden on you, Lord Libert? Even if we have time here in the spirit world, crafting items without the proper skills is no small feat. There's only so much the rest of us can do to help."
But as Ingrid pointed out, crafting without skill bonuses was far from simple.
Still.
"It's just hard work."
That's all it was—effort.
"Everything I've done so far has been difficult, but never impossible. Even if the burden is heavy, if we don't push through, we'll never reach a better future."
Those who shied away from hardship never excelled in FBO. The game was all about steady effort and patience.
"If you try to do everything at once, you might end up half-baked. But if you can do everything, you'll become unstoppable."
FBO was about overcoming challenges—the satisfaction came from pushing through the struggle. Sure, being handed cheats and waking up as the strongest might be one way to go, but where was the fun in that?
"More importantly—" "More importantly?" "It's way more fun this way!"
Doing things with my own hands, creating something exciting—that was what made it all worthwhile. I grinned at the group.
"Fun, huh? That is important!" "Right, it's better if we enjoy ourselves."
Amina and Nel nodded in agreement.
"In that case, I have a proposal for how we should proceed from here." "Lady Claudiah's idea?"
"Those who enjoy life are the true winners."
With those words lightening the mood, Claudiah made her move.
As all eyes turned to her, she began explaining her plan.
"To grow stronger in the spirit world, we should focus on three main tasks: First, the live performance. Second, organizing an event to entertain the Spirit King and the other spirits. And third, our own training to become stronger."
She raised her fingers one by one as she outlined the broad strokes of what we needed to do.
"Right now, Libert is involved in—and central to—all of these tasks, which places a heavy burden on him. While I understand that this is the most efficient approach, I believe we should still try to lighten his load where we can." "Lady Claudiah, I share your concerns, but the issue is how we reduce his burden. Libert's knowledge and ideas aren't things we can easily replicate."
It was an obvious point, but reaffirming it wasn't a bad idea.
Still, as Lady Esmeralda said, there were limits to what the others could do, and that uncertainty lingered.
"True. But leaving everything to Libert isn't healthy for the party either. If something were to happen that separated us from him, we'd be left dysfunctional. To avoid that future, I think we should use this time to learn how to act independently."
If Claudiah was worried about us becoming too reliant on my ideas, she had a point.
Up until now, my knowledge had allowed us to grow stronger with maximum efficiency. But that was only possible because I had the cheat-like advantage of experience.
"Of course, I'm not suggesting we abandon everything. When it comes to getting stronger, we still need Libert's knowledge. Going off on our own would only undermine his efforts so far, and there's no guarantee we'd get good results. But relying on him for everything is dangerous."
There were areas where we had to depend on me. But conversely, Claudiah was saying we should strive for independence in everything else.
"Lady Esmeralda and I have life experience, so we're capable of making our own judgments."
Claudiah had honed her instincts through solo travel. Lady Esmeralda had developed her own values in noble society.
"And Ingrid has the resolve to stop Libert if necessary."
Ingrid, too, had her own standards, shaped by the Gruelle family's teachings.
The real issue, Claudiah implied, lay with Nel and Amina—still inexperienced, their values still forming, their judgment increasingly dependent on my input.
"Nel, Amina—you're still in the learning phase. But wouldn't this be a good opportunity to try acting on your own?"
Claudiah wanted to avoid polarizing them into "Everything's fine as long as Libert's here" and "I'm lost without him."
"Us, taking action?" "……"
Amina openly wondered what they could even do, while Nel fell silent, gripped by unease.
"Yes. Of course, the rest of us will also strive to be more independent where possible, to reduce Libert's burden. We should also try to offer perspectives he might not have. But in terms of growth potential, the two of you have the most to gain."
In terms of level, everyone here was still developing.
But when it came to personal values, Nel and Amina still had much to figure out.
"This training period isn't just about leveling up—it's also a chance to learn. And your growth will help ease Libert's burdens in the future."
There was a future ahead. Hope for what was to come.
Having made her case, Claudiah paused briefly before shifting her gaze to me.
"So, here's my proposal: Libert will handle the first event and live performance. Then, for the second one, Nel and Amina will take the lead, with the rest of us supporting them. What do you think?"
Claudiah's plan was about creating an environment where I could focus on getting stronger.
"For Nel, planning an event would be valuable experience as a merchant. For Amina, managing a live performance would help her understand what makes a great stage. If they can become independent in these areas, Libert's burden will lessen."
Not a bad idea—no, actually, I thought it was a great one.
"…I'll do it. No—Libert."
But I hesitated, wondering if the two were really ready. Maybe they needed more experience first.
"Let us try!"
Before I could voice my doubts, Nel pushed aside her fears and spoke up with determination.
She stood tall, unafraid of the challenge.
"I don't expect to get it right immediately. I'll probably need to ask for advice over and over. But if I'm standing by Libert's side, I can't afford to run away now!"
Her declaration—that they should take on challenges while they could—struck a nostalgic chord in me.
"I see. Then, shall we give it a shot?" "Yes! Let us try!"
For some reason, it felt familiar.
"I can't let Nel show me up, can I?"
Whether inspired by Nel or simply realizing they couldn't stay passive forever, Amina, too, steeled herself.
"Yeah! Leaving everything about singing to Libert isn't right. I'll give it a try too!"
She puffed up with enthusiasm.
Their words reminded me of the friends I'd made when I first started playing FBO.
Ah, right.
Back then, giving constant instructions might have been efficient, but it also robbed them of the joy of trying new things.
They were nervous, sure—but their excitement outweighed it.
How nostalgic. I chuckled, remembering when I'd felt the same way.
"Alright, go for it. I'll be here if you need advice."
I gave them a push forward.
Which meant I couldn't afford to fail—they were counting on me to set the standard.
"But first, I've gotta make sure the first one succeeds, or they won't have anything to build on."
Half-joking, I steeled my own resolve.