Pick Me Up!

“Why on earth are these people here…!”

The elderly gentleman spoke up.

“You will be in the way of our guests. Would you mind stepping aside?”

The woman stepped back, looking bewildered.

Soon after, the main subjects of discussion appeared.

Two men and two women, all clad in stiff black uniforms, walked towards a parked limousine with deliberate steps, arranged in pairs.

“That uniform… it looks familiar.”

Jenna tilted her head in thought.

I clicked my tongue.

“Ah, ah, I remember now! Niflheimr! That really strong place. But why are they here? I thought those people played in bigger waters.”

I narrowed my eyes.

There’s no reason for Niflheimr to be here. Not even high-grade advent stones or 5-star summon tickets are worth their attention. Yet, here they are, having given up even the chance to enter a higher-tier dimension city.

‘Ah.’

This is too much.

I haven’t heard of such a story.

“Please, get in,” the old man said, opening the door of the limousine.

“There’s still one person left. Please wait a moment.”

The young man in the lead shook his head.

A white cross mark was embroidered on the left chest of the uniform. It was the emblem of a senior trainee issued by Niflheimr’s training center. The other three also wore similar badges.

They only brought the core members.

All four, as far as I recall, seemed to have been summoned during my absence, but it was clear that they were the best 4-stars currently available in Niflheimr.

Their senior counterparts would have become 5-stars long ago.

“Why is Niflheimr here?”

The blonde woman who had been out of the loop for a while stood blankly.

The superior trainees of Niflheimr stood unshaken under the gaze of onlookers, seemingly waiting for the last member.

Shortly afterward, the final member joined.

He hurried after the waiting members, a steel spear strapped to his back.

“What were you doing? You’re late.”

“Sorry, I was changing my clothes.”

He scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression.

The limousine, carrying the Niflheimr event party, exited the square.

Jenna, watching foolishly, muttered,

“Did I see that wrong?”

“I was wondering where he disappeared to. So he was over there?”

Velkist sneered.

“I’ve heard about Niflheimr too. They say it’s the strongest in this district. If he’s being treated like that, doesn’t that mean that he has made some progress? Good for them.”

“That’s strange. Aaron…”

“But wouldn’t he prefer them over a place like ours?”

“It’s better to wait and see. There might be some circumstances we don’t know about.”

Edis, who had joined by then, added,

“Even if he has chosen them over us… it should be something for us to celebrate. Our situation is indeed harsh. Isn’t it, Han?”

“Well, yes.”

I responded with a smirk.

The last member of the event party was Aaron.

His height was towering, and his face was somewhat naive, but his aura had clearly changed.

“Hmm.”

The reward doesn’t matter, but it’s a matter of Niflheimr’s external image.

They would never send any mediocrity.

“This could be tricky… We might not even get a chance to grab the summon ticket.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. It’s just a warm-up.”

Ultimately, my goal was the advent stones.

The summon ticket was a bonus—take it or leave it.

This event had attracted many special guests. It was a good chance to gauge how much I had grown.

As the transport buses began to decrease the crowd in the square, our Townia party boarded the last bus leaving the square. According to the pamphlet, the opening ceremony was tomorrow. We were supposed to rest at the hotel tonight.

“Are you listening?”

“What?”

As I looked out the back of the bus, Velkist spoke to me.

“From what I know, that senior had no talent. Right?”

“That’s right. Even ten of him wouldn’t match up to you.”

“But it’s strange that he’s here…”

“He must have gotten stronger.”

I leaned my arms on the window sill.

Anyway, Niflheimr was an enemy in this Festa.

They would be the strongest competitors, especially in the main tournament, and it was very likely that one of their members would be Aaron.

‘Are they sending Aaron to gain some experience?’

I expected it, but the exact intention was unclear, whether it was the will of Yurnet or Myuden’s intention.

I could get an answer immediately if I called, but I didn’t want to rely on them here.

‘Or…’

There was a chance that Aaron had completely switched sides.

No one can predict how people will change their hearts.

‘If he has switched, there’s nothing I can do.’

Better to live comfortably in Niflheimr than to die like a dog in Townia.

That’s how I see it.

I pondered these thoughts until we arrived.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at a skyscraper hotel in the city center, and under the bellboy’s guidance, we unpacked our luggage at the hotel.

Upon seeing the scale of the building for the first time, Jenna was overly excited, and Edis couldn’t hide her surprise. Kishasha was dizzy and vomited several times. I explained the facilities and other precautions to the members, helping them to adapt.

“What?!!!”

“Niflheimr is here?”

“Why would they…?”

“What’s all this fuss about??”

“Haven’t you heard of Loki before? Niflheimr?! The strongest combat group on Server 2?! You know, the Union Guild incident. They wiped out hundreds of airships with just four people…”

The hotel floors and hallways were abuzz with talk of Niflheimr.

“Niflheimr, Niflheimr. My ears hurt.”

In the hotel’s 8th-floor corridor.

Jenna was pushing a metal cart.

The cart was stacked with numerous dishes from the buffet restaurant on the first floor.

Our assigned quarters were a triple room on the 8th floor, prepared with five rooms and three double beds.

A large table suitable for strategy meetings was also set up in the living room.

“But really, has Aaron switched sides? Do you know something?”

“Well, we’ll know when we talk.”

“I don’t know where he is. The counter won’t tell me. I should have asked when we parted ways with Niflheimr.”

“What will you do if he has switched?”

“I’ll persuade him! Tell him to come back.”

“But there’s no place for him if he returns.”

“That… I don’t know. Anyway, I don’t like the idea of fighting against Aaron.”

Jenna sighed deeply.

It was a rarely seen sorrowful face. Jenna chided me not to tease her as I laughed and tapped her shoulder.

‘Anyway.’

I’ll have to talk to him myself.

As soon as possible.

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!