Although the large umbrella blocked the sunlight, the heat hadn’t lessened much—if anything, its effect was more psychological than actual.
Still, it was better than nothing.
Under the scorching heat, the usually bustling Volupta fell into an eerie silence.
The streets were completely empty—even the NPC-run shops had closed up, hanging signs that read “Closed.”
At this moment, Volupta felt like a small town straight out of an old Western film, as if tumbleweeds could roll through at any second.
“It’s rare to see it this quiet here,”
Akimi murmured as he looked around.
Ever since players began exploring Volupta, large numbers of gamblers had been flocking to the casino daily.
Most of them were those lingering in the starting town, idling while waiting to clear the game or hoping to avoid death.
For these players, venturing out to fight monsters and level up was too dangerous, and staying in the inn all day was boring.
Gambling, then, became one of the few pastimes they could indulge in.
Typically, these players would complete simple, repeatable tasks in the starting town to accumulate a small amount of capital, then head to the casino to gamble.
If luck favored them, they could exchange their winnings for food and lodging; if not, they returned empty-handed to repeat the process.
Although casino chips couldn’t be converted back into Col, players could trade chips for various materials or potions and then sell them at slightly below market price to secondary vendors—rumor had it that some even made a decent profit this way.
This story had drawn even more lower-tier players, eager to try replicating the “gambling to wealth” method.
Returning to the present, the current temperature in Volupta was so extreme that even the most die-hard gamblers couldn’t endure it.
And whether it was an illusion or not, as Akimi’s group approached the grand casino, the heat intensified, and a faint mist began to rise inexplicably around them.
Asuna swiped the mist aside with her hand, only to see it reform almost immediately, leaving her with a contemplative expression.
“Honestly, this feels a bit like the steam in a bathroom when taking a shower,” she remarked.
The others were momentarily stunned, then all nodded in agreement.
Akimi, after nodding, added his own opinion: “If I were to be precise, I’d say it’s more like the steam in a sauna.”
Indeed, while the basic principle of both types of steam was the same, the sauna-like steam was far hotter, closer to the current situation… albeit somewhat inhumane.
Kirito wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead and laughed helplessly.
“In that case, we’re lucky—most places don’t offer a free sauna.”
With that, Kirito stepped into the grand entrance of the Volupta Casino.
The first things that caught their eyes were, as always, the gilded grand hall and the goddess statue sparkling under the chandelier, followed by the three familiar doors.
The only noticeable difference was that the NPC in charge of guarding the VIP passage had been replaced by the head maid Kio’s younger brother, the chief guard, Huazo.
Normally serious and stern, Huazo now wore an unusually weary expression—but even in this state, he was still clad in his dark gray uniform with the chest armor over it, which must have been somewhat uncomfortable for him.
Upon seeing Akimi and the others, Huazo was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly straightened his posture and returned to his usual serious demeanor.
“You’re here to… ahem…”
Realizing his tone was a bit off, Huazo quickly coughed twice to stop his slightly impolite remark and then said, “Are you here to see Miss Nirrnir? I’ll report it right away, please wait a moment.”
With that, he immediately ascended the stairs, not even asking whether Akimi and the others truly had business with Nirrnir.
Watching Huazo hurry away, the members of the Black Cat Squad felt a bit puzzled, but Akimi, Asuna, and Kirito were unsurprised.
While waiting for Huazo to report, the group took a stroll around the adjacent casino.
Just like the streets earlier, the casino was completely empty.
Even the NPC who normally sat in the center with a cheerful smile at the bar, providing chip exchange services, was nowhere to be seen.
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind them—
“Please don’t be surprised. Due to the recent heat, Miss Nirrnir gave the servants a day off.”
The explanation came from the beautiful head maid herself, Kio.
Despite the scorching weather, Kio still wore the same somewhat heavy-looking maid outfit she had on when they first met, paired with black stockings and iron greaves.
Just looking at her made one feel hot.
Indeed, upon closer inspection, a thin layer of sweat had formed on Kio’s forehead, though she seemed completely unfazed.
After nodding slightly, Kio continued, “Please follow me. Miss Nirrnir is currently waiting for you in her room.”
…………………
Led by Kio, Akimi and the others arrived at the door of Room 17.
However, Kio didn’t open the door immediately.
She slightly bowed to the members of the Black Cat Squad and, in an apologetic tone, said, “I’m sorry, but for now only Mr. Akimi, Mr. Kirito, and Miss Asuna may enter. Please rest assured—I will escort the others to the VIP lounge to wait comfortably.”
The group didn’t mind this at all.
After gently knocking on the door, Kio placed her hand on the doorknob, slowly pushed it open, and said, “Miss Nirrnir, Miss Asuna and her companions have arrived.”
Unlike before, the room this time had the lights turned on, no longer relying solely on a few struggling candles for illumination.
However, the heavy curtains over the large floor-to-ceiling windows were still drawn tightly.
Nirrnir was lying on the large sofa, flipping through a book, her cute little feet curled up behind her.
She slowly sat up, stretching like a little cat, after slightly turning her head to see Akimi and the others.
She brushed her dazzling golden hair back over her shoulders and attempted to smooth down a strand on the top of her head, the so-called “ahoge,” but it seemed to have a mind of its own and refused to lie flat.
After giving up, Nirrnir pouted and asked casually, “What brings you here all of a sudden?”
Today, she wore a simple black sheer long dress, which was more modest than her usual attire, but paired with her elegant face, it didn’t look plain at all.
In response to Nirrnir’s question, Asuna smiled and said, “We’re planning to take a short break recently, so we thought we’d come to visit you, Miss Nirrnir.”
Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Nirrnir’s face—clearly, she was pleased with the answer.
“By the way, Miss Nirrnir, do you have any idea what’s causing this strange heat?”
Nirrnir didn’t answer immediately.
She picked up the book she had been reading on the sofa, flipped through it casually, and said, “As you can see, I’m searching for answers too—but unfortunately, the archives of the Nactoy family contain no records on this matter. The only thing that can be confirmed is that the true source of the heat is in the sea.”
“Huh?! In the sea?”
Akimi, Kirito, and Asuna all exclaimed in disbelief simultaneously.
— The end of the Chapter–
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