A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 37

When comparing the world filled with fantasy stories to the Earth, abundant with modern conveniences, I naturally find my current life much more satisfying.

It’s not a matter of some aspects being better here and others being better there.

The quality of life in that world and on Earth is completely different.

It’s not even a suitable comparison.

However, that doesn’t mean I dislike that world.

The white breath I exhaled on the snowy mountains after defeating the dragons in the east.

The World Tree, as endless as the sky, introduced to me by the elves of the south.

The watercolor of fire and ice crafted by the sorcerer.

Such sights, unseen on Earth, were more than enough to leave an unforgettable mark in my heart.

That’s likely why I’m so fixated on New Dimension.

The mere fact that I could feel the emotions I experienced in that world again made my heart race.

Well, to put it plainly, New Dimension is indeed overly fantastical.

“Hoo…”

My body feels cold. A white breath escapes my lips.

The sensory block I intentionally set up made me forget that this was a game.

The crunching of my footsteps leaving prints in the snow sent a thrill through me, knowing they were solely mine.

“Haa…”

I could finally see the end in sight.

What kind of scenery would greet me at the top?

Just thinking about it made my heart leap.

And at that end, what I felt was…

“Whoaah…”

A desire to share this awe with others.

★

“That was amazing…”

After logging out of New Dimension and regaining consciousness in reality, a delightful sense of relaxation welcomed me.

Of course, the cold I felt earlier was gone, but that wasn’t particularly important now.

As long as I could feel that emotion, that memory was more than enough for me.

“Ugh…”

Stretching my body after stepping out of the Reverse Capsule, I first opened the closet and looked at those garments hanging neatly.

The white priest robe.

And the Warhammer, similar to my height.

Those were the clothes and weapon I used in that world.

For now, I left the Warhammer alone, picking up the priest robe and taking off my t-shirt and Dolphin Pants to fold them neatly before putting on the robe.

As I slowly moved toward the Full Body Mirror in the corner of the room, a familiar appearance and attire welcomed me, one I had seen for a long time.

Even if I didn’t ask for it, I’ve spent most of my life in that world.

Maybe that’s why whenever the memories of that world come to mind, I unconsciously put on this outfit.

Though with each time, negative emotions sprout as well…

“Umm.”

My long silvery-white hair, cascading to my waist, mostly covered the back of the priest robe.

In our cult, covering the robe with hair was akin to blaspheming the deity we worshipped, and growing hair was strictly forbidden, yet they made an exception claiming long hair suited me better.

The Pope Grandpa had always been quite vocal about that, but what could I do?

If that’s what the deity wanted.

…A twisted being. A disgraceful entity. What kind of deity?

Of course, he must have known I hated long hair.

There were even times when he wanted to carve out the back of my priest robe to showcase my attractive back when my hair was tied up, but thanks to the combined opposition of everyone, including the Pope Grandpa, and the threats of death when I insisted, I managed to avoid that situation.

The more I think about it, the weirder it seems.

Why do they even worship such a thing…?

“Sigh.”

Let’s drop that pointless thought.

Because I know once negative emotions start growing, they can trigger more bad memories.

“Hoo…”

“René Onee-chan!”

“Hyah?!”

I was startled by a sudden voice from behind and lost my balance, sitting down.

Of course, the owner of the voice was Bora.

Bora looked at me with wide eyes and pursed lips.

“When did you arrive, Bora…? I would have come out right away if you called…”

“I was ringing the bell outside and calling your name!”

“Eh.”

So that was why she looked upset.

“Did you come in by electronic key?”

“Yep! You gave it to me last time.”

Just as I thought.

I had told her to come in and rest in case I wasn’t home.

That time when Bora laughed and said, “Sister would never not be home!” stung a little.

“So why didn’t you come in?”

“I think I was so focused I didn’t hear anything…”

“Well, it can’t be helped… But, Onee-chan.”

“Yes?”

“What’s that outfit?”

…Ah, right.

“Eeek?!”

At Bora’s remark, I realized what I was wearing.

It looked more like a cosplay than everyday clothes.

“What kind of outfit is that, Onee-chan?”

The curious gaze of a six-year-old was bearing down on me.

Embarrassment surged inside me, and I could feel my face burning.

I wanted nothing more than to jump on the bed and cover myself with blankets, but since my legs had given out a moment ago, I couldn’t move.

“Onee-chan, you always wear the same clothes!”

“Well, they’re all different clothes, you know.”

They’re all cheap so I bought a lot to switch them out.

The colors are slightly different too.

“It’s totally different from how you usually look!”

Is she teasing me about this?

Saying it doesn’t suit me at all and asking why I’m wearing it when I already stand out.

I was just reminiscing about old memories on my own…

“You look great in it!”

“…Huh?”

“You’re really pretty, Onee-chan!”

“…R-really?”

“Yep!”

Her innocent eyes seemed to not even know the word “lie.”

“…Bora, is there something you want to eat?”

“Pizza!”

Perfect. Tonight’s dinner will be pizza.

“…Isn’t that a bit expensive? Is there anything else?”

“It’s okay! Mom said you can use this card!”

“Ah, ugh… T-thank you…”

“Tell mom later yourself!”

“Yes…”

★

“Bye-bye, Onee-chan!”

“Thank you again today, René.”

“Yes. Goodbye…”

After sending Bora off, I sat in a chair and quietly stared at the ceiling.

The first thought that crossed my mind was naturally about the future.

And then, the next thought was about my broadcast.

Well, while both line of thoughts relate, they have a slightly different vibe, don’t they?

I started broadcasting seriously wishing to earn money, yet my income barely exists, so I could quit anytime if I wanted to.

But that doesn’t mean I’m saying I’d easily give up.

I wanted to try everything I could, and if it still seemed impossible, then I would like to quit.

And among the various thoughts, the one I was most concerned about right now was about my broadcasting screen.

After learning about the direction of being a VTuber, I felt a glimmer of hope, yet I had no idea it would cost so much to begin.

I even checked separately in case Tuni had gotten something wrong, but it seemed to be even more expensive than I thought.

If only I had started the broadcast a little earlier before spending all my living expenses…

…I don’t know. Maybe I should just broadcast.

In fact, I had already mentioned I would take a break yesterday, so there’s technically no need to start the broadcast now, but I wanted to share that scenery I just saw with my Rebongi as soon as possible.

It was supposed to be a time to take a break from broadcasting to clear my thoughts, but in a twist, it became a cue to turn it back on.

Life truly is unpredictable.

With that thought in mind, I began preparing for the broadcast.

★

[René]

[Viewer Participation Content]

[New Dimension | 17 viewers currently | 0:00:13]

─?

─Didn’t you say you’d take a break today?

─I came for my fix, haha.

─What’s going on? Why are you live?

─Viewer Participation????????

─René Onee-chan, I’m freezing…

─It’s been a while since we’ve been to New Dimension, haha.

“…Um, hello.”

I clearly said I would take a break today, yet here I am, getting 17 viewers as soon as I go live.

It’s a mix of surprise and joy.

Even if they might not know who I am, it still means they’re affirming my existence.

Though right now, it’s just an empty black screen, so I’m sorry for that.

“Originally, I was planning to take a break today as I mentioned yesterday, but… I found something I wanted to do, so I decided to go live.”

The chat window seems to have quite a bit of anticipation for a viewer participation content, according to the title.

Well, in truth, it’s not anything grand, so it would only lead to more pressure if they over-expect.

─Is it PVP?

─Hasn’t Tagirion already ended?

“It’s neither PVP nor Tagirion, you just need to come to my location within 30 minutes. We’ll start at the latest by 35 minutes, so I hope for your cooperation.”

★

The Land of Eternal Winter, Nibrload.

An extreme region covered in snow and ice.

Even if you set the sensory block to its maximum on New Dimension, you could still feel your body getting cold in this eternal frost, a land of absolute zero.

Perhaps because of that, the monsters that appeared and the items available were nearly non-existent, making it one of the least popular areas in New Dimension.

In other words…

─Why the hell is the participation place Nibrload, haha.

─Just stay a noob forever, René.

─Isn’t this usually just used as a punishment location?

─I just arrived here, and it’s freezing as hell, haha.

─I set the sensory block to 5, but my whole body is freezing, damn it.

It would be natural for the complaints of the Rebongi to pile up towards René, who chose such a place as the meeting space.

‘I don’t think it’s that cold…’

René was oblivious to the fact that her standards were out of whack.