It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

It wasn’t on the questionnaire…

– Click-click.

Out of a desperate sense of curiosity, I scrolled up and down for a long time. Up. Down. Up, and then down again. No matter how many times I spun the small wheel, the conclusion remained the same.

There wasn’t anything like… this question. Of course, if they wanted me to answer it, I had plenty to say. If the problem was where to start, then it truly was a dilemma.

Frowning, I scrolled all the way to the end.

As expected, there were no questions mentioning warriors. However, towards the end of the file, there was a note: “Additionally, we might ask questions that come in through chat or donations! Feel free to answer comfortably.”

… Right.

I suppose…

Isn’t the charm of internet streaming precisely that? The spontaneity, the two-way communication. The authentic reactions, quite different from acting according to a script, provided a unique flavor. As someone who once worked hard to capture that charm myself, I couldn’t deny it.

… Still, it would’ve been nice to have been told in advance about a question like this. Not because I didn’t want to hear it. Absolutely not. It’s just a bit weird… No, really weird.

But I could answer it. It’s just that deciding how much detail was suitable for a broadcast… that was tricky.

That didn’t mean I could spill out everything that came to mind. While there might be those who wanted the raw truth, no one wanted me to spend an hour answering a single question during an interview.

I pondered for a moment. Arc had firmly requested it… so I couldn’t drink alcohol.

… Was there nothing else?

But… answering a question like this off-the-cuff without any sort of doping wasn’t easy either. The nature of the question itself seemed to… expect some sort of snappy ad-lib.

Wasn’t it time for a compromise? Clinging to the original plan was foolish once we had breached the boundaries of those rules.

Yes.

Should I drink something at least?

Barley tea… Personally, I didn’t like it much. But when fermented, it provided such a rich flavor.

* * * *

Arc, Kim Jinhee had a knack for sensing the atmosphere as a broadcaster. Perhaps it was due to her childhood experiences of being a sought-after mood maker in any group. Standing at the center of a crowd taught her many things.

Or, it might have been because being surrounded by people endlessly exhausted her. She released her accumulated fatigue upon returning home by hastily connecting to internet broadcasts and communities, naturally absorbing their sentiments and culture in the process.

The cause remained unknown. However, the results were apparent. She had a keen eye for gauging the mood in the chat and a sharp instinct for detecting imminent danger.

Armed with these two weapons, she had narrowly avoided hitting rock bottom numerous times while making her mark in the precarious streaming industry.

Her innate perceptiveness and temperament, combined with her natural tendency to interpret people in a positive light and her aversion to causing harm to others, melded to create the broadcaster known as “Arc”.

She measured the angles precisely without calculating and survived with scars from her razor-edge pursuits. From a broadcasting perspective, she was a flawless character.

However…

By nature, there is a fine line between spectacular play and trolling. Being put in precarious situations so frequently was no coincidence.

She inherently possessed a moth-to-the-flame tendency, and this trait flourished in the fertile ground of internet broadcasting.

It wasn’t all bad. Some even considered it an advantage. After all, a broadcaster who charges in like a moth to the flame either hits it big or at least provides content when failing.

That day’s broadcast was proceeding well within that fine line.

However…

The instincts she built from human relationships only operated within predictable bounds. Human predictions stem from accumulated experiences.

“Well… we’re nearing the end. But before we wrap up, we must ask this, right? So, before you debuted as a broadcaster, it was well-known that you diligently watched many broadcasts. Can you name your top three favorite Tw*tch broadcasters? Be honest and start from the third favorite, without worrying about anything!”

It was essentially a predetermined, utterly safe question.

What troublesome answer could possibly come from this? The reply was predictably mundane. Most likely, she would mention two decent broadcasters and then her own name.

『Groveling at the Pinnacle』

『Pathetic, Arc』

– “The expression on your face is disgustingly world-class.”

– “Look at that expectant face over there.”

The atmosphere in the chatroom was similar. They were all ready to laugh together, using her naked expectations as fodder.

“My third favorite broadcaster… I recently found out about her. Her name is Tatiana, and she streams from Russia. She’s ranked a bit low, but she plays a looting rogue deliciously.”

– “What’s with Russia LOLOLOL LOL”

– “The ultimate fan.”

– “Why is her defense range so wide?”

– “Just loves rogues… EatItAll.”

– “Eat You Eat You…”

– “Taking the concept to its extreme, huh?”

Naturally, her name was not called in the third place. It was a somewhat unexpected answer, though.

“I see. It’s great to see consistent love for rogues. So, who is your second favorite? I have a feeling they might also be a rogue player.”

“Uh… no, not a rogue… actually, they didn’t play Naonara either. Originally, they were my favorite, but now they are second. However… they have quit streaming, so it feels a bit cautious to talk about it. They disappeared without a word. Hmm… I wonder if they are still alive. I am curious.”

It made sense that her name wasn’t mentioned in the second place either.

However, the answer was unexpected in many ways.

Who would have predicted dragging in a suddenly retired broadcaster and beating them down?

And to respond with a genuinely sad and melancholic voice.

“Ah, that’s too bad. It is really sad, isn’t it?… I also felt like saying goodbye to a friend when my favorite broadcasters retired. Huh? Me? I will broadcast my funeral for my fans.”

But Arc had anticipated unexpected situations. Throwing in the appropriate lines, they quickly raised the tension back up and continued with their prepared dialogue.

“So, then, who is the grand number one? If I may be so bold, I have a specific person in mind. Ahem.”

It was all predicted, even without a script. At least from here on.

After all, wasn’t EatItAll a fan who practically lived in her broadcast?

It was hard to imagine on an image level, but ideally – if she shyly answered ‘Arc’ while a bit embarrassed…

With a bit of laughter, teasing her about being an elementary school boy bothering a girl he likes,

And then brazenly asking what exactly she liked about it –

“Despite many things, my ultimate favorite is still Dodat. I like how smoothly he plays as a rogue. The only flaw is he tends to be a bit flirtatious.”

Such a hopeful circuit was running in Arc’s mind when the response he received was beyond imagination.

It was a bombshell.

『Cheating?』

『What’s this about?』

『Cheating???』

『???』

『What nonsense is this』

『Been on Dodat’s broadcast since before GetDevoured debuted』

『Are they dating??』

『???』

『Holy crap』

『You’re finished, Arc』

“Uh…hold on. Are you talking about that challenger broadcaster Dodat? Maybe some other Dodat from Russia or Germany-”

『Yes. The one and only. More than just a broadcaster, I hoped we could be comrades. I was the only one thinking like that, though… It’s a bit in the past now.』

Arc could almost hear the fuse sizzling in his ears.

“Ah! Oh, yes. That rogue story, right? Not something else? You mean Dodat not just playing rogues but also being a Holy Knight, right? Yes, as expected, it’s a fitting answer from someone who loves rogue characters as much as you do, GetDevoured! So, then… Just a second. Uh… The next question is….”

Sensing imminent crisis, Arc tried to quickly switch the question-

『Yes. It’s about the rogues. What else could it be? Of course, it’s about the rogues.』

Lee Yena’s response, tinged with a poignant mix of anger and laughter, was faster.

『Indeed. Rogues… ignoring perfectly good rogues to fawn over Holy Knights, and even looking at the Warriors. I saw it all with my own eyes. Yes, since we’re on the topic, there’s something I’d like to say to Dodat. I can’t say it directly because I’m blocked.』

It was a straightforward confession without any metaphors.

Promised to be a rogue, but ended up playing the Holy Knight most of the time, even eying the Warriors. Tried to leave honest advice in the fan café but got permanently banned.

It was a story easily understandable at face value—but how many could actually see it that way?

At least not Arc. She was frozen, repeatedly muttering ‘Uh-Uh-‘.

『Though I felt betrayed, I have forgiven. And now, I’m doing well. Don’t know if I’ll be able to participate in this competition, or if you will—but meeting you would be nice. So I can show you the changed rogue.』

It was a heartfelt and resolute promise, sent like a voice message.

The season of storms, summer, had come.

TL’s Corner:
Will be changing Paladin to Holy Knight…