Chapter 27: Chapter 26

"Of course, I have thought about becoming a streamer."

Anna hadn’t expected Laura to bring that up, but it was a good opportunity since she had some questions about streaming herself.

"Oh, really? I didn’t think you were interested in streaming."

"I wasn’t, until recently."

Anna’s growth had reached a certain peak after the last viewer match. Laura had been coaching her and receiving a "friendship fee" for it, but at this point, she wondered if there was any need to continue teaching her.

'Honestly, does she even need more coaching?'

Sure, Anna still lacked in some finer details, but those were things that could be overcome with a bit of guidance. If Anna didn’t aspire to a professional gamer level, gaining more experience would likely be enough for her.

After all, the fundamental issue had already been resolved.

'Teaching others is enjoyable, but making it a career is another matter.'

Laura had been able to teach Anna because they were colleagues at the same company, but if she wanted to pursue teaching as a career, she would need credentials, such as experience in professional gaming or winning competitions.

Being a female professional gamer came with a lot of uncertainties, so if she wanted to pursue a career that involved making money while playing games, streaming seemed like the best option.

She wasn’t disinterested, and she was confident she could do it well.

After all, she was once admired as a Duke's daughter.

Whether she became a streamer, pro gamer, or even a celebrity, it seemed obvious that her popularity would skyrocket.

"Then you should become a streamer! I’ll definitely watch your streams!"

"Thank you. But which do you think is better: VTuber or streamer?"

That was the dilemma.

Rion had recently suggested she become a VTuber, but Laura still wasn’t sure why VTubers were better than streamers.

She had learned that VTubers had a very different vibe from streamers, but choosing the VTuber path based on vibe alone seemed a bit vague.

"Between the two, I think being a VTuber is much better," Anna said.

"Why? Wouldn't it be better to showcase my beautiful face?"

"...You’re still as full of yourself as ever. I can’t argue with that since it’s true, but… you’re not entirely wrong either. There’s just a risk to it."

"A risk?"

"Because you’re showing your face. In real life, people might recognize you. VTubers aren’t completely free from this either, but it’s safer."

Anna explained that there had been cases of VTubers being stalked, even though they used avatars for their streams.

Stalking, even with a virtual model? Laura thought.

"More importantly, in terms of opportunity cost, VTubers have an advantage. For instance... do you know what most retired VTubers end up doing?"

"I heard Rion plans to become a manager."

"That’s a unique case. Most VTubers who retire end up becoming streamers."

"...?"

Laura tilted her head in confusion.

"What does that even mean?"

"There are lots of reasons, but since we’re talking about opportunity cost, I’ll focus on that. Think about it—what has more impact? A streamer who’s already revealed their face becoming a VTuber, or a VTuber who transitions to being a streamer and finally shows their face?"

The latter, of course.

Laura didn’t know much about VTubers, but after Rion and Anna’s influence, she had started watching some VTuber streams.

While VTubers didn’t do hardcore role-playing, there was a certain level of immersion involved. That’s likely why people enjoyed them.@@novelbin@@

Conversely, anything that broke that immersion would reduce the fun.

A streamer who had already shown their face wouldn’t add much impact by switching to VTubing; it would just feel like a different format.

"Of course, revealing your face carries risks. Many viewers love the unique vibe VTubers provide, so revealing your face might ruin that vibe and cause fans to leave in droves."

"That makes sense."

"That’s why many retired VTubers either become streamers or start again as a new VTuber."

"...That’s hard to argue with."

"Anyway, to get back on track, if you’re torn between VTubing and streaming, it’s better to start as a VTuber in terms of opportunity cost."

Anna suggested that if VTubing didn’t work out, Laura could always switch to being a streamer.

It made sense, so Laura nodded.

[Look, I’m telling you, I admire Louis-chan—no, Louis—in a perfectly normal way!]

Anna once mentioned that only about half of VTubers rewatch their own streams.

In other words, many VTubers never revisit their broadcasts because they find it too embarrassing.

[It’s not like I have that kind of interest... And I don’t see Sensei in that way, okay? Seriously!]

[Oh, is that so?]

[It’s tough being too perfect. But what can I do? I was flawless from birth.]

[I’ll allow you to lick my feet if that’s all you want. I’ll grant you that much.]

[Please stop saying weird things, Sensei... It’s not like that!]

That’s why Anna didn’t rewatch her old streams, and Rion probably didn’t either. She freaked out when she watched her first stream again.

But Laura didn’t mind.

"Perfect! Pure perfection!"

"Let us lick your feet too!"

"Why only Anna? Why only Anna? Why only Anna? Why only Anna? Why only Anna? Why only Anna?"

"How much will it cost?

"

"Hehe."

Laura smiled.

Appearing on Anna’s channel, she still felt perfect and sublime. Even without showing her real face, she wondered, Where else could you find such a beautiful existence?

And the viewers’ reactions delighted her.

After all, the villainous noblewoman was always followed by loyal followers. Laura reveled in being admired and praised by others.

"Yes, it’s not bad at all."

Nodding to herself, Laura closed the archive of her joint stream with Anna.

Anna had told her, If you’re unsure, try VTubing first; it’s more beneficial in terms of opportunity cost.

So, she decided to try VTubing lightly. If she didn’t like it, she could explore other options later.

But—

‘What exactly do I need to become a VTuber?’

Laura tilted her head.

She couldn’t just become a VTuber overnight. After all, she didn’t even know how to start a broadcast.

So, she typed “how to become a VTuber” into the search engine.

After doing some research, she realized that there was a lot more involved in becoming a VTuber than she had expected.

First and foremost, there was the matter of a “pantegi.”

The pantegi referred to the Live 2D model used by VTubers.

Korean fans called it pantegi, and apparently, Japanese fans called Live 2D models “chopsticks.”

The pantegi was the essence of a VTuber, and creating one required a significant amount of resources.

‘Finding an illustrator will be tricky too.’

To create a pantegi, she needed an illustrator. And finding an illustrator to make a VTuber model wasn’t easy. The cost likely wasn’t cheap either, and she wasn’t even sure how to commission one.

She briefly considered drawing it herself. Back when she lived at the Duke’s estate, she had received art lessons as part of her education.

She was decent at drawing, but upon reflection, she realized her style probably wouldn’t suit the VTuber model. Plus, she didn’t have a tablet or the proper tools to draw.

"I’ll look into finding an illustrator later. For now, let’s tackle something else."

Next was the broadcasting equipment.

Her PC and VR setup were fine.

But the microphone… did she need a new one? She already had a headset, but she wasn’t sure if she needed a dedicated microphone for streaming.

Did she need a soundproof room? Since she’d mostly be playing VR games, it might not be necessary, but what if she wanted to sing? She had also received music lessons during her time at the Duke’s estate. I’m good at too many things, that’s the problem, she thought.

The biggest issue seemed to be the tracking equipment.

Her pantegi would need to move according to her own movements, which required tracking devices. Could this be done with a webcam? She wasn’t sure.

There was also the need to create a channel, install streaming software, and get a separate program to run the pantegi.

Hmm…

-♪♩♬♪♪♩

-♪

[What now?]

"Come to my room."

[What is it this time…?]

Click.

Everything was too complicated, so she ended up calling Rion.

When Rion entered the room, she looked exasperated.

"What do you want this time?"

"I didn’t call you to give you work; I need you to explain something."

"Explain something?"

"I want to try becoming a VTuber. What do I need?"

"Huh?"

Rion’s eyes widened.

"Y-you’re going to be a VTuber?"

"Yes."

"Seriously...? For real!?"

"…Why are you so surprised? You’re the one who suggested it in the first place."

"True, but I didn’t expect you to actually do it…."

Rion seemed flustered, but there was also a bright expression on her face.

...Is it such a big deal that I want to become a VTuber? Laura thought, still unsure why Rion was so thrilled.

"So, what did you want to ask me about?" Rion asked, still a bit excited.

"I’ve done some research on becoming a VTuber, but I didn’t understand much."

Laura explained everything she had learned: how to commission a model, the equipment she might need, the streaming software, and all the other complicated details.

After listening, Rion tilted her head.

"...Why are you worried about all that? You can solve it easily."

"Easily?"

Laura raised her eyebrows, signaling Rion to explain further.

"Join our company. They’ll support you with everything you need."