Chapter 31: Chapter 30

[Would you mind introducing yourself?]

[I’d like to get to know all of you.]

Laura’s voice flowed through the Discord channel.

Sora, who had been zoning out, quickly shook her head to regain focus.

‘No, it’s not decided yet that I’ll just be a background character.’

There was no denying that Aurora was an impressive person. But as the saying goes, crisis brings opportunity.

Aurora might make a strong impact during the debut stream, but if Sora thought positively, being in the same cohort as Aurora meant she could share some of that impact.

"I’ll introduce myself first. My name is Sora. Ayano Kouji Sora."

[That’s a bit of a difficult name. Can I call you Sora-chan?]

"That’s too stiff~. We’re in the same generation, so let’s be more casual!"

Sora tried to keep her tone lighthearted.

Though she wasn’t exactly thrilled about Aurora’s presence, now that they were in the same cohort, she figured she might as well welcome her. There was no point in starting off on bad terms.

[Then I’ll accept your offer. What kind of VTuber are you?]

"Haha… that’s a little too direct. You shouldn’t ask something like that so casually."

[Oh, really?]

[Ah, well… using the word 'setting' could break the immersion for the viewers….]

[Oh, I’m Inagika. Nice to meet you….]

[I see. I’m new to the whole VTuber thing. I’ll be more careful in the future.]

‘Total nepotism,’ Sora thought, frowning slightly at the exchange. How could someone about to become a VTuber not know such basic things?

It was obvious Aurora hadn’t come through the usual audition process.

She had likely been scouted purely for the buzz she could generate—being Rion’s cousin, having appeared on Anna’s stream, and possessing impressive gaming skills.

The higher-ups probably thought it was a good idea. To be fair, Anna’s stream had been fairly entertaining.

But being a guest is one thing; becoming a VTuber who leads their own stream is another story entirely.

"I’m a wandering bard, traveling the world."

[I’m an elf from the forest… an elf.]

[Fortune teller.]

[I’m a villainess who was exiled from a duke’s family.]

[It seems we all have similar themes.]

"Well, we’re all part of the 6th generation, so having similar vibes is intentional."

There was a point to making their themes cohesive—to build a sense of unity, and to make collaboration events and joint performances smoother, especially when it came to matching costume designs.

‘She really doesn’t know much about being a VTuber, does she?’

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling. Sora and the others had worked hard to pass the audition and get this far, so Aurora’s lack of preparation didn’t sit well with her.

But at the same time, it presented an opportunity.

Inagika was shy. Chel was practically invisible. And Aurora didn’t know the first thing about being a VTuber.

So it was clear to Sora that she was the only one who could lead this 6th generation.

Even if Aurora’s character was striking, it would only cause a brief surge of interest. What truly mattered was stability.

If Sora could position herself as the leader of the 6th generation, guiding Laura and the rest, she could eventually surpass Aurora in popularity.

She had to.

It’s said that having cohort members can’t stop a VTuber from retiring.

No matter how close you are with your cohort, a VTuber will retire for various reasons—whether due to health issues or other unrelated factors.

However, it’s also said that cohort relationships can be a reason to continue.

A VTuber with a million subscribers once answered a fellow streamer’s question: ‘What could make you retire?’

The million-subscriber VTuber replied, ‘If all my cohort members retire, I might follow.’

It turns out this particular VTuber was especially close to their cohort members, spending time chatting with them on Discord when not streaming.

There’s another story, too. One day, a group of four VTubers debuted together.

But one was fired for falsifying their contract, and another was let go for smoking during a stream.

This left just two VTubers—A and B. Eventually, B retired due to health problems.

Seeing B retire, A soon followed suit, unable to cope with the loss of their companion.

Inagika had told this story.

Whether or not those stories were true didn’t matter. What Sora understood was that cohort members could act as a kind of support system.@@novelbin@@

‘Not that it really concerns me.’

As the perfect villainess, Laura, I have a flawless mental fortitude.

My cohort members might lean on me, but I certainly won’t rely on them. I’m perfect, after all.

‘None of this really resonates with me.’

I now had three cohort members, but it was too early to tell. Their presence didn’t seem to mean much to me yet.

Still, having companions wasn’t entirely bad.

Even a villainess like me once had allies.

Since I was a villainess, I clashed with the hero’s party several times. During those encounters, I met people who shared my goals.

If we had to keep the hero’s party in check, it was more efficient to cooperate.

I’d had a few allies who entered dungeons with me. None of them stuck around to the end, though.

In the end, even fleeting relationships can be enjoyable if they serve their purpose.

Perhaps that’s why I found the conversations with my cohort surprisingly fun.

"Sis, let’s go out for a bit."

But there wasn’t much time to linger in the moment.

The day after the meeting with my cohort, I suddenly found myself busy.

"What’s the matter? Did you want to go out for dinner?"

"It’s not that… I want you to come with me to meet an illustrator."

"An illustrator?"

"Yeah. If we don’t find one soon, you won’t be able to debut next month."

Well, that made sense.

"I don’t understand. Is it really necessary for me to go?"

"Normally, the management would handle outsourcing this kind of thing… but you’re a bit special, Laura. The model is going to be based on your appearance."

"So, I need to be the model, is that it?"

Wouldn’t it be enough to just send some photo data?

But Rion shook her head.

"Call it a hunch, but I think things will go more smoothly if you show up in person. …You’re stunning when you’re just sitting there, and you have a commanding presence."

"And when I open my mouth, people fall in love."

"Ugh, you and your persona… Anyway, I think seeing you in person will help negotiations go better, so please come with me."

"Well, I suppose I have no choice then."

The world needs me far too much.

Unfortunately, I’m not an immortal being who can live forever. While I may be a noble villainess, I was born in a human body with a finite lifespan.

Someday, far in the future, I’ll be gone. I wonder if the world will manage without me when that day comes.

So, the world should practice living without me now, to avoid regretting my absence later.

"Geez, you and your narcissism… Sometimes I wonder what your brain looks like. What do you eat to think this way?"

Ignoring Rion’s exasperated expression, I stood up from my seat.

After that, we drove to a distant location, where we met with an illustrator at a café.

"Wow, you’re so beautiful…! I’ve never seen anyone like you…."

The illustrator was a woman, probably in her 30s. She had a simple appearance, with round glasses being her most distinctive feature.

"I was planning to decline, but… I just have to draw you. …Do you ever cosplay?"

"I’ve never done cosplay, but I’ve worn plenty of dresses."

"Dresses! They must look amazing on you… Do you have any pictures?"

I had a few saved, so I showed them to her, and she gasped, "Wow… wow…."

"Please cosplay sometime! I’m begging you!"

The illustrator practically shouted, almost bowing.

…What exactly does cosplay mean to her? It’s honestly a little scary.

"I’ll consider it. So, will you take on the commission?"

"The schedule is pretty tight, but…! I’ll do it!"

Her enthusiasm had clearly skyrocketed after seeing my appearance.

There was nothing I could do about that. After all, I’m the gem of a duke’s household, the flower everyone admires, the sun that shines on all.

After exchanging contact details, we met a few more times in VR to finalize the model.

Mostly, I served as her reference for the character design.

"Smile, please! Yes, perfect! You look stunning no matter what expression you make!"

We even met a few times in person, as she wanted to study my real-life appearance for the model.

Between these outings to finalize the VTuber model and other activities, time flew by, and soon, my debut day was approaching.

"Sis, the president wants to have a chat with you before your debut."

Rion told me.