The Frozen Player Returns

a while.
You all must be tired.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“I will see you in a while, then.”

Specter looked at the map of the hideout that a Watchguard gave him and thought for a while.
The Frost Queen, who had been hiding until now, quietly opened her mouth, “Are you going to train them?”

“To a certain extent, yes…”

“Hmm, I think it is better for you to develop your strength first.”

“I agree, so I won't hold on to them long.
At most, 15 days?”

“…If it’s that short, is it any better than not doing it?”

“No, that's plenty.”

Specter added with a deep smile, “You'll find out soon enough.”

***

Knock, Knock.

Gilberto answered without even looking at the door, “It's open.”

Skaya entered the room, nodded, and looked around.
“The room is surprisingly well-organized.
You could even stay here for a while.”

“What's going on?”

When Gilberto asked while basked in cold sweat, Skaya smirked.

“It has been a while since I saw you, but you still know how to grumble…”

Gilberto sat with a nonchalant look while emitting a domineering vibe, but…

“It's obvious to us that you’re overdoing it.”

Gilberto couldn't hide it from his comrades who had spent years with him.
Gilberto laughed awkwardly and muttered, “Did Jun-Ho notice it?”

“He told me to come here first.
Well, I would’ve come here even if he didn't tell me.”

Skaya took a wooden box out of her Inventory and retrieved a syringe from it.

“Why did you overdo it as soon as you woke up? I even had to recuperate when I just woke up.”

“…Fiends were harassing Arthur.”

“That's why you get called a son-loving fool,” Skaya said as she stuck the syringe into his forearm.

“So what? It’s a father's feelings after seeing his son all grown up.”

“…”

’

Taking the Sap of Rejuvenation, Gilberto looked down at the floor with a much better complexion.

“He looks like me…”

“Well, he looks a little cuter than you.”

“…He has some of his mother’s looks.”

“Your wife must have been a beauty…”

Not even the 5 Heroes knew Arthur's mother.
They only heard that she had been an ordinary person instead of a Player and that she had died giving birth to Arthur.
Gilberto often spoke of her.

“I'm confused, sorry for Arthur, and relieved that I wasn’t too late…”

After hearing her comrade's honest feelings, Skaya nodded quietly.
“You know, I also felt that way when I came back, but I guess 26 years is a long time.”

It was enough time for plenty of things to change.

“Yeah, it's a long time.
It’s enough to… change a person's body and mind.”

Gilberto turned his head slightly.
Within Skaya's slightly lowered gaze, there were strange emotions.
It was an expression as if she were recalling someone.

“Did you have your heart broken?”

“No!”

Pat!

Skaya mercilessly hit the patient on the back and roughly pulled the syringe out.

“Ugh.”

“The treatment’s almost done! Get well on your own now!”

When Skaya huffed and puffed out of the room, Gilberto murmured, blinking, “Some things just don’t change…”

Her personality didn’t change even after 26 years.

***

Specter went to Arthur's room.

Knock, knock.

“Can I come in for a minute?”

When he knocked on the door, Arthur, who was sitting on the bed with his head lowered, jumped up to receive him.

“Oh, come on in.”

It still felt awkward.
There were times when Arthur called him either Specter or Uncle.

“Sit down, sit down…”

Seo Jun-Ho told Arthur to sit down, pulled up a chair for himself, and sat down before looking at Arthur.
“You look worried.”

“It's just…
There’s bound to be a lot.”

Arthur’s faith in himself was broken.
He didn’t even know what to do in the future anymore.
He was bound to be confused about what to do since he was the leader of a group.

“Arthur…”

Specter saw through his feelings.
He could see Gilberto from 29 years ago in Arthur.

“You know what your father, my friend, Gilberto's nickname is, right?”

“…the Gray Envoy?”

“Not that…”

“America’s Treasure.”

“Yes…”

Gilberto had a wide variety of skills.
Therefore, after he had become one of the 5 Heroes, he had received the nickname ‘America’s Treasure.’

’

“But he once had a terrible nickname…”

“…You mean the Trashcan.
I personally hate that nickname.”

Arthur made a grim face at his father’s horrible nickname.
At the same time, he looked at the Specter.
There must be a reason why Specter suddenly brought this up.

“The bottom of the bottom.
Gilberto entered Gates while enduring the Players' scorn and contempt.”

“…Why did he go so far?”

“It's because of you…”

“…!”

Arthur's eyes shook like a sailboat that met waves.

“He had a small life to take responsibility for.
And at that time, there wasn't much legal system in place for Players to do anything other than hunting.”

“…I didn't know that.”

He had no idea why his father lived his life as a Player.
Arthur clenched his fists when he heard what Seo Jun-Ho said.

“There is no ship in the world that hasn’t met waves.
It's just the difference between being stranded by the waves or overcoming the waves.”

“…My father overcame it.”

“He overcame it bravely.
As a result, he was called one of the 5 Heroes and became one of the strongest Players on Earth.”

Arthur's head cleared up.
Specter, his uncle, was teaching him, using his own father’s story.

'For Players who have something to protect…
Does he mean it’s a waste of time to be in a slump?'

Arthur looked up.
He had the eyes of someone looking ahead, not behind.

“I heard it was Uncle who dug my father out of the mud.”

“Mmm-mmm, I trained Gilbe.”

Arthur suddenly stood up, knelt on the floor, and bowed.

“Please teach me, too!”

“…Hmm? It’ll be hard, though…” said Specter, crossing his legs.

“I'm confident in overcoming any training.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“By the way, why don't you give that opportunity to your comrades too rather than just becoming stronger by yourself?”

“…Are you saying that you will give the other Watchguards a chance to be trained?”

“Well, if they don’t want it, it can't be helped…”

“No way!”

Arthur raised his head and cried out.
“I will make each and every one of them listen, even if I have to whip them into it!”

It was Specter’s teachings.
Would there really be an idiot who wouldn’t want a chance that you couldn’t even buy with thousands of gold? Of course, if there was such an idiot, they should be scolded and forced to learn.

“Really?” Specter nodded slowly.
Beyond the mask, the corners of his mouth were rising.
“Just so you know, this is not something I suggested…”

“Of course, I asked first.”

“Well, I respect your choice.
But if your Dad stops you…”

“I'll persuade him.”

“Good, very good.
Perfect.” Specter clapped with a satisfied look.

Everything went as planned.

1.
These nicknames are combining their names with Doraemon, a kid’s anime character, that has a 4D front pocket that can produce a bunch of random things.
And Doraemon also has the “Anywhere Door,” which lets him go anywhere ba dum tss ☜