The impromptu spectacle ended, and kendo club training resumed. Even Hayama Hayato was now swinging a bamboo sword in practice.
In a corner of the kendo dojo, Takamachi Kyoya and Hiratsuka Ryosuke stood side by side.
"Hiratsuka, did you study a classical sword style?"
Hiratsuka Ryosuke nodded, speaking candidly. "Yes, it's a minor school. I received my menkyo last year."
"A menkyo? At your age, that's truly impressive."
The two of them talked casually until Takamachi Kyoya revealed his real purpose.
"Hiratsuka, please, I'd like you to be our vice-captain!"
Takamachi Kyoya bowed deeply, making a sincere request. In the past, he had received a lot of help from his upperclassmen. He had made so many youthful memories in this kendo club. His seniors had high hopes for him, wishing that one day he would stand on the podium at the national championships.
He was in his third and final year of middle school. The kendo club was in a slump; he was the only one with strong skills and could enter the national individual competition. However, the team's performance wasn't even good enough to qualify for the Tokyo metropolitan tournament. Kendo teams typically have five members. The middle school team rules weren't as strict as the high school leagues, often using a point system where one person could fight multiple matches. Takamachi Kyoya had once carried his team of four to the semifinals of the Tokyo tournament. He was confident that with a good strategy, he and Hiratsuka Ryosuke, with two more members, could make it to the national competition. Moreover, Hayama Hayato had good athletic talent and wouldn't be a liability once he was trained.
Takamachi had already given up on the team competition, but with the two new members joining this year, he saw hope for the team to make it to the nationals and win. He recalled Hiratsuka Ryosuke's performance just moments ago; with a single strike, he had broken a standard bamboo sword. That power and speed were just the tip of the iceberg.
"Captain, I don't even know the rules of modern kendo," Hiratsuka Ryosuke said truthfully. He didn't outright refuse because he had a clear goal for joining the club. While Japan has a strict social hierarchy based on seniority, it also has a deep respect for strength. Given his performance, no one would object to a first-year student becoming vice-captain.
"Does that mean you accept?" Takamachi Kyoya straightened up, his eyes lighting up.
When Hiratsuka Ryosuke nodded to confirm, Takamachi Kyoya patted him on the shoulder. "You have such a great foundation; you'll get used to the rules in no time. But next time, don't use so much power. The kendo club's future rests on you, Guardian Knight!"
"Please don't call me that."
"Haha, isn't that a cool title? That girl is a great namer."
With the current captain's endorsement, the other kendo club members had no objections to the "Guardian Knight" becoming their new vice-captain. Takamachi Kyoya looked up at the yellowing awards and photos on the wall, reminiscing about the past and looking forward to the future. He could see the hope of winning the national championship.
In the Unshikawakunko Publishing House
It's a company with decades of history, and it has a complete industry chain, from receiving manuscripts to publishing and operating physical bookstores. There was still half an hour until closing time in the editorial department. A beautifully dressed woman in a business suit was reviewing manuscripts.
Machida Enko looked at the stack of manuscripts on her desk, her face devoid of emotion. A fictional editor is a sophisticated professional, leisurely sipping coffee and enjoying steak and wine after work. A real editor's job is tedious and boring, with dinner often consisting of a bento box or fast food.
Many readers complain that the books published by her company are like toilet paper or trash. But what they don't know is that the "toilet paper" and "trash" are the ones the editors carefully selected, the ones that are somewhat readable. The truly atrocious works never see the light of day. Sometimes, dealing with eccentric authors can be maddening. Take Yamada Elf, for example. Even though she's a best-selling author, she's never turned in a manuscript on time. The editors have to physically hunt her down, lock her in a small room, and make her write, which wastes time, energy, and human resources.
She'd gotten used to this kind of thing. But what was more frustrating was that a while ago, Yamada Elf went crazy. She called several rival publishing houses to find an unknown artist and even threatened to defect. This earned Machida an unjustified scolding from her editor-in-chief.
Machida tossed one manuscript after another into the shredder. The light novel industry is ruthless. What an author might consider a magnum opus created with blood, sweat, and tears, an editor might see as useless text—at least garbage can be recycled.
As she was about to habitually toss the manuscript in her hand into the shredder, a familiar contact address made her stop. But the author's name wasn't the one she was familiar with. The manuscript, titled Sword Art Online, was by an author named "Ryou."
"Isn't this Yamada Elf's address? That's strange. Did this person actually submit a manuscript early?" she wondered.
She opened the manuscript and immediately knew it wasn't Yamada Elf's work. It was easy to tell because the female protagonist wasn't naked in the first chapter. With her keen eye, she immediately saw the manuscript's commercial value. It had the potential to be a hit, no, a top-selling work of the year for Unshikawakunko!
Her initial quick scan turned into a meticulous, word-for-word read. She was completely engrossed.
"Editor Machida?"
The editor-in-chief of Unshikawakunko was standing next to her, but she didn't hear him.
Bang!
The thud of a fist hitting the table got Machida Enko's attention.
"Editor-in-chief, when did you get here?"
"Don't worry about that. Machida, has Yamada Elf's new manuscript arrived? It's the final volume, so it needs to be polished carefully." The editor-in-chief was a capable middle-aged woman, but the worry in her eyes never faded. This year, their competitors had several top-selling works. But they only had Yamada Elf, and she was always late with her manuscripts. Even if she ranked first on the Oricon charts, there was a huge gap afterward, and one tree couldn't support the whole forest. Yamada Elf's recent threat to defect had sent her into a panic. If their only cash cow left, Unshikawakunko would enter a premature slump.
"Editor-in-chief, I think we're going to be rich!" Machida Enko said excitedly, her previous apathy gone.
The editor-in-chief's tightly-knit brows slowly relaxed. "Did Yamada Elf's final volume arrive?"
Machida Enko didn't explain. She just silently handed over the manuscript.
"Sword Art Online? Ryou? A newcomer?" The editor-in-chief raised an eyebrow. She didn't look down on newcomers, but most of them weren't very good. She was curious as to what was so special about this manuscript that it made Machida Enko so excited.
A moment later, the editor-in-chief saw the potential for this book to top the charts this year. Her face lit up. Unshikawakunko's spring was coming! A new cash cow had arrived! Even though she was used to big changes, she was excited. After being suppressed by other publishing houses for so long, she could finally raise her head high.
The editor-in-chief held the manuscript in her hands, waving them around excitedly, her words becoming a little incoherent.
"Where is this Teacher Ryou? Quickly! I don't care who he is, contact him for me. Don't let this person get away!"