Praise the Victor!

48 to 100. Karona had won by double the score. A 2x gap, a double-score total victory.

"Wh-what… kuh, at this rate I cannot call myself a pro-golfer Ojou-sama…!"

Kurona dropped to one knee with a pained expression. She looked for all the world like a proud knight fallen in a duel, and even in defeat she was the very picture of elegance. Despite having won, Karona somehow felt like the loser.

"From here on, the title of pro-golfer Ojou-sama belongs to you, Karona-jou."

"Ara. Isn't it fine as is?"

"Mu?"

"I am a pro Slime Golfer, and Kurona-sama is a pro-golfer Ojou-sama. That's how it is, is it not～!"

So Karona decided to play it cool. To begin with, she'd never had any intention of claiming the title of pro golfer in the first place.

"K-Karona-kun… kuh, I really did want to scout you…!!"

"Ara, Kurona-sama. Isn't that the kind of work for someone higher up?"

"… As a matter of fact, scouting is part of my work as well, you see. Haah, truly, I had a designer craft this avatar as my absolute masterpiece just for you… but if you put it that way, well, I suppose it cannot be helped."

Clenching her fist with a "guu," Kurona-Ojou-sama looked utterly mortified.

Hearing the words "had it crafted," Karona shivered in awe. Mmh, as expected, the real ones have the financial muscle to match…!

And then Kurona turned to Akari with a sweet smile.

"Akari-kun. This girl here is a very good girl, so do treasure her properly, won't you? If you ever hit a wall managing the agency, feel free to consult with me anytime."

"Hmph! There's the tell! Why on earth would I ever have to consult with you? I can see the real you behind it, Papa!!"

"Eh, Papa?"

"Ahhh… Akari? That's the sort of thing that, even once you've figured it out, you're really not supposed to say, you know?"

"Urk, sorry, that slipped out…"

Chided by Yuki, Akari, apparently reflecting on herself for once, went silent, at a loss for words.

Beside her, Sora bowed his head to Kurokawa Othello.

"… My apologies. Our Akari and all that."

"Ah. No, no, you have it rough too, Sora-san. So, uh, how are we handling this, Kurona-san?"

Kurokawa Othello turned to Kurona.

"… Mm. It's fine. I hadn't particularly planned on hiding it. But that sort of thing really ought to be properly confirmed before it gets blurted out."

"P-Papa?… Um, what do you mean by that, exactly?"

"Ah. Allow me to introduce myself properly, Karona-kun."

With that, Karasuba Kurona bowed with gentlemanly elegance.

"I am Akari's father. My first avatar is 'Director Kuroi' of Niconoir. A pleasure to make your acquaintance anew."

"… Hoeh?"

An utterly un-Ojou-sama-like bewildered reply. By contrast, the comments came flooding in all at once.

[Akangon]: "yikes, so it was Papa-n huh"

[@beruki]: "eh? eh? what's going on?"

[Ocomoon]: "mu, you don't know? the bad blood between Niconoir and Hoshi-Pro?"

[Comoon 3]: "well Akari-chan's Wiki page isn't exactly well-maintained"

"Wait, seriously, what is going on!?"

"What do you mean, what's going on… I said, Akari and I are parent and child?"

"Um, the gender…"

"What is wrong with a man becoming an Ojou-sama!! I, too, wanted to be an Ojou-sama!!"

[@smallwind]: "B-Casters have free gender selection anyway… yeah"

[Jack@]: "ehhh? eh?"

It was true. In this game, BCD, avatars are crafted using Debris technology. This takes the form of a data-side "second body," and one can freely take on a body of a different gender, or even a non-human one.

In a game where combat costs real money, many people simply make their avatar resemble their original body for the sake of operational familiarity, squeezing out whatever tiny advantage they can.

Which is to say, a man can absolutely become an Ojou-sama. Yes, this is BCD!

"So then, you really and truly are Director Kuroi, and Akari-senpai's dear father?"

"Yes. Precisely so. Exchanges like that one with Akari are set to be auto-scrubbed from the archives, so your maid likely won't be able to dig it up… most likely this part will be cut as well. Handle it accordingly, if you would."

"O-oh, yes…"

[Comcomoon]: "Hoshi-Pro has Niconoir's Director backing it, so effectively it's a subsidiary group"

[Yukidamama]: "Hoshi-Pro split off from Niconoir way back in the early days"

[Kusashige Renga]: "are you serious, go update the Wiki properly!!"

[@tam323]: "i had no idea…!"

"… Hm!? Wait, doesn't that basically mean I would've ended up in the same place either way, no matter which scout I picked!?"

"Not at all. Keeping your original body versus being produced by us would have been a world of difference. From here on as well, do please maintain the 'fated rivals' positioning. I shall be cheering you on."

Kurona-Ojou-sama extended a hand for a handshake. Still in a daze, Karona firmly grasped it.

In that moment, Kurona whispered, "Things are more exciting on-stream when we're at odds, after all," which had Karona going aah, so this is all pro wrestling, is it, and the tension drained out of her shoulders.

"Let's make this a good edit point, so viewers, please play along too. Mmh… ahem. Oh-ho-ho-ho! I acknowledge my defeat this time! But next time, you shall not have it so easy, I assure you!"

Caught off guard by the sudden switch, Karona froze. Akari immediately leapt in to fill the silence.

"If you acknowledge defeat, then bow out quietly! Our new recruit, Karona-chan, is not for the taking!"

"Fufu, as for that talented Ojou-sama, I shall eventually have her kneeling beneath my banner…! Well then, I bid you farewell!"

And with that, shouldering her golf bag, Kurona-Ojou-sama strode gallantly away.

Kurokawa Othello followed after her, offering a small bow as he went.

[Oreshi0436]: "… Kurona-Ojou-sama was a formidable foe!"

[Akineko]: "yeah. Kurona-Ojou-sama, just who on earth is she…"

[Kusashige Renga]: "so this is what a real Ojou-sama is like. seems loaded too"

[Akarigon]: "oh, nice, keep it up keep it up"

[Comunoon]: "good vibe! ah, comments like this one will be cut in the archive"

[Genryuusai]: "oh so that's how the system works…"

And so, with a mental note to have Akari-senpai properly explain everything later, Karona's first corporate stream came to a close.