I slept for a long time, long enough to finish a delirious, feverish dream of a queen and her knight.

　　When I lost consciousness, I expected to be taken to a hospital or some similar medical facility. But when I woke, I found myself lying in a guest room, alone and unaccompanied.

　　Sitting on the edge of the bed, my head still felt heavy and dizzy. Faintly, I could hear rows of cheering and boisterous laughter from downstairs, like a collective drinking contest. From this, I deduced I was in a bar. A mirror stood in the corner of the room; through it, I saw that I still maintained the tall, elegant form of Rosemon. I hadn't reverted to my human self. I suspected this was because I was still within the Digital World, even if the architecture here mirrored the human hubs of Midgard.

　　[System Notification: You have a voice message. Listen?]

　　[LISTEN] [LATER]

　　A dialogue box appeared before me, sent by my knight. I presumed he feared I would wake in his absence and left this to explain the situation, preventing me from losing my bearings.

　　"How thoughtful," I whispered.

　　I clicked the button with anticipation. But as I listened, my entire world-view shattered.

　　First, my previous assumptions were overturned. I was currently in Midgard, specifically within the "The 'Drink' Bar" guild. My Trial Badge had been detonated by that pervert, MetalEtemon. Consequently, I was currently unable to revert to my human form. Fearing the system would flag me as a BUG, Owl had hidden me here to lay low.

　　After settling me in, Owl had headed to Guild Headquarters. He intended to report the "Pervert Party's" heinous activities—hunting live humans for sport in the Digital World. Once verified, the authorities would issue "Raiding Tasks" according to the Midgard Safety Regulations. That grotesque "party" would be forcibly disbanded, and every member's information would be blacklisted for life.

　　Then came the blow: Owl wanted me to check if I could log out. The result was unfortunate—I had become a literal mass of data, trapped in the network space, a permanent resident of this digital realm.

　　Facing the mirror, I couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't find my eyes. I wanted to curse, but the man responsible had already been reduced to data dust. I wanted to throw a tantrum, but the alluring reflection in the glass forbade such unrefined behavior. My heart was a chaotic swirl of emotions, a suffocating weight pressing against my chest. I took a deep breath, but nothing changed. Only then did I realize the room had no windows.

　　"Smart move, Bandai Sakura... or should I say, Rosemon."

　　I patted my delicate cheeks and decided to accept this reality for now. I needed some air. I needed to calm my mind.

　　I pushed open the door and took a step out, only to be met by a man's voice from the side.

　　"Terrible, isn't it? Leaving an injured girl alone while he goes off to play the hero. Don't blame him; that's just how he is. A bit thick-headed, treats everyone with the same stoicism. You don't exactly get used to it, even after years."

　　He was talking about Owl.

　　"Haha... I see." I leaned against the doorframe, letting out an awkward laugh. I looked at the middle-aged man before me, dressed with a certain classical, literary flair. "And you are...?"

　　"I'll forgive you this once, since you've just woken up," he said with a playful smirk. "Most people wouldn't dream of asking that. Not knowing who I am on my own turf... that's a bit of a faux pas, don't you think?"

　　He was the owner of the "The 'Drink' Bar" and the Guild Master of the guild that shared its name—the renowned "King of Insects," Adam.

　　He and Owl had known each other for years, yet he refused to call Owl a "friend," always referring to him as "that guy" or "that fellow." Guild members called him "The Boss," while other guilds knew him as an "Information Broker," as the bar's original purpose was to trade in secrets. He disliked being called "A," as he had no desire to be the "Ace" in everyone's deck.

　　"The voice message... you heard it?"

　　He tucked a coin he had been fiddling with into his pocket and turned to face me. "Heard it? The fellow recorded it in my own room. I've heard it twice; I could recite it backwards if you like."

　　My first impression was that he was a bit flighty—perhaps a cultural difference.

　　"Your Japanese is excellent."

　　"Ah, you caught that." He scratched his head. "I was actually speaking French, but the system auto-translates to your set language. Busted, I suppose."

　　"I see... So, where are you from, originally?"

　　"I'm Jade's brother."

　　That was a blind spot in my knowledge.

　　I politely explained that I was new to the Digimon Network and unfamiliar with the major figures and lore of this world. I asked him not to tease a newcomer like me.

　　"Ah, I see."

　　He apologized and, showing a more hospitable side, began to fill me in on the intricacies of this world. He spoke like a talkative uncle, covering every angle and detail. It was a torrential downpour of information that made my scalp tingle; I could barely process half of it.

　　"I understand," I interrupted, trying to stop the flow. "So, Owl's 'Free Birds' raiding group isn't officially recognized simply because they lack a fixed base?"

　　"No, no, it has nothing to do with a base," he explained patiently. "None of the Raiders have a fixed base. A huge number of them gather here at my place before heading out on explorations. At this rate, this place will turn into a free market—if it isn't one already... Sorry, I'm rambling."

　　"It's fine."

　　I maintained a composed facade, hoping he wouldn't realize I hadn't been paying much attention.

　　"Anyway... The 'Raiders' are a massive community, divided into the 'Big Five UN Group', the 'Nordic Five', and 'Others'. That guy's 'Free Birds', in terms of raw power, could easily serve as a third pillar following the first two."

　　Owl had once belonged to the "The Dragon's Den" guild. He had been forced out after losing a bet.

　　"What kind of bet?"

　　"Hah, what else do men bet on? Violence or women."

　　Dragon, the representative of the Chinese Raiding Group, was the one who had made the bet with Owl. Both were members of "The Dragon's Den" and had previously defeated the Guild Master, Yi (who fought in the form of ShineGreymon). They had earned the highest possible rewards: Owl received a Crest of Courage, while Dragon received the Alpha Eye (Alphamon's Digicore). When the two of them reached the final stage of a tournament, they struck a deal: whoever lost the battle would leave the guild forever.

　　Alpha Eye: A black stone glowing red from within—it is, in fact, Alphamon's Digicore.

　　"He agreed to such an absurd wager!?"

　　"We, the audience, had the same reaction," Adam recalled. "But back then, Owl was just a fledgling who didn't know his own limits—all heart and fire. He didn't see it, and neither did we..." Adam murmured.

　　Owl had previously defeated their Guild Master despite a type disadvantage, so he had no fear of facing a Data-type opponent that theoretically countered him. He was confident he could exploit the weakness shared by all members of 'The Dragon's Den'—using the 'Dramon Killers' on his arms to deal massive, super-effective damage. But the result... was the first crushing defeat of his career.

　　"In the end, he didn't see the result coming, and we... well, we didn't see the process coming."

　　"The process?"

　　"Yeah."

　　He leaned against the doorframe, lighting a cigarette with a casual flick. "What is Dragon's Digimon form?"

　　I shook my head. "You haven't told me."

　　"Dorugoramon."

　　He spoke the name that induces shuddering merely by sound, then took a deep drag, exhaling a large smoke ring into the air. "A flawless, Ultimate-type Digimon with zero weaknesses. The Black Tornado left no mark on his body. The Dark Gaia Force was swatted away like a fly. That guy was trampled underfoot like a bug, utterly powerless. The disparity was so vast it offered no hope of a turnaround."

　　The entire audience had stood to cheer for Owl, only to be crushed by disappointment.

　　"Since then, those who witnessed that battle ceased to believe in 'miracles'. They preferred to accept the brutal reality before them, giving up the struggle early for release. Quitting the guild is equivalent to abandoning the Raiders."

　　"Even if he was strong?"

　　"Even if he was strong... what does that mean? What use is strength?"

　　I couldn't help but wonder. "Since the goal is exploring unknown territories, shouldn't the Raiders prioritize those powerful individuals? They might be more suitable for deep exploration than guild members."

　　"There is one thing you might not know yet," he told me solemnly. "Here, just like outside, it is a world where the weak are prey to the strong. There are too many strong people; we don't lack one more."

　　His words successfully silenced me, teaching me a very realistic lesson.

　　The topic of Owl came to a pause. Next, it was time to discuss my situation. I had noticed earlier that this boss, or Guild Master, was subconsciously blocking my path, preventing me from leaving the room. I couldn't figure out why.

　　I asked him, "Since you are the bar owner, could you... buy me a drink?"

　　"Of course." He agreed readily, but his expression changed the next second. "But it has to be in this room. I can go downstairs, pour you a glass, and bring it up. As for the reason... you can ask that guy. He told me to guard you constantly, not letting you take half a step out of this room, saying he was afraid you'd be seen by others."

　　"Is being seen strange?"

　　"No." He looked slightly troubled. "In the guild domain, maintaining either human or Digimon form is fine as long as you don't hinder others. But you are special."

　　"How so?"

　　"Without the Trial Badge, you are currently, in principle, just a Digimon, no longer a human in Digimon form. If you approach those drunks and debtors downstairs looking like this, they might treat you as a wild Digimon. Don't forget, this is a haven for Insect-type Digimon. As everyone knows, insects sip nectar and eat plants. It's true in nature, and it's true in the Digital World. So, for the sake of your own life, bear with it. If you need anything, I'll prepare it immediately."

　　His eyes revealed sincerity, and his behavior passed the test—no excessive expressions. At least it proved he wasn't good at lying. Furthermore, while speaking, his gaze remained level with mine, never stealing glances at my body or harboring superfluous thoughts. He was trustworthy enough.

　　"I won't trouble you then."

　　"Don't be polite."

　　"Then... could I have a glass of water?"

　　"Wait. Right away."

　　He snapped his fingers, turned to grab the railing of the second-floor corridor, and shouted downstairs: "Hey down there! Anyone idle? Pour a glass of water and bring it up!"

　　So their bar had bartenders. That put me at ease.