313 Ice and Fire Sensei, Have You Ever Used Yourself as the Model for Any of Your Drawings? (1/2)

Winter vacation was rather short. It was mostly a break for the students to celebrate the new year. It might be more appropriate to call it the New Year's vacation.

”Winter vacation... what can I even do?” Mika grumbled. ”It's just going to be celebrating the new year.”

Seiji smiled upon hearing this. ”Apart from the new year, there's also another important event. You definitely shouldn't take that event lightly...”

Mika's heart was moved when she saw his expression. Apart from the new year being celebrated over winter vacation, there was one other important holiday known as the Winter Snow Festival.

The Winter Snow Festival was a holiday exclusive to this world. In name, it was supposed to be for appreciating the snow, but in actuality it was a holiday where young people—mainly young couples—would engage in special activities.

Fine then, the special activities were actually ”dates,” ”first kisses,” ”renting a hotel room,” ”the first experience,” and so on!

It was just like a version of Valentine's Day. But in some ways, it was even more open than Valentine's Day.

'What does he intend to do during the Winter Snow Festival?' The pigtailed girl's heart started beating quicker. This was a topic that was very close to her heart.

”During the holy battle of winter, I absolutely must receive the abundant prizes of victory!” Seiji exclaimed with a clenched fist and bright eyes.

”...Eh?” Mika could only make a foolish dazed sound. The holy battle of winter? This term seemed somewhat familiar… it was almost as if she had heard it from him before.

”Oh, so you're talking about that.” Chiaki blinked in realization. ”I know about it, although I've never visited it before... the otaku doujinshi convention, right?”

”That's right! It's only held twice a year—once during summer and once during winter, and it's the largest doujinshi convention of all!!” Seiji explained animatedly. ”Since there's so much hard work and preparation involved in this doujinshi convention, it's also known as the 'holy battle!'”

Mika didn't even know what to say anymore. She now recalled that Seiji had mentioned the phrase ”holy battle of winter” when he first told her that he intended to make a game.

”When is it exactly?” Mika asked.

”It starts next Saturday and lasts for three days,” Seiji answered. ”I'm going to attend for all three days and buy everything that I like! Perhaps there will even be products there that will be useful when we make our game—simply as reference material, not plagiarism.”

”Would you guys like to go together with me? We intend to sell our game at next year's summer convention. I think it would be a good idea to go see what type of place it is.”

Chiaki looked towards Mika. ”I'd like to go check it out. How about you, Mika?”

As for this doujinshi convention thing, since it was an event that Seiji placed such importance on, it was only natural that she would go along and check it out. And so, the three of them agreed to go to the convention together next Saturday.

Later that night, Seiji logged on to his chatting application and summoned his knights to their chat group.

Hisashi, Yukari, Rion and Kotomi, Hoshi, Chiaki, and Mika all logged on and arrived.

”Everyone gathered, I now declare the second meeting of the Knights of the Round Table.” He sent a solemn emoticon. ”There's an important topic to discuss—reconsidering the basic scenario of the game script.”

”Why are we reconsidering it, Milord?” Hisashi asked.

”Because after careful consideration, I feel that our original storyline will be quite difficult to write into an excellent dating sim, so it'll be ineffective,” Seiji answered. ”The storyline is interesting, without a doubt, but as I consider it, the more I think it's novel-material instead of dating-sim-material.”

”Its main points are too different from the way a dating sim works, so there's too little synergy...” He explained what his thoughts regarding the game's storyline. ”That's why I believe we should discuss the game's storyline together and create a new one.”

”Originally, the storyline came from me, Sweet Pig Knight, and Knight of Ice and Fire. Now, we have over double the original number of members, so I believe that we should have a new discussion which will help us to create an even better storyline.”

”Now, let us state our ideas in order. While each knight is giving his or her opinion, the other knights may also request to speak up as well. Sweet Pig Knight, you're up first.”

Hisashi remained silent for a moment. ”A better, more suitable story for a dating sim... This humble one doesn't have any ideas at the moment,” he confessed. ”As for me, as long as the main topic is about a boy in female clothing, I can accept anything. Although it's also okay to incorporate other interesting topics as well, I would still like to use my favorite topic for the first game I create. Milord, how do you plan on changing the storyline? Do you wish to change the topic entirely and start afresh or create side-plots within the main plot?”

”I'd like to take everyone's ideas into consideration before adding my own thoughts,” Seiji replied, ”but this is just my personal opinion. I would like to keep a trap as the main character and still find a voice actress for each female character's route and write the routes appropriately. For example, Phantom Knight can be the female lead's voice actress, and I'll also use her as the original character model. Taking her ideas into consideration, I'll write an appropriate female lead's route based on her own personal life story!”