Chapter 131 - Seventh and Ninth
After successfully completing my little thank-you gift, I passed through the goal room's transfer gate and returned to the city in the [Safe Area].
The destination was, as if custom-made—and in fact, it probably was—a portal right in front of [Mirage Workshop], the major artisan clan Nia belonged to.
"Sorry for rushing you."
"You've got a tight schedule, right? Don't worry about it, Mr. C-e-l-e-b-r-i-t-y!"
All things considered, she must have liked the gift. As the cheerful Nia teased me, all I could do was offer a wry smile. "Give me a break."
"—Well then, see ya! Make sure to bring your clothes for maintenance regularly!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll drop by to show my face every now and then."
That was the third time she’d said that in our short time together.
I waved back at her insistent words, and she smiled in satisfaction. "Good enough," she said, before heading back to her home base.
—Of course, not without turning back at the last second to give me a big, exaggerated wave.
She's an energetic one. I don't dislike it.
"…Now then."
I'll have to thank Kagura-san another day, but my most pressing business is finished.
From here on out, it's time for my responsibility as the newest member in the ranks of the ranked—time for 'training.'
Nfuh…
I can't, I'm laughing. 'Training.'
The fact that it's a serious matter born of necessity is what makes it hit my funny bone so hard—
"—What are you laughing about by yourself?"
"…Do you have a hobby of sneaking up on people without a sound?"
An exasperated voice called out suddenly. I glared sideways at the presence that had seemingly appeared from thin air to find a young man in formal samurai attire standing right next to me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
What's with that look on your face? You're the one with that strangely irritating smile.
"Well, I'm honestly surprised. I wondered what business you had…"
Irori trailed off, his gaze shifting to the [Mirage Workshop] home base before returning to me with an amused expression.
"I thought I felt a strange sense of déjà vu looking at you, but now I get it. The outfit you wore in the match—and the one you're wearing now—it's her work, isn't it?"
That aquamarine-haired girl… she's a well-known enough artisan to be recognized even by other rankers? At this rate, Kagura-san is definitely on another level, too…
"And those bizarre daggers and other unconventional armaments are from the Playful Fire Artisan, right? I don't know who you met first, but I assume your connection to Milmarinus is through them as well."
"Are you an esper???"
Even if you could read minds, your timing is way too perfect. It's creepy.
"I thought you seemed oddly skilled at handling those two little ones, but perhaps you're just good with women? You're full of surprises."
"Gah, stop teasing me, it's annoying…!"
I started walking away to escape his smirking face, but the [Sword Protector] called out, "Not that way," and headed in the opposite direction. I swallowed my pride and made a U-turn.
"…So? What exactly is this 'training' thing we're going to do?"
This proposal had come up so naturally at the Round Table, but I still hadn't received a detailed plan.
When we got to the "Alright, let's decide on a plan" stage, this seventh-ranked player was the first to raise his hand, saying, "I have someone I want you to meet…"
At that moment, Goldow and Hinayo-san had smiled knowingly with a "Hoh" and a "Heeh," while Aka smirked, and Ri-na and Tetra gave me looks filled with something like sympathy.
I have a very bad feeling about this.
As for Genkotsu-san, I realized he had fallen asleep at some point. What does it even mean to sleep in a virtual world? Is that like double-sleeping?
"Just as I said, there's someone I want you to meet—the person who holds the second rank."
"…Well, I kind of expected that."
Istia's second rank, the [Sword Saint]—[Ui].
She's a strange one who, ever since participating in the first Four Pillar War, has been living in seclusion, spending her days training alone.
She's a master who has held the second-rank seat for over two years without ever appearing in public.
And, she's the person my partner admires.
[Ui]… I'm pretty sure Sora called her "Ui-san." Just from the sound of the name, my impression is of someone cute, or maybe a bit laid-back.
—However, she's the second-in-command of the battle-crazed Istia and a [Sword Saint], right?
Somehow, my mind is stuck on images of a muscle-bound giant even larger than Goldow, or an old man who is the very concept of a master given human form.
"…Just for reference, what kind of person are they?"
"………………………'First off, how do you not even know someone that famous?' …I should probably just swallow those words."
I'm truly sorry about that. At this point, no matter who it is, I can only bow my head in apology for my extraordinary ignorance.
"Haaah… What kind of person, you ask? —A wonderful person. For anyone who wields a katana in this virtual world, she's like a god."
"…………"
I was momentarily speechless because there wasn't a hint of doubt in Irori's voice or on his face. In other words, this was a person whom he, the seventh-ranked player, was convinced was a 'god.'
…I'm going for training, right? I'm not being escorted as a sacrificial offering, am I?
◇◆◇◆◇
A few minutes later, Irori led me to a transfer gate.
It had been a long and arduous battle—I lost count of how many times I heard squeals of "Kyaa! Irori-kun!!", while I, walking beside him, was hit with questioning looks of "Uh, who's that?"
There were probably some Istia players among them who knew who I was. I got a few "Oh!" looks from time to time, but so what?
The one thing I learned from this first-time experience was this: walking next to a celebrity who gets some kind of reaction from every single person they pass is unbelievably exhausting…!!
"…You okay?"
"…What, I'm fine, is that a portal, let's go, let's go now."
My voice and expression clearly conveyed my desperate need to escape the public eye. Irori chuckled, "Alright, alright," and swiftly operated the system window.
I accepted the party invitation that popped up before me in half a second, and the blue light of teleportation instantly enveloped my body—
—————————Teleport.
—————————Teleport.
———————Teleport.
—————Teleport.
——Tele…
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."
It was just an endless series of teleports, from one gate to another.
Leaving the city, crossing fields, traversing mountains—huh? Where is this? It's a massive bamboo grove.
"What, where are we going? Some uncharted region? Huh, a hermit? Is the [Sword Saint]-sama a hermit who lives in an uncharted region???"
"I can see you're confused, so just calm down a bit."
Being led by the hand into an unfamiliar place is a situation that naturally stirs up anxiety.
Especially since this is the vast [Garden of Divine Creation], which might as well be another world. If I were to be abandoned in an unexplored land, I'd be seriously, genuinely lost.
"There are some special circumstances. You can't reach her unless you go through the transfer gates in a specific order."
"Seriously…? Players can create a system like that in this game…?"
Just the fact that players can create transfer gates is already an insane level of freedom for an MMORPG.
"…So, are there more teleports?"
Honestly, I was feeling a bit sick. I'd never experienced so many consecutive teleports before, of course, but going through that unique sensation over and over was getting a little rough…
"Don't worry, that's the last of the teleports—we'll walk a bit from here. This way."
"That's a relief… right."
In the bamboo grove that surrounded us, there were no landmarks other than the transfer gate we'd just arrived at. With no path in sight, Irori began walking through the sea of green without a hint of hesitation, as if guided by something unseen—
"—Junior (Ninth)."
As we walked.
He called out to me as I followed behind, his voice laced with a newfound seriousness.
"…What is it, senior (Seventh)?"
From his tone, I had a feeling it was about the match again. But we should have already settled that back at the Round Table.
Irori had simply fulfilled his duty as a ranker, and yet he'd even bowed his head when there was no need. I had no reason to doubt his sincerity now—
"It's about the match, but…"
I don't… but it is about the match, I guess.
"I have no hard feelings about that anymore."
"That's not it."
When I told him what was honestly on my mind, Irori, who had been walking ahead, stopped and turned to face me.
"It's not just an apology. I wanted to tell you. The fight with you was the first time in a while I enjoyed a battle from the bottom of my heart… is what I wanted to say."
In his sincere voice, in his aquamarine eyes that looked straight at me, there was not a single trace of teasing or mischief.
"So… what I mean is. I was being genuine when I said I welcomed you. In other words… what I'm trying to say is…"
Fumbling for words, Irori awkwardly extended his right hand.
"This is a rare connection. I thought it would be best if we could… get along, with no lingering bad feelings."
—And with his last words, he looked straight at me and said it.
In that moment, he probably wasn't the [Sword Protector].
His awkward demeanor made it obvious he wasn't used to this. The hand that the young man—who I knew was only two years older than me—had offered… was likely that of someone his own age, reaching out for a 'friend' on the same level.
Well, you know. If I can just look past his dazzlingly handsome face—
"—You can call me Haru, Irori."
Even I know that this guy is a good person.
I returned his handshake with a casual roughness, and I could see the tension visibly drain from the face that was about at the same height as my own.
Weren't you a model or something? You're probably a veteran at socializing, so why are you being so considerate to a regular guy like me?
"I'm coming for a rematch soon, so you'd better be ready."
I pulled my hand away with a deliberate taunt and offered a fist bump instead.
For a moment, Irori's eyes widened in surprise—
"…When that time comes, I'll mince you without holding back—Haru."
He regained his usual fearless smile and bumped his fist against mine without hesitation.
For Haru and Irori.