Chapter 342 - A Wicked Invention
"—And so, your turn, Har-kun!"
"I have no idea what the 'and so' is for, but…"
Following Sora, I placed my fingertip on the magic circle of the journal she thrust before me, a wry smile on my face.
The moment I did, the [Reminiel Traveler (The Traveler's Logbook of Treasures)] glowed once more—and with that, my beloved sword, the [Everquartz (Sky-Soaring White Crystal Sword)], was likely recorded in her Anima.
Regarding the [Cradle of Sword-Craft], because it was directly related to the subjugation battle's strategy, a formal meeting was arranged to make the 'request.'
…But as it turned out, Lux apparently makes it a habit to ask every player she interacts with, big or small, to let her copy their Anima.
So, with no particular reason to refuse, I agreed without a second thought.
When you hear about her rather troublesome situation of only being able to accumulate experience for evolution by recording new Anima… that much cooperation is a small price to pay.
By the way,
"So, what's the rarity?"
"Hmm… Two stars!"
I knew it, but it seems my beloved sword is still a work in progress.
Well, yeah. A First Tier… meaning it's a copy of the [White-Flawed Straight Sword] with an additional degradation penalty. It is what it is. Let's do our best from now on, partner.
"Just so you know, it's super rare to even get three stars, okay? Considering its tier, that's more than enough! In fact, I'd say it has huge potential for the future!"
"Huh…"
That extra tidbit of information just makes the [Cradle of Sword-Craft] seem even more monstrous…
"Um, I'd like to confirm something, just in case…"
Sora, who had been watching my copy process from beside me, timidly raised her hand.
"I don't mind you using my Anima, but… um, this child is apparently a bit difficult for others to handle."
"Yep, yep. 'A bit difficult' doesn't even begin to cover it, from what I've understood."
Lux laughed cheerfully, nodding with an exaggerated motion, while Sora wore a troubled expression, seemingly choosing her words carefully.
"Therefore, um… h-how is it? For you, Lux-san…"
Can you handle it properly?—that's what she wanted to ask, in essence.
Sora had been able to generate and launch magic swords with ease right from the start. Having seen that up close has skewed my own perception a bit, but even without thinking too hard, the [Cradle of Sword-Craft] is a massive problem child.
The difficulty of the thought-based controls required to use its abilities and manage its movements is, in a way different from a quick-change skill, nothing short of 'extremely high.'
Lux, who surely understood this fact thanks to the power of her own Anima, was—
"Ah, let's see—I think it'll be fine?"
She laughed nonchalantly, her tone utterly light as she replied, 'No problem.'
"Of course, I can't do the same things you do, Sora-chan. But look, the Magic Sword Aptitude Tree! I was shocked to find an Anima with its own dedicated tree, but it seems that when I imitate your partner, it's temporarily granted to me as well."
"Wow…"
So that means the skill tree is part of the [Cradle of Sword-Craft]'s abilities? No wonder it gets a bugged-out rating like eight stars.
"So, uh… you know that! There are those auto-homing launch skills, right? I'm pretty good at thought-based control too, though not as good as you, Sora-chan, so I can probably manage to summon magic swords one after another!"
I see. As long as she can generate the magic swords without issue, she can more than fulfill the role of an artillery cannon just by spamming them with skills…
"And as for its power, with your… Lux's build, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Heh heh! I'm a full-fledged mage, you know! And hey, you can be more casual with me, like you are with Ar-chan, okay? Feel free to call me Ru-chan—"
"Okay, then I'll call you Lux."
"So cold!"
Get a clue, Lux. I know a hundred percent you don't see me as a guy in the slightest, but Ashe has been staring at you as you keep closing the distance.
"But anyway, I'll be sure to practice, so don't you worry! When the time comes, I'll go on a rampage with Sora-chan's magic swords and my own magic! Ahaha!"
"…You think you can handle parallel processing of magic swords and spells?"
"Um… I can, for the most part, but…………"
I turned to Sora next to me while Lux laughed boisterously. Judging by her reaction… or rather, even without seeing it, I could tell the difficulty would be astronomical—
Well, her behavior is what it is, but she's the top ranker of the Northern Faction… It's probably pointless to worry about this.
After all, Ashe and Helena-san, who know her far better than we do, haven't voiced any concerns or even bothered to check.
…Wait a minute, actually—
"What's the cooldown on the copied [Cradle of Sword-Craft]?"
"Hm? Oh, ten days!"
"Whoa… uh, is that going to be okay? How are you going to practice?"
When I asked about the problem that had just occurred to me, Lux looked at me with a completely baffled expression and—
"With the duel system, of course. Any cooldowns or costs incurred during a duel are completely reset."
""Ahhh…""
Hearing the answer she gave as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Sora, who must have had the same question, and I let out a sound of understanding.
"—And with that, it's gacha time!!"
"I have no idea what the 'and with that' is for, but…"
Watching Lux continue to hype herself up with boundless energy, I, having grown somewhat accustomed to it, relaxed with a cup of tea in hand.
I was trying to act as a 'good example'… but as expected, Sora's personality didn't allow her to just unwind, and she still seemed a little tense.
I suppose it can't be helped when you're surrounded by rankers, but if she doesn't get used to it bit by bit, things could get tough for her down the line. I'll have to support her.
"Um… is this also part of the 'agenda'?"
I gestured toward the suddenly excited Lux and asked Helena-san—but the lady-in-waiting, whose calm expression never wavered, shook her head.
"That is merely her 'habit.'"
"A habit, you say."
"This is what I mean!"
Before I could even retort 'what is what'—
Lux stood up from the sofa, still in a strangely good mood, and walked over to the side of the table… She fiddled with a window, and in the next moment—
"Ta-da!"
"Whoa!"
"Feh…!"
What Lux pulled out of her inventory was a massive leather sack, likely bigger than she was. The bulging bag hit the floor of the waiting room with a loud thud, and the resulting vibration startled Sora into letting out a small cry.
"This is a thank-you for letting me record your Anima! I shall bestow upon you, one by one, a collection gathered by me, a traveler who wanders this vast virtual world!"
"Oh?"
What's this? Normally… no, I feel strangely annoyed by this, but isn't this actually pretty exciting…?!
"I see, gacha… so that's what this is?"
"Uheheheheh… As expected of Har-kun, you catch on quick…!"
"Your laugh is suddenly disgusting."
"So mean!!"
Seriously, even a drunk old man wouldn't make a sound like that.—Anyway,
"What exactly is in this 'collection'?"
"Who knows?"
"'Who knows?'???"
The person who prepared it doesn't know what's inside?
"They're all gems I found during my adventures that made me go, 'This is it!', but they're all unidentified, so I don't really know!"
"Seriously…"
"Ah, haha…"
"Haru. And you too, Sora."
Just as I and Sora were feeling bewildered by this mysterious, unidentified gacha, which certainly seemed interesting, Ashe spoke up.
"She may be like that, but when it comes to adventuring—treasure hunting—no one can surpass the Traveler. There are no duds among the things Lux takes an interest in, so you can have high expectations."
"Huh… Well then, I guess I'll get my hopes up."
"Heeheehee, what's wrong, Ar-chan? You're making me blush!"
I can't quite figure out their relationship, whether they're good friends or what… but from Ashe's demeanor, it seems they're connected by a strange sense of trust.
Well, with an endorsement from the Sword Queen herself, my expectations can't help but rise. In that case—…in that case, um, what do I do?
"Should I just stick my hand in?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, yeah! Go right ahead!"
After giving the leather sack a vigorous shake with a loud clatter-clatter, Lux held the opening, just wide enough for an arm, towards me with a triumphant look.
That was a pretty violent sound. You're sure there aren't some priceless, ultra-rare items getting shattered in there, are you?—Anyway,
"Alright, excuse me… oh, you want to go first?"
"H-ah, no, please, go ahead…!"
Nodding to Sora who yielded the first turn, I plunged my right hand into the leather sack—or rather, the gacha box.
Hmm… feels like ore, feels like a wood chip, a mysterious rough texture, and a smooth, squishy feeling like an animal's hide… wait, what is this, it feels gross!?
Hey, hold on, I really hope there aren't any actual living creatures in here! Ugh, I can't keep my hand in this abyss for long!‼
My fingertips brushed against something—something round—and I snatched it up—
"I choose you!"
Voicing a strange catchphrase in my panic, I yanked my hand out with force. In my right hand was—a translucent amber color, much like someone's eyes.
No, not just amber-colored… it was actual amber.
A perfect oval, about five centimeters in diameter. Through the flawless, smooth surface, a faint pink color was sealed within a calm glow—
"Are those… cherry blossoms?"
"Maybe…?"
Just as Sora, peering over with great interest, had said, the five distinctly shaped petals, perfectly intact, were those of a familiar 'sakura.'
When I tapped the amber with my fingertip… a window popped up, revealing the item's name: [Amber of the Sacred Sakura].
Judging by its appearance and name, I'd imagine it's a rather valuable item… but unfortunately.
The problem was that even if I looked around at everyone present, not a single person could tell me just how good of a pull this was.
"…………Go ahead."
"Y-yes…"
And so, with the excitement somewhat lacking, I stepped aside and prompted my partner.
—A few seconds later, it goes without saying that Sora's scream, likely from touching the mysterious squishy thing, echoed through the waiting room.
It goes without saying that the Acrobat was scolded for failing to give a warning.