Chapter 400 - One More Revenge Match
“Good grief…”
“Oh, come on, I said I’m sorry. Don’t be sulky.”
In the end, it took a while for Nia to regain her senses. Already exhausted, I was completely drained and had sunk into a sofa by myself.
I guess she realized she’d gone a bit too far.
After accepting the request, she switched into work mode. Now, she was glued to her desk, immediately starting on the design, and her apologies were flying my way.
She was saying something complicated about designs and patterns, but watching her hands fly about at a dizzying pace, there was no doubt her work speed was insane.
I was just tired to begin with; it’s not like I was actually angry.
It wasn't hard to imagine that if our roles were reversed, I would've teased her to death. As long as she tackled the job with her usual quality, I had no complaints.
Well… as far as Nia is concerned, I’ll let it slide.
“Um, really, just whatever is fine…”
“Don’t say that. We’re already at it, so you might as well enjoy yourself.”
Saying something so plausible as if it had nothing to do with her, Kagura-san—who was clearly in a mood about thirty percent better than usual—didn’t stop playing with my hair.
To deal with this ridiculously long hair, I had tried to borrow some ‘cosmetics’ from Nia and go for a big chop, but this was the result.
The moment I unhesitatingly tried to edit it into a short cut, Nia snapped at me, forced me to my knees for a lecture, and then Kagura-san jumped on the bandwagon and started doing as she pleased.
My wishes were being completely ignored.
“Well, even if you tell me to enjoy it…”
“It’s not like I’m telling you to get all cute and stylish. If your look has changed, then it’s changed. All you have to do is find a style that suits you and nail it—here, like this, for example.”
Just then, her hands, which had been deftly styling my hair, stopped, as if she’d reached some conclusion through trial and error. From behind me, she offered a hand mirror.
Sora’s the same, but I wonder if it’s an essential item for female players.
Nia, who glanced over from the other side of the desk, let out a strange cry like, “Hwaaaaaaah…!” which made me incredibly anxious—
“…”
When I peered into the mirror she handed me, I could only furrow my brow and fall silent.
“Not bad, right?”
“…Having a pretty face is just unfair, isn't it?”
The face staring back at me from the mirror boasted such an absurd level of attractiveness that it was chilling, even when twisted in exasperation.
Every feature was formed with sharp, elegant lines, yet my cheeks held a subtle, soft-looking roundness. A well-shaped, charming nose and small, cherry-pink lips.
My wide blue eyes, with a slight upturn, sparkled brightly as if they couldn’t care less what their ‘occupant’ thought. My eyelashes were so long.
This was the very definition of being left speechless. And with my hair all dolled up on top of that, despite my reservations, I had no choice but to accept it.
Judging by her usual tough-older-sister roleplay, her skill was surprisingly masterful. The super-long, straight hair that had reached the back of my knees was beautifully swept up and gathered, transformed into a single long tail on the left side of my head.
My neck felt clear, and the annoyance was gone, which was honestly great. And above all, it suited me so well it was depressing.
If the person in this mirror were just some unfamiliar girl, I probably could have praised her as “cute, so cute” without my face twisting like this.
But I am a man.
What kind of cruel fate dictated that I, with my self-awareness as a man perfectly intact, had to be subjected to the punishment of a side-tail?
“This is brutal…”
“Why?! It looks good on you!!!”
“I’m talking about my mental state…”
…Well, I guess there’s no point in complaining forever.
I’ll just have to stomach it eventually.
“…By the way, why a side-tail?”
“Hm? That’s obvious… I thought it would be cute.”
“Didn’t you just say this wasn't about being cute and stylish???”
“Well then, I’m satisfied, so I’ll be taking my leave now.”
“You free spirit…!”
Giving a little wave, the artisan left the atelier, laughing heartily with a look of genuine satisfaction.
“I’ll need about a week for this. I’ll make sure it’s ready for that ‘event’ thing, so just wait patiently.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll be counting on you…”
I’d given her the necessary materials and clearly explained my order.
So, as always, I wasn't worried at all and had nothing but trust in her… but what was this feeling of dissatisfaction?
“Aren’t you two a little too uninterested in the main event, the conquering of the White Throne…?”
“It’s not that we’re not interested, it’s just that it doesn’t feel real, so it’s hard to react,” Nia said, her attention rapidly shifting between smiling at me and focusing intently on her desk.
“Of course, I get that it’s a huge, major event, but we haven’t seen it yet. Just hearing the world announcement isn’t enough for us to just jump into the celebration like you guys who were actually there.”
“Ah… well, if you put it that way…?”
“It depends on the person, of course. I’m sure there’s a huge uproar both here and in the real world… Plus, Kagura-san and I knew about today’s events beforehand.”
At that, our eyes met again as Nia looked up. Her indigo eyes, fixed on me, narrowed with delight.
“…That’s why I’m looking forward to the archive. You’re always cool, anyway.”
“…”
This girl is so unfair.
She's the one who's unfair, or rather, this is basically criminal. The way she smirked after seeing my reaction made it one hundred percent clear this was intentional. She should be arrested.
“And with that… All done!”
Having stolen a victory from me, the Milmarinus victoriously held up one of the blueprints she had been scribbling on and announced her triumph.
What was drawn on the paper she held up for me to see was—
“…Huh? Wait, weren’t you making the design for the outfit?”
“That’s already finished!!!”
“You’re too fast. Every artisan around me is the same.”
What Nia held in her hand, a triumphant look plastered on her face, was a design sheet for an arranged piece of jewelry that was more than familiar.
It was, in truth, the special gem that had brought us together—the treasure of the Ruby Rabbit that Nia had once given up on, saying it ‘wasn’t cute’.
“…Well then, shall we get started?”
“Hee hee, leave it to me. I’m both prepared and more than ready!”
I stood up from the sofa and placed the [Crimson Rabbit Brooch] on the desk with a soft clink.
And next to it, the contrasting, brilliantly blue [Agaphanthus Amulet].
According to Nia, she was confident. However, since she had only finalized the theory a few days ago, we had decided to postpone this rematch for the time being.
It was simply a precaution against the possibility of failure, however slim.
With the White Throne subjugation battle right around the corner, if a failed enhancement had led to a major disaster like my build collapsing… well, it wouldn't have been a laughing matter.
But the event in question concluded with a victory today. I plan on taking it easy for a while to recover, so even if the enhancement goes wrong, I’ll have time to bounce back.
Therefore, there was no longer any reason to hold back.
“How long will it take?”
“The outfit will take three days… no, give me two. This, I can do right now.”
As she spoke, Nia’s hands snatched the two pieces of jewelry without a hint of hesitation. It seemed she wasn’t lying when she said she’d been secretly thinking up improvement plans since that day.
The one unique item that was once abandoned because it was already complete and couldn't be modified.
The jewel crafter who once made the master artisan say, If you can’t do it, no one can, made her indigo eyes sparkle and then—
“Alright then… prepare yourself, you not-so-cute little gem.”
She placed the two jewels together and smiled with utter confidence.
And then, a few minutes later.
“There! Nia-chan is a genius! How about that, admit defeat!!!”
“You’re too close, too close, too close…!”
Shining in her waving hand was a magnificent piece of jewelry, a perfect harmony of indigo and crimson.
Following in our footsteps, the Milmarinus who had achieved her long-awaited revenge unleashed her excitement without restraint. It goes without saying.
[Aquamarine Rabbit Heart] Accessory: Hairpin MID+200 ※Untradeable
A jeweled hairpin holding the interwoven colors of an aquamarine’s prayer and a ruby’s protection.
Two prayers are held within. Two wishes are held within. The blessings it holds are without limit.
May this brilliance illuminate your endless journey, wherever it may lead.
Special Effect 1: ‘Crimson Ruby’s Protection’
- When the wearer takes fatal damage in combat, this effect nullifies it once.
Special Effect 2: ‘Aquamarine's Prayer’
- Gain the enhancement effect ‘Desperate Crimson’ as a manually activatable skill.
- Activation is limited to once per combat.
Special Effect 3: ‘Agaphanthus Amulet’ -«Purify»-
- One of the spells held within can be instantly cast at will, once.
- «Purify»: Instantly removes all status ailments (debuffs) from a single target.
Enhancement Effect: ‘Desperate Crimson’
- Adds a value equal to the wearer’s Mind (MID) to their Agility (AGI) and Dexterity (DEX) stats.
- This effect can be ended at will. While active, all HP recovery effects are nullified.
- When all three special effects have been used, this equipment enters a ‘Broken’ state.
- If the equipment is in a ‘Broken’ state at the end of combat, it is repaired.
- After combat ends, usage counts for Special Effects 1 and 2 are immediately restored.
To put it simply, ‘Lethal Damage Nullification’ and ‘Desperate Crimson’ can now be used as separate effects. In exchange, activating ‘Desperate Crimson’ now prevents any HP recovery while it's active. Furthermore, the ability of the [Agaphanthus Amulet] has been integrated, and as a little bonus, the MID bonus has gone up by 50. That’s not a number that should be going up as a ‘bonus’.
Visually, it’s a hairpin that makes use of the original ‘shooting star-like rabbit silhouette’. The main jewel part is crimson, while the base and pin are indigo. The pin is quite short, so it’s more like a hairpin brooch. It’s got a lovely feature where you can stick it anywhere to freely edit and fix your hairstyle, and if you choose a tied-up style, a scarlet decorative cord appears from nowhere to tie it for you.