Chapter 425 - Enthusiasm ≒ Price
"Yessss! Nia-chan is a genius!"
And then there was this indigo-haired girl.
After a somewhat awkward exchange with my partner, it was just before seven p.m. real-world time. I saw Sora off as she logged out to prepare dinner, then headed to the atelier to take care of a promised errand… and well, things quickly spiraled into this.
I was more or less prepared for it, but after being turned down by my partner, my heart was a little bruised, and my mental state was leaning toward paper-thin durability.
I was forced into the outfit, which turned out exactly as I'd expected. Catching sight of my exhausted face in the mirror, a strange, self-mocking laugh bubbled up.
If I could, I'd want to be made a spectacle for the entire world right now, to be pointed at and laughed at. That felt like the only salvation available to me at this moment.
Yes, what I absolutely did not want was—
"Oh my god, it's so freakin' cute! Why the long face? You're adorable!"
What I absolutely did not want was this kind of unrestrained praise.
[Sakura Hanaori (White Sakura Weave)]—the custom outfit Nia had crafted for my transformed body. Like the El-Clelia equipment Sora wore, it was a special piece of armor designed to link with accessories.
The one currently set was identical, providing a barrier with a limited number of uses. As for charging it with mana, my stats would make that a non-issue.
The requirement of a perfectly timed just-guard was a bit tricky, but fundamentally, it was an ability that paired exceptionally well with my paper-thin durability. So, in terms of performance, I had no complaints whatsoever.
What I did have a complaint about… or rather, what I couldn't help but whine about, was one hundred percent its construction, or more specifically, its design.
"…What was the motif again?"
"A military uniform crossed with traditional Japanese wear!"
"You'd think that combination would sound cool…"
"What do you mean? It is cool, too!"
Sure, maybe in a 3:7 ratio—with the cute element being the latter, of course.
True to its military uniform motif, the top was a sharp-looking tunic with a stand-up collar and large, assertive buttons… or so I thought, until I noticed the sleeves were mysteriously asymmetrical. The right arm was long-sleeved, while the left was short-sleeved, and to top it off, both shoulders were cut out.
That much was still tolerable. But the bottom half was a definite out. I did say, 'anything but a skirt,' but I didn't mean literally anything. I wish she'd read between the lines and shown some consideration—I hadn't been anticipating tight, leg-baring shorts. Can you even call this much fabric 'clothing'???
To make matters worse, the outfit's special ability wouldn't activate unless I equipped the whole soul-crushing ensemble, including the inexplicably specific single-leg stocking on the left and the thigh belt on the right.
There was some small salvation in the one-sided mantle (a pelerine) covering my sleeveless left side and a waist cloth of the same material that hid my body just a little… but overall, there was no denying it was an extremely daring design, what with all the exposed skin.
The main body was white, accented by upper and lower decorative cloths of black fabric scattered with brilliant cherry blossom patterns. Just walking around in this would undoubtedly draw a lethal amount of attention.
The most hopeless part was that my transformed body managed to pull off this borderline-outlandish outfit perfectly. Being 'good-looking' is just plain unfair.
And then there's Nia's skill and sense, creating something that so perfectly matched the model.
I was presented with such a stunningly complete visual that the fact I couldn't complain was, in itself, something I wanted to scream complaints about.
Well, I guess since the equipment I commissioned from Kagura-san isn't ready yet, it's not perfectly 'complete.' She has a sophisticated sense of style too… which makes me even more terrified of what's to come.
Besides the elegant cherry blossom pattern, the waist cloth could be seen as resembling hakama depending on how you looked at it. The overall Japanese-style or 'Japanese-inspired' feel was truly graceful and quite nice, but putting that aside, the texture of the fabric wasn't exactly ordinary, was it?
How do I put it… it exudes a sense of luxury. Despite the cosplay-like design, there isn't a single trace of cheapness…
……………… I don't remember go(・)in(・)g o(・)ut(・) to(・) ga(・)th(・)er(・) an(・)y m(・)at(・)er(・)ia(・)ls(・) for this commission, though.
"Uh… Nia-chan?"
"Hmm?"
After several months in this virtual world, I've developed a decent eye for things. It helps that I'm surrounded by so many people who use 'fine things.'
Therefore, a single glance is usually all I need.
"You didn't use some insane materials for this, did you?"
I can tell just how valuable the materials used in a piece of equipment are.
"………………………… Way, way, way out west of the safe area, there's a super, super, super rare enemy that hardly ever appears."
"Yeah."
"It's called [Halphas Pluto, Great Serpent of the True White Tree], a snake-type enemy that camouflages itself as a gorgeous, massive white cherry blossom tree. The number of recorded kills… or rather, encounters, is just one in the past."
"Doesn't this game have a lot of those???"
"Anyway, the party that was lucky enough to encounter and defeat it got a ton of spoils after a fierce battle. Since it was such a huge enemy, it dropped a lot of materials."
"Right, okay."
"So, back then, they held a huge auction for all those rare materials."
"Sounds like fun."
"Oh, it was a blast. And the 'hide' they put up for sale was so beautiful—I fell in love at first sight and just had to buy it."
………………………….
Hey, why did you tell that story with such nostalgia? I have to ask, so I'm asking, but I'm starting to get the chills.
An auction for super-rare materials in an MMO… that's a recipe for disaster, isn't it?
"………………………… Let's hear it. How much?"
I don't know when this auction took place, but from the way she talks, it must be a 'treasured material she'd been saving.'
When you finally decide to use something like that, anyone, not just Nia, would be 'resolved' to not compromise on the other materials to go with it.
In other words, it's highly likely that this outfit I'm wearing contains other insane materials, not just the stuff from whatever Halphas was called.
That's why I didn't ask for the price of the 'hide' alone, but for the total value of the 'outfit.' I tapped my chest to indicate the clothes and asked, "How much?"—at which point Nia, who had been bouncing around excitedly, suddenly changed her tune, her mood shifting as she averted her gaze awkwardly.
I see. This is going to be more than a few hundred million, isn't it?
"Alright, I get it. I'm telling you now, I am absolutely paying this time. If you don't accept it, I'll dump my entire fortune right here and leave. You've been warned."
"Wh-what, my entire… wait, just how much is your entire fortune, anyway?"
"Who knows."
It's not something I need to go into detail about, so Nia still only knows that my financial situation is at a level where 'I can casually pay in the hundreds of millions.'
The only ones who know the true extent of my purchasing power are Kagura-san, who handles the market sales of the 'horns,' and Sora, with whom I share my wallet.
Frankly, even if a ridiculous number like 'ten billion' came out of her mouth, paying it all at once wouldn't be a problem.
So, the reason I'm trembling right now isn't the amount itself, but—
"……………… A-about this much, I guess."
"…I see. Is that two, twenty, or two hundred?"
"Th-the middle one…"
Most likely, she was probably, almost certainly, going to try and weasel out of accepting the twenty hundred million—two billion—by claiming 'she did it for herself' or some other excuse. I'm trembling at her bad habit of doing that.
As Nia held up a peace sign, her face limp and her eyes still averted, I let out a loud, deliberately exaggerated sigh to make sure she heard me.
"Well… no matter how crazy you went, I won't complain since you made me something 'good.' Here's your payment. Take it, or this room will be flooded with a mountain of Luna."
"Y-Yes. Thank you for your business…"
Opening the trade window, I sent her the payment without another word. In that moment, I resolved to seal away the 'leave it to you' command as much as possible from now on.
Her unhealthy habit of showering people with gifts needs to be corrected.
A classic MMO trope where rarity alone can create a heaven-and-earth difference in price, even for items with the same performance. It's worth noting that while the baseline is already skewed, Sora's outfit is still ridiculously expensive by any normal person's standards.