Chapter 440 - The Sky Clears and Time Moves On
—A gentle clattering mixed with the sound of running water.
The profile of the girl efficiently washing the dishes with practiced movements was as adorable as ever. However, the self-proclaimed maid knew that behind that prim and proper face, 'complaints' she wouldn't voice were swirling.
"Oh, honestly. Please be in a better mood already."
"There's nothing to fix. I'm not angry."
It had been a while since the 'incident' the other day, when this mysterious protest of hijacking all the housework began. Although she didn't show it on her face or in her words... the slightly colder tone in her voice than usual was proof that she was sulking.
How troublesome. From the moment she invited that young man into the mansion, Itsuki had been on the girl's side from start to finish.
She had lied about the girl's father coming home only to make her tidy up so she wouldn't meet the man she loved looking like a mess.
She had thrown the young man—Haru Kasuga—into the room and 'shut the lid' only because she trusted he would do something about it as he declared, and it was merely to cut off her master's escape route... or rather, to give her a little push.
What came after was even harder. She had to suppress her boundless curiosity... no, no, her anxiety, and she had even refrained from eavesdropping, behaving herself quietly.
To be treated so coldly after all that was just too much.
It was clear that this was all the fault of 'him,' who had swept in and taken everything. Unforgivable Acrobat—well, jokes aside.
"You won't be able to see him for three whole days. Do you really intend to leave while you're still fighting?"
"...In the real world, it's only for an hour."
"My, what a lonely thing to say."
She put on a display of mock crying, but it seemed the girl thought she was being teased, as she finally started to puff out her cheeks.
She swore she wasn't just teasing her for the fun of it. She was teasing her seriously because her dear young lady was just too adorable to resist her playful urges.
Besides, in the end... she knew that the honest, kind, and clingy girl would always make up with her if she did this.
"There, there. I feel like I'm going to die of loneliness, so please replenish my Young Lady levels."
"............"
When she stood next to her and spread her arms, the girl—Sora—stared daggers at the smiling maid for nearly ten seconds, as if to intimidate her.
Then...
"...Ah! Hey, that's not allowed, wait, wait—honestly, you!"
She took the trouble to whip up a fresh, snow-white 'weapon' of soap suds, piling it high in both hands... and began to chase after her all-too-honest-with-her-desires older sister, ready for a counterattack.
◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
"—You're one of those people. Your whole way of life is so hectic that just watching you from the side goes beyond 'fun' and becomes exhausting."
How do you manage to stir up one event after another without a break?—so said the crimson-clad artisan, her playful expression belying her harsh words as her hands moved feverishly, a stark contrast to her leisurely tone.
I had no idea what she was doing, but I could tell it was something technically incredible. Despite the precision of her movements, each motion was so ridiculously fast that staring at it for too long felt like it would break my eyes and my brain.
"Yeah, well... I'd have liked to live a peaceful life if I could, but..."
"Hah, no chance. You were just born under that kind of star—there, it's done. Try 'em on again."
"Ah, right. Thanks."
Even as she snorted and dismissed my words, at this point, I had no room to argue. I took the proffered items from the workbench and instantly equipped them with my switching skill.
This new outfit, handmade by Nia, was worn by my white-haired alternate avatar. The provisional navy-blue [Maristake Boots] that had protected my feet were replaced—by a white that perfectly matched the white-haired, blue-eyed beautiful girl avatar, so different from my main body.
Paired with the half-gloves I was already wearing, the military-uniform-meets-kimono-themed [Sakura Hanaori] created a seamless whole, a testament to their excellent coordination.
It was the same combination as always—main top and bottom, with gloves and boots—but I had grown so used to this style that I'd never felt it lacking. With this new set, I felt a sense of relief that it was finally 'complete.'
"How is it?"
"Yeah, it's absolutely perfect."
Their names are apparently [El Orte (Ice-Woven Phosphorescent Hand)] and [Lupe Orta (Ice-Woven Phosphorescent Leg)]... As usual, I don't get the meaning, but it sounds stylish, so it's fine. The performance is more than enough, so I have no complaints.
Both were based on the leftover feather scraps from when Nia created the [El-Gran Stasia (Azure Sky Six Flowers - White Cloud)], with the deficit made up for by materials from enemies inhabiting the same snowy mountains—
—or at least, that was the original plan. But after I entrusted her with the request, I reported that I'd managed to defeat Epel through one thing and another... at which point she burst out laughing and declared, 'Alright, hand it all over,' and an unplanned remake was decided.
Even if the completed design could be reused, it must have been quite the death march... but as expected of Kagura-san, she managed to see it through to completion.
These half-gloves, with more than half of the back of the hand exposed, were my first non-fingerless pair. But I couldn't feel them at all; it was like being 100% bare-handed. Yet, the grip was solid, and it felt like I could firmly grasp a sword, a katana, or a blunt weapon.
The boots, perhaps to match Nia's [Sakura Hanaori], were an asymmetrical design with different lengths—above the knee and below the knee. The left leg, which had a full-leg stocking, was below the knee, while the right leg, which had been bare, was above the knee. The longer left boot had a somewhat complex double-layered structure; trying to put it on normally would probably be a struggle. Thank goodness for my switching skill.
With so many asymmetrical elements, you'd think the design would feel disjointed... but the fact that it still fits together perfectly is, once again, a testament to her skill.
Both the gloves and boots were colored a faint, bluish-white derived from Epel. Combined with the outfit, the overall finish was predominantly white.
...Come to think of it, I wear a lot of white in this virtual world, don't I? Oh well.
"Just as you ordered, I didn't add any extra gimmicks and focused solely on raw performance. These are materials from a monster that was practically a sub-raid boss, even if it was a field enemy. They're truly top-tier."
"Man, thanks again and again, especially for the death march—... By the way, were these utterly adorable fluffy bits necessary?"
I asked, flicking the fur trim attached to both my hands and feet with my finger. Kagura-san's reply was, "Nia was insistent that I add them."
So we've found the culprit. I'll remember this, you little rascal.
"Well, for now, it's 'time's up.' Go test them out over there. If you have any complaints, I'll hear them out after it's over. For that other thing too, you know."
"Got it, roger—whoa, I'm cutting it close... Well then, I wish you both the best of luck!"
"Yeah, go run wild again."
Well, I probably won't be sticking my neck into any huge commotions this time... At any rate, we bumped our outstretched fists together as usual, and our farewell was over and done.
After sharing a smile with my personal artisan, I rushed off to meet my partner.
Ten minutes until our meeting time. I could make it if I walked, but I had to get there as soon as possible, because knowing her—and here it comes.
[Nia] — I'm sure you'll be fine, but if you don't show up, I'll cry.
[Nia] — I'm going to cry for real, so you better be ready.
"I get it, I get it...!"
Was she just a worrywart, or did she not trust me? I let out a wry smile at the endless stream of incoming messages and just ran.
One week after the subjugation of the 'White Throne.'
In other words, today was the day the countdown clock had been pointing to. Three and a half years after the service began, Arcadia's first-ever official event—
The stage of the unknown-filled [Starry Paradise] was about to open.