Chapter 491 - Inseparable
"—So, just a heads-up, I might be taking a week off sometime soon."
"That's perfectly fine. If she's the one arranging it, security won't be an issue. You should get away from the virtual world every now and then and stretch your wings."
I had completely gotten used to the extraordinary daily routine of summoning a chef with the ring of a bell, and now, I was naturally devouring delicacies right at the peak of lunchtime.
When I told him about the plans I had firmed up at lightning speed after saying I'd 'think about it,' the chef—Chitose-san—who was sharing the table across from me, simply nodded without a fuss.
Apparently, the 'trip' planned by Alicia posed no inconvenience for Yotsuya Development either.
For a company that saddles you with a grand request like clearing the game, they're far more lenient than any part-time job. The lack of restrictions is so pronounced it's starting to make me anxious.
"What is this, duck?"
"Ah, the roast turned out quite well. I tried putting it in a sandwich. How is it?"
"It tastes like it would cost as much as a fancy dinner at a nice restaurant."
A life of luxury where even a simple request for a sandwich yields high-end ingredients. If I think of this as part of my compensation from the world-renowned Yotsuya Development, well… then again, on top of the huge initial contract fee, my bank account balance just keeps growing every month…
You never know what life has in store for you. No, really, you truly never know, so shutting down my brain is a bad idea, but at this rate, I'm terrified I'll earn the average person's lifetime income in just a few years.
And since the Yotsuya side handles all the tedious… and difficult things like taxes, I'm literally just playing a game, which is starting to make me feel guilty.
In terms of circumstances, or rather, from a psychological standpoint, I'm probably not that different from someone who's won the lottery. Of course I'm happy and fulfilled, but I can't shake this baseless doubt and anxiety, this feeling of "Is this really happening?"—
"On that note, Haru-kun."
"Hmmyes?"
This is outrageously delicious, but I'm already starting to miss Tesshin-san's mysterious staple bread… Just as I was thinking that and taking a huge bite, the next topic of conversation came up.
"You can take a trip or do whatever you like, but could you set aside some time for me somewhere? There's a summons for you—ah, it's not urgent."
Well now, a summons.
"It really can be anytime, but they'd like you to show your face at the Yotsuya headquarters. To coordinate with the representative's schedule, could you pick a date from the middle of next month onward?"
"I don't mind… uh, let's see."
It was bad manners to do this in a restaurant, but it was just two guys having lunch, so no need for formalities. I took out my phone with my duck sandwich in one hand and checked my schedule… Hmm.
Judging by Alicia's 'as soon as possible' attitude, the trip is probably sometime this month, right? And if it really can be anytime—
"It'll be more like a month from now, not half, but how about a Saturday in the first week of next month?"
"Not a problem at all. In that case, please keep that day open."
"Okay, roger that."
We confirmed with each other, and a new entry was etched into my schedule for the beginning of July. 'Appearance at Yotsuya HQ'—six words of a pretty insane scale by normal standards.
Now then, I wonder what sort of business awaits me—
◇◆◇◆◇
—But more pressing than future plans were immediate ones.
Past noon, after finishing lunch. The message I had received this morning was, in its own way, a summons.
Logging in for the second time today, I awoke in the clan room. My wake-up action routine involved one more spin than this morning, for a total of four and a half rotations. With the control of my right arm restored, my recovery was proceeding smoothly—the price for my other ultimate move wasn't as severe as I had feared.
"Alrighty then…"
My avatar felt light, but my heart was another matter. I wouldn't go so far as to say something as rude as 'it's weighing on me,' but to be honest, I've been quite apprehensive for a while now.
At this point, I suppose it just can't be helped.
The one who summoned me, the one I made a promise to, the one I'm about to meet—
Is none other than the invincible partner whom I myself managed to awaken.
Tap, tap. A soft knock sounded at the door.
Whether due to the mysterious material it's made of or some dimensional mumbo-jumbo, the private rooms in the clan room are perfect personal spaces, completely soundproof and blocking all presence.
The knock that was the sole connection between the inside and outside was demure, just like her, but having spent the last few days with this new version of her, I understood.
I knew what would happen the moment this thin wall was removed.
And so, steeling my resolve—
The moment I opened the door, my vision was filled with a dazzling gold.
"—Wha—?!"
"—Oof—?!"
Whether she misjudged the distance or simply came in with too much momentum to control, I was struck hard in the chin by her forehead and went tumbling spectacularly to the floor, stunned.
In my vision was a stun icon, lit up beneath my status bar.
And there was a beautiful girl with tears in her eyes, clutching her now-red forehead.
"…We've done this before, you know."
"I-I'm sorry…!"
In Arcadia, where there's no pain, surprise and shock are what can deal the most damage. Setting aside the fact that she was the one who charged in, it was only natural for the virtual world, with its slightly exaggerated emotional expressions, to bring tears to the girl's eyes.
And it was also a natural consequence for me, who had taken a solid hit to the jaw, to be slapped with a debuff—hah, she's really grown, this one.
The stun lasted definitively longer than that nostalgic day.
And then, well.
"Last time, you were all flustered and worried about me, though."
"…I'm fine with that much. I don't need to worry."
"That's a refreshingly frank turnaround…"
"I don't know what you're talking about. It's your fault, anyway."
"I-I think I have an objection to tha—"
"Denied. Be quiet."
"Whaaaat…"
The girl, who had knocked me over and was now using me as a cushion, showing no signs of getting up, was unleashing a merciless torrent of tyranny with her cute face and voice.
To an outsider, it would sound like a ridiculously one-sided verbal beatdown, but—
"…………Thirty seconds are up. That's it for today."
"…There are still four days' worth left from when we couldn't see each other."
To an outsider, it was blindingly obvious that this was nothing less than her being affectionate.
And the fact that I couldn't bring myself to brush away the slender arms wrapped tightly around my neck, even while saying "that's it"… well, I suppose that can't be helped either.
"It felt longer than I expected."
"…Did you not have fun over there?"
"Until the third day… until Lux-san and I charged into a 'nest' he stumbled upon, it was fun, like a leisurely trip. But then we were chased and had a terrible time."
"I see. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it to the fullest."
Her forehead pressed against my chest in protest, lacking the force from before. What it held was not strength.
"A lot happened on my end, too. It might take a day or two just to exchange all our stories."
"What kind of face am I supposed to make when you're so openly bragging about your date?"
"Ah… If you'd rather I not talk about it, then I won't."
"I won't allow you to keep it a secret. What did you do? With Nia-san?"
"What am I supposed to do…—Alright, alright, fine, fine. As my lady wishes."
She released her hands from around my neck, and as if to voice her dissatisfaction, she pulled hard on both my cheeks as she pushed herself up.
Her lovely cheeks were flushed in a way that seemed to be twenty percent anger and eighty percent something else. With her shining amber eyes, she looked straight at me and—
"…I missed you, Haru."
"Me too, Sora."
No longer hiding the warmth in her gaze, she smiled with pure, unadulterated happiness.
It's Arcadia's one-year anniversary.
To the ever-expanding story, and to the meeting of Haru and Sora, my heartfelt 'thank you.'
To all of you who support us from within the virtual world, from outside it, and from even 'further' outside,
as the storyteller of this freely spun tale, I offer my endless gratitude.
Please look forward to the fairy tale that will continue on from here.