Chapter 564 - Reactions: The World
"Yo, sorry to keep you wait—huh? What're you doin', that's somethin' new for you."
At dusk, in the Eastern Round Table.
Just like that junior of a certain senior I'd seen a few times, I was taking up the entire, absurdly large table for some 'work,' when the person I was waiting for arrived and called out cheerfully.
In response,
"Ngh..."
I could only manage a listless reply.
It wasn't that I was being careless or rude; I was just concentrating on the work at hand, which Gossan, the curiosity-filled old man, was now peering at with interest—
"—Tch, ugh...!?"
"Whoopsie-daisy."
But the result was a fumble... The `[Mako]` skill I had activated was interrupted in an incomplete state, and the broken formula dissipated into a fleeting wisp of light.
Too bad. Farewell, my dear departed materials. Forgive me...
"So, what's got you into this all of a sudden?"
"Hah... well, nothing special. Just thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to broaden my horizons a bit, and maybe increase what I can do for the next event, so I figured I'd give it a shot."
It had been about a week since clearing the `[Shadow-Infested Arena]`.
Finally, the 'Skill Seal' penalty from `Lightning Gale` had been lifted, allowing me to mess around a bit more. I'd made good on my word and gotten the `[Mako]` skill from Nia, but... man, this was a lot harder than I expected.
"Still, this is fundamentally different from combat skills. The 'feel' of it is important, and it changes every single time..."
"Well, I hear that even with the same materials and process, you get somethin' different each time. Never tried it myself, so I can't say for sure."
Simply put, it's like being asked to clear a randomly generated stage in one go every time.
In other words, my 'memory' doesn't mesh well with it. Or rather, because I remember things perfectly, the subtle differences are what kill me.
Perhaps things will change once I've gained more skill and knowledge, but for now, while I work on the 'homework' my teacher gave me—'try a bunch of things yourself at first'—I was certain to face a string of failures.
—Well, I'll take it slow. Even though my skills are usable again, I'm still stuck at Lv. 1 for another three days, so I can't go out much anyway.
"Hey, not bad. Once you get the hang of it, make me somethin' to commemorate the occasion."
"Yeah, yeah... well, we'll see if I ever get serious enough about it to actually be able to make some kind of 'work'."
For now, I was trying my hand at 'accessories,' following the example of Nia, the teacher and 'parent' of the skill. But I still had no idea what my own aptitude was... or how suited I was for Mako in the first place. It would be a long road, but if that 'someday' ever came, I wouldn't be opposed.
—And with that.
"Alright... shall we get down to business now?"
"Yeah. Sorry for takin' up your time."
"As you can see, I've got time and motivation to spare. Don't worry about it."
I'm still busy with studies and what-not in the real world, but it's lonely coming to the virtual world for a break and not being able to fly around—just kidding.
I tossed the `[Fool Boar Fang Fragments]` I'd been using as practice material into my inventory and, after some small talk, asked about the real reason for his summons.
"Well then, I'll get right to it... I've got a bit of a favor to ask. It's about that portal system we talked about."
"Ahh... have things been sorted out?"
"Yeah, for the most part."
I see. In that case, I could pretty much guess what the favor would be.
"If my legs are what you need, feel free to use them as much as you like. ...Ah, no. I'm still out of commission for another three days, so it'll have to be after that."
"It's not that urgent, so that's fine—Man, that's a huge help. A real huge help. It's almost like you got ranked just for this moment, that's how much of a help it is."
"I think that statement is a bit much, General Command—bwuh, hey, stop...!"
I shot him a half-lidded glare at his obvious joke, and he responded with his trademark cackle as he ruffled my hair vigorously.
As usual, his physical affection is a bit too much.
"You're always so quick on the uptake, it's a great help. My Ten Seats are, as a rule, a bunch of eccentrics... Hinayo is one of the more reasonable ones, though."
I swallowed the retort, You're one to talk.
"Aren't Irori and Ri-na pretty serious types?"
"When that Irori fella gets focused on his training, he won't even show up if you contact him. And Ri-na... well, she's generally obedient, but she can be surprisingly difficult at times."
"Huh... well, I guess there are sides to them I don't know."
It's only been about two months since I met them, so I can hardly claim to know everything about them. The weary look on Gossan's face, who's known them for years, must stem from facts unknown to me.
I'm envious of the relationships they've built... and at the same time, I look forward to the possibility of building the same thing myself.
"Anyway, that's the gist of it. Now that I've got your okay, I'll start hammering out the details. The formal request will come after everything's decided."
"Roger. Just let me know whenever."
There are some concerns, like tuning my new skills I haven't even touched yet... but in the worst-case scenario, if it's just flying around, I have my trusty wings, Sapphire.
Therefore, the matter Gossan wanted to entrust to me—the expansion of the system thanks to the subjugation of the `White Throne`, the installation of new long-distance portals—should pose no problem.
"Alright, that's all then."
"Okay. Well, see ya."
It wasn't exactly an errand, but it was about time to start preparing dinner.
Nia had made a big show of dropping hints like, "I'm in the mood for Japanese food today," when she gave me the `[Mako]` skill, so to show a bit of gratitude—
"Hey, youngster."
"Hm?"
A nickname I hadn't heard in a while was cast at my back as I stood up to leave. Whether it was intentional or not, I didn't know.
I looked back over my shoulder and met the straightforward gaze of the great golden man.
"This is late, but I saw the video. That was brilliant."
"...Thanks for that."
A terse compliment, a terse reply.
I can't speak for the former, but the reason for the latter was simply that I was overwhelmed. By the General Commander's completely serious expression, which I only saw on rare occasions.
"By the way, there's somethin' I wanna ask."
It wasn't that I was scared. I didn't feel any pressure. It was just that... when the 'act' my 'daughter' spoke of fell away, he overflowed with a dignity befitting the commander of a faction.
"Did you... get a title like 'Hero' or somethin'?"
Even if I didn't quite understand the question.
"...Yeah, I got something like that."
I just answered with the sincere truth.
He then closed his eyes for a few seconds—and let out a soft breath.
"That's one hell of a cute 'Hero' we've got."
"Shut it."
He watched me, my ponytail swaying the whole time, and broke into his usual grin.
And so, after one hero had departed.
"...Even though you retired, this turned into a long service, didn't it, old man?"
The man who had once sent off a hero murmured to himself, a playful tone in his voice.
"In name and in deed—this means you're officially relieved of duty. Good work."
He offered a toast to the changing world.
——————Ranker's Title——————
◇First【Sword Saint】————【Ui】◇
◇Second【General Commander】————【Goldow】◇
◇Third【Peerless】————【Irori】◇
◇Fourth【Acrobat】————【Haru】◇
◇Fifth【Left Wing】————【Mi-na】◇
◇Sixth【Right Wing】————【Ri-na】◇
◇Seventh【Scorching Gaze】————【Hinayo】◇
◇Eighth【Undying】————【Tetra】◇
◇Ninth【Twin Fists】————【Genkotsu】◇
◇Tenth【Screen】————【Yurayura】◇
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