Chapter 618 - Little by Little
Swaying, swaying, I drift in the space between.
No earth, no sea, no sky. Eons spent in this endless prison.
The tree has yet to shed its seed, not the faintest sign of a sprout.
My companion, are you still there?
My companion, are you still there?
My companion—is there still a battle to be fought?
Oh world, my foe, do you still wish to pass judgment?
No earth, no sea, no sky. Eons held in these endless, protective arms.
My companion, and my children.
I no longer reside within this soul. Therefore, I am not I.
Please, save "me."
Please, do not save 'me.'
◇◆◇◆◇
"First things first, let me make this clear. 'Master,' 'Shisho-sama,' 'Oshi-sama,' or any other similar titles are forbidden. No jokes, absolutely not. For one, I'm the one who's the disciple here."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
"Second, 'Sensei' is also NG for some reason. The handsome face that word brings to mind in this virtual world is making my mental state particularly fragile right now."
"Then what should I call you...? Ah, the match between you two was amazing—"
"And finally."
He's like a puppy, internally buzzing with excitement but doing his best to politely 'stay.'
Having established his character in less than ten minutes since our reunion, I hold up a third finger, adopting a superior tone that had been forced upon me as our conversation had progressed without my input.
"I've come to realize a few things, and one of them is that I'm terrible at teaching people when it comes to combat in Arcadia. So—how about we reconsider this?"
"I'm ready for your instruction! Please, I'm in your hands!"
With that energetic rebuttal, he completely dismisses my words and bows his brown-haired head deeply. His fluffy, light-brown puppy-like hair, so similar to a certain [Heavy Tank], makes his metaphorical tail perfectly visible when he bends at a right angle like that.
I feel like I've seen that hairstyle somewhere before, but for my own sanity, I'd better assume it's a complete coincidence. Please, let it be a coincidence.
No matter how much of a fan he is, if he's that hardcore, I won't know how to deal with him.
"...Well, yeah, okay. I got a direct order from my boss, so I'll do my best, but... at least, you know, try to relax a bit, will ya? We fought once, we're comrades—"
"Yes, sir! I'll do my best!"
"He's so full of energy...!"
No matter how I looked at it, he was clearly not a 'low-flame' fan. The young man—Kanata, whom I had faced in the first round of the recent Four Pillar selection match—seemed to be in high spirits, his cheeks flushed with excitement.
The day after I gave Sora her ring. Two days after the grand adventure where we had an audience with that 'Dragon.'
First thing in the morning, my boss, Goldow, summoned me to the Eastern Round Table. Waiting for me were the [General Commander], looking as he always did, and a nervous-looking Kanata.
As for the reason I was summoned, it was a single, concise statement: "Train this kid."
Left behind by the old man who had briskly departed with a "Now, I'll leave you young ones to it," I obviously had no other choice. I went with the flow and initiated communication with the boy I had suspected was a fan since the selection match, but...
"Uh, look, Kanata-kun."
"You can just call me Kanata!"
"Kanata. First, calm down. Take a breather. I get it, I'll help you train. You won't last at this rate, in more ways than one."
Neither will you, and neither will I.
Still, something like this isn't so bad every once in a while. Guiding a junior who looks up to you, personally helping them grow—that's part of the fun of games, after all.
"Alright then... once again, it's a pleasure. You can call me Haru, Kanata. Let's get along."
"...! Yes! I look forward to working with you, Acrobat-san!"
"Yeah, that title is banned too."
...Well, whatever.
In terms of Arcadia experience, he's supposed to be my senior, not my junior, though.
◇◆◇◆◇
"So, long story short, I've suddenly been tasked with helping someone train."
"Hoh. So you're finally a master yourself."
"I am not. It's beyond my station."
Following my visit to the Round Table, I made another morning stop at the Atelier of my personal artisan.
Kanata-kun seems to be busy with work, limiting his activity to the nighttime, so we parted ways for now. In contrast, I was now one-on-one with the master of this room, a shut-in who lives and breathes the virtual world.
Well, since it's summer vacation, I'm in the same boat... no, even if it weren't, I can't really talk, given how much time I spend logged in. But anyway, putting that aside.
"Nia."
"Hmm?"
"Sora was delighted. Thank you for helping out."
I sincerely conveyed my gratitude once more, the reason for my visit. I'd said it before she started, while she was working, and after it was finished, but... it felt like no matter how many times I said it, it wouldn't be enough, so I'd say it again and again.
"Yeees, yes, it's fine, I'm tellin' ya. How many times is this now? I'm the one who pushed for the ring myself, you know. I'm telling you I don't mind, so you'd better accept it, you silly boy."
"It's true that I feel bad, but more than that, I'm grateful. It's not a bad thing to say 'thank you' as many times as I want, is it?"
"Noooope! Sincere gratitude just makes me more envious of how super-duper cherished Sora-chan is, so noooope!"
"You totally do mind, don't you?"
Most likely, all of it was her true feelings.
The part about not minding, and the part about being envious and a little jealous... and the part where she pushed me forward before I went through with the surprise, telling me it couldn't be helped.
Because the human heart is something that casually contradicts itself.
Yes, for example—
"Nia."
"Hmm?"
"Tomorrow or the day after, you want to go museum-hopping again?"
"Hmm...? —Huh?"
My heart, too, is the same, for I have more than one person I want to cherish with all my might. Having steeled my resolve to be the bad guy for a while now, I couldn't care less about common sense or morality in this regard.
I've decided to indulge the three who forgive me, to spoil them even more in return, and to patiently search for an answer, casting aside any normal path.
—If anyone has a problem with that, they can come talk to me after experiencing the fantasy of becoming a ranker in half a year and having three incredible women hit them with their genuine affection.
"Is this a date?"
"Yes, it's an invitation for a date. The one from the month before last was surprisingly fun, after all."
Museum-hopping is apparently her hobby.
I'd thought that with her family being in that field, Nia herself would be knowledgeable, but that wasn't the case at all. She enjoyed it from the same amateur perspective as me, yet with the enthusiasm of someone at an amusement park. Being dragged around by her was quite a delightful time.
So, as a result of various things...
"Seriously, it's the other way around, isn't it? Our first time at the amusement park was a disaster for both of us."
"You're not allowed to say that! Nia-chan was at her limit back then!"
"You're still pretty much at your limit now."
"Hmph. Takes one to know one."
"So, I haven't heard your answer. If you say no..."
"Eh, what? What is it? Not that I would, but I'm curious what'll happen if I do."
"I guess I'll invite Ashe to the amusement park."
"Yep, you're guilty! Even if you've come to terms with things, there's a limit, you know! I don't think jokes like that are funny at all!"
"It's not exactly a joke. I have to make it up to her, too..."
"I get that, but I'm telling you not to say it out loud!"
"You'd get even angrier if I didn't say anything, wouldn't you?"
"Of course I would!"
"The personification of unreasonable... Anyway, now that we've settled that, let's get to the main topic. There are three more big items left. I'm counting on you for some fantastic accessories, Milmarinus, the Sapphire Fairy."
"We haven't settled anything, it's a total mess! And stop calling me by that title!"
I just have to face the affection given to me head-on, without fear. And in return, I'll give my own, without fear.
Because I have faith that I won't betray their trust in the future.
Chapter Five, let's get right into it.