Chapter 625 - Habitual Night Owl
"—Huh, it's rare to see you at this hour. What are you up to, senpai?"
"So, the self-proclaimed Junior Number One has appeared."
It was past midnight, after one in the morning. Some time after parting ways with a dead-tired Kanata and a sleepy Sora-san, I was occupying the sofa in the clan home's common space during the witching hour. That's when the other member of [Azure Sky Clan]—of which there were only two besides myself—showed up.
"...I know the circumstances, but if you call me that again, I'm going to slap you. It's kind of annoying."
As a complete night owl, Tetra was full of energy even in the dead of night, and his sharp tongue was in top form. I let out a wry smile at my two very different juniors, but all I got back was a composed expression that suggested he couldn't care less.
"Anyway, senpai, why are you always relaxing here? Is there any point to you having your own room?"
"My room just has a bed and a rack to display my retired equipment..."
"You're swimming in money, aren't you? You should at least buy some furniture to make it a more relaxing space. Because of you, Sora-senpai is usually just spacing out over here too, even when she's alone."
"How cute is that. As expected of my partner."
"...You've really stopped trying to hide your doting when you're around me lately. Could you please stop?"
Well, even if he says that.
He complains and teases, but he still nonchalantly sits down on the sofa across from me, clearly intending to keep me company. That's how comfortable we've become with each other.
Everything is out in the open with Tetra anyway, so there's no need to put on a front.
"..."
"Stop staring. It's embarrassing."
"Don't say weird things on purpose while you're in that form. Your [Mako] has gotten pretty decent. For two months of work, I'd say you're making good progress, wouldn't you?"
While it's said that one's MID stat probably doesn't have a direct effect on the various aspects of magicraft, it's just human nature—or at least, the nature of a gamer who believes in superstitions—to want to work with higher magic for both MP efficiency and peace of mind.
Therefore, when I use the [Mako] skill, I'm usually in my transformed state. I'm used to it by now, but... in the beginning, even Tetra had a hard time making eye contact with me when I was in this form.
Should I be exasperated at how my appearance gacha turned out, or should I just smile at the surprisingly innocent side of this naive young boy—
Well, I'm one to talk about innocence.
"To be honest, I'm already under the care of a top-tier artisan... I'm still practicing steadily, but whether a day will ever come when I seriously have to apply my skills on my own is an eternal mystery."
"Maybe it'll never come."
"I'm fine with that, either way."
In the first place, my whole motivation is to be even a little useful during that recurring event.
"Alright, I'm going to concentrate for a bit, so just wait."
"Yeah, yeah, do your best. ...By the way, did you know that maintaining a crafting incantation without interruption while holding a conversation is actually an advanced-level technique? Not bad, senpai."
"Could you not so obviously try to distract me...?"
On the palm of my hand, I put the finishing touches on my 'practice,' which had gradually upgraded from boar tusks to now using low-quality gemstones.
Magicrafting in Arcadia is different for every artisan, but for now, my process... or rather, my workflow, is very similar to my teacher's, Nia's.
Numerous magic circles expand from the base material, forming a sphere. Nia, as she rotated them one by one, called it a 'puzzle,' but my own image is a little different.
I bring forth the information of the 'object' that exists of its own accord—I spin it, layer it, arrange it, swap it, remove parts, and combine them............ creating a path.
The moment a 'hand' of mana passed through the completed, straight path, the magic circles that made up the incantation vanished in a brilliant flash of light.
And what was left behind was a small accessory.
"Mmmmmmm... Subpar."
I picked up the single, orthodox-shaped ring and gave my critique.
The gemstone I used was a 'diamond,' but it was a low-quality item that couldn't even compare to the monster on my left middle finger—the one that matched my partner's.
I mean, it might be a diamond, but it's just a normal diamond. A gem the size of my pinky nail would probably be worth a fortune in the real world, but in this fantasy world, a simple gemstone with no special properties or abilities is synonymous with a pebble.
"Yeah, it's subpar. But that's why I think it's a big deal."
Tetra snatched the ring from my fingertips and said something unexpected and incomprehensible. I tilted my head, wondering what he meant, as the boy held the ring up to the light.
"The things you're making are still mediocre, yet you've firmly established your own unique incantation style. As expected, senpai, your ability for self-contained thought and manipulation is truly genius-level."
He said it as what was probably his version of a compliment, but I had a problem. I was sorry, but I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
"...I don't think you can call it my own style, probably. At best, this is just an arrangement of Nia's 'puzzle.'"
"What are you talking about? Yours is completely different from the [Milmarinus]'s. Putting aside whether it's crude or rough, it's a totally different thing. Why don't you ask her yourself? I think she'll slap you."
"Why does everyone want to slap me so much?"
I was about to follow up with another question, intrigued by the mystery he'd presented—but it seemed tonight's time was up.
Just like a whimsical cat, Tetra placed the ring on the table, hopped off the sofa with a hyoi, and started walking away with a casual wave.
"I don't mind the small talk, but I'm not about to play teacher. See you later."
He says things like that, the little tsundere.
"Yeah, see you. ...If you keep staying up all night, you won't get any taller."
He casually waved off my final teasing remark... and as the boy touched the front door, which also served as a teleportation gate, he was enveloped in a blue light and vanished.
"...Sigh, honestly."
Just how old is that self-proclaimed kid, really?
I'm one to talk, but it's rare to find a ranker, regardless of faction, with as little real-life information available as Tetra. He certainly has a childish side, but more than that, there are moments when his behavior makes me wonder, "Is he actually older than me?" and it sticks in my mind.
In my extremely limited memories of youth, there were no high school boys who could read the room, be that considerate, have the guts of an adult, and think with such logic and composure.
If we're talking about that, Sora is much the same, but... truly, in many ways, the virtual world is a strange place. But, that aside.
"Time to go, I guess."
The scheduled time is three A.M. real-world time.
The meeting place isn't that far, so I could get there in a flash if I ran... but the person I'm meeting seems scary when angered, so I'll make sure to act with plenty of time to spare.
It was a surprise upon surprise upon surprise that they were the one to call me out.
I won't let this chance go to waste. I'll aim to get along with them as much as I can.