Chapter 681 - Interlude: The Way Home
"—Thank you for everything these past few days. I'm sorry for making you stay up so late."
"Please do not worry about it. A disciple does not need to be reserved with their master."
Our final expedition, the fourth one, took a little over six hours for the round trip.
Counting from our usual meeting time of 9:00 PM real-time, it was now half past one in the morning… Aboard Sapphire, which had landed in a forest near the [Safe Area] to avoid unnecessary attention, were two passengers.
Just me and Ui-san. The other three had already logged out.
Sora and Kanata logged out simply because of the time, and Tetra because he was "tired." Their empty avatars now rested within the 'otherworld' held by the [Sword Saint].
Her Terror Armament, [Rear Truffles (True Name: The Secret Key of the Divine Hall that Loves the Outer Heavens)]… My master has playfully told me, "The details are a secret," but I've managed to figure out a general idea, including its name.
To put it simply, it's like a portable pocket dimension. She has complete control over the creation of the world inside and the rules that govern it. Furthermore, it's not an instant-generated space but a constantly existing otherworld, which means she can even store and carry players inside.
Needless to say, in terms of game concepts, it's utterly broken. An absurdly unfair privilege for an individual player to possess. I can understand why she keeps it a secret.
It's probably best to make use of it discreetly, quietly, and modestly. Just like now, to reduce the burden on the younger members.
Still,
"We're a perfect match as master and disciple, aren't we? My 'legs' can take us to some ridiculously far-off places, and if we can't get back, Ui-san can just pull out her inviolable 'house' as a safe zone."
I only learned about Ui-san's Terror Armament after she joined the clan. That means I wasn't aware of the benefits it would bring to our group beforehand.
That's why I can't help but laugh now at how perfectly suited our abilities are for each other.
"Fufu… That makes me happy for two reasons."
"Hm? Two reasons?"
With the city's hustle and bustle just a short distance away, I listened to the sounds of a forest different from the bamboo grove surrounding her home. In my Trance form, I was at the same eye level as my master for a change, and I turned to look at her—
"One is that I can be of use to the 'clan.' The other… is a secret."
"Then I won't ask."
As her disciple, I'm also 'happy' that we travel so well together.
"—Haru-kun."
It wasn't quite embarrassment.
Feeling a certain ticklishness, I turned my gaze forward again, only to have my name called once more. I had only seen her profile before, but this time, my eyes met her gray ones….
Two seconds, then three, passed without a word, so I spoke up.
"…So, what should we do tomorrow and the day after? Sora was really excited about it finally being the weekend, so I'd like to go somewhere fun and exciting."
"…You are right. This time, I would prefer a place where our hair and clothes will not get soaked."
"Haha. Even if it was a special setup, it was still a pain, wasn't it?"
"Fufu, Sora-chan seemed to have a particularly difficult time."
"The sheer volume of her hair, you know. Not quite as much as my Trance form, but still. Looking back, I wonder why she didn't just braid her own hair like I did mine."
"Perhaps… she was embarrassed at the thought of having matching hairstyles?"
"How cute is that? Let's just assume that's what it was."
"Sora-chan is truly adorable, isn't she?"
This and that. I felt I didn't need to receive any formal words from her. Such things would be too presumptuous… and more than anything, too embarrassing.
Peaceful.
- [Rear Truffles (True Name: The Secret Key of the Divine Hall that Loves the Outer Heavens)] Terror Armament: ???
It is unlikely that its abilities will be detailed in the main story. Please wait for a future something or other.
Incidentally, the 'otherworld' exists even when my master is logged out, and players inside the closed space can return to the outside world through a transfer gate that she has incorporated into the otherworld.
However, if she herself enters it, her avatar's coordinates become fixed at the deployment location, making her unable to move. Therefore, she cannot use the transfer gate to travel to different coordinates.
Furthermore, there are only two ways to enter the otherworld: through the transfer gate, or by being invited by her when she deploys it in the same location. The only way to exit is by returning through the same transfer gate.
In other words, it is practically impossible to use it to transport players to a distant field by opening the otherworld far beyond the normal placement limit of a transfer gate.
My master is always aware of whether someone is inside or not, so if you get lost on the forest path looking for the transfer gate, just give up and wait quietly for rescue.
Alternatively, you could just go ahead and mow down the bamboo grove. It'll grow back soon enough anyway.