Chapter 87 - The Indigo Ruffian
The scene changes to a section of the 'Safe Area' in the official field.
After settling things regarding the [Ruby Rabbit Demon Horn], Kagura-san led me to a certain building.
To describe it succinctly—it was a "ridiculously huge brick tofu." Its design, which seemed to scream "who cares about aesthetics," had a certain... refreshing quality to it that I honestly didn't dislike.
"This is it?"
"Yeah—welcome to the Safe Area branch of our [Mirage Workshop]."
Yes, this tofu—or rather, this charmingly functionalist building—is apparently the base of her artisan clan, [Mirage Workshop].
Seeing how it dwarfed the surrounding buildings, I could believe its title as one of the two major artisan guilds of the Western Faction, Vestol. It was bigger than the city hall back in my hometown.
"Is it okay for an outsider like me to come in here?"
"I can't speak for other places, but we also function as a workshop. We have people coming in with requests all the time, so it's not a problem."
I see, then I won't hesitate.
I passed through the large gates as instructed and followed Kagura-san's lead into the home base. I could already see some of it from the outside, but the entrance hall was quite bustling with activity.
"So, you were messaging someone, right?"
"Ah. She said she's already waiting in her atelier, so let's get going."
She once mentioned she had connections all over, and it seems that was true. As we walked, greetings of "Kagura-san," "Kagura-san," flew at her nonstop. The artisan in the kimono waved back in response, striding down the hallway with complete confidence.
...Hey, is this woman actually a big shot? I'm pretty sure the clan master is someone else, and she did say there were several people above her, but—
"Here we are."
"Oh."
Before I could ponder the newfound question any further, we had apparently arrived at our destination.
Kagura-san stopped in front of a door and knocked casually. A super energetic voice immediately replied from inside, "Yes, yes, come on in!"
"She's loud and hyper, but she's not a bad person."
"Right..."
After that slightly ominous introduction, Kagura-san opened the door without hesitation and walked in. I followed her into the room—
"Wellllllllllcoooooome!!"
In that instant, my vision was completely filled with purple.
Purple—no, clothes, stomach—
"Guhh!"
A facial body press just milliseconds after meeting. A colossal impact that in reality would have broken my nose and dealt fatal damage to my cervical spine sent my avatar crashing helplessly to the floor.
It was a shock that could have easily dealt numerical damage, but this was the superhuman vessel of someone who had recently reached Lv. 100—or maybe the system ruled it as a 'gag scene,' can't deny that possibility... Fortunately, my HP bar didn't budge, and a debuff icon for being incapacitated just blinked on my status bar for a few seconds.
—Yeah, no, that's not okay at all, what the hell.
"What the hell do you think you're—"
"Hey, hey, hey, Kagura-san! Is this the one?! Is this him?! Is this the rumored rookie weirdo?! Is he, is he, is he?!"
As if to trample over my rising anger born from self-preservation, the ruffian chattered away with a level of hyper energy that couldn't be described as just 'high-tension.'
Kagura-san must have dodged the opening tackle that had taken me out. She stood there, having jumped back, with a classic 'give me a break' look on her face.
I shot a reproachful glare at her over the perpetrator, who still hadn't gotten off of me. She just put her hands together as if to say, "Sorry."
...You're not praying for my soul, are you? Don't tell me you used me as a scapegoat.
"And get off me already! What kind of way is that to treat someone you just met!"
"Wow! So full of energy! How wonderful!"
My stats may have changed, but I'm no longer the weakling I once was. As I tried to forcibly lift the body on top of me, the rather petite figure leaped back with a little bounce.
Finally able to sit up, I saw a slender female avatar with a height similar to Sora's standing before me.
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry! A dream appointment just fell into my lap out of nowhere, so I got a little carried away!"
Just as she had filled my vision at first, she was dressed in a stylish outfit coordinated in shades of purple.
Slightly messy indigo short hair. Eyes of the same color, reminiscent of a cat's, that clearly showed a strong sense of curiosity.
Like all player avatars in Arcadia, she had a well-proportioned appearance and was a cute girl, in a different way from Sora or Kagura-san.
However, her actions were not cute at all. A woman who greets you for the first time with a facial body press is, without question, categorized as a dangerous person.
"I'm really sorry, so don't glare at me like that! —Nice to meet you, I'm Nia-chan! A pleasure!"
Ignoring the cold stare I was giving her, the player—who introduced herself as Nia—was all high-tension and bubbly, showing a truly joyful, beaming smile.
◇◆◇◆◇
"I see, I see."
Sometime after we arrived in her room—her personal atelier—Nia finished listening to Kagura-san's summary of 'everything up to now,' crossed her arms in a way that didn't suit her, and nodded with a knowing look.
"Well yeah, that can't be helped. If you find something like this, anyone would try to get a head start. Yup, yup."
"Of all the things to call me, you call me 'this'?"
"Hey Kagura-san, this guy is being kinda mean to me."
"That's your fault. He's at least more decent than you are on a normal day."
Compared to this high-tension monster, most people would be judged as decent. It's not often I say this myself, but for me to be this rude to someone I barely know is really something.
"I'm sooorry. I just couldn't hold back my excitement, forgive meeee!"
Ugh, so annoying. Don't snuggle up to me! Your fake cutesiness won't work on me!
Pushing away the body-press woman who kept trying to close the distance, I looked at Kagura-san, who was leisurely sipping tea, wanting to get on with it.
"So? Now that my side of the story is done, could you explain about this?"
"Of all the things to call me, you call me 'this'?!"
"What?"
"I'm sorry!!"
"You two get along surprisingly well."
Could you please stop saying that with such deep feeling?
"Oh, whatever—let me introduce her again. This is Nia. She's like a junior to me, but now she's one of the top one or two artisans in our [Mirage Workshop]."
"Seriously...?"
My intentionally disrespectful gaze that seemed to say, This thing?, must have gotten through. The so-called master artisan puffed out her cheeks theatrically and pretended to pout, saying, "How rude."
"So you're saying I should entrust that certain something to this..."
"It's Nia-chan!"
"To Nia-chan?"
"See? You two really do get along."
I'm sorry to the chuckling Kagura-san, but I must vehemently deny that.
This thing that immediately sidled up to me, asking, "That thing? What's that thing? Hey hey hey," was, without a doubt, the type of person I can't stand.
"She might be like that usually, but she gets a bit more serious when it comes to work. Just show it to her already."
"Sigh..."
It was true that continuing this pointless exchange was getting us nowhere. Prompted by Kagura-san, I took 'that certain something' out of my inventory and placed it on the desk.
"—!"
In that instant, the chattering artisan's mouth snapped shut as if by magic.
Reflected in her indigo eyes, the [Crimson Rabbit Ornament] rested on the table, bathed in the light of the lamp, silently radiating a brilliant glow.
A new character, finally. What's with a main character being added after sixty chapters?