Chapter 972 - You're the One I Want
And so, about ten or so minutes had passed since we all gathered.
After a quick hand-off of the equipment and a thorough check and adjustment of everything, it was just about time for dinner, so we were all about to log out for the day.
"────Ah, Sora-chan. Sorry, mind if I borrow your partner for a bit?"
"Yes?"
As we were about to head home, Nia grabbed my sleeve—or rather, my sleeve specifically.
Her indigo eyes, along with her request for permission, were directed at my partner. Sora, catching her gaze, blinked her amber eyes.
"Please, go ahead."
She said with a bright smile directed at me.
"Hehe, thanks."
Nia, in turn, thanked Sora while smiling at me.
"...................................."
It's not like... there isn't any actual pressure or anything.
It's probably just me, my own perception.
""............""
"......................Uh, um............"
I don't think I'll ever get used to being caught in the middle like this.
"Haru."
"Yes."
As I tensed up from this sudden, intense teasing, my partner called my name. It was as if she were saying, "I'm just kidding..."
This time, Sora offered a gentle smile.
"I think I'm going to rest for the day... so good night. You too, Nia-san."
"Yeah. Good night, Sora-chan."
"...Yeah, um. Good night."
Just for a moment, her fingertips. On the opposite side from where Nia was holding me.
She gave my hand a gentle stroke before being enveloped in the light of teleportation, returning to the clan home.
"..................Hah. What an angel. This is tough."
And just like that, it was the two of us. As I was still reeling from the faint warmth left on the back of my hand, Nia let go of my sleeve and muttered to no one in particular.
I'm sure her words were meant for both me and herself────
"────...So?"
Now that that was settled, now that we had seen off my adorable partner... it was time to switch gears.
I couldn't think of any reason why she would have kept me behind specifically, so there was no need to finish the question. My eyes asked why and what for.
"Hmm... well............ Uh, you see..."
She seemed to have trouble saying it... no, that wasn't quite right.
As if she was choosing her words carefully. Nia swayed back and forth in front of me, her gaze meeting mine and then darting away for a few seconds────before she stroked her lonely right wrist.
"...You know..."
"Yeah?"
"That thing. My, what is it? That... Terror-san."
"Terror-san, huh. Yeah."
"I was putting off deciding whether to make it myself or ask someone else, since there was no reason to rush, but..."
Around that point, from her words, her gestures... the somewhat sweet, pleading tone of her voice... a faint suspicion began to form in my mind, and my expression stiffened as she spoke.
"..................Are you... not an option?"
Well, I had a feeling she was going to say something like that.
"............................Ah..."
Yeah, to be honest, I saw it coming. So I wasn't surprised, but hearing it to my face made the thought of "Are you serious?" overwhelmingly strong, and I was at a loss.
The reason being...
"............A Terror Armament, due to its absurd rarity, is presumed to maintain a minimum level of quality regardless of who works on it, but..."
"R-right..."
"Even so, the skill of the Magic Artisan... the Weaver of Legends... definitely plays a part."
"I know."
It was almost exactly what Kagura-san had told me six months ago, a moment that now felt like a distant memory, back when my own Terror Armament, now fused with my left hand, was just an "egg."
"In other words, if a clumsy craftsman handles it, it's guaranteed to turn out half-baked."
"That's true.────But,"
She nodded at my sound reasoning, then...
"I don't really care about any of that."
...Nia just smiled, unconcerned.
"...It's a gift from you, after all. Even if things were still a bit uncertain back then."
"............"
"Sure, I got excited and made some of my own arrangements to it, but..."
"............"
"Even I myself wouldn't want anyone else touching it, not by a long shot."
Now unusable because it had become a 'core,' she placed the scarlet bracelet, adorned with a fragment of a blue feather, in her palm and gazed at it... with a slight hint of embarrassment.
"Having it remade by anyone other than you... I'd kind of... dislike that."
She shot me a devastatingly unfair smile.
"...is what I think, you know."
"You know..."
My response came out a bit sharp, unintentionally cutting her off, and the guilt hit me as Nia flinched slightly.
That's not it, I didn't mean to blame her.
"You're just too good at being sweet, and I seriously have no idea what to do..."
I'm at my wit's end, so please give me a break—that's the white flag I was waving.
"...H-heh, heh heh. I'm flattered."
Even her embarrassed smile was a deadly weapon. I averted my gaze from Nia, who was pulling one of her rare, mysterious goon-like moves, and staggered over to a nearby sofa before collapsing onto it.
"Seriously... this is like asking an elementary school kid who can barely make a fried egg to cook a French dinner."
"What's wrong with that? It'd definitely be one-of-a-kind, don't you think?"
"It might end up as nothing but charcoal or some mystery substance, you know."
"Ahaha. Well, come on, it's a game. The system will guarantee the bare minimum."
"And what about the possibility of being resented by every Magic Artisan in this virtual world for various reasons?"
"Well, Nia-chan is just so popular, what's a girl to do?"
"You can joke about that? You're the one who ends up half-crying about how you can't stand it."
"Weeell... yeah... I'd rather not be in the spotlight, but..."
Then, thump.
Nia crouched down and propped her chin on the armrest of the sofa I was buried in.
"...I don't mind whatever it becomes. Besides, getting some grandiose thing would just be a hassle."
"............"
"What I want isn't some incredible piece of equipment. In the end, it's a 'gift from you.'"
".................."
".................."
"...................."
"........................"
────...Suddenly, I was thinking about how hungry I was, a thought that couldn't be more irrelevant.
Truly, it was something I couldn't help but retort, Now's not the time for that! Something completely ordinary, the kind of thought that crosses your mind countless times in daily life.
""..................──""
All while gazing into a pair of eyes that had become a natural part of that daily life.
"I want it to be you. ............Is that not okay?"
My answer────was to accept the crimson glow emanating from her outstretched palm.
"........................Just... give me some time. I'm sorry, but please."
I added the words, too.
Really, when it came to this, for so many reasons, all I could say was give me time, so I added all the words I could muster in that moment.
"...Okay. Thank you."
"............Really... don't thank me yet."
And so, as I looked back at a smile so gentle that words could never describe it...
...I offered the best 'postponement' I could manage.
And so.