kscans

Chapter 182 - Resolve

Over the weekend, Erina-san and I paid a visit to Ooyama-san's place.

As always, Busujima-san was with her. I really do have a strong impression of those two being a set.

"Anyway, here's the repaired and improved Flügel. Take it."

"Thank you."

Looking up at me with her usual sharp, narrow eyes, Ooyama-san handed over a wooden box.

I took it and checked inside. The Flügel that had saved me during the Tokyo Incident was nestled there, looking good as new.

"There are no visible changes. I just improved the mana 'flow' a bit, but it's still in the prototype stage. If you have any suggestions for improvement, let me know. I'll see what I can do."

"That's a big help."

"But."

She pointed a finger straight at me. Her sharp eyes narrowed even further, and a displeased wrinkle formed between her brows.

"I don't know the first thing about aerodynamics or any of that stuff. This wasn't designed for flying. If you use it for something outside of its specs again, I'll punch you."

"Please wait a little longer before flying, okay? Shizuku-san has been studying that stuff like crazy lately just to meet the performance you're looking for—"

"Shut it, Anvil."

"You take that back, Shorty!?"

The mismatched pair glared at each other. They're as close as ever.

"Ah... sorry. I don't think I can promise not to fly."

"...Well, if you get caught up in another stampede or something, I guess I can turn a blind eye."

"They say what happens twice will happen a third time, but this is getting ridiculous..."

The three of us looked off into the distance.

In May, my parents almost died in an Orc stampede and I had to go rescue them. Then, I was sent as reinforcements for Mia-san, who was caught in a Centaur stampede.

In June, there was the Lesser Demon attack during the sports festival, and then the Cuelebre stampede while I was helping with Aira-san's training.

In July, on a trip, we got lost in a Minotaur's labyrinth, and in August... or rather, just the other day, I nearly died in the Tokyo Incident.

Looking back on it, it's all been a little too intense. Sometimes I feel like a seasoned veteran, but then I remember it's only been a little over four months since my first real battle against Zombie Kobolds. What is this, a monthly life-or-death crisis?

I can't imagine anything else happening, but I've developed a habit of not being able to relax unless I'm prepared for the worst.

"It might be rude for me to say, but are you cursed...?"

"If anyone is, it's probably my parents..."

After all, I've gone to the rescue on many of those occasions.

By the way, according to my parents, Yamashita-san has been caught in four stampedes. One of the reasons the Walkers are so well-regarded by the public is probably because he and his companions have stepped up to save lives each time.

...He's been involved so often that a 'Yamashita-san is the mastermind' theory has started floating around.

It's obviously too ridiculous for most people to believe, but I still feel like the Walkers are going to be treated like a secret society in the future...

Well, with the recent online posts about sightings of the Invisible Ninjas during the stampede, we're not exactly in a position to talk. Fame is a scary thing.

As I was thinking that, the self-proclaimed ninja nodded with a smug look on her face for some reason.

"It just means we've been doing a lot of ninja stuff!"

"Is your idea of a ninja really a ninja...?"

"Why the formal tone!?"

"I'm sensing a bit of emotional distance, I guess."

"Then what's your idea of a ninja, Kyo-chan! Answer me!"

"Someone who hides. In modern terms, a spy or a public security agent."

"Oh, Kyo-chan..."

Erina-san shook her head and shrugged, as if to say, "You poor thing."

Ugh, that subtle annoyingness. I can feel the blood connection to Aira-san.

"First of all, ninjas, and this is very unfortunate... very unfortunate! But they weren't all like the ones you see in anime and manga."

"Is it important enough to say twice?"

"It is. You probably imagine them secretly scouting enemy castles at night, infiltrating other domains as medicine peddlers or walking shrine maidens, or carrying out assassinations and preventing them."

"Uh, ah, yeah."

Isn't that a normal ninja? ...Wait, what's a normal ninja?

I nodded at her words, but the self-proclaimed ninja clenched her fist with a serious expression.

"But that's a shallow understanding. So shallow, Kyo-chan...!"

"Is it?"

"It's as shallow as a travel plan made by someone who doesn't usually travel...!"

"Sorry, that's a little hard to understand."

"It's as shallow as Senpai's real-world experience...!"

"Wh-What...?!"

"You guys are surprisingly harsh to her sometimes."

As I staggered from the shock, Ooyama-san commented with a deadpan expression.

Well, the gap between the aspects of her you can respect and the aspects you have to learn from as a cautionary tale is so extreme that the only way to describe her is as a 'disappointing university student.'

I mean, she's a likable person, don't get me wrong. And I owe her a lot. She's just disappointing, that's all.

"First of all, ninjas weren't originally called 'shinobi,' or 'those who hide.' Their true nature was that of mercenary groups. They took on requests, chose their battles based on payment, and acted as foot soldiers or raid parties on the battlefield. You could call them jacks-of-all-trades when it came to rough business. Among them, some ended up being retained by specific warlords, that's all."

"I-I see."

"And doesn't this sound similar to something?"

"...?"

"Yes, to adventurers in fantasy stories!"

"No, not really? You just said 'mercenaries' a moment ago."

There are stories where mercenaries and adventurers are the same thing, sure. But there are also stories where adventurers aren't allowed to get involved in politics, so it's a toss-up.

"In other words, we adventurers are ninjas!"

"You really forced that one, didn't you?"

"Wh-What was that?!"

"She said it herself."

Just as I thought she'd raised a hand with a triumphant smile, she immediately moved to the left and struck an exaggeratedly surprised pose.

After playing both parts, she turned to me with a smug look.

"That's all for today's ninja lecture! Join me again next week, and let's! Ninja!"

"Don't act like this is a weekly thing. This is the first time I've heard it. And there won't be a next time."

"But I think the 'adventurer equals ninja' theory is a strong one!!"

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch...? No, before that."

I posed a question that popped into my head to the still-smug Erina-san.

"If you're saying the word 'ninja' doesn't represent their true nature, then isn't the name 'Invisible Ninjas' weird? You're flat-out calling yourselves ninjas."

"..."

Oh, for once, Erina-san was silent and expressionless outside of a dungeon.

Then, her emotions erupted from her eyes.

"You idiot, Kyo-chan! I'm done with you!"

She shouted that and activated her [Invisibility] skill.

"Hey, shouldn't you go after her? She looked shocked, even if it was for a dumb reason."

"She's right. It was a pretty silly reason, but she might be hurt..."

"No."

I shook my head at the two surprisingly harsh girls.

"It's fine. She's moving around by moonwalking while invisible. Slowly circling us."

"Pow!"

"Alright, we can just leave her be. Oh, if you touch my workbench or tools, I'll kill you. And if you mess around in the factory outside my workspace, I'll kill you too."

"Erina-san, please watch your step."

"Okay!"

Ignoring the self-proclaimed ninja who replied with a listless voice, we returned to business.

"So, Ooyama-san. About what I mentioned on the phone."

"Well, I'll take the job, but..."

Looking at the 'Ring of the Flame Horse' I took from my pocket, Ooyama-san scratched her red head.

I had gone to the Centaur dungeon about three times since then and finally managed to get another ring.

My senses have been dulled by the stampedes, but boss monsters don't normally appear that often. It was incredibly lucky to get a spare—an 'experimental' one—in such a short time.

Ooyama-san took it and examined the ring from various angles before her mouth turned down.

"This is still going to be really difficult. Modifying a completed magic tool is like someone else taking a hammer to a finished sculpture."

"I figured..."

Despite their appearance and abilities, magic tools have a structure as precise as electronic devices.

Sometimes they can be handled roughly without breaking, but that's a different story from tinkering with their insides.

Malfunctions are to be expected, and in the worst-case scenario, it could cause an accident.

"The better the magic tool, the less 'leeway' there is. Even if the modification is just a simple performance boost, there are limits. Besides, this kind of thing is outside my specialty."

"I know. I'm well aware of that. But I have nowhere else to turn. There aren't many craftsmen as skilled and trustworthy as you."

Magic tools with performance exceeding the 'Ring of the Flame Horse' rarely make it to the market. Normally, people who get such items use them themselves, or some corporation or country snaps them up before they ever reach the open market.

I've been fighting more B-Rank enemies lately, but even C-Rank is not a level that ordinary adventurers can easily reach. In other words, there are very few Awakened who can create magic tools better than this.

Ooyama-san, who created the Flügel—a very specialized yet abnormally high-performance magic tool—is an incredible exception.

"...You're overestimating me. Any 'Awakened craftsman' would get better if they practiced with your materials. The skill just settles in."

"Even so. Of all the craftsmen I know, you're the one I can entrust my life to the most. I know I'm asking the impossible, but I need your help."

"...Honestly."

Ooyama-san let out a small sigh and crossed her arms under her chest.

Wait a second. This is a serious atmosphere, so please don't unconsciously emphasize your chest. The gravity of those rocket boobs, which defy your small frame, is pulling in my [Spirit Eye]...!

I know I'm sexually frustrated. But please forgive me. The environment, the environment is to blame...!

"I'll do what I can. But you're going to help, too. Providing materials, test-driving the magic tools, and so on."

"Of course. And also..."

"What now, got another impossible request?"

"No. Well, depending on the situation, maybe...?"

"Which is it?"

I gave a wry smile to Ooyama-san's exasperated look.

This really is a case-by-case thing. It could even just be my own needless worry.

But it might also be an act that carries considerable risk. To be honest, I'm still hesitating.

And yet... I know it's necessary if we're all going to 'survive' from now on.

"Unlike before... I intend to provide materials other than my nails and hair."

The moment I said that, Erina-san stopped her moonwalk and turned to look at me.

Ooyama-san's eyes widened, and she pulled a convenience store coupon from her pocket.

"Please put that away. This is a serious moment."

"...The one for the drugstore!"

"Let's just listen quietly. Come back, maidenly heart."

"Right."

After Busujima-san firmly gripped her shoulder and made her put away the coupon and point card, I extended my right arm as if asking for a handshake.

It was August, a summer day. So I was in a short-sleeved shirt, my forearm bare.

"I'm going to offer my blood."

[Sage's Nucleus].

If this unique skill became known, powerful people might come flocking to tear out my heart.

And the blood flowing through my veins is heavily influenced by the Philosopher's Stone. If any alchemist or magic tool craftsman with a certain level of knowledge or skill were to see it, they would undoubtedly realize the secret of my heart.

"...Are you sure? You were pretty against giving blood before. Like you were trying to hide something."

"I was. But now, we've become too prominent as adventurers. The cover of being just one among many Awakened can't be used anymore. The moment we drew attention, I realized that hiding this secret would be impossible."

There are about four million confirmed Awakened in Japan. The amount of data registered with the Dungeon Agency is staggering.

Even if you narrow it down to 'unique skill holders,' there are still tens of thousands. Scrutinizing the skill details of that many people would require a dedicated organization and a considerable amount of time. Especially since the Awakened can lie.

In fact, I've been telling people around me that my skill is one that 'clears my head as if I've become a sage, and gives me an unbelievable amount of willpower and mana.' I haven't lied, but I haven't told the whole truth either. I've deliberately used phrasing that could be misunderstood.

However... once I became a B-Rank Candidate, that defense became useless. I'm now one of only a few dozen people.

"The reason I can live a normal life right now is probably thanks to the Arisugawa and Rinzaki families. And ironically, because of my strength as an adventurer."

This might be conceited, but I think I could probably sink a battleship head-on right now.

To capture someone like that would require considerable preparation. Even if they took my parents hostage, they'd first need to determine if I'm the type of person who would walk into their research lab for their sake. And they'd need to be prepared to restrain me.

I feel like I'm walking on thin ice. That's why I felt I had to make up my mind.

"I'm going to reveal the truth to those I can trust. In the coming days, I'll tell my companions, my friends, my parents, and the professor everything."

We need power. Not just pure violence, but all kinds of power.

"So, please. Lend me your skills... so we can survive."

I held out my arm, and Ooyama-san stared at it, her eyes wide as saucers. Next to her, Busujima-san was also frozen in surprise.

After a few seconds of silence, Erina-san took her hand and my hand and forcibly placed them together.

She then placed Busujima-san's hand on top, and finally her own. It was like we were forming a huddle before a game.

"You got it, Kyo-chan!"

"...Damn. I haven't even answered yet. You're a handful."

"What's the harm? You were going to say yes from the start, weren't you, Shizuku-san?"

"Don't know."

"Thank you... really...!'"

I bowed my head while our four hands were still piled together.

Erina-san gave me a sidelong glance.

"But Kyo-chan, that was careless. Even if you trust Shī-chan's family, you should have said this somewhere more private."

It was quiet today on the other side of the thick curtain surrounding Ooyama-san's workspace. It was a day off, and no one else had come in.

But Erina-san was probably trying to say that her parents or a worker checking on tools might have passed by.

However.

"If there were any other ears, you would have told me, right?"

"—...That's true!"

I tilted my head as if to say, "Isn't that obvious?" and she blinked for a moment before nodding emphatically.

I was wondering what that was about when I saw Busujima-san and Ooyama-san looking back and forth between us with sly grins.

"Um, is something...?"

"Shut up, you smooth-talker."

"I agree. That was unusually smooth of you."

"Smooth-talker...?"

What are they saying about this pure-hearted boy with a no-girlfriend-since-birth record? I'm gonna cry.

"That's right, Kyouta. It's about time you called me by my name. Aika, too."

"Indeed. If we're going to share secrets, that's the least you can do, Kyouta-kun."

"Eh? No, I'm still nervous about it..."

"That's the spirit, Kyo-chan! We're all friends!"

"Ehh..."

My hand was gripped tightly, leaving me no escape.

It wasn't long before I resigned myself and called them by their names.