kscans

Chapter 128 - A Restless Tea Party

"—I didn't expect you to get here in two minutes..."

"You did say 'right now.'"

My summoning RTA record was 2 minutes and 3 seconds. It's a shame I couldn't get it under two minutes, but I did get to see the atelier's owner's very surprised face, so I'll call it a win.

Nia, who had been stiffened in surprise with a used tea set in her hands, probably in the middle of cleaning up, looked at me with a reproachful expression.

"And I don't think it's very appropriate to barge into a maiden's room like that!"

"Hey, I replied, didn't I? I said, 'I'm here!' and you said, 'Yes!'"

"You were so fast and your voice was so loud, it surprised me! I was like, 'Yes!?'"

Eh... well, my apologies for that.

"Was someone here?"

The tea set, the chairs, a faint lingering presence of another person. Sensing these, I asked casually, and Nia, bustling about, simply replied, "A friend."

Nia's friend—a friend, huh... she must have a strong personality.

As I was thinking something so naturally rude, my back was pushed.

"What are you standing around for? You're tired, aren't you? Sit down already."

"O-oh..."

As if being herded, I was moved and pushed into the single-person sofa that Kagura-san had been relaxing on during my last visit.

It must be a luxury item; its comfort was on par with the chairs of the Ten Seats. As I exhaled and sank into it without reservation... a stylish mug was held out in front of me.

I reflexively took it—it was light. I looked inside and saw that nothing had been poured into it.

"Eh, what's this?"

"What do you mean, what is it... Do you have a favorite drink?"

Nia, who had perched herself on the armrest of the sofa instead of sitting in a chair, asked, holding a similar cup.

I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head when asked so suddenly... but then,

"Radiance Brett."

"An energy drink...?"

When I mentioned the name of my old part-time job comrade, Nia gave a wry smile and poked the mug in my hand with her fingertip. And then—

"...I seriously love fantasy."

Suddenly, a blue, bubbly liquid like Blue Hawaii welled up from the bottom of the cup.

I was shocked when I first drank it from a glass... but its poisonous-looking color was exactly that of the energy drink (Radiance Brett), 200ml, list price 190 yen before tax, that I had relied on in the real world.

"How does this work?"

"Hmm? It's a little magic item that reproduces the drink the person holding the cup is thinking of at the time."

She, too, was already tilting her own cup, which had produced some sort of beverage—steam was rising from it, and it had a sweet scent like chocolate... probably cocoa.

"Isn't this crazy? Is it okay, in all sorts of ways?"

Like product rights and all that...

"It's just a reproduction of a memory, so it's quite different from the real thing, so it should be fine, right? And even if it's not, I think Arcadia would make it fine."

Ah, right... is there nothing this game fears...?

The slightly carbonated drink in my mouth did have a subtle "this isn't it" feeling that was different from the real thing, but a sweet carbonated drink is still delicious.

If you could ignore the strange feeling of it not quenching your thirst no matter how much you drank, it was perfectly fine as a treat.

"..."

Nia, sitting on the armrest with her back to me, was sipping her cup in small sips and was unusually quiet.

Well, of course. She had told me to come right away, but now that we were face to face, it was no wonder she was at a loss for what to say.

Even I had a hard time grasping my own situation, so her confusion, having not been able to see what happened directly, must have been even greater.

...Then, right. I'll start.

"Nia."

"Mmph... y-yes. What is it?"

Laughing at how weak she was to a serious atmosphere, I bowed my head to the slender back with the swaying indigo hair.

"Thanks for the equipment and the support. I was able to go on a total rampage thanks to you."

"Tch...!"

When I smiled at Nia, who had glanced back at me, the shy girl quickly turned away and started flustering.

"N-no, no, it was nothing...! I mean, Kagura-san probably contributed more with the equipment...!"

Well, Kagura-san's contribution in creating the direct weapons was probably huge.

"...Actually, I didn't get to use either of the accessories you made for me this time."

"You probably didn't need to say that!!"

When I dared to say it, the indigo girl turned around with a start—and then froze when she saw the indigo jewel I held up in my hand.

[Agaphanthus Amulet]—the one Nia had put on me herself when we parted.

"You put it on a place where I could see it well—so it was really encouraging, you know?"

Every time I saw this thing sparkling like someone's eyes, I was able to kick away my weakness. There's no way you did nothing.

...But saying that to her face is a bit embarrassing, even for me.

Still, to express my gratitude, I smiled again and said, "Thanks"—

"—...U-naaaahhh!!"

"Whoa!!??"

Nia threw her mug into her inventory and leaped at me with a strange cry.

I reflexively threw the mug I had already finished and raised both hands to intercept her—but my relaxed body couldn't react in time.

"Ugh...!!"

I took a huge headbutt to the gut, and the impact, which was strong enough to lift the legs of the large sofa, sent a deep groan rolling out of my mouth.

You bastard...! I may not take damage, but with VIT:0, I have no impact resistance whatsoever...!!

With the forced stun debuff icon lighting up under my status bar in the corner of my eye, I gave Nia, who was now straddling me and looking down, a resentful glare—

"That! Part of you!! Is really not good, I think!!!"

"Eh..."

I think this part of you isn't good either. This isn't the kind of distance you should have with a guy you're alone with in a locked room.

Whether she was angry or what, I averted my face from Nia, who was glaring at me from way too close with a bright red face—and then my eyes caught the white skin and shorts peeking out from under her rolled-up skirt, and I immediately closed my eyes.

"What are you sleeping for!!"

"I'm not sleeping, I'm defending myself."

Mainly against the lethal weapon known as sexual harassment.

"I'm mad now, I'm really mad! Nia-chan won't just take it lying down, you know!?"

No, actually, don't I have the right to sue for sexual harassment here?

As I calmly thought that with my eyes closed, something fluffy was repeatedly slammed into my face.

What is this, a cushion? What, you want to fight?

I'm not an expert on artisan player stat builds, but from our previous interactions, I've gathered that at least their STR and AGI are weak.

So,

"F, mu... Mmphguu...!!"

Even with my eyes closed, it was easy to track the persistent attacks on my face. When I blocked the follow-up with one hand, a frustrated voice came down along with a weak resistance.

I snatched the cushion away from her and slammed it down around where her skin had been visible. If my memory serves me correctly—yes, mission complete.

After confirming with a squint that the poisonous skin was sealed away, I opened my eyes... and Nia, still red-faced, was puffing out her cheeks with her hands, deprived of her weapon, hovering in the air.

"What are you so excited about all of a sudden?"

When I said that with undisguised exasperation, the indigo girl huffed and deliberately looked away.

...You know, I don't know why, but I'm starting to find these parts of her a little cute. Is it because I'm starting to feel attached to her after all the help she's given me?

"...I don't know. I'm really mad now—I'm going to gouge you for the cost of Sora-chan's outfit and for what you did this time."

Nia said something quite terrifying...

"I have a proposal about that, though."

"Nye...?"

—I already had a candidate for a gift, which would also serve as my thanks to her.

---

Acting like a gentleman.

The energy drink's name is a tribute to the red bull, with the first letters matching.