kscans

Chapter 146 - Safe Zone

"See you later, then."

"Yeah, back here."

It was around 18:00 in virtual world time. Here, the transition to night begins after 24:00, so at the current time, which would be dusk in the real world, the sun was only just beginning to set.

In real time, it was exactly 12:00. We had paused our tour for a lunch break and returned to the [Safe Area]. We agreed to meet again in an hour, real time, and both decided to log out for a bit.

I watched Sora go, giving a polite little wave before she left the virtual world—...Alright, I still have a few things to do here.

"Let's see... oh, they're on."

I checked my friends list and saw that the two names I was looking for were both showing as online.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering who to contact first, and then—

'Hey, Kagura-san?'

I sent a message to my exclusive magitech artisan, who had graciously allowed me to thank her later.

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"You're a considerate one, aren't you?"

"If not now, when else would I be?"

When I asked if she had a moment, she replied with an immediate 'OK.' Accepting her invitation, I found myself visiting her workshop for the first time.

The layout and construction were likely the same as Nia's atelier. While that one was coordinated with a stylish, feminine atmosphere, this place was rather simple.

One desk, two chairs. A few shelves lined the wall, filled with various small items and whatnots. The impression was that the large space was somewhat underutilized.

The location, like Nia's, was in the [Mirage Workshop] Safe Area branch—but if I recall correctly, didn't this person casually mention she was the sub-master?

"As someone important, shouldn't you be at headquarters or something?"

"I have a workshop in the Vestol home base, too. But it's easier to be here for various reasons, like taking requests directly from players of other factions."

So she said.

Just as she frequently visits Istia, players from other factions can, in fact, enter each other's cities.

But apparently, regular players need permission.

There's a player-run facility in the Safe Area that's like a 'city hall,' where you have to request a pass from the respective faction's counter for the place you want to visit.

There's a player-run city hall in the game...???

Between that and the 'Four Pillar Steering Committee,' this game really has transcended the realm of entertainment.

—Well, that aside.

"Kagu—"

"Let me stop you right there. Spare me the embarrassing thank yous and all that."

Seriously...? She preempted me so fast...

"I wanted a result. You delivered a result. This time our roles were reversed, but it's just a give-and-take, like the usual relationship between a craftsman and a client."

She said it in a light tone.

After her initial move shut down my attempt to thank her, leaving me hanging, she looked at me with amusement and held out a lightly clenched fist.

"So this is just right—well done. I'm expecting great things next time, too."

"...Hah."

There it is, that cool-as-hell move. When she gives me a smile that satisfying, I have no choice but to respond in kind.

"I'll do my best to live up to your expectations."

I bumped my fist against hers, which was surprisingly small and feminine for someone with such a commanding presence.

A soft thump sounded, and Kagura-san's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"—Consider it received. How do you want to handle the delivery?"

"Hmm... It'd be nice to coordinate it with Nia's outfit... Ah, right. Sorry, but this time too..."

"Don't worry, I'll coordinate the design with her again."

So thoughtful. As expected of my personal artisan.

I entrusted her with the materials I had gathered from our earlier hunting and mining (?), and we briefly discussed the details of our little scheme, which Sora still knew nothing about.

"By the way, Sora-san apparently dislikes gloves that cover her fingertips completely, so..."

"Oh, got it. Well, I was planning to make them fingerless like yours, so no problem."

Additionally, when I told her I had an errand and would drop off the materials, I relayed the request my partner had given me, and the commission was complete.

"Alright, once I'm done coordinating with Nia, I'll leave it with her."

"Get it from her when you pick up her stuff," Kagura-san said. My business concluded, I stood up from my seat—but still...

"You know, I gave Nia something as a token of my gratitude..."

"Hm?"

I understand Kagura-san's personality from our time together, and I like this relationship we have.

So I could have just let it end with our earlier exchange, just as she wanted—but no way, right? From the moment we met until now, I've clearly been the one receiving way too much.

"So... what? This is purely for my own peace of mind, so would it be okay if you accepted a small token of my feelings...?"

I watched her expression as I asked, my own words sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. Kagura-san let out a somewhat exasperated sigh, "Hah...," propped her chin on her hand, and looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"You're... I guess it's a good quality, but..."

"Hmm...?"

She mumbled to herself, not really directed at me.

I tilted my head, not understanding her intent, and she shook her head, saying, "It's nothing."

"Well, I'll think about it—you still have things to do, right? Go on, get out of here."

She said dismissively, shooing me away with a wave of her hand.

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Some time after shooing the young man out, Kagura waited until his presence had completely faded away before slumping into her chair with a deep sigh.

"...Honestly. It's scary when they have no self-awareness."

What kind of environment would produce a person with such a low self-evaluation?

Everything he did produced extraordinary results, yet his stance of seeing himself as insignificant showed no signs of changing.

His friendly demeanor towards everyone was likely a product of that low perception of his own worth, but...

With a wry smile, she pictured her cute junior, a fellow artisan in the same clan.

When they first met, her junior had probably been watching him through the wall. From the moment the door opened, her strange excitement, followed by her all-too-obvious attitude, had made it easy for Kagura to guess what was in her heart.

At first, she had watched with detached amusement, thinking things like, "So love at first sight really does exist," and, "They seem like a pretty good match." But the object of her affection was proving to be mysteriously unassailable, and to top it off, there was a formidable rival waiting in the wings—

Now, as she watched over her junior, who had unexpectedly found herself on a thorny path, only one thought came to mind.

"Thank goodness he's not my type..."

She had always preferred quiet men. She muttered it as if it were someone else's problem.

And though she felt a little bad for her junior, she breathed a sigh of relief at her own nature, which allowed her to see that young man purely as a friend.