kscans

Chapter 170 - Gaps in Personality Are Often Eye-Catching

[Dress of El-Clelia]—unlike my [El-Gran Series], this piece of clothing was a complete set in itself. Apparently, its design had taken a sharp turn from the originally planned simple status-up direction.

It all started when I was handing over the additional materials she had requested. When she asked for the details of Sora’s build again, I answered, and she concluded, “You know, just slapping a luck bonus on it is kinda lame, isn’t it?” Nia was reluctant to finish a mediocre item, so I gave her the green light, telling her, “Go ahead and do whatever you want.”

As a result—this outfit was crafted using not only the feathers of the [White-Shining Bird of Fortune] but also a special fabric interwoven with jewels.

What does she mean, interwoven with jewels? I tilted my head in endless confusion, but when I asked the tailor, she said she couldn’t explain the logic behind it… It was probably best not to overthink it and just be impressed by fantasy technology.

In any case, that’s how the [Dress of El-Clelia] ended up with a ‘special feature’ that gave it the properties of an accessory, despite being in the cloth armor category.

To be precise, it wasn't an accessory itself, but rather it functioned as a base to amplify the effects of any equipped accessories—

“Mmmph…”

Several minutes had already passed since Nia started muttering and circling around Sora. It seemed this tailor had a certain style of “completing the item upon delivery,” just as she had done when she gave me the [Agaphanthus Amulet].

She said there was a final touch to add, and she seemed to be observing her model to find the perfect way to make it fit.

Sora-san had been standing perfectly still with a tense expression ever since she was told to “stand naturally,” but as time wore on, she must have started to relax.

She shot a sidelong glare at me, where I was perched on the sofa admiring her new attire.

“…So that question was for this.”

She must be referring to when I suddenly asked her if she was a skirt person a while back. Without a shred of guilt, I gave her a thumbs-up, and Sora puffed out her cheeks slightly in displeasure.

So cute.

“Honestly, why did you have to keep it a secret…! I was so surprised I couldn’t even be properly happy—Kyaaah!?”

Just then, Nia, who had been moving about without a care for our conversation, performed a certain action. Sora let out a scream, and I reflexively averted my eyes.

Well, of course she’d be surprised if someone suddenly cinched her dress tight at her sides to emphasize her bust. I’m in the room too, you know. Has she forgotten a man is present?

“Hmm… Sora-chan, you’re surprisingly…”

“Nia-san, what are you doing—!!”

Ah, okay. It looks like I should plug my ears, too.

I shut out the sound by covering both ears midway through Sora’s protest.

I saw nothing and heard nothing. Definitely.

In hindsight, I should have just left the room again, but I remained frozen like that for several more minutes. When someone poked my knee, I opened my eyes to find Nia standing before me, having moved away from Sora.

“…You done? It’s fine to get absorbed in your work, but you should also consider that I’m here, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry, sorry. Just come here for a sec, hurry.”

As always, when it came to her work, she was serious, almost stoic. She grabbed my hand and pulled me up, leading me to stand beside Sora, who was still blushing faintly.

“Hmm… Hn, uh… The balance isn’t bad, but………… yeah.”

After positioning us like a set of models and examining us from various angles, Nia finally nodded in satisfaction and opened some kind of system window.

Her eyes remained fixed on us… or rather, on Sora again, as her slender fingers flew across the light panel with the speed of a touch-typist—

“Whoa…”

“Wow…”

Come to think of it, this was the first time I had directly witnessed—and from a top-class artisan player, no less—a part of the crafting process. Sora and I both let out gasps of admiration.

Appearing in Nia’s hands was a piece of black leather material about an armful in size, its origin unknown. As she held her hands on either side of it while it floated in mid-air, a complex, multi-layered magic circle appeared around the material.

The artisan’s hands remained perfectly still, her gaze fixed solely on the material. The circles began to rotate independently, like a three-dimensional puzzle, seeming to inscribe something into it. After several stages, the ‘hide’ was instantaneously transformed into ‘leather.’

As Nia’s fingertips traced over the surface of the leather, which had been beautifully refined from raw material to fabric, it was like magic—or rather, it probably was magic. Thinly sliced strips of fabric were processed one after another… and in the blink of an eye, a belt was formed.

“Excuse me a sec, can you raise your arms?”

“Y-Yes…!”

Sora must have been overwhelmed by the unmistakably professional handiwork. Her voice returned to its tense state as she stood ramrod straight and let Nia do as she pleased.

At her prompting, the girl lifted her arms slightly. Nia’s finger traced a line around her, just below her chest—around the solar plexus.

Sora flinched, likely because it tickled, but Nia paid her no mind. Several belt loops materialized along the line her finger had drawn.

The thin belt, which had been floating above her hand, smoothly threaded its way through. It circled Sora's torso, and when it came back around, Nia snipped off the excess with a flick of her finger and joined the ends. Then she paused, a thoughtful expression on her face again.

“Nn… Wrong.”

She uttered a single word of rejection. With a surprisingly stylish gesture, she snapped her fingers, and the leather, once a light-swallowing black, changed color.

Snap, snap, snap. With each successive snap of her fingers, the belt cycled through a series of colors—Nia stopped when it turned red. The same color as the choker sparkling at Sora’s neck.

“Sora-chan.”

“Yes!”

“Is it too tight? Is the stiffness okay?”

“It’s fine…!”

“Okay, then—”

Sora was now completely submissive, allowing herself to be handled. As for me, watching from the side, I was captivated by Nia’s completely different demeanor.

What’s with her? She’s so cool.

I’d never actually seen her create something like this before. She had made the [Ruby Rabbit Hair Ornament] for me in this very place, but back then, I had been forced to face away the whole time, and there was no conversation about the work itself.

It wasn’t that my opinion of her had changed for the better. I can’t quite put it into words, but…

“Will it clash…? But as an accent color… no, her hair is light, so this way…”

Well, in any case—I have to admit I found her incredibly charming as she focused so intently on her model, the picture of a true artisan.

◇◆◇◆◇

“Hah…! Sooo, how is it?!”

—And then there’s this disparity.

Having finished the adjustments and final touches on the outfit, Nia let out a satisfied breath and demanded my appraisal with an intensely smug look on her face.

I had been drawn in… or to be blunt, I had been captivated by her. The fact that I was annoyed by this almost made me want to give her a curt reply, but I managed to hold back.

After all, her confidence was well-earned; she had just demonstrated truly magnificent work.

“All I can say is, it’s amazing… The best just surpassed the best and became the best.”

“I-It certainly is amazing, but… ugh…!”

There were only two adjustments, but I was astonished at how much they changed things. Sora seemed embarrassed by the attention, but it was clear she wasn't entirely displeased.

While preserving the soft overall impression, cinching a part of it with the belt created a nice contrast… and, well, I’ll avoid saying it outright, but it certainly became more… appealing in various ways.

A faint, healthy sensuality combined with a girlish innocence created a look that toed a rather exquisite line.

And the other adjustment was at the dress’s waist. A single decorative piece was added here, a gem accessory similar to the [Agaphanthus Amulet] I had received.

It was a rare gem called a [Golden Sapphire], shining with a deep yellow light. Perfectly polished by the hands of a master jewel crafter, it matched the color of Sora’s hair and eyes, blending seamlessly into the outfit.

This accessory served as the core, and the outfit acted as an amplifier to produce special effects… but they seemed more niche than I expected, with a rather specialized set of stats that left Sora a bit bewildered.

We’ll have to find some time to practice with it—anyway, there was only one thing to say to the tailor awaiting my verdict.

“Nia-chan, you’re a genius.”

“Heh heh…! Of course I am!”

When I gave my overall assessment and held up my hand, a particularly cheerful Nia high-fived me with gusto. Next, Sora, still looking a little hesitant, started to thank her…

“Um, Nia-san. This was sudden and surprising, but thank you very—fugyu…!?”

“Hah! Well, it’s less about my outfit and more about you, Sora-chan! It’s because the model is so cute, you’re just so adorable, can I please take a picture!”

This time, Nia flew towards her, and without a shred of hesitation, she threw her arms around her now-favorite model with a beaming smile.

“Wha—nya, eh…!?—Ha-Haru…! Haru! Help me…!!”

And so, a cry for help came from the flailing Sora-san. A distress call from my precious partner. Of course, I had no choice but to respond… eventually.

“Haru…? Haru…!? Um, help…! I said help me!”

This scene brought an involuntary smile to my face, and my desire to watch it a little longer was, without a doubt, perfectly normal.

A little scolding later will be a small price to pay, I thought, as if it were someone else’s problem. I feigned deafness and returned to the sofa.

Several minutes later, it goes without saying that I was, as expected, made to sit in seiza and forced to apologize profusely as I was instantly filled with regret.