kscans

Chapter 256 - A Soothing Pilgrimage

—After four or five hours of revelry, the victory celebration for the Four Pillar War came to a close.

…However, it was unlikely that the players, whose excitement had been building since the previous day, would all quietly disperse.

'Let's gather somewhere and chat,' or 'Let's go raid a nearby dungeon'—most of them were planning after-parties of various sizes, ready to make a night of it.

Of course, I, too, had received many invitations, having been mercilessly teased by both regular players and title holders throughout the primary party, forced to sing a medley of my favorite virtual singer's songs solo on stage, run around as a target for some superhuman-level pitching game, and perform an acrobatic show in response to the unreasonable demand of 'do something interesting'—

"—And yeah, that's pretty much how it went. They showed me no mercy with their 'affectionate' teasing."

"Fufu… I'm glad to hear you enjoyed yourself."

Midnight, real-world time. After bowing my head to the numerous gracious invitations, I left the venue and made my way through the now-familiar bamboo forest to my master's dojo.

The reason being that I had received a login notification from the Sword Saint, who was now sitting beside me on the usual veranda, smiling as she listened to my stories about the after-party.

If that was the case, could it be that she had anticipated the end time and set aside this time for me from the beginning?—As her disciple, it was only natural for me to flatter myself with such thoughts.

So, I sent her a message to greet her and confirm, and it seemed my self-consciousness was not misplaced after all. I gladly accepted her invitation and came to visit.

By the way, I had invited Sora as well, but she politely declined.

Well, it was already late—or rather, this time, she had probably correctly sensed the nature of this visit as a report on my battle results to my master and had shown proper 'consideration.'

After I finished my report on the after-party and various other things, we fell into a comfortable silence for a while.

The expression I glimpsed from the side was as serene as ever.

The tea she had brewed herself tasted as warm as ever.

The voice I heard when we spoke was also the same as ever—but her words were few. Her gray eyes, turned towards the sky, quietly reflected the stars.

As expected, I still can't interact with her as easily as I do with Sora. It's difficult for me to read her inner thoughts to the point where you could call it telepathy.

…However,

"Haru-kun."

"Yes."

My master, without any need for me to try and guess her thoughts—

"From the bottom of my heart… it was a splendid performance. You did very well."

—is a person who conveys her feelings in words, without hiding them.

Her already small frame looks especially tiny when she's sitting in seiza. And yet, when she smiles so softly, she always seems so much larger—

"…It's all thanks to you, Master. Thank you again, for everything."

When we have these formal exchanges, I still can't bring myself to look her directly in the eyes. Even after becoming her disciple and deepening our relationship—my perception of her as a celestial being never seems to fade.

"Haru-kun."

"Yes."

Again, however.

The part about Ui-san that is truly captivating, and the part that leaves me utterly at a loss is—

"As a reward for your hard work, how about a lap pillow?"

"…………I must respectfully decline."

A half-joking, playful remark.

Seeing my reaction, she smiles mischievously and says, "That's a shame." It goes without saying that this 'mischievous' side of hers, with its devastatingly destructive power, is what gets me.

"Well then, let's try something else—may I have your sword?"

"Huh…? Of course, yes. By all means."

Perhaps it was all just a joke from the beginning. I handed the summoned [Samidorizuki] to Ui-san, who had given up on 'pampering' me more easily than usual.

I watched her, wondering what she was up to… It seemed she wasn't interested in the sword itself, as she began to untie the decorative cord on the pommel—

"There, it's done."

In place of the fresh green, a new gray and vermilion braided cord was now tied there. I don't know much about these things, but it seems not only the color but also the style of the knot has changed.

"It's not much… but it's a small good luck charm, from my heart."

She said, holding out the sword to me as I peered at her handiwork—…along with the time she gifted me [Samidorizuki], I had discovered another one of her 'unfair' qualities.

Which is to say, well—

"Please, accept it."

"—…Th-thank you, very much."

Forgive me for saying so, but it's so earnest, it's—

For the giver to have such a happy smile on their face… that's just not fair, Master.