kscans

Chapter 27 - Quest Complete

Given her dignified demeanor, I had a hunch, and it turned out Kagura-san was indeed one of the oldest veterans from the game's initial launch. After that, she took on the responsibility of damage control with a very suave, "Leave the firefighting to me," and left the tavern with a wave, not looking back.

As for me, left behind, I could only fall for her with a sentiment of "oh my, how cool," but in any case, things have settled down for now.

She mentioned something about being a backer, but it seems her intention was to fend off the other veterans who would likely start pestering me out of curiosity.

For someone like me who wants to continue progressing at my own pace for a while, this is a great help. I'll leave it to my dependable big sister.

"And yes, I've escaped the nudist life."

Even though player names are hidden by default, wandering around in just underwear would get me identified instantly—so we both agreed that I should lie low until the heat dies down.

And so, as a 'token of our new acquaintance,' she gave me a costume item! When I asked how much it cost, she said it's better if I don't know!!

"I've gotten myself into some serious debt right off the bat..."

Black leather pants and a flax-colored jacket. Described that way, it sounds plain, but this is fantasy, after all. The various belts and other ornate decorations are a perfect tickle to my inner chuuni.

She said it's just a fashion item with no stats, but its simple yet refined design and comfort make a strong statement about its high quality.

It was a high-end item that automatically optimizes to the wearer's physique, and it was originally one of Kagura-san's hand-me-downs that she no longer used, but it fit my male avatar without any awkwardness.

"I bet this is expensive... In the online games I used to play, cosmetic avatars were super pricey..."

If I think about it seriously, my knees start to tremble. I'll show my gratitude by using it with care.

—Whoops, I can't just be sipping my drink forever.

I chugged the rest of my drink... What was this again? Shanatu Sparkling something... A grape soda-like thing with a weak flavor but a lot of weird aftertastes.

My first food and drink experience in the virtual world was neither good nor bad.

By the way, no matter how much you eat or drink, feelings of hunger and fullness are directly reflected from your real body. In many ways, that's to be expected, but the feeling of my throat remaining thirsty even after downing a soft drink is incredibly unpleasant.

"Alright, I'll quickly report and then log off."

I gave a cool, one-handed wave to the gruff NPC bartender with his well-groomed beard, stood up from my seat, and followed Kagura-san out of the tavern.

Pushing down the sadness of having my cool greeting completely ignored, I glanced around and saw a faint '!' mark, indicating a quest completion, pulsing in the corner of my vision.

◇◆◇◆◇

"...Indeed."

The muscle-bound old man solemnly nodded after receiving the 10x 'Great-Winged Bird's Tail Feather' I took out from my inventory and checking their condition and number.

I defeated four Glowbirds and got exactly ten feathers, so the drop rate per bird was probably random.

Man, I'm glad I had just enough. Having to go back for a second helping of cliffside hiking because I was one short would have been a real pain.

As I shuddered at the memory of the stress-inducing combo of restricted footing and pestering mobs, the old man took out the remains of the pickaxe I had left with him.

The wooden part, which had been snapped off at the base, was removed, and the disassembled metal parts were placed on the counter with a clunk. The faint 'white' stain on its twisted tip was proof that some reckless fool had bared his fangs at an overwhelmingly superior being.

"Your name, boy."

As always, his way of starting a conversation and changing topics was sudden and clumsy... but he was right, we hadn't even introduced ourselves. We were complete strangers doing a quest contract.

"It's Haru."

"What a coincidence. I'm Halzen."

...Oh, that's the muscle-bound old man's name? It's a strange coincidence that our names are so similar.

"Call me what you like, Haru."

Isn't 'muscle-bound old man' fine? No? The mood seems serious, so probably not.

"Then how about 'Master'..."

No, I'm not joking. Calling him '-san' doesn't feel right, and I'm not used to addressing someone clearly older than me without an honorific... I'll take that nod as permission. Alright, settled.

"I have the materials. I will now forge the iron."

"Yes, sir! Thank you for your trouble!"

I'm getting used to this context-ignoring phantom. He really needs to work on his conversation skills, like using conjunctions and transitions... but oh well.

Being direct isn't so bad. All hail simplicity.

"I'll need until this time tomorrow. If you have any requests for the sword, I'll hear them."

"Requests... Well, first, can you make it a straight sword?"

"That was my intention."

The first thing I gave him and showed him was a straight sword, after all.

The category is fine, but I can't really think of any other requests. I guess I'd just like a sword that's easy to handle for everyday use.

"I plan on making it my main weapon, so if you could make it easy to wield, that would be great."

"You want it light?"

"Hmm... Not too light... Ah, the straight sword on display felt pretty good."

"Understood."

Just then, the quest icon blinked. The newly displayed icon was an hourglass indicating 'waiting'—it seems we've successfully moved on to the next stage.

"Come back again."

"Will do. Looking forward to it."

Well, a lot happened... seriously, way too much happened, but for now, this wraps things up.

My virtual body may be tireless, but the real brain moving it certainly gets tired.

Following the faint feeling of drowsiness clinging to me and the thirst demanding real-world hydration, my second day of adventure came to an end.

◇◆◇◆◇

"So how is it, this long-awaited virtual world?"

—At dinner time. After a day's break, as the three of us, my parents and I, sat around the dinner table, my father asked me while sipping his tea.

"It's amazing. Life-changing level."

In fact, it's like I've grown a second life.

"Just be careful not to neglect your other duties."

"Yes, ma'am."

I got a word from my mother, but that's barely a scolding. This is content that basically keeps me bedridden in the real world, so it's obvious that I need to be thorough with self-management in every sense.

"Since you're at it, tell us a story once in a while. It's not often I get to hear my son's tales of adventure."

"I can brag to the guys at work," he laughed.

"Let's see. Well, yesterday and today, I took down a mushroom monster, a wild boar the size of a truck, a giant scorpion, and a flock of birds as big as wyverns."

"...You're surprisingly a brawler, aren't you."

"And I did a bungee jump off a cliff several hundred meters high without a cord."

As I had somewhat expected, my two parents were completely taken aback by my tales of adventure and gave me a look that said, "What is this kid doing?"

...Yeah, well, I guess I'm starting to realize it myself. I'll try to be more careful from now on.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—Haaaah... I'm exhausted..."

My consciousness shifted from the virtual world to my real body, a feeling I was now completely used to. When I wasn't used to it, the sudden change in physical sensation left me feeling lethargic and fatigued, but what I felt now was due to a completely different reason.

"I get that it's not fun when someone runs off with a hot topic, but..."

In the end, it took a great deal of time and effort to put out the fire, and on top of that, I got a scolding from the clan master for getting involved in trouble on my own and using the workshop's name.

My mental energy was drained, and my body felt heavy. But I didn't have a single regret. My mind was filled with a long-forgotten sense of exhilaration, and creative ideas were bubbling up one after another.

[Haru]—a male player with a plain appearance, a rarity in Arcadia. Contrary to the image I had of him during combat, when I spoke to him, he seemed surprisingly polite and well-mannered.

From his reactions and gestures, I got the feeling he might be close to my age... but that doesn't matter.

"He said he's an agility-focused build, so a lightweight weapon for now... no, he also said strength doesn't matter with instant manipulation, so if you consider a style where he switches one after another, a heavy single-hit weapon might be better...? But with his capacity limit, maybe an expansion accessory first... Do we have any Wind-Viewing Butterfly Crystal Feathers in stock?"

Honestly, I wasn't very interested in his personality. As I told him myself, as long as I can make interesting things, there's nothing more I could want.

Now, what kind of request would he bring me? Burning with newfound excitement, she let her cheeks relax into a smile.