kscans

Chapter 271 - An Indigo Heart Reflected in the Water Mirror

—When I opened the door, I was greeted by a doll.

Well, not a doll, but a torso? One of those mannequins used for displaying clothes was sitting silently in the chair where the master of the room usually sat.

What is this? This is creepy.

"Um… Nia-chan?"

I did go through the motions of knocking and receiving permission to enter with a 'come in'… but it seems things are even stranger than I thought.

Not knowing what else to do, I called out hesitantly to the headless mannequin—

"G-good evening."

"…………"

The bugged reply came from slightly below. It seemed she was under the desk, but since it was the type with a board covering the leg space, I couldn't see her.

What is going on? What is the correct way to handle this?

"Umm… so………… Are you angry about something?"

"N-no… that's not it, but…!"

"Then, is there some reason you don't want to see me…?"

"…Th-that's not…………, it's not that…!"

—I see. I don't get it. But I get it.

I get that if I continue this strange exchange, this strange situation won't change.

"—Can I come over there?"

"Y-you can't, but…"

"I see—well, if you 'really, truly, from the bottom of your heart, absolutely can't,' then tell me again within five seconds. Okay, one, two, three…"

"Wh-ha… what, wait—!?"

In the first place, I was invited here.

I see no reason to be rejected after being welcomed, and if she had some serious reason, she wouldn't be panicking like this.

I'm aware that I'm placing a strange kind of trust in her, but I'm confident.

As I counted to five and circled around behind the desk—

"Yo. Good evening."

"—Hk…………, …g-good evening…"

The indigo-haired girl, who had been curled up in the gap of the desk like a cat, quickly averted her face and shrank even smaller, retreating further into the space.

Like a cat, or rather, her movements were exactly those of a small, wary animal. As amusing as it would be to just observe her like this—

"Come on out."

"Uuu…"

"None of that 'uuu'. Come on, hurry up."

"I-I get it… I get it, so…!"

My outstretched hand was swatted away—but when I pressed her without leaving any room for argument, Nia finally crawled out. She still wouldn't meet my gaze, but it was a step forward.

I stepped back to watch as she casually tossed the torso that had been sitting on her chair onto the sofa… and the master of the atelier, now settled in her usual seat, turned away with a pout to hide her awkwardness.

Hmm… I think I have a vague idea why she's acting so strange, but what should I do?

In short, isn't this the same situation as before?

Just like the first time I came to see her after becoming a ranker, she's once again at a loss as to how to deal with me after I've pulled off something outrageous.

If that's the case, I can understand how she feels, and I'm hesitant to pry too much. That means, in the end, all I can do is act as I always do without minding it…

"Nia."

"—Hk, ghun!?"

"Ghun???"

"I-it's nothing…! What!?"

It's a bit troubling when she's this sensitive… but no, I won't let it bother me.

Swallowing a wry smile, I took out a single gemstone from my inventory—or rather, the remains of a gemstone, the remnant of a blue jade.

It was a fragment of the [Agaphanthus Amulet] that had saved me at the very end of my fight with Iris.

"You were watching at the end, weren't you?"

"…Yeah, I saw, but…"

"Then you must have noticed, right? It worked perfectly—your 'good luck charm'."

It's a fact that I was able to fight Iris to a draw thanks to Nia.

Of course, she wasn't the only reason, but there's no doubt that she provided the indispensable final piece.

And not just that; as I've said before, this indigo color that so often catches my eye has encouraged me time and time again.

As a piece of equipment, it only saw action once, as a one-time use item. But as a 'good luck charm'—an amulet, it silently continued to fulfill its role as a precious item.

"So, thank you. …Haha, looks like I'm even more in your debt now!"

At this point, it's an enormous debt I can't possibly repay.

The number of people I owe a debt of gratitude to, starting with Nia, just keeps growing. I have a feeling the smile that escaped my lips was a bit pathetic… but the feeling of connection isn't a bad one.

—And as I looked up from the fragment of the amulet resting in my palm, I noticed.

At some point, her indigo eyes had been looking at me.

Brimming with some emotion, they held a color that seemed to burn with impatience.

The small light dwelling within them flickered ephemerally.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—Let me see that."

"Huh…? Oh, sure…"

I tried my best to calmly snatch the 'fragment' she was holding so preciously in her hand.

I ignored the heat that felt like a burn, an illusion from our briefly touched fingertips.

Honestly…—you don't have to make a face like that. As long as the 'core' remains, I can bring it back to life as many times as I need to.

"…Um, Nia-san?"

"Be quiet."

But unlike simple 'magic craft,' I can't afford to be careless.

I silenced the unfair, cowardly, and hopeless boy—

The [Milmarinus] opened her 'eyes'.

"—'Reflected in my eyes, reflected on the water's surface, I place my wish upon this indigo gem.'"

She whispered a wish to the fragment of her soul.

Activating her [Anima]—[Celestial Aquamarine, Shimmering Blue Jade Twin Stars].

The 'magic eye' type [Anima], one of only a handful in Arcadia, shone with a fantastical light in the girl's eyes.

And next came the incantation of the magic she would imbue.

"'The protection of water is what I seek in this hand, to sweep away shackles, to exorcise evil.'"

She touched the indigo fragment, which had not yet lost its light, with her fingertip.

"'Bring blessings upon him'—[Seal]."

The incantation and key word were acknowledged by the world, and the fragment and her 'right eye' shone with a particularly strong light—and after the light subsided, in her hand was the 'amulet,' restored to its former, unbroken state.

"Hk…………"

She let out a small breath and glanced to the side, closing her right eye…

"—………………"

There stood a young man, mouth agape, frozen solid.

He doesn't know what's going through my mind, what's he spacing out for? It's all your fault—you looked just a little sad when you saw the broken gift.

…That expression I'd never seen before was somehow cute, and made me happy, and sad,

and my chest ached so much that I just had to act cool like this.

"…Can I put it on again?"

"Hk… Y-yeah."

Receiving his clumsy nod—I stood up and took one step, then two.

I moved to a different spot and repeated the ritual from half a month ago.

"Uh… is your eye, okay?"

"It's fine. It's only for a little while."

With my right eye, which was temporarily blind, still closed, a concerned voice came from above. I replied as if it were nothing and almost laughed.

It wasn't a word so grand as to be described as kind or considerate, just a natural utterance.

But the feelings I had come to realize anew upon seeing him face-to-face were difficult to control. Just that one word was enough to make me feel light and floaty, and I found my own reaction amusing.

I wondered why, so much so that I had to tilt my head in confusion each time.

It was surely an accumulation of small triggers… so much so that I felt anxious that there was no dramatic, story-like reason for it all—

"There, done. I can fix it anytime, so bring it to me if it breaks."

"…………Haha. I'm scared to ask the price."

Even his childish, bashful smile seemed so unfair.

I love this person—my virtual heart was just so, so loud.