kscans

Chapter 35 - To Stand Side-by-Side

"A Desert Serpent, huh?"

"Yeah. What do you think?"

Before the large fangs and skins lined up on the counter, Halzen's expression remained impassive, just short of a scowl. As for me, I had recently stopped using the polite language he had called 'stiff' and shifted to a more casual demeanor.

"Not bad, and the quantity is sufficient. I can make anything... but it might be too heavy for you two."

"Ah... I figured."

I had a vague feeling while Sora and I were gathering them, but the materials from those desert morays were all quite heavy.

Even compared to their size. They were probably lighter than metal, but a full suit of moray leather would be quite weighty.

It was out of the question for me in every sense, and it didn't suit Sora either. She wasn't as extreme as me, but she was aiming to be a light warrior.

"The girl with you, she's like you, isn't she? She doesn't look like a heavy warrior."

"No, I don't think we're alike..."

Sora, hiding behind me, perhaps nervous in front of the large man she had just met, let out a very reluctant voice. It's truly regrettable, but I'm confident I'd be bedridden for three days if I saw a Sora who was cackling and jumping around with her reason gone, so I have no choice but to agree.

"Then... instead of a full set, how about the extremities, like gloves or boots?"

"Boots, huh... won't they be heavy?"

"A moderate weight won't be a burden. It'll give you stability when you step in or swing through."

"Hmm... and what about the fangs and claws? Can't you make them into lighter weapons? Maybe even throwing picks?"

"The material isn't that strong. I could manage a dagger, but its weight is both its weakness and its strength. If I shave it down, I won't be able to make anything great."

I see.

"That's what he says, Sora. What do you want to do?"

I called out to my partner, who was quietly standing behind me. She had clearly been listening to the conversation and nodded in response.

"Um, then, could I please have the boots and gloves?"

Lately, she's been quite direct with me, so I tend to forget, but Sora, while not exactly shy, is generally reserved with people she's just met.

On top of that, with a muscular giant like Halzen, who you don't often see in reality, it's understandable that she's acting like a borrowed cat.

"Leave it to me."

"Oh, I'll have the same... no, just the gloves, hmm..."

I was about to order two items like Sora, but I hesitated. My capacity is already overflowing after just a few minutes of hunting, and I question the need for armor when my build is all about not getting hit.

I used to want armor for the visual aspect, but that's no longer an issue thanks to the gift from Kagura-san.

Cosmetic items have no stat benefits, but they have the wonderful feature of taking up almost zero inventory space. I really received a great gift; I'll have to be careful not to sleep with my feet pointing in Kagura-san's direction.

"Aren't you getting any, Haru-san?"

"Ah, yeah. On second thought, I don't really need them—hey, wait, what's that look for?"

I didn't miss the faint look of disappointment on Sora's face the moment I said, "I don't need them." I tilted my head at her unusual reaction, and Sora averted her gaze as if to hide it.

"It's nothing."

"You say that, but deep down, you're... Okay, I'm sorry."

A glare from a well-featured face is highly effective. I immediately retracted my annoying persistence, and Sora turned her gaze on me and muttered sulkily.

"It's not that... But... we're partners, aren't we? So I just thought it would be nice to have matching equipment, that's all."

Her voice trailed off with each word, and by the end, I could barely hear her—huh, what is this girl saying, something so cute...?

"Old man."

"What is it?"

"I'll have the same."

"...You're whipped."

Shut up. Do you really think there's a man who could say, "Well, I don't really need them though," in this situation? Who cares about my inventory space?

"U-Um... Haru-san? You don't have to force yourself to do that."

"Nah, it's rare to hear such a cute opinion, so I want to go along with it. My inventory will be fine if I just get rid of one weapon."

"...I, see."

My current weapon pool consists of the [White-Flawed Straight Sword] and the [Distorted Iron Lump Hammer], as well as a store-bought iron straight sword and great axe, plus two daggers and a short spear I added in the last few days.

For a game like Arcadia, this is an excessive amount of backup, but in my case, they're not backups, they're all regularly used items, so I'm in a tough spot. Still, I don't really need the spear right now.

I quickly pawned off the short spear to the old man for a small sum, creating some space in my inventory. With the two items I ordered equipped, I should have a little room to spare now.

"There, that's better. Can I pick them up tomorrow or something?"

"No, this is different from the Anima I made for you before. It'll be ready soon."

Halzen snatched the materials I had arranged on the counter as requested, and after saying, "Wait here," he disappeared into his workshop.

...Come to think of it, I had completely assumed he was a blacksmith specialist, but he can also work with leather. I remember Kagura-san saying something like, "There are no categorizations like blacksmith or tailor in this world," so does that mean all NPCs are equally skilled as magic crafters?

He said it would be ready soon, but he didn't come back in a few seconds. With nothing to do while we waited, we started looking around at the equipment displayed in the store.

Sora's behavior is a little bugged, but she's probably just a little shy from our earlier exchange. What a cutie.

"You're sticking with the straight sword, right, Sora? Is the store-bought one hard to use?"

It's a standard-issue item, for better or worse. The one Sora and I are using is identical, and the straight sword I wield with one hand is a little big for her small avatar.

In fact, Sora is using it with both hands. It's not a one-handed sword, so either way is correct.

"That's, right... Yes. For now, it's fine."

"I see. I was thinking we could ask the old man to make you one while we're at it."

Thinking that Sora's Anima quest might also require it, we had already mined some blue iron ore when we cleared the [Cliff Road of the Sky Bridge] together.

We have enough extra to make a new straight sword... but for now, it seems unnecessary. In fact, it has surprisingly good performance for a store-bought item in an MMORPG.

It's a little underwhelming, but it's still a decent item that can be used against bosses in the beginner area. It's not to be underestimated.

"I'll save that as a reward for when I successfully acquire the skill tree."

Sora says with a smile, but her smile lacks a certain energy... Well, after trying for three days with no results, it's no wonder she's losing confidence.

I've been looking into it, but I still can't figure out why the skill tree won't sprout—except for the possibility that the system has judged her as having "absolutely no talent."

"I don't think that's the case, though..."

"?"

"It's nothing."

As far as I can see, now that Sora has successfully overcome her habit of closing her eyes, she has plenty of aptitude.

Her motor skills—at least in the virtual world—are not bad, in fact, they're good. She's able to absorb my movements and incorporate them into her own, and even to an amateur's eye, she seems to have a knack for it.

I'm seriously at a loss as to why the weapon aptitude tree, which can be obtained simply by repeatedly swinging a weapon, won't sprout for her.

No matter how much I think about it, with my still-shallow knowledge, I can't come up with the right answer. It's frustrating that all I can do is groan at my own powerlessness.

"—It's done."

A muscular hand of salvation reached out to us as we were about to create an awkward atmosphere, being considerate of each other. I turned my head at Halzen's voice as he reappeared, and in his arms were two sets each of leather gloves and boots of an unfamiliar color.

"Huh... um, what's this?"

Sora tilted her head in confusion as she looked at the items placed on the counter. The items, which should have been made from the reddish-black leather of the desert moray, were shining with a beautiful jade green color that was unimaginable from their original color.

I, who was also curious, gave a "what's up with that?" look, and the old man snorted—what was that snort for, you wanna go?

"The Desert Serpent's surface is covered in an armor of sand, hardened and discolored by a special body fluid. That is its true color."

So that's what it was. Seriously, those guys... I thought the slash attacks weren't very effective even though I couldn't see any scales, but they were wearing natural armor.

Since my basic strategy was to smash their heads with a blunt weapon or jump into their mouths and slice them up from the inside, it didn't cause much of a problem, but now that he's explained it, I'm convinced.

"It's beautiful..."

The jade leather has a unique pattern resembling tree bark. Sora, who was staring at them in a daze, seemed to be very fond of the unexpected items.

Come to think of it, I hadn't thought about it deeply, but the original dark red color probably wouldn't have suited Sora very well. I don't know if she had thought about it herself, but as someone who hadn't been considerate, I want to thank the mysterious ecology of the moray eel.

"Hurry up and try them on."

As we were duly impressed by the equipment, a voice, as unimpressed as ever, came down on us. There was no way we could complain about the craftsman who had made such a fine item, so we obediently took our respective items and put them on.

[Desert Moray Leather Gloves] DEX+10
Gloves made from the leather of the great moray that rules the sea of flowing sand. The jade green shine is a sign that it has lost its armor, but through the craftsman's skill, it has gained even better flexibility and toughness.

[Desert Moray Leather Boots] AGI+10

"The flavor text is the same as the gloves... but wow, this is better than I thought."

The gloves are fingerless, combining practicality with a touch of edginess. They're quite long, covering up to my elbows, but they're very flexible and don't seem to hinder my movements at all.

The boots, as Halzen said, have a pleasant weight to them and are very stable. With these, I might even be able to kick off the ground faster than before, despite the added weight.

Another nice feature is that they match the color and design of the outfit I received from Kagura. All in all, I'm quite satisfied.

I looked to my side and saw Sora, who had also finished equipping her new gear, fidgeting by clenching and unclenching her hands and tapping her toes.

Unlike me, Sora was already wearing armor, but there's probably a different feeling between simple store-bought items and fantasy products made from monster materials that are "the real deal."

While I was smiling at her gestures, which seemed to be overflowing with excitement and nervousness, I had to complete the mission of complimenting a woman's change of clothes.

"They look good on you too, Sora. They match your hair color nicely."

"Ah... hehe, thank you."

When I praised her with a thumbs-up, the girl's face broke into a happy, embarrassed smile—you fool, she's a user of 'ehehe'!? Isn't that overkill in terms of destructive power...!?

While I was internally writhing in agony after praising her, Sora bowed her head to Halzen with a cheerful expression and said, "Thank you for the wonderful equipment."

Her previous wariness seemed to have faded, and Halzen himself seemed pleased with Sora's charming demeanor, his mouth softening into a smile.

—And just as the pleasant atmosphere seemed to be drawing to a close

"...Wait."

Halzen, his expression tightening, suddenly pointed at Sora's hands. When I followed his gaze to see what he was pointing at, I saw Sora's right hand—he was probably pointing at the ring that helps with magic casting.

"I thought you were a swordsman since you're carrying a sword, but are you a mage?"

"A mage?"

"Ah, um, that's what they call magic users in Arcadia. Players who focus on magic are all called mages."

I had reflexively repeated the word, not understanding its meaning for a moment, and Sora, who is always knowledgeable about the finer details, provided a supplementary explanation. I see, I was lacking knowledge because I had only been looking up things related to close combat, which is what I'm interested in.

"Um, at first I was mainly using magic and a bow, but I'm training to switch to close combat..."

"Training, are you not good at it?"

Halzen's directness, which could be taken as rude, hit Sora right where it hurts, and she was at a loss for words.

I glared at him from the side as if to say, 'Don't bully my precious partner,' but it probably had no effect on the muscular man who was completely in his own world.

"The skill... um... I can't seem to get it, you see."

"A skill... a revelation, huh? How long have you been swinging that thing?"

Halzen asked, pointing to the straight sword hanging at the waist of the hesitantly speaking Sora. When Sora honestly replied, "A little over three days," the giant magic craftsman's face became serious, and he put his hand on his chin.

"............What is it, Haru-san?"

"Oh, you just looked like a bullied child."

I gently patted the head of the girl who had exactly that expression, and she gave me a somewhat resentful look.

"............Don't treat me like a child, please."

She muttered discontentedly and turned away, but Sora didn't show any sign of brushing my hand away. I secretly felt relieved that my unconscious action hadn't been judged as sexual harassment, and I continued to pat her head.

"Let me see it."

Then, Halzen suddenly spoke again. At the same time, a large hand was thrust out in front of me, and Sora, who had been letting me do as I pleased, jumped in surprise.

"Huh, um...!?"

Her gaze turned to me as if seeking help. Having had a very similar exchange a few days ago, I smiled reassuringly and gave her the answer.

"He probably means he wants to see the sword."

"O-Okay."

Sora, flustered, unhooked the scabbard from her sword belt and timidly handed it to Halzen. He then added, "The ring, too," and she hurriedly took off the ring from her right hand and gave it to him.

...Could this be the start of the Anima quest? As always, the introduction is so natural it's hard to believe it's an AI-controlled NPC. Well, the old man's communication skills are still lacking, though.

Sora gives me an anxious look. She probably realizes that this is related to the Anima event as well. Even though she can start over if she doesn't accept, I can understand her anxiety.

"It's okay."

When I said that with deliberate optimism, Sora's expression softened a little. We waited for a while, staying close to the girl who was waiting for Halzen to examine the sword and ring he had taken. After a while, the magic craftsman sheathed the sword and said simply.

"Do you want to become a swordsman?"

The player cannot choose the category of their Anima. That question, given the nature of the unique quest, should be meaningless. In fact, this exchange didn't even exist when I did it.

"...Y-Yes."

It must have been unexpected for Sora too, as she answered after a moment of hesitation.

Halzen remained silent. Thinking that her answer was not enough, Sora continued after a little hesitation.

"I want to fight alongside him, not just support him."

Halzen, still silent, no longer seemed to be seeking an answer. The magic craftsman, who had closed his eyes, opened them after a moment.

"I understand."

He said, looking at the girl who had stated her wish.

◇◆◇◆◇

The newly made desert moray leather boots fit the sandy ground perfectly, as if they were made for it. It's a very comfortable new piece of equipment, and I have a feeling it will be especially useful in this field.

"I ended up accepting it in the heat of the moment, but are you sure about this?"

In the [Great Flowing Sand Cavern], where we had just set foot again after a quick trip back, I checked with my partner, who was testing the feel of her new boots nearby.

After that, Sora unhesitatingly accepted the Anima acquisition quest that Halzen presented. She said she "just had a feeling she should accept it," but I'm doing a final check before we go get the required materials.

"It's fine. It's really just a feeling, but... I don't think it'll turn out badly."

Well, after that meaningful exchange, I suppose we can have some expectations. If she says so herself again, then there's nothing for me to say.

"Got it. In that case, well..."

I smiled back at the smiling Sora, and then looked at the tower of flowing sand rising in the center of the area and gave a wry smile.

"We'll have to get our revenge on that thing."

◇Quest Accepted◇

[To Walk Together]

・Tear of the Dust Devil 0/1
・Iron Straight Sword 1/1
・Ring of Novice 1/1