kscans

Chapter 399 - Adamantly

To reiterate, all the difficult stuff was being put off for later.

Anything that required a proper discussion would have to wait for the victory party planned for tomorrow… or rather, aside from a certain someone who was energetic to the very end, the consensus was probably, 'Just let us rest today.'

Some would log out to cool their minds, while others would collapse straight into bed to rest their overtaxed brains. Everyone had their own way of doing things, but the ranked members who had stood at the forefront of the raid were just as deeply fatigued.

Once we finished our report and relayed the battle results to Mi-na and Ri-na, we disbanded for the time being, just like after the Four Pillar War. It's nice how flexible things are, but if you think about it calmly, this is a game.

Know when to be serious, and know when to relax. It's not about drawing a line between reality and the virtual world, but the players here are incredibly good at managing that balance.

—And so. For that reason, Sora and I also exchanged a casual "Good work" and "See you tomorrow," and after a few minutes of idle chat, we left the Eastern Round Table.

Just like with the Four Pillar War, the 'heat' we'd suppressed for today would likely explode in full force at tomorrow's victory party.

Starting with the Trance system, we had even more to talk about than last time. I heard they're reserving all of Ruvalest from the afternoon for a grand party… I wonder how that'll turn out.

By the way, as was to be expected, Sora, who was teetering on the verge of exhaustion, decided to log out for now. She said she'd log back in when she felt better, but judging by her condition, she'll probably wake up and find it's already tomorrow.

Unlike me, she'd never really experienced that ki-i-ind of intense phantom fatigue before. The only other time was maybe her first battle against [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King]?

Hinayo-san's coaching, if you could call it that, was always exquisitely balanced, adjusted to keep her at a level of 'super tired' but always one step short of being incapacitated.

Well, it couldn't be helped. She really did an amazing job.

It's honestly a mystery why she didn't make it into the rankings with a performance like that. I hope she gets a good, long rest—

…So.

I can't just hide in my shell of thoughts and escape reality forever.

After leaving the Eastern Round Table, I hitched a ride with my reliable stealth courier and made my way to the castle where my personal artisans reside, to report our recent victory.

Inside a familiar atelier room, a branch of Mirage Workshop—one of the two major artisan guilds in the Western Faction, Vestol—located in the Safe Area.

"—Hah… Fuhahaha…!"

"For starters, could you just tell me how much I'd have to pay for you to wear a skirt?"

"Okay, don't come any closer… My soul is not for sale…!"

One red-haired artisan clutched her stomach, her laughter genuine and unconcealed.

One blue-haired girl, her eyes fixed, uttered something utterly insane with a deadly serious tone.

And then there was me, a beautiful white-haired girl, backed into a corner and assuming a futile combat stance.

I knew this would happen. It was as clear as day—but for various reasons, I had to come.

My main reason was that I couldn't neglect reporting our victory to the two artisans who've helped me so much, but a major part of it was also wanting to consult them about gear for my Trance body as soon as possible.

For certain reasons, I'll be spending most of my time in this form for a while, so acquiring some stealthy clothing to neutralize my ridiculously conspicuous appearance is a matter of urgency.

So, while I could have maybe put off seeing Kagura-san, showing Nia this form was inevitable. Which means, this was also bound to happen sooner or later.

"Hah… good grief. You really never get tired of making me laugh."

"I trust you know me well enough by now to believe me when I say I don't intentionally cause these ridiculous events!"

"…You should be careful. Even when you're angry like that, you just look cute."

"What am I supposed to do about it…?! —Ah, stop, hey…! Don't touch me!"

My mistake was getting distracted by my exchange with the hedonist who usually just laughs from the sidelines in these situations.

A demonic hand shot out, slipping through the defensive wall I had built with my own two slender arms. It reached for—my face.

More accurately, both my cheeks.

"Wooooooooooooooooow… You really are a girl…!"

"Let go, you…!"

I struggled as my cheeks were mercilessly squished and kneaded, but in this Trance avatar, the very embodiment of 'powerless,' I was no match even for Nia.

It was heartbreaking.

"W-wait… hold on, this is crazy, I can't… Kagura-san! You have to feel this, Kagura-san, look, this is insane…!"

"Hmm? Well, if you insist."

No, you don't 'if you insist'! The one you should be asking for permission is me, not the fiend (Nia)! Mmmphmhhmm… Alright, that's it, I'm mad now!

"Whoa, huh?!"

"Oh, whoops…!?"

No matter how physically inept my stats make me, I am the [Acrobat]—I still have [Construction] and all my other skills, you know!

My quick-change skills, despite the name, are versatile enough for one-way actions, like simply pulling an item out of my inventory.

And when an object suddenly materializes right in front of you, while hardened veterans might not flinch, any normal person is bound to be startled.

Whether these two, who hold titles in the Western Faction, count as 'normal people' is debatable, but their resistance to surprises is undoubtedly lower than us warrior-type players.

Just as I'd planned, the two who had been manhandling my face and hair were startled by the sudden appearance of the [El-Gran Stasia] and immediately let go.

Seeing them back away, I returned the outfit to my inventory—and without hesitation, I activated my new skill, [Lumina Raygust].

"Alright, don't move, stay put! The touching time is over…! If you take one step closer, I'll unleash a tornado right here in this room, so you'd better be prepared…!"

With a protective barrier of wind clad not just on my limbs but around my entire body, serving as both shield and spear, I tried to give a menacing threat as my ridiculously long white hair whipped about in the gale.

…Hey, I'm trying to intimidate you here.

Stop it. Don't look at me with such a fond smile…!!!

"Argh, we're not getting anywhere…! Can we please move on to my request already?!"

"Ah, haha… Sorry, sorry. We got a little carried away—I get it, but before that, can I ask you for just one thing?"

"…I'll hear you out."

"The skirt—"

"No matter how much you offer, my soul is not for sale!"

I'm a guy, I keep telling you!