kscans

Chapter 400 - One More Revenge Match

"…Honestly…"

"Oh come on, I said I was sorry. Don't be sulky."

It took a while for Nia to come back to her senses. Already exhausted, I had completely run out of steam and was now slumped on a sofa by myself.

And she must have realized she'd gone a bit too far.

Having accepted my request and switched into work mode, Nia, who was now glued to her desk and already working on the designs, called out an apology to me.

She was muttering about designs and patterns and other complicated things, but watching her hands fly around at a dizzying pace, there was no doubt her work speed was insane.

I was just tired to begin with; it's not like I was actually angry.

I could easily imagine myself teasing someone to death if our roles were reversed, and as long as she brought her usual quality to the job, I had no complaints.

…Well, as far as Nia is concerned, I'll leave it at that.

"You know, you can just do whatever…"

"Don't say that. Since you're here, you might as well enjoy it."

While saying something so plausible like it had nothing to do with her, Kagura-san, who was clearly in a mood about thirty percent better than usual, didn't stop playing with my hair.

To deal with this absurdly long hair, I had borrowed some 'cosmetics' from Nia and was about to chop it all off, but it ended like this.

Just as I was about to edit it into a short cut without a second thought, Nia instantly blew up at me, forced me to sit properly, and gave me a lecture. Then Kagura-san jumped on the bandwagon and started doing whatever she pleased with my hair.

My will is being infinitely ignored.

"Well, even if you tell me to enjoy it…"

"I'm not telling you to be cute and stylish. Your appearance has changed, so you should just find a style that suits you and own it—here, something like this, for example."

Perhaps she'd reached some conclusion after some trial and error. Her hands, which had been deftly styling my hair, stopped, and a hand mirror was offered from behind me.

Is this an essential item for female players, like it is for Sora?

And when Nia, on the other side of the desk, looked over and let out a strange cry like "Hwaaaaaaah…!" I couldn't help but feel uneasy—

"…"

When I peered into the mirror, all I could do was frown and fall silent.

"Not bad, right?"

"…Having a pretty face is just unfair, isn't it?"

The face staring back at me from the mirror boasted such ridiculously high-tier looks that it gave me the chills, even with my exasperated frown.

Every feature was formed with sharp, beautiful lines, yet her cheeks had an exquisite, soft roundness. A well-shaped, charming nose, and small, cherry-pink lips.

Her large, slightly upturned blue eyes sparkled brilliantly, as if they couldn't care less what their 'occupant' thought. Her eyelashes were so long.

I was utterly speechless—and to top it off, with my hair all dolled up, I had my reservations, but I had no choice but to accept it.

Her skill was surprisingly impressive, something you wouldn't expect just from her usual big-sister persona. The super-long, straight hair that reached the back of my knees had been beautifully swept up and gathered, transformed into a single long tail on the left side of my head.

The fact that my neck was now clear and the annoyance was gone was a genuine plus. And above all else, it suited me so damn well.

If the person in this mirror were just some unfamiliar girl, I'm sure I could have praised her as "cute, cute" without making such a face.

But I am a man.

Why on earth, while retaining my self-awareness as a 'man,' must I be sentenced to the punishment of a side-tail?

"This is rough…"

"Why?! It looks good! It suits you!"

"I'm talking about my mental state…"

…Well, complaining forever won't change anything.

I'll just have to come to terms with it eventually.

"…By the way, why a side-tail?"

"Hm? Well, obviously… —I thought it would be cute."

"Didn't you just say you weren't telling me to be cute and stylish???"

"Well then, I'm satisfied, so I'll be taking my leave now."

"You're so carefree…!"

Waving her hand, the Fire Artisan made to leave the atelier. She chuckled contentedly, her words proving her satisfaction, and said,

"I'll need about a week for this—I'll make sure it's ready in time for that 'event' of yours, so just wait patiently."

"Ah, yes. I'm counting on you…"

I'd given her the necessary 'materials' and clearly conveyed my request.

So, as usual, I had no worries, only trust… but why do I have this nagging feeling of dissatisfaction?

"Aren't you two a little too uninterested in the 'White Throne' conquest…?"

"It's not that we're not interested, it's just that it doesn't feel real, so it's hard to react to."

After Kagura-san left, I muttered my thoughts, and Nia—who was busy alternating between smiling at me and looking serious at her desk—said as much.

"Of course, I understand that it's a huge, huge incident, but we haven't 'seen' it yet. Just hearing the world announcement doesn't let us join in the festive mood as easily as you guys who were actually there."

"Ah… well, if you put it that way…?"

"I'm sure it depends on the person. In fact, both outside and in the real world, there's probably a huge uproar… And Kagura-san and I knew about today's events beforehand, so there's that too."

At that, our eyes met again as Nia looked up. Her blue eyes, staring intently at me, narrowed with delight—

"…So, I'm looking forward to the archive. You're going to be cool anyway, I know it."

"…"

She's so unfair.

She's the one who's being unfair, it's practically a crime. The smug grin on her face after seeing my reaction made it a hundred percent clear this was intentional. She should be arrested.

"A-and with that… —Alright, it's done!"

Her Ladyship Milmarinus, the Aquamarine Fairy, who had so regrettably stolen the victory, held up one of the 'blueprints' she had been furiously sketching and raised her voice in triumph.

Held up for me to see was a sheet of paper depicting—

"…Huh, wait, weren't you making the design for my outfit?"

"That's already done!"

"You're too fast. All the artisans around me are monsters."

In Nia's hand, as she puffed out her chest with a triumphant look, was not an outfit design, but a drawing of an arranged version of a certain piece of jewelry I knew all too well.

It was, in truth, the special gem that had brought us together—the treasure of the Ruby Rabbit, which Nia had once given up on, saying it wasn't 'cute.'

"…Well then, shall we get to it?"

"Hmph, leave it to me. I'm more than prepared!"

I stood up from the sofa and placed the [Crimson Rabbit Hairpin] on the desk with a soft click.

—And next to it, the contrasting, brilliantly blue [Agaphanthus Amulet].

According to Nia, she was confident. However, since she had only just finalized the theory a few days ago, we had decided to put this revenge match on hold for the time being.

It was simply to account for the possibility of failure, however slim.

With the battle against the 'White Throne' right before us, if a major accident like an enhancement failure caused my build to collapse… well, it would have been no laughing matter.

But the event in question concluded today with a victory. I plan to take it easy for a while and rest, so even if the enhancement were to fail now, I'd have time to recover.

Therefore, there was no longer any reason to wait.

"How long will it take?"

"The outfit will take three days… no, give me two. This I can do right now."

As she spoke, Nia's hands snatched the two pieces of jewelry I'd offered without a hint of hesitation. It seemed she wasn't lying when she said she'd been secretly contemplating various improvements ever since that day.

A unique item that had been abandoned because it was already complete, once deemed impossible to modify by the Fire Artisan herself. Now, the jeweler who was told 'if you can't do it, no one can' let her blue eyes sparkle and—

"Alright then… —Prepare yourself, you not-so-cute little gem."

She placed the two jewels together and smiled, brimming with confidence.

—And a few minutes later.

"There! Nia's a genius! How about that, aren't you impressed?!"

"Too close, too close, too close!"

Shining in her waving hand was a magnificent piece of jewelry, a harmonious blend of 'aquamarine' and 'crimson.'

Following in 'our' footsteps, Milmarinus, the Aquamarine Fairy, had achieved her own long-awaited revenge, and it goes without saying that her excitement completely exploded.