kscans

Chapter 401 - From the Atelier to the Workshop

—After changing locations two, three times, I found myself in the familiar streets of the Istia district.

On my way to my next destination, I was shamelessly indulging in some window-walking, ignoring the occasional stares I received.

It might not be on the level of what Ashe calls 'analog games,' but Arcadia is still a game. The number of female gamers has supposedly skyrocketed compared to the old days, but the ratio is still skewed towards men.

On top of that, Istia has by far the lowest female population of the four factions. So, it's probably inevitable that the male players passing by would cast glances at an avatar with a girlish figure out of curiosity (or so I'll tell myself).

If I had ventured into the city without my trusty senior-slash-junior courier and without any precautions, my new appearance would have undoubtedly drawn much more than this level of attention.

But that's the quality you'd expect from Nia.

Apparently, she'd been preparing some romantic and stylish items called Hide Cloaks for Sora and me, and in a case of perfect timing, she gave me one.

'It'll be even harder for you to walk around outside like that,' she'd said, hastily finishing one for me. Thanks to her, I was now able to stroll through the city with my face hidden, even if my figure was still noticeable… which is why, all things considered, I owe her a lot.

By the way, after she scored a complete victory over the rabbit jewelry, her excitement never returned to normal, so I made a quick escape from the atelier and here I am. That's just how she is.

Putting that aside, I have absolutely no complaints about the reborn [Crimson Rabbit Hairpin]—or rather, the true masterpiece that was now the [Aquamarine Rabbit Heart].

It cost me hundreds of millions of Runa for the magicrafting catalyst fee, but honestly, it was a bargain.

The [Spiral Crimson Tower (My Cash Cow)] is still standing, the rabbit horns are selling well, and my wallet will likely remain invincible for a while longer.

I wonder how the players who are buying the defective [Ruby Rabbit Demon Horns] from Kagura-san (the buyer) are using them. I hear progress is slowly being made in conquering their habitat, so maybe we'll see the next person to clear it soon.

In any case, the special effects list with its lineup of broken text is amazing, of course, but the insane stat bonus of MID+200 from a single accessory is the best part.

Equipping it along with the rings and bracelets from the El-Eme series—

――――――――――――――――――
◇Status / Trance◇
Title: Acrobat
Name: Haru
Lv: 100
STR (Strength): 0
AGI (Agility): 0
DEX (Dexterity): 0
VIT (Vitality): 0
MID (Mind): 1150 (+300)
LUC (Luck): 0
――――――――――――――――――

—gives me this. With this Trance body, where my LUC has vanished, I can't use my main title, 'Embracing Wings of Brilliance,' but when you include the special effects, it more than makes up for it.

The way it glitters at the base of the side-tail Kagura-san made for me is completely in 'girly fashion' territory, but… I'll just have to accept it.

Performance over aesthetics. Of course, I'd like to care about my appearance if possible, but at my core, I'm a performance-chasing player. If it's a god-tier piece of equipment, I'd even swallow my pride and wear a skirt—no, that's impossible, please spare me.

This [Series Lounge No.6] that Nia pushed on me, saying it was a 'makeshift' outfit—it's a culotte… right? Anyway, this frilly-pants-like thing that's on the borderline of what I can tolerate is honestly my limit.

It's a one-piece type with a docked jacket, primarily black. Even from a guy's perspective, I have to admit it's a wonderful design that balances coolness and cuteness.

But when it comes to wearing it myself, that's a different story. Seriously.

Oh, and the knee-high socks she handed me with a cheerful face? I threw those back with all my might. That's legendary equipment only girls are allowed to wear, have some self-control.

I was saved by the fact that the black underlayer I wore beneath my El-Gran set had an auto-fitting function. Thanks to that, this eighteen-year-old man was spared from showing his bare legs. A relief.

—And on top of that, I threw on a stylish gray coat, the [Stealthy Rat's Cloak], and pulled up the hood to complete my anti-gaze defense. It has a perception-jamming effect similar to the El-Gran's hood, so no one should realize it's me underneath.

Well, it's not like they'd recognize me even if they saw my face right now… whoops.

While idly checking my stats and skills, I walked and walked until I arrived at a sturdy, brick-built house. As always, smoke billowed from its impressive chimney, but come to think of it, is that even necessary?

I can hear the familiar sound of a hammer, but… I guess every magic-crafter is different. As far as I know, even among artisans who specialize in 'iron,' someone like Kagura-san has a one-hundred-percent magic-based creation style.

"Alright… excuse me!"

I'm used to visiting this place by now. Pushing open the door with its 'OPEN' sign, I announced my arrival with a rather unapologetically loud voice.

If you hesitate and lower your voice here, you'll be flat-out ignored and left waiting, so a cheerful greeting is a required ritual for using this shop—and there he is, the same sullen face appearing from behind the counter.

"Hey there, it's been a while. You helped me out the other day, but I'm back for—"

"Who are you?"

And there it is, the blunt, straight-to-the-point choice of words… well, yeah, that makes sense. It's my fault this time. There's no way he'd know.

"Ah, my apologies—Here, it's me."

[Construction]—is currently unavailable since I can't equip it, so I pull it directly from my inventory. Plucked from the window connected to a pocket dimension is… a faintly glowing white ring.

"…It's you. You're back sooner than I expected."

"Well, I've come to settle the score with my nemesis, you see."

The pulse of the [Everquartz] in my palm is a sign of its desire to evolve to the next stage.

Perhaps seeing that—or perhaps hearing my words.

"…I see."

Halzen-dono wore a rare, complex expression on his face.

"—Alright."

He gazed at the remnants of 'White' and gave a firm nod.