kscans

Chapter 47 - A Humble Triumphant Song

"So, what is this thing after all..."

"Um... I think I might know."

Just as I turned my attention back to the object, ready for a fresh start, Sora offered an unexpected response. "Seriously?" I asked, turning to look at her. She tapped the empty air with her fingertip, as if pointing something out.

"I think it started after I got close to this. My quest tab is glowing."

It seemed she was pointing at the quest guide displayed in her vision.

"There were... a few things going on, so I was a little late to notice."

"For which I am deeply sorry..."

I put on a pathetic expression and apologized profusely, earning a slight smile in return. We exchanged a bit of our now-familiar banter before getting back to the topic at hand.

"A quest, you say..."

"Yes, so I think this might be the [Teardrop of Dust]... or something like it."

That was the whole reason we'd challenged the boss in the first place. Halzen had tasked us with procuring a material, and based on his straightforward hint of a "master of the dust," we'd decided to take on the challenge.

—Except, I'll be honest. At least, I had completely forgotten about it halfway through. Or rather, my composure had been stripped away early on, and I'd been forced to walk a tightrope, leaving no room to think about anything else, so I'd pushed it out of my mind.

...Now that I think about it, that's right. We didn't even defeat the boss ourselves, so we didn't get a single material—wait, really? After going through all that hell, our only reward is experience points? Are you serious?

I had just had my life saved by one of the skills I'd acquired, but that was beside the point. No loot from a fantasy game boss fight? Are you trying to pick a fight with gamers? Give me the goods, the actual goods.

"...Lately, when you suddenly go quiet, Haru-san, I've started to be able to tell what you're thinking."

"That's great. Feel free to share in my sorrow."

"...I think that sorrow might be tinged with greed, though."

She's getting good at this... excellent.

"Okay, then, Sora-san."

I stepped aside from the object and gestured for Sora to approach.

"Um..."

"For starters, why don't you try touching it?"

Perhaps due to the tragicomedy she'd just witnessed, Sora hesitated for a moment, but,

"—Hiyah...!"

With a cute little cry, her delicate hand touched the object—and in that instant, a change occurred.

The light, which had continued to pulse even after sending me flying, now converged on Sora's palm as if it had been eagerly waiting.

"Eek...!?"

The sight, which could also be described as a swarm of light, made Sora let out an involuntary scream. With her free hand, she grabbed onto me, who was standing nearby.

If she'd just grabbed my hand, I could have played the gentleman and gently squeezed back, but... Sora-san, that's my collar. It's turning into a rather violent scene. And because I'm losing in the STR department, when she grabs me while I'm standing still, I can't resist.

Ignoring the rather uncool picture we were painting, the event seemed to be proceeding without a hitch. The swarm of light heading for Sora's palm was, more accurately, aiming for the ring on her index finger.

It wasn't anything special, just a store-bought [Ring of Novice]. The light gathered on it, and...

"Ah..."

"Ooh."

With a final, small flash of light, the glow dissipated—and a small gemstone was now embedded in the previously unadorned ring.

Its color was not emerald—but a somewhat dull yellow... a sandy color, you could say. It was hard to call it a beautiful gem, and honestly, it looked a little shabby, but...

"Um... it seems the quest item is complete."

In any case, we had finally obtained what we were looking for. Sora also seemed to be at a loss for how to react to the gem's underwhelming appearance... but well, this was just a material, after all.

"...Let's just hope the old man has good taste."

"Ahaha..."

Believing it would shine if polished, we decided to just be happy for now. As we exchanged tired smiles, a familiar blue light enveloped us.

"Oh? Is this finally a wrap?"

It was the harbinger of the return we had been hoping for... or wait, really? Is this really the end? Was this lovely space prepared just for this—

The light of the teleportation painted my vision blue, leaving my half-formed complaint behind. A familiar sense of weightlessness, the strange sensation of the air around me being completely replaced—and then, after several hours, we were standing in the city of Istia.

""....................""

We looked at each other, and seeing Sora's indescribable expression, I thought, "Ah, I must be making the same face," and let out a wry smile.

"—Hahaha...!"

"—Hee, heheh...!"

We mirrored each other up to that point, and then laughter burst out from both of us at the same time.

After such an incredibly dense dungeon crawl, the ending was just too anticlimactic. Before the tension even had a chance to snap, it was suddenly and completely loosened.

I felt so drained of energy that my mood was incredibly light and floaty... I couldn't help but let out a tired laugh.

The place we'd teleported to was the usual fountain square. It was a landmark bustling with people as always, but with my mental exhaustion and strange mood, I couldn't be bothered to care about the eyes on us right now.

And it seemed the same was true for my partner, who was beaming with a smile that was in far greater demand than mine...

"Haha... Ahh, it's over! Great work, Sora! I'm never going back to a place like that again!!"

"Yes, great work! I don't want to see sand for a while either!"

The exhilaration of completing the dungeon, and the exhaustion that surpassed it. We were surely the center of curious gazes as we laughed without a care in the world—but that, too, wasn't so bad.

In this other world I had stepped into, I had undoubtedly achieved the greatest sense of accomplishment in my life.

That heart-pounding feeling, which I continued to surpass every day, even now that I was getting used to this virtual world environment—it was so amazing I wanted to scream.