kscans

Chapter 49 - At a Certain Tavern

"―――So yeah, that's what happened."

"...Huh? Wait, I don't even know where to start unpacking all of that."

I finished my story with a laid-back, "Man, what a mess, hahaha," kind of vibe. In response, Kagura-san, my provisional exclusive magitech artisan whom I was seeing for the first time in a while, gave me a dead-serious, straight-faced stare.

The time was just before noon. The place was that same stylish, tavern-like restaurant we'd visited the day we first met.

The day after our chaotic, life-or-death battle in the sand, I'd received an invitation from her via friend message, which I accepted without a second thought. And so, here we were for our second visit.

Not that I was one to judge, but hearing her completely unscripted tone and speech pattern... yeah, the possibility that her usual cool, big-sister persona was just role-playing seemed pretty high.

If she was actually one of those soft, fluffy types in real life, I'd be an instant fan.

"Ahem... well, I mean, every single part of that story is just bizarre. For now, just make sure you let me say hello to that partner of yours sometime."

Clearing her throat as if to reset, Kagura-san's eyes seemed to be brimming with the kind of curiosity that said, "I've found a new client."

"By all means. She's my pride and joy of a partner, though lately I suspect she might be even more broken than I am."

"Glad to see you're aware that you're pretty broken yourself."

Contrary to her weary, half-lidded gaze, her voice was tinged with an unmistakable hint of amusement.

"Still... I was wondering why I hadn't gotten a call for help from you after all this time. I never imagined you two rookies would clear the 'Serpent' on your own."

"Well... the thought of asking a max-level player for help didn't really cross my mind."

Even if it had, I probably wouldn't have jumped at the idea... After the fact, I looked up some strategy videos and learned about the standard approach, and I had to hold my head in my hands as I reflected on the path we'd taken.

To put it simply...

"―――A pair of newbies clearing a secret large-scale battle is a much bigger controversy than that wacky build of yours, you know."

...Apparently. In the `Great Flowing Sand Cavern`, the boss we faced wasn't the `Dusty Worm, Great Serpent of Dust`―――but rather, the `Bastide, Scion of Dust`, which appears after a route divergence from that fight. And as it turns out, it's a raid boss that spawns in a beginner field.

Its recommended party size is a half-raid of eighteen players—three full parties of six. The required player level is, of course, the cap of Lv. 100. Seriously, if we had lost our minds and charged in, we would've been turned to dust in less than a second.

Kagura-san's use of the word 'cleared' wasn't entirely accurate either. The proper clear route is, of course, to defeat the `Bastide, Scion of Dust`. The path we stumbled into was merely an escape-and-retreat route prepared as a sort of bailout.

No wonder we didn't get any loot.

"Arcadia has way too many monsters infesting its beginner areas..."

"There are eight confirmed ones, you know. Two in each of the four factions' beginner areas."

This place is a demonic realm. What kind of hell awaits in the regular fields?

"Well, normally, it's designed so that rookies can't even encounter them. You're just way too reckless."

"But who would ever think of bringing a helper into a boss field...?"

As for the standard strategy for the `Dusty Worm, Great Serpent of Dust`, it seems that by jumping into the sand tower while targeted by a `Desert Serpent`, the moray eel-like creature simply becomes a support character.

Or so I heard. I saw it in a video. The moment the great serpent came into view, the `Desert Serpent` lost all interest in the player and they fought together in perfect harmony. For me, who had challenged it head-on and alone, it was a shocking sight.

"Even if you don't rely on strategy guides, you're being too lazy with your information gathering. For beginner areas, you can get plenty of hints just by asking the information broker NPCs in town."

"Huh? There are NPCs like that?"

"'Are there NPCs like that'... Don't tell me you haven't even properly explored the city?"

When I just stared blankly at this out-of-the-blue information, Kagura-san's face twitched as if to say, Is this guy for real?

"Uh, well... I've taken a stroll or two."

"...Traveler Support Agency, Private Guild Hall, the Market. Do any of these ring a bell?"

"I have............................ no idea what those are."

I gently averted my gaze, and in return, I was finally gifted a massive sigh.

"How in the world did you clear four areas without using a single one of the convenience facilities?"

I couldn't help but shrink under her tone, which was dripping with exasperation, as I began to receive a much-appreciated lecture from the caring older sister.

To summarize―――the 'Traveler Support Agency' is a place where players can learn various pieces of knowledge that will help them in different situations as they progress through the game.

From useful tips to keep in mind during adventures to advice for when you're stuck, veteran NPCs (?) will apparently give you all sorts of guidance.

Next, the 'Private Guild Hall' is a public community plaza where you can accept quests from the town's residents, arrange requests between players, and recruit for temporary parties.

Apparently, when new players are struggling due to a lack of manpower, it's common practice to recruit helpers here. Not only are there kind veterans, but in some cases, NPCs will even offer to join your temporary party.

And what's more, their AI is supposedly so abnormally advanced that it makes you wonder if there's a real person inside... Man, that actually sounds interesting. I should check with Sora and try it out next time.

Finally, the 'Market' is, as its name suggests, a comprehensive marketplace lined with various private shops. The small stalls, run indiscriminately by both players and NPCs, are said to create quite a chaotic atmosphere.

It's bustling at all hours, and for a fee, you can even consign unneeded materials for sale. Since you generally make more money than just selling things off at an NPC shop, it's common sense to drop by at the end of a hunt and leave your stuff at the consignment post―――

"You've got to be kidding me... It's like I've been doing a challenge run this whole time without even knowing it..."

"To begin with, back in the day, it would've taken more than a month to get where you two are now. You've only been playing for about ten days, right? You're rushing things too much."

"Well, I was just trying to hit the level cap as fast as possible and graduate from being a beginner."

By the way, I had already told her my current level and thoroughly shocked her. When I also disclosed my leveling method, she looked up at the heavens.

"Honestly... I can just imagine the uproar when you make your public debut."

Contrary to her weary words, her eyes held nothing less than a kind of anticipation. Faced with this look of expectation directed at me, a person currently forging an irregular path, I felt a mix of half happiness and half pressure.

As I feigned humility, saying, "Oh, you flatter me," Kagura-san teased me with a sidelong glance before murmuring, "Now then," and summoning a system window.

"I called you here today because I had something I wanted to give you. I was actually waiting with bated breath for you to bring me a request, but since I never heard a peep, I took matters into my own hands."

"Huh...? Well, I just thought it'd be weird for me to bring low-level materials to a max-level player."

She said this with a slightly pouty air, and I waved my hands in front of me in denial.

It's true we didn't sign a formal contract for her to be my exclusive magitech artisan, but we did make a mutual promise to work together.

However, I had assumed it would be a long time before I'd need to rely on her services. I had been under the impression that it would be rude to bring low-rarity materials from beginner areas to a player so far ahead of me.

But it seems that, from her perspective, my hesitation was not welcome. So I went ahead and made something for you, the red-haired artisan said, pulling an item from her inventory.

"Um... what's this?"

Placed on the counter with a soft clink was what looked like some kind of accessory. To put it simply, it looked like a feather keychain, crafted from a beautiful, sky-blue, translucent material.

"It's an accessory made from the materials of a rare creature called a Wind-Viewing Butterfly. In short, it's an inventory expansion item."

"For real?!"

That's the number one item I need right now!!

"You were complaining about how tight your carrying capacity was, right? And to be precise, it's not an expansion, but a reduction. It's an item that cuts the total weight of your inventory by a certain percentage."

"That's incredible."

Isn't that the kind of key item that would be stuffed into the 'Valuables' section in other games? Can players in Arcadia really craft things like that?

"Uh, um, the price is..."

"Hmm... I'll let you pay me back when you've made a name for yourself."

Uh, excuse me, but haven't I already received an absurdly expensive outfit from you...?

"Look, I'm not exactly hurting for money. Like I've said many times, my priority is to have fun. That's why I staked my claim on you so quickly. If I can help you get to the front lines faster, it's a win for me too, you see."

She said this with a smirk, winking mischievously. What's with this woman? Her gestures and lines are ridiculously cool.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on coddling you any more than this. As long as you bring me some interesting requests and keep me entertained."

"...I really don't know how I can ever repay you."

The accessory—the [Crystal Feather Amulet of Lightness]—was flicked over and flew right in front of me. I pinched it between my fingers, completely won over, and let out a wry smile.

"Should I just equip it?"

"Nah, just keeping it in your inventory is enough. It works if you wear it, but it'd be no laughing matter if it broke by mistake, so no one's dumb enough to take it out."

Oh... so it's a 'no laughing matter if lost' level of―――okay, let's not think about it too deeply.

"R-Right... understood..."

Kagura-san watched with amusement as I, treating it like a fragile treasure, carefully placed it into my inventory.

...Wait, huh...? The moment I put it in, the meter that was indicating I was at max capacity suddenly dropped sharply.

"Seriously... Thank you so much for this incredible gift..."

Witnessing an effect far greater than I had anticipated, I imagined a pain in my stomach and instinctively rubbed it. When I thanked her with forced politeness, Kagura-san just laughed it off as if it were nothing, saying, "What's with that tone?"

"I know I'm repeating myself, but as long as I'm having fun, that's all that matters. Bring me whatever you want, even trash materials. Just thinking about what kind of things I can make for a weirdo like you is a meaningful way to kill time."

I'd known it since she first brought up the exclusive artisan offer, but as expected, the look she gave me was filled with a great deal of curiosity and expectation.

While I was happy, I also felt a sense of urgency to quickly catch up to this evaluation, which for now was beyond my station.

"So, what do you say?"

"If you put it that way, I'll gladly rely on you... but to be honest, I don't have anything I particularly need right now."

If anything, the [Crystal Feather Amulet of Lightness] she had just given me was the perfect item.

As for weapons, I was lucky enough to have filled my main weapon slot with an `Anima`, and for armor, my gloves and boots were sufficient.

It's not like my progress was being hindered by my current equipment... so if I were to make a request―――

"'Can you make something interesting?' is the only open-ended request I can think of..."

"Hah, I like your style. Show me everything you've got."

With words that sounded like a shakedown, Kagura-san leaned forward eagerly. True to her word that having fun was all that mattered, a playful smile graced her face.

---

I ranked #1 in the daily genre rankings! My bookmarks just passed 230! My daily PV is on track to exceed 20,000 today!

I, I can't process any of this... What is this, a bug?