kscans

Chapter 618 - Little by Little

—Swaying, swaying, in the space between.

No land, no sea, no sky. Eons in a prison of infinity.

The tree has yet to shed its seed, and not even a faint sign of a sprout can be seen.

O, my other self, are you still there?

O, my other self, are you still there?

O, my other self—is there still a battle to be fought?

O, world, my foe, does the will to pass judgment still remain?

No land, no sea, no sky. Eons in the protective arms of infinity.

O, my other self, and my children.

I no longer reside within my own soul. Therefore, I am not I.

Please, save the 'me' that is.

Please, do not scoop out the 'me' that is.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—First things first, let me make this clear. Calling me 'Master,' 'Master-sama,' 'O-shi-sama,' or any variation thereof is forbidden. No jokes, absolutely not. For one, I'm the disciple here."

"Y-Yes, sir..."

"Next, 'Sensei' is also NG for some reason. There's a certain handsome face that comes to mind with that word in this virtual world, so my mental state is a bit fragile right now."

"Then what should I call... ah, the match between you two was amazing—"

"And finally."

He's like a puppy, all excited on the inside, but politely doing his best to 'wait.'

He had established his character in less than ten minutes since our reunion. Towards this opponent, I held up a third finger, adopting a condescending tone that had been, for some reason, forced upon me as the conversation had progressed without my knowledge.

"Due to various circumstances, I'm well aware that I suck at teaching people things, especially when it comes to combat in Arcadia. So—how about you reconsider?"

"I look forward to your instruction!"

The brown-haired head bowed deeply, energetically brushing aside my words. When he bent at a ninety-degree angle like this, his fluffy, puppy-like hair, a light brown similar to a certain [Heavy Tank]'s, revealed a very clear view of his 'tail.'

I'd seen that hairstyle somewhere before, but for the sake of my mental health, it was probably best to assume it was a complete coincidence. Please, let it be a coincidence.

No matter how much of a fan he was, if he was that hardcore, I wouldn't know how to deal with him.

"...Well, yeah, okay. I got a direct order from my boss, so I'll do my best, but... at least, you know, try to relax a little, will ya? We're guys who've fought once—"

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

"So energetic...!"

And so, no matter how I tried to spin it, he was clearly not a 'lukewarm' fan. Kanata—the boy I'd faced in the first round of the recent Four Pillar selection match—was in high spirits, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

The day after I gave Sora her ring. Two days after the grand adventure of our audience with the 'Dragon.'

I'd been summoned first thing in the morning by my boss, Goldow, and when I showed my face at the Eastern Round Table, I was met by the usual [General Commander] and a nervous-looking Kanata.

As for the business at hand, it was just one simple phrase: "Train this kid."

Left behind by the old man who had then颯爽と departed with a "I'll leave the rest to you young 'uns," I, of course, had no other choice. I went with the flow and dove into communicating with the boy I'd suspected was a fan since the selection match, but...

"Uh, hey, Kanata-kun."

"Just Kanata is fine!"

"Kanata. Just calm down. Cool off. I get it, I'll help you train. You won't last at this rate, in more ways than one."

You, and me both.

Still, something like this wasn't so bad every once in a while. Guiding a junior who looks up to you, genuinely helping them grow—that's part of the fun of a game, after all.

"Right then... It's a pleasure to work with you, again. You can call me Haru, Kanata. Let's get along."

"...! Yes! It's a pleasure, Acrobat-san!"

"Yeah, that title is also banned."

...Well, whatever.

In terms of Arcadia history, he's supposed to be my senior, not my junior, but whatever.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—So yeah, I've suddenly found myself helping someone train."

"Huh. So you're finally a master, too."

"I am not. It's beyond my station."

Following my visit to the Round Table, I showed my face bright and early at the atelier of my personal artisan.

Kanata-kun seems to be busy with work, limiting his activity to nighttime hours, so we parted ways for now. In contrast, I was now one-on-one with the master of this room, a shut-in who lives and breathes the virtual world at all hours.

Well, since it's summer vacation, the same goes for me... no, even if it weren't, I'm in no position to talk about how much time I spend logged in. But that's beside the point.

"Nia."

"Hmm?"

"Sora was so happy. Thank you for helping."

I sincerely conveyed my gratitude, the reason for my visit. I'd said it before making it, while working on it, and after it was finished... but no matter how many times I said it, I felt it wasn't enough, so I'd say it again and again.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine, I told you. How many times is that now? I'm the one who pushed for the ring in the first place. You need to accept that I don't mind, you really do."

"It's true that I feel bad, but more than that, I'm just grateful. Is it really so wrong to thank you as many times as I want?"

"It is! Sincere gratitude just makes me more envious of how cherished Sora-chan is, so no!"

"So you do mind, big time."

Most likely, all of it was her true feelings.

The part about not minding, but also not being free of envy or jealousy... and the part where she pushed me forward before the surprise, telling me it couldn't be helped.

The human heart is a thing of casual contradictions.

Yes, for example—

"Nia."

"Hmm?"

"Tomorrow or the day after, want to go museum-hopping again?"

"Hmm... —Huh?"

My own heart, which wants to cherish more than just one person, is the same. It's been a while since I resolved to be the bad guy if I had to; to hell with common sense and morals in this matter.

I will indulge the three who forgive me, return that indulgence tenfold, and patiently search for an answer, having cast aside the conventional path.

—If anyone has a complaint, they can say it after experiencing the fantasy of becoming a ranker in six months and having three incredible women hit them with their genuine affection.

"A date?"

"Yes, an invitation to a date. I actually had a pretty good time the month before last."

Her hobby, museum-hopping.

I'd thought that with her family being in that field, Nia herself would be knowledgeable, but that wasn't the case at all. She enjoyed it from the same perspective as a novice like me, yet it was as if she were at an amusement park. Being dragged around by her was a surprisingly pleasant time.

So, I guess... well, as a conclusion to various things.

"No, really, it's backward, isn't it? The first amusement park trip was a disaster for both of us."

"You're forbidden from saying that! Nia-chan was overwhelmed back then!"

"You're pretty much the same now."

"Hmph. Takes one to know one."

"So, I haven't heard your answer. If you say no..."

"Eh, what? What is it? Not that I would, but I'm curious what would happen if I did."

"I guess I'll invite Ashe and go to the amusement park."

"Guilty! Even if you've come to terms with it, there's a limit! I don't think jokes like that are funny!"

"It's not really a joke. I have to make it up to her, too..."

"I get that, but don't say it out loud!"

"You'd get even madder if I didn't say anything, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would!"

"The very personification of unreasonable... Right, now that we've settled that, let's get down to business. There are three big items remaining. I'm counting on you for some fabulous accessories, Lady Milmarinus, the Sapphire Fairy."

"It's not settled, it's a mess! And that title is banned!"

Just be direct. Don't be afraid to touch the affection I'm given. And from my side, I'll give it without fear.

Because I'm sure it'll be fine. I have no intention of betraying their trust in the future.

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Chapter Five, let's get fired up and go!