kscans

Chapter 65 - The Wielder, The Weaver

"Do you know anything about Terror Armaments?"

"Nope!"

When I gave my prompt reply, Kagura-san let out a wry smile. "Figured as much."

"The 'Terror' isn't from the word for fear, it's from 'teller,' as in a storyteller. To put it simply, it's like an Anima that can be crafted by players... in other words, a growth weapon."

"An Ani... wait, seriously?"

What's that? If it's a similar item, it should have popped up when I was researching Anima, but I have no memory of such information.

"It's no wonder you don't know about it from just a bit of research. It's a piece of content that rarely comes up in conversation, something that's treated as practically non-existent."

"Huh...? If it's a relative of the Anima, it should have come up when I searched for 'irreversible elements.'"

I was confident that I had scoured the internet pretty thoroughly for that kind of information, just like with Anima and whether or not you could respec your stats.

"It's not a matter of it being irreversible, it's a matter of it being impossible to obtain in the first place."

Ah, I see. So because it's something a beginner normally can't get their hands on, it's not listed in new player guides and the like—

"—Since the service for Arcadia began, only four players have successfully obtained a Terror Armament."

"Fo..."

Why? Say what?

"When a report of one being obtained comes out, it's a huge festival, but otherwise, no one really wants to talk about 'a powerful weapon you can't get.' They know that unfulfilled desire just turns into jealousy—"

"Wai—whoa whoa, hold on, stop, stop, stop!"

I get it, but that doesn't matter right now. What I need most urgently is a swift confirmation of the facts—in other words,

"This, Terror, okay?"

"The material for it, yeah."

—Hooooooooooo...

"—Are you serious?!"

"Whoa, you scared me! Don't just suddenly yell like that, though I guess it can't be helped."

As I looked up at the ceiling and let out a roar, my excitement soaring, the magic crafter who had brought me this unexpected good news let out an exasperated sigh.

"Wait a minute, calm down! Is it confirmed? Are you sure it's confirmed? Can you tell from just the material? No take-backs later like, 'oops, I was wrong, sorry,' right? How about that, give me the details."

"Hey, you're too close, you're loud, you're annoying! I get how you feel, but now it's your turn to calm down!"

Oops, I seem to have lost my composure for a moment. As an outlet for my overflowing excitement, I shoved the remaining snake fry appetizer into my mouth and washed it down with some mysterious-flavored sparkling water whose name I didn't know.

...Yep, the immense strangeness of not feeling full at all even after swallowing a mouthful of food. Okay, I'm calm.

"My apologies... but I'd really like an answer. How about it?"

"Geez—a magic crafter can tell even from the material stage. No, we have to be able to tell. In a way, a Terror Armament has immense value not just for the wielder, but for the creator... We can't afford to overlook it."

Hmm, I got the confirmation, which is definitely a roar-and-fist-pump-worthy event, but I tilted my head as Kagura-san started talking about something I didn't quite understand.

"The creator... you mean for a magic crafter, for you too, Kagura-san?"

"For me too, of course. Like I said before, only four players have obtained a Terror Armament so far. Some of them were obtained as fully-formed weapons, unlike this, but even if there's no crafting process, a magic crafter's hands are needed for the enhancement process—and what's important is that the magic crafter involved in the creation and enhancement of a Terror Armament gets a special perk."

...It's rare for her to be so dramatic with her words. In fact, the expression on her face right now is a level of serious I've never seen before.

As the tension became contagious, I swallowed nervously and silently urged my exclusive magic crafter (provisional) to continue.

"The unique title, Weaver of Legends—that is the honor bestowed upon a magic crafter who successfully forms a contract with a Terror Armament wielder. And the effect of that title is..."

"The... effect is...?"

With Kagura-san like this... the effect of this unique title, which makes even a veteran player like her so intense, must be an outrageous benefit beyond the imagination of a newcomer like me—

"You get to carve the artisan's name into your creations."

"That's an outrageous benefit from a completely different direction, huh?"

Well, I guess if a title that only a few people have been able to obtain after three years had some kind of cheat effect that affected the performance of the creations, it would cause riots.

"Wait, you can't normally put the creator's name on things?"

"You can physically carve it into the item. However, there are plenty of ways to trace the lettering, so it doesn't serve as proof of craftsmanship, and there are a fair number of players who don't like having someone else's name carved into their personal weapon. A signature is just for self-satisfaction, so it's only popular among master magic crafters who have established themselves as a brand."

"Huh, so the effect of the title is..."

"Creations made by a magic crafter with the Weaver of Legends title have their name systematically inscribed. Specifically, the player's name is listed at the bottom of the item description. If you tap on that name, you even get a little bonus profile that tells you who they are and which Terror Armament they were involved with."

Wouldn't people who don't like having names carved on their stuff still hate it?

"Sure, there are people who would hate to have the name of some random small-time crafter carved into their stuff, but there aren't many who would complain about receiving the signature of a master craftsman who has earned both the skill—and the luck—to be involved with a Terror Armament."

"Ah... yeah, that's true."

It sounds like it would bring good luck.

"It's more than just good luck. We're talking about the name of a master craftsman of whom there are only four... or five, with one more added... in this entire virtual world. Even if it's a mass-produced item, that work would carry an exceptional value as a one-of-a-kind brand."

Well, if they started handing out name-engraved items left and right, the value and prestige would plummet, she concluded. It seems you can choose whether or not to add the inscription during production, but honestly, I'd probably ask her to put it on.

"Now... for the main topic."

Seeing that I had understood about Terror Armaments—or more accurately, the benefits that the magic crafter involved in their creation would receive—she began.

"This discussion... you understand correctly which of us is in the superior position, right?"

"Perfectly."

She explained it so carefully. Even if I had no gaming knowledge or online gaming experience, anyone with common sense would understand.

In this situation, I am in the overwhelmingly superior position, by an incomparable margin.

Given the outrageous rarity and the immense value generated just by being involved in the creation, it's clear that the client gets to choose the artisan. In other words, it's not me asking an artisan, but artisans begging me to "please let me do it," and...

"...It's a mean thing to say, but couldn't you have just done it without telling me?"

"I want to have a long relationship with you. And besides, I could never do something as shameful as deceiving a customer. It's a matter of pride as an artisan."

Wow, that's so cool... Seriously, she's so suave I think I'm falling for her.

"Well, I'm trying to act cool, but honestly, if I did something like that, I'd get found out later and it would be the end of me. For me, it's better for the future to show my sincerity now and put you in my debt."

Seriously, winking mischievously like that is against the rules...

"So... what will you do?"

What will I do—the choice is none other than whether or not to entrust it to her.

"My clan, `Mirage Workshop`, is one of the two major artisan clans in the western nation of Vestol. And I'm one of the more prominent members, so I have some connections, both vertically and horizontally—if you want, I can put you in touch with artisans who are 'better' than me."

"...Seriously?"

Unconsciously, those words slipped out.

But it wasn't a voice of expectation, like, "Really? You'd do that?" It was one of astonishment, like, "You'd go that far? Seriously?"

As she said, if she wanted to show the utmost sincerity in this situation, that was the only way to do it.

But if our positions were reversed, I don't have the confidence to say the same thing she did.

So straightforwardly, so seriously, without a hint of hesitation... Even if this was just an act, I guess it can't be helped if I'm about to raise the white flag.

"Well, from my perspective, I was planning on it from the start..."

"It's a Terror Armament case, after all. If I bring it to them, our guild master, renowned as the 'Best,' and even that self-proclaimed rival next door at `Scorching Arm` would jump at the chance, not just with a 'yes,' but with a mountain of cash..."

"Well then, my exclusive magic crafter, I'm counting on you."

"Of course—I... ..."

I'll ask about the 'Best' and 'Scorching Arm' some other time. My casual interruption silenced Kagura-san, and she just stared at me.

"...Given your personality, I honestly thought you'd say that."

"Well, you know me."

"Just so you know, the performance of a Terror Armament also depends on the skill of the magic crafter. There's a guaranteed baseline worthy of its rarity, but there's also a chance it could end up as a half-baked item."

"Hmm."

"I have confidence and pride in my own skills. But as an artisan, I admit there are more people 'above' me than I can count on both hands."

"I see."

"I'm telling you I can introduce you to the ones I believe are the absolute best—and yet, you still want to ask me? Is that what you're saying?"

Her natural way of speaking was starting to show again, but it would be tactless to point it out at this timing.

I met her dead-serious gaze with a casual smile and tapped away at a window with one hand... A few seconds later, two mirror-image system windows appeared in front of both me and Kagura-san.

—Do you want to entrust the `Withered Fragment of the God-Wedge Armor` to Player: Kagura?

"I owe you one, too—well, let's set that aside. I'd rather have the name of a reliable artisan who's looked out for me than some random one, you know?"

"..."

Oh, I got a new expression out of her. It was worth trying to act cool, hehe.

"...Are you really sure?"

"A man never goes back on his word."

As I tried to act suave while joking around, her fingertips, which seemed to be trembling slightly, tapped the accept option for the trade.

The two windows closed with a soft sound. On the other side of the now-removed translucent curtain—I saw something burning in the magic crafter's eyes.

"Haru-kun."

"Yes, ma'am."

"What's your order?"

"I'd like a weapon. My current ones are all completely destroyed... If possible, something big and beefy that makes use of its size and weight."

"Slashing or striking?"

"Hmm... Slashing, I think. Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King's weapon was a greatsword, so I'd like to follow that theme."

"Understood."

She nodded in acknowledgement, but her eyes already seemed to be looking past me... past this place, even.

She remained silent for ten seconds, twenty, a minute, two long minutes—then, she shot up from her seat with enough force to kick over her chair.

"Give me three days."

"Uh, oh, got it."

"I'll contact you. When it's finished, from me, here again."

"Yes, uh-huh, okay."

Her mind was probably already completely engrossed in the design. After saying only that in fragmented words, Kagura-san headed for the door with a somewhat unsteady gait.

As I watched her go, stunned by everything, she spun around one last time and,

"—I'll do my best! Haru-kun, you're really, truly, the best!!"

How many new expressions had I seen from her today?

With a smile that burst like a firework, Kagura-san bounced out the door.

"..."

I watched her go, speechless, not even given a chance to react, and then,

"Formal language... is that her true self...? A pure, polite, well-mannered older sister type...?"

Without realizing my own confusion, I stared seriously at my empty cup and,

"Is she the best?"

My brain, fried by a gap moe that was hard to put into words, was left muttering foolish things to myself.