kscans

Chapter 681 - Interlude: The Way Home

"—Thank you for everything these past few days. I'm sorry for making you stay up so late."

"Please don't worry about it. A disciple shouldn't hold back with their master."

This final expedition, the fourth one, took a little over six hours round trip.

Counting from our usual meeting time of 9:00 PM real time, it was now half past one in the morning… We had landed on Sapphire's back in a forest near the [Safe Area] to avoid unnecessary attention, and there were two passengers.

Namely, me and Ui-san. The other three had already logged out.

Sora and Kanata logged out simply because of the time, and Tetra left the virtual world saying, "I'm tired"—their empty avatars now resided in the 'other world' held by the [Sword Saint].

Her Terror Armament, [True Name: Rear Truffles, Secret Key of the Divine Hall Loving the Outer Heavens]… My master has been coy, telling me, "The details are a secret," but I've managed to figure out a rough outline, including its name.

Simply put, it's like a portable pocket dimension. She has free reign over the creation of the world inside and its rules. Furthermore, it's not an instance, a temporarily generated space, but a persistent 'other world,' so she can even store players inside and carry them around.

Needless to say, it's a game-breaking concept, a ridiculously overpowered privilege for a single player to possess. I can understand why she's keeping it a secret.

It's best to use it discreetly, quietly, and modestly. Just like now, to reduce the burden on the younger members.

Even so,

"We're incredibly compatible as master and disciple, aren't we? Even if I go ridiculously far with my 'legs' and can't get back, in the worst-case scenario, you can just whip out your inviolable 'home' as a safe zone."

I learned more about Ui-san's Terror Armament after she joined the clan. That is to say, I wasn't aware beforehand of the advantages it would bring to our group activities.

That's precisely why our seemingly tailor-made compatibility made me laugh now.

"Fufu… That's two things that make me happy, then."

"Hm? Two things?"

It was a short journey to the bustling city. Listening to the sounds of a forest different from the bamboo grove surrounding her residence, I turned to my master, whose eye level was the same as mine in my transformed body—

"One is that I can be of use to the clan. The other… is a secret."

"Then I won't ask."

This disciple, too, finds it 'joyful' that his travels with his master are so compatible.

"—Haru-kun."

It wasn't quite embarrassment.

Feeling a ticklish sensation, I turned my gaze forward, but then my name was called again. Before, I could only see her profile, but this time, my eyes met her gray ones…

Two seconds, three seconds passed, but no words came, so I opened my mouth.

"…Well, where should we go tomorrow or the day after? Sora was excited about the weekend finally being here, so I'd like to go somewhere fun and lively."

"…You're right. This time, I'd prefer a place where my hair and clothes don't get soaked."

"Haha. Even with the special specs, it was a bit of a nuisance, wasn't it?"

"Fufu, Sora-chan seemed to have a particularly hard time."

"It's the volume of her hair, though not as much as my transformed body. Looking back, she should have braided her own, not just mine."

"Perhaps… she was too shy to have matching hairstyles?"

"How cute is that. Let's assume that was the case."

"Sora-chan is truly adorable, isn't she?"

I didn't think I needed to receive any formal words. That would be too much to bear… and above all, too embarrassing.