kscans

Chapter 782 - Two Cats

The next day at noon. My night had bled into midnight while dealing with a certain troublesome indigo-haired girl, and after a morning spent catching up on the studies I hadn't been able to touch...

"How's Natsume doing?"

Just like dinner the previous night, we were gathered around the table for lunch after a long time.

Ashe, the 'Princess,' was naturally present. With a major event on the horizon, she had already finished her preparations and had time to spare. Putting down her chopsticks, she asked me about the condition of our faction-mate.

I already knew they were on good terms from the way Nacchan-senpai was always calling her 'Princess,' this and 'Princess,' that. It was clear from her tone that she was genuinely concerned.

And knowing the ever-caring Princess, she wasn't just being adored and supported by her vassals; she was no doubt doting on her cute junior in equal measure. Which is precisely why she's so adored and supported in the first place. What a precious and heartwarming circle of bonds. How wonderfully splendid—

...I thought to myself, feeling a sense of peace from a perspective I had no right to hold.

"Mm, she's doing great. So great, in fact, that her adaptation speed is almost scary."

As ever, I had no intention of competing with the ridiculously fast eater next to me. I leisurely savored the Yotsuya Dormitory chef's special ginger pork set meal and gave my answer based on yesterday's events.

"I can't say for sure if she'll manage to get the [Rider] skill, but even if she doesn't, she'll probably get good enough to handle Sapphire on her own."

"I see. That's Natsume for you."

"You look so proud."

"Of course. She's a junior I'm proud of."

Is that so. We were still in the middle of our meal, but I felt like saying 'thanks for the meal' already.

"—Alright then, the next step. Today and tomorrow will go as planned..."

With that, Ashe's garnet eyes, still holding a faint smile, shifted to the person next to me. The other person sitting across from me, next to Ashe.

"..., ..."

She was silently munching on the pickles from her set meal, trying her best to erase her presence as usual.

"The three of you, get to know each other well."

This was for the three-person cell that would be the de facto linchpin of our strategy against Green Connect. The final member to join Nacchan-senpai and me now replied, not with reluctance or unwillingness, but...

`Yes.`

...still, it was clear she wasn't exactly thrilled, either.

She typed out the particularly small word on her device and let out a soft sigh.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—And so, this is [Thread-Weaver], Nacchan-senpai."

"Nice to meet you."

And so it began, right after lunch.

"And over here, we have Nia-chan, also known as [Milmarinus, the Blue-Jade Fairy]."

"Nice to... meet you... too."

Nia had surprised me several times with how well-connected she was, even among the top players, but it seemed she'd never met Nacchan-senpai before. This was their first meeting.

The kitten I brought with me was being welcomed by the indigo-haired girl in her home, the atelier... but I wonder, is it because they're both cat-like characters?

Am I just imagining that they seem to be mysteriously wary of each other?

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

See, this silence. It's not exactly an awkward or tense atmosphere, but it feels like their vibes just aren't meshing or syncing up...—

"Sorry, time out."

Then, it was the kitten-senpai who made the first move.

There was just one problem. Her action was directed not at the girl she was supposed to be befriending, but at the beautiful girl (not a girl) standing blankly beside her.

She grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and forcefully dragged me out of Nia-chan's workshop. When I was pulled outside and naturally gave her a questioning look, Nacchan-senpai mumbled something with an indescribable expression on her face before finally—

"You see..."

"Yes?"

"I'm, uh, that kind of person."

"Yes?"

"Despite how I look, or, I don't know how to put it..."

"What is it?"

After a long, drawn-out moment of mumbling and hesitation...

"I'm............................................ not shy with strangers, but..."

"I see. So you're shy with strangers."

As soon as her timid whisper escaped, I expressed my understanding, only to be met with an unreasonable glare from my scary senior, who still had a grip on my collar.

"That's not it...! It's not with just anyone! It's just... when it's someone famous, or, you know, a renowned person—anyone would be like that, right?!"

"I get it, I get it. I couldn't agree more, I completely understand from the bottom of my heart so please stop shaking me please you're gonna rip my head off please stop...!"

It's not that unusual for her to be like this. I understood that she was flustered for some reason, but if that was the case, I wish she'd told me before we came here.

I, too, have come to deeply, deeply understand that Nia is a 'famous player,' a 'renowned artisan,' and an 'amazing person.' Pulled along by our initial meeting and our current relationship, I don't for a moment underestimate the name she carries: [Milmarinus, the Blue-Jade Fairy].

To Nacchan-senpai, Nia is a distinguished senior as well. I get how she feels.

"I got it. You're nervous, so you want me to mediate and smooth things over. Order received and perfectly understood, so please calm down. Here, let go of my collar."

"S-sorry. I'm counting on you..."

"Yeah, yeah."

Nacchan-senpai is an honest, good kid. She can be a bit too honest with her emotions and words, but she's a genuinely good kid who can express both her apologies and her requests just as honestly.

No matter how rough she gets, my affection for her only seems to grow.

With our strategy meeting successfully concluded, I knocked on the door again for a re-do of our entrance. It probably wasn't necessary to wait for a reply, so I cheerfully started to re-enter—

"Alright. Come here for a second."

"Eh...?"

Just as I was about to step inside, a hand shot out from in front of me, grabbing my wrist and forcibly dragging me toward the work area at the back of Nia-chan's room.

Naturally, I shot her a questioning look, only for Nia to give me a rude expression, as if looking at a criminal...

"Were you flirting with her?"

"I was not. I would not. There's no way I would—hup!"

"Ow!"

Using `Recall`, I instantly unequipped my transformation avatar's arm and leg gear and, without a shred of mercy, delivered a STR: 0 quality flick to the forehead of my exclusive artisan for her utterly ridiculous pronouncement.

My speed alone is top-tier, so it made a nice, sharp sound, but there's no need to worry. An artisan build may be frail compared to a warrior's, but her avatar is still superhuman compared to a real body.

She yelped and staggered back slightly, glaring at me, but I saw no need to apologize. In fact, I wanted an apology for even being suspected of 'something like that.'

As if I had any room to look at anyone else now.

"Stop saying stupid things and tell me what's necessary. What's wrong, Nia-chan? Why were you, a monster of social skills, frozen up in silence? Hey, no clinging!"

The partitioned work area was technically out of sight from the main room where Nacchan-senpai was probably waiting. But that didn't mean I could be lenient with her while someone else was in the same space.

So, I dodged with all my might. She made a clear pouty face, but I had to draw the line with an iron will. Yes, I really, really had to.

After all, the three of us are going to be a team.

If my senior were to look at us with disdain, thinking, Do I have to team up with this pair of idiots in love (who aren't even a couple)?... my spirit would be utterly crushed.

"Hmph...! C'mon, just a little bit is fine, hmph...!"

"Stop pouting. Now, talk. Why were you two staring at each other in silence?"

"Mmmph...! —............Why? It's obvious, isn't it?"

And so, my urgent task was to play mediator. Following up with Nacchan-senpai, I conducted a one-on-one, back-to-back mysterious counseling session, and the result was... well, you can guess.

"I-it's normal, right? To get nervous when you meet someone famous for the first time?"

"Okay, you two are perfectly compatible. Go on and clash head-on without fear."

I predict no problems for this squad's future.

And with that, my farce of a mission was swiftly completed, and we could move on to the next step.

---

This is pretty much what happens when you introduce two cats for the first time.