kscans

Chapter 800 - A Greeting Gift

—The heated, back-and-forth race concluded with my victory after I unleashed a pseudo-[Shukuchi] combined with a merciless [Kai] on the final straightaway.

It was a technique taught by the [Sword Saint]-sama and is undoubtedly one of the most unconventional skills in Arcadia today, but it's still a technique born from training. I see no reason to be called a cheater.

And my opponent seemed to have no complaints or objections to either the process or the outcome.

After running a course of over ten kilometers in roughly a minute flat, we exchanged smiles that were the very picture of refreshment (by our standards), with neither winner nor loser…

""You two were really having fun, weren't you? Did you enjoy yourselves?""

""We are very sorry."

What followed was, as expected, a foregone conclusion.

Having concluded our passionate battle, Hayagake-shi and I were made to sit seiza-style together, by order of the two girls who had been waiting for us at the goal, which was also the starting point.

""Really, this guy…""

""We are truly sorry."

Standing before us like sentinels were gold and indigo. Note that the former is not my partner. She's giving me the stink eye from the side.

Anyway, we're a group of four who, according to someone, have been judged as a kind of 'in-group'… and in this day and age, when a group of relatively close men and women get together, it's always the men who are in the weaker position. When you mess around and get scolded, all we boys can do is hang our heads.

Thus, the breakdown of the lecture directed at such weak and pitiful creatures was as follows—

"Honestly, give me a break. When one of your own does something embarrassing, we're the ones who get embarrassed. Oh, and by 'one of your own,' I mean as fellow clan members, of course."

"Are you idiots? Are you two little idiots? A full-power, ultra-high-speed dash outside the safe zone… what were you planning to do if you had an accident? Hmm?"

"If you want to act like boys on your own time, I could let it slide. But TPO, you know? Have you heard of it? 'Time,' 'Place,' and 'Occasion.'"

"How could you pull such a huge stunt right before something so important? Respaw…ning is okay since the Saintesses are here, but if you'd gotten a death penalty, 'idiot' wouldn't have even begun to cover it, you know?"

And so it went. A tsunami of sound reasoning, sound reasoning, and more sound reasoning. Well, of course, we had our own side of the story, some excuses…

""…Well, you see, we did save, and we were only going at about seventy percent, so we could have recovered if we were about to crash, yes. We did, uh, enjoy ourselves…""

We did, but.

"Wow, you're perfectly in sync. Amazing."

"You two really get along, don't you? It's almost funny how well you click."

""We're sorry."

When faced with the pressure of the two smiling girls, this was the result.

A hopelessly foolish person might have continued to pile on excuses, but fortunately, Hayagake-shi and I are common-sense-having boys (fools) who can just barely stop ourselves.

We're capable of sincerely apologizing after doing something stupid.

"…What are they doing?"

"Being idiots. Isn't that business as usual?"

"Haha…"

The conversation from my kouhai No. 1, Natsume-senpai, and kouhai No. 2, who had come over after hearing the commotion and were now observing the fools, stung my heart.

Adding to that, my senpai seemed to have immediately lost interest after witnessing my pathetic state and promptly turned on her heel and left, which only deepened the vortex of sorrow.

"Honestly…—Come on, let's go. Unlike the loner Hayassan, Haru-san is a busy person. Save the extra socializing for another time, please."

"Oh, okay… Roger that."

And then, as has become the usual routine lately, Hiyodori-san, who has become quite unsparing with me as well, grabbed the collar of the ninja outfit and started dragging Hayagake-shi away.

The way the unladylike action suited her… and the way Hayagake-shi didn't even show a hint of resistance, suggests this might be a common sight.

"Ah, no, wait a sec. Just a moment! Just one moment…!"

As I watched his sorrowful figure, unable to move myself as Nia glared at me, the ninja being scraped along the ground offered a slight resistance, as if remembering something.

With an `Ehh…?` expression, she narrowed her eyes, but whether out of mercy or not, his little sister—or rather, cousin—stopped walking… and in that opening, his eyes from within the ninja hood turned to me once more.

"—Thanks for putting in a good word for me!"

And with that, he offered a few words.

"Ahh…—Don't mention it! Let's talk again after the raid!"

The way Hiyodori-san and Nia tilted their heads suggests that only the three of us knew what that exchange meant.

Really, don't mention it. I'm glad you're happy, brother.

And after seeing off my new friend, who made a dramatic exit while being dragged away by a girl.

"Honestly… we ended up drawing weird attention. Idiot."

"If you wanted to avoid attention, you could have just ignored us instead of scolding…"

"Mmm???"

"It's nothing."

Left behind were just me and Nia.

And a few onlookers, including some friends and acquaintances—

"Ouch."

"Haru, maybe you could, like… make the difference between when you're calm and when you're not… a little more gradual… I, think, maybe, possibly?"

"What's with the super hesitant speech? Ah, yes, it was nothing, I'm sorry."

A cute little impact struck the back of my head, delivered by my partner.

However, the moment she clearly interacted with me, a reaction of varying degrees rose from the gallery… and a flustered Sora-san quickly ran away.

What was that? So cute—

"Stop it, don't poke the crown of my head."

"Hmph."

Next, while dealing with the indigo-haired girl who was, what can I even say about her.

Suddenly, I sensed a gaze… no, I've been getting gazes from all directions before and after the commotion, but this one clearly held a special intent.

Come on, notice me. Look over here. If I wasn't mistaken, that emotion was strongly imbued in it. When I turned to trace it—it was easy to pinpoint the source.

Our eyes met naturally, and she, of course, noticed too.

And so,

"Sorry, let me through."

It seemed she wasn't the type to hesitate when it was her turn. My prediction was correct. She called out confidently, parting the crowd, and came to stand before me with a dignified expression.

About her height, though. Standing tall and proud before me, who was sitting seiza-style, she only gained an advantage of about two heads. That scaling is incredibly cute.

Since it's an avatar she designed herself, it might be okay to mention it… but well, it's probably safest to keep my mouth shut until we get to know each other properly.

—Anyway,

"Umm… yes?"

She stood before me, but said nothing.

The little girl in the oversized black-and-red traditional-patterned hoodie, worn like a one-piece dress… or rather, the [Scorching Arm]-dono, third seat of the Western Faction, remained silent.

Five seconds, ten seconds, she continued to stare at my face as if appraising me.

"…You let a good one get away."

She muttered something I didn't understand, and then her expression suddenly softened.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

When I asked, she kept her thoughts to herself. But well, it's our very first meeting, so I'll just be grateful that a somewhat friendly expression has appeared on her face.

"I've heard all about your exploits, [Acrobat]. Especially that 'infinite kumite' you took on with Iris—that was insane. I got so fired up, I couldn't help but shout."

"Oh, uh… well, I'm honored by your praise."

"And your slightly humble demeanor in normal times is just as rumored. I prefer the you who's happily swinging weapons around… but well, this isn't bad either."

"Well, thanks…"

She continued her torrent of chatter with a cute voice. I had the impression she was taciturn during the introductions, but it seems that wasn't her true personality.

As I revised my impression, with Nia still perched on my head, I listened obediently to her words… and the girl looked at me once more, a hint of amusement in her eyes, before.

"Alright, well then—this is a thank you for the entertainment, and a token of our new acquaintance."

"Huh? Hey, whoa!"

She suddenly took a 'piece of work' from her inventory and, with a charming grin, tossed it to me with incredible carelessness.

"Ugh, nyah!"

And thus, a tragedy was born.

I managed to catch it reflexively at close range, which was good, but because I moved so suddenly, a rather genuine shriek came from Nia, who had been resting her chin on my head looking bored.

I don't even have to look to know she probably bit her tongue hard.

"Umm…?"

Anyway, setting aside the unimportant matters.

As if her business was done by throwing the object, she turned to leave. When I questioned her small, retreating back… she responded with a single, raised hand.

"Just like I said. If it's no use to you, feel free to display it in your room or something."

And with that, she left behind only her incredibly cool demeanor, unbefitting of her youthful appearance—correction. That, plus a 'piece of work' that radiated immense pressure.

"Ehh…"

Confused, I looked down at my hands, where a sheathed dagger now rested. It was given to me in such a cool way that I don't feel like giving it back, but…

"……………………………………Ehh…?"

Is this okay? Is this something I can really accept for a casual reason like 'a token of our new acquaintance'? I mean, the information pressure is—

"……………………………………………………?????"

—a little bit off, isn't it?

Trembling with questions, premonitions, and dread, I gently tapped the hilt with my fingertip to open the details window, and it was a one-hit KO. The information that floated before my speechless eyes was:

────────────────────────
[Diaus Altara]
Crafted Weapon: Dagger
Grade 50　Weight 31　Durability 1640/1640

An obsidian blade. Its budding lies with the star-fragment.
────────────────────────

Setting aside the simple and concise flavor text, the important thing is the abnormal numbers.

Thanks to the appraisal ability I gained when Nia granted me the [Mako] skill, I can now see three curt but crucial stats…

Weight is fine.

A value of 31 simply indicates a weight of just over three kilograms. It's ridiculously heavy for a dagger, but that's common in fantasy. With the strength of a superhuman avatar, this is practically nothing, so there's no real problem.

Durability is also fine.

In fact, this is the only part that's within the normal range. As far as I know, the average for the dagger category is around 1200, so this would just be considered 'quite a bit sturdier than average.' If you allocate resources to durability during crafting, you can get a result like this.

Which leaves the last stat, Grade—yep, this is weird. Am I imagining things, or do I see the very round number of 50? Please let me be imagining things.

"Wow… you got something pretty incredible, didn't you?"

"Y-yeah… this is something incredible, isn't it?"

Unfortunately, Nia-chan's words, having recovered from biting her tongue, confirmed that I was not imagining things. What is going on?

To be blunt, and it goes without saying, this is not something that can be casually tossed over.

For reference, the weapon I own with the highest grade is the jade blade I received from my master, [Samidorizuki], which has a numerical Grade of 51.

My next best, [Parabellum Bullet], is Grade 47, which means this thing—[Diaus Altara]—is a genuine top-of-the-line, high-end gear.

"………………"

Judging by the length of the scabbard, the blade is probably about fifty centimeters long. Including the hilt, the total length would be around seventy centimeters, not the scale of an orthodox dagger.

Including the fact that the guard is practically non-existent in size, it's what you'd call a gladius-type… As I thought that, I pulled the blade from its simple,渋-colored scabbard.

What emerged was a form of 'black' that didn't shine—but swallowed and sealed the light. The body of the sword was like polished obsidian, with smooth contours, as if a starless night had been solidified.

And the only part that was polished to a mirror finish, reflecting light, was its terrifyingly beautiful edge. The exquisite harmony they created was nothing short of a masterpiece, like a work of art.

"…Umm… Nia-chan? For reference, if you were to put a price on this…"

"Millions."

"………………………Ten? A hundred?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"…………………………………………Maybe I'll pass…"

I gently returned the blade to its scabbard, and suddenly felt a sense of dread just from touching it, so I used 'Recall' to send it straight to my inventory.

The fact that it was sent… means the system has recognized the transfer, and that it has now officially become mine.

"…S-she said it was a thank you, for the entertainment."

"She did say that."

"And a token, of our new acquaintance."

"Yup, said that too."

After confirming the facts, there was only one conclusion.

"—…Alright. I'll gratefully, put it to use, I guess."

There's no need to be startled, scared, or awestruck. If she's giving it to me, I'll just accept it. And if it's a gift given out of one hundred percent goodwill…

"Your voice is trembling, though."

"………………I-is it just my imagination?"

There's no need to hesitate, and no need to tremble, I'm sure.

---

Go on, tremble.

Ah, here are the specs for [Samidorizuki] and [Parabellum Bullet].
────────────────────────
[Samidorizuki]
Crafted Weapon: Katana
Grade 51　Weight 88　Durability 10100/10100
────────────────────────
[Parabellum Bullet]
Crafted Weapon: Tanto
Grade 47　Weight 1　Durability 1/1
────────────────────────

And while I'm at it, here are the specs for the sword Irori-san uses.
────────────────────────
[Restilia Broad]
Crafted Weapon: Longsword
Grade 33　Weight 62　Durability 1520/1520
────────────────────────

Note that in the current version of Arcadia, anything over 'Grade 30' is considered high-spec. The highest tier, known as high-end gear, remains around Grade 50.