kscans

Chapter 893 - Away from the Tumult

Well then.

Now that the main business was settled, it would be a shame to head back so soon after coming all this way—though thanks to the speed of my 'wings,' it felt like a short trip. Besides, everyone probably hadn't had their fill of 'vacationing' yet.

In that case, with our work done, there was only one thing for us to do. And that was to continue.

"Alright, here I go—heave-ho!"

"—Hah!!"

A splash of water, a fish's silhouette dancing in the air.

And amidst the droplets, a flash of 'thread' and a 'fist' that shot through stardust.

After all our training, after fighting side-by-side on the battlefield, I'd say—and I don't think it's just pride—that our combination has become quite formidable.

And so, matching our breathing was a piece of cake… or rather, a literal pre-lunch snack.

I may have shooed them away from the swimming area, but this lake was actually teeming with small- to medium-sized aquatic [Stardust Beasts]. It was unclear whether they spawned in the lake itself or came up from 'below,' but it meant that 'prey' was ripe for the picking.

When a master of threads whose original nature is perception-based joins the fray, it's only natural that the scene of hunting—or rather, fishing—becomes wonderfully merciless.

This was far beyond simply fishing with a single line.

Once a school of fish was caught, they were all hauled out of the water instantly. On top of that…

"Whoa…"

"They're going to drive the lake's ecosystem to extinction in about five minutes…"

The moment a fish's body was dragged from the water, my remote punch from [Volcanate] would unerringly strike and kill it. Between my actions and hers, the two artisans behind us were looking on, completely taken aback.

I understand the feelings behind their shocked gazes and comments. But of course, aside from respawns, I have no intention of hunting them all to the last.

"How many more should we get?"

"Two hundred should be enough, don't you think?"

As souvenirs for the guys (our group members) who we unfortunately had to refrain from inviting, as it was unanimously and immediately decided to be 'No Boys Allowed (with exceptions)' for various dangerous reasons.

And with that, we just needed to secure enough for our own lunch.

And so.

"Okay. Let's wrap this up."

"I think that's a quadruple entendre. Since you're the [Thread-Weaver], get it?"

"Stop making dumb jokes and move your hands… Hup!"

The 'thread' reeled them in, the 'fist' finished them off, and the 'thread' once again secured the [Stardust Relic] that burst from the shattered stardust, and so the infinite loop continued.

It was a criminal-level spectacle far worse than blast fishing, but please, forgive us—

Thus, two minutes later.

"—A big haul."

"Natsume-chan, if this were the real world, you'd be instantly blacklisted by the fishing union."

"Why?"

"What about me?"

"You'd probably be arrested by the national defense force or something."

"Why?!"

Is it because I have personal control over the airspace? Well, jokes aside.

Just as Ri-na said, our fishing expedition was a bountiful success. The pile of [Stardust Relics] numbered just over the planned two hundred, and we had secured more than enough for both lunch and souvenirs.

As an immediate share of the spoils, perched atop the pile of stones, was Veshna the little mouse, for whom even a small relic was the size of her body. The sight of her contentedly nibbling away at what was presumably a fish-flavored treat was heartwarming.

"…It looks like leveling this one up is going to take forever. In terms of mealtime, I mean."

"You'd think so, right? But if you give her a lot at once, she'll nibble on a few and then GWOOMPH!!! she inhales the rest in an instant. Cute, isn't she?"

"No, that's terrifying. What kind of creature is she, anyway?"

But let's once again set aside the banter between the kitten and the indigo girl.

While we were busy fishing, the two artisans who had been watching in shock weren't just observing. Using the natural materials lying around, they quickly built us a magnificent 'kamado' stove that looked completely out of place for an impromptu outdoor setup.

It looked so good it could have been a professionally made product; in the real world, it would probably be treated as a stylish, high-end item. It almost ruined the rustic atmosphere, but luckily, no one here cared.

By the way, Ri-na-chan, who looked like she hadn't done anything but wore a 'I did my job' expression, had set the grilling rack she'd borrowed from Tesshin-san on top. Good girl.

"Alright, let's get started."

"I'll leave it to you, but are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I may not have the skill, but I do have the technique. Rest assured."

And so, I casually brushed off the skeptical-looking kitten.

We had the catch… though that's irrelevant in a game. We had fish, we had a stove, and we were under the open sky. In that case, what we had to do was obvious.

"Ah, the fire. What should we do?"

"That's no problem either."

With a `Recall`—I tossed not a branch or firewood into the stove's mouth, but a single dagger. Its name was [One-Off-Desire (Headless Infernal Fang Sword)]…

"Burn."

…a wonderfully useful and convenient weapon with a simple one-command ignition function.

Its intended use in combat is to embed the blade in an enemy by throwing it or some other means, then follow up with a remote fire blast. It can be ignited without being held through simple words or mental commands, and the heat can be adjusted literally as I please, making it extremely user-friendly.

Its only drawback is a slight lack of firepower when it comes to serious battles with what I consider 'strong enemies,' but for a standard weapon, it's undeniably excellent.

If I continue to enhance it carefully, it will likely follow the path to becoming a powerful weapon—

"………………That thing you have, you…"

"Yeah?"

"Well, if you're fine with it, then I guess it's fine, but…"

"Yeah."

My senpai was making a strange face, but I knew what she wanted to say.

My Anima, [Alv Stella, True White Star Sword], is somewhat famous by now, and along with it, the self-inflicted episode of me being hated by my weapons has also made the rounds.

So, she was probably thinking something along the lines of, 'Are you using your weapons in a way that'll get you hated again…'.

Don't worry. In a way, this meal is also an act of 'receiving life,' so by rounding it up, it's synonymous with combat. In that case, contributing to the cooking is a respectable battle achievement, so my Desire sword will surely consent to unleashing its firepower. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

You'll consent, right? Please forgive me.

"You did say you could cook, Haru-san. Let's see what you've got."

"Hm? Oh yeah, I mentioned that during the Triangle Duo."

"Is a barbecue really considered cooking?"

"It is. Just grilling is, in a way, the most difficult part."

"Come to think of it, Ri-na, you can cook too, right? Wait, do you have the skill?"

"I don't. In real life, I only help out with cooking."

"If you're helping out, that's impressive. For a busy idol, that's super impressive. You're amazing."

"…………"

"Wh-what is it? What's wrong, Nia-chan? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Hmm… Can I take this as you two flirting by communicating with your eyes?"

"Why don't you get in the stove? If you're that hot, you should be able to cook a fish."

"What is that supposed to mean???"

And so, it was peaceful, so very peaceful.

With the gracious assistance of the divine dagger whose heat I could freely control, and coupled with the fact that real-world cooking techniques play a role in this game, the success of our lunch was guaranteed.

So we'll fill our bellies, play in the lake a little more (except for me)… and so, the rankers' vacation, a girls' party of sorts filled with busy people, would likely proceed without any major ups or downs.

That was perfectly fine. It's good to have days like this every once in a while.

I'm sure it wasn't just me; everyone here felt the same way.

"—Hm?"

"Huh?"

"Whoa!?"

"…?"

"What?"

When each of us simultaneously felt a faint tremor coming from under our feet.

I instinctively looked up, Nia glanced around restlessly, Nono-san got slightly spooked, Ri-na tilted her head, and Nacchan-senpai narrowed her eyes—

"That's far."

"I think… it's far."

"That's super far away."

"Far."

"It's far."

Each of us, with our unfailingly sharp physical abilities (avatar specs), sensed the distance to the 'epicenter,' and the moment we realized it was so far away that even my legs couldn't easily reach it…

"…Well, someone's probably having fun somewhere."

It was only natural that everyone agreed with my casual mumble and brushed it off.

Because again, it's good to have days like this every once in a while.