kscans

Chapter 933 - The Weaver of a Different Branch

"—Aaaah…"

About ten minutes after we had more or less settled things.

Well, I was aware of it, but I'm a simple guy. After hearing her secret, or rather, her inner self, my sense of familiarity with the Saintess grew instantly. I let her lead me to the Western Faction.

This was also my first time setting foot here, just like the North. If Nortalia was 'blue,' then Vestol was 'green.' Amidst the cityscape painted in the faction's calm colors, a splash of red stood out…

No, not red. You could call it the color of 'scorching' heat.

In the Garden of Divine Creation's main player district, the Safe Area, stood a massive building with a rather elaborate exterior, different in style from the 'tofu block' structures. It was the headquarters of one of the two major artisan guilds, a name known to all in Arcadia, standing alongside the famed Mirage Workshop—the other guild, named, quite simply, Guild.

"Aaaah…"

As for why I was letting out such a dumbfounded sound while my thoughts slid from 'surprise' to 'question' to 'understanding'…

"—What's with that reaction?"

The reason was that in a corner of this massive artisan guild's massive headquarters—more specifically, at its very apex—in a spacious, office-like room, a small figure sat perched on a large chair at a large desk. And that small figure had just been introduced as the 'Bookbinder.'

"Well, you see… Kagura-san. The first time I talked to our 'Weaver of Legends' about Terror Armaments and all that, she offered to put in a word for me and mentioned your name."

"Hm…? Oh, you thought you can't have multiple contracts for Terror Armaments, didn't you?"

"Huh? You can?"

"You can. At least, we artisans can."

And so it was.

A memory from the past. Kagura-san had offered to act as an intermediary for me with a craftsman she said was 'ranked above me'—and that craftsman was now before me, the current third-ranked member of the Western Faction, the Scorching Arm.

…In other words,

"My apologies, I had no idea."

"Well, it's basically useless trivia. Don't worry about it."

I was in the presence of none other than the 'Weaver of Legends' for [Will-No-Erma (Prologue: Heroism Recorded in Dragon's Solace)].

Sayaka-san encountered the 'dragon bone' three years ago. So, at the time I obtained the fragment from [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King], she must have already been under contract for a different matter… My mistaken question about 'why Kagura-san would try to introduce us' was corrected.

Come to think of it, since its existence was a secret, there's no way Kagura-san would have known. I had come to my own conclusion, but that wasn't the case at all.

So that's how it is. You can have multiple contracts.

In that case, perhaps it's not just the artisans, but the wielders too…

"But still…"

Setting that aside for now.

The Scorching Arm, Kokoro-san, fixed her golden eyes, which shone from beneath her garnet-red short hair, on me. As always, she was a person who radiated an authority that belied her small stature.

"Sayaka, you really do have a thing for that type, don't you?"

But while her eyes were on me, her words were directed sideways. Sayaka-san, who was targeted by the incomprehensible remark, stood next to me, calmly—

"…………"

—smiling her usual gentle smile… or so I thought, but she was making another rare face.

Her cheeks were faintly flushed with embarrassment. She said nothing, averting her gaze from both Kokoro-san's and mine, as if trying to brush something off.

No, not just brushing it off. It was more like she was silently pleading, Don't touch that subject.

"Getting rejected by that one and now moving on to this one, you can't deny it anym—"

And then, in an instant.

"Whoa!"

"…………"

""————""

I was startled by the sudden event. The Saintess remained silent. And the Scorching Arm was made silent.

Without any warning, a dazzlingly clear cage of light had appeared. The girl, now trapped in it along with her large chair, seemed to be saying something, but her voice couldn't reach us outside.

As if this were a declaration of defeat, the 'Weaver of Legends' inside the cage of light smirked with a good-natured—or rather, a very smug—smile. Meanwhile,

"…Haru-sama."

"Y-Yes."

Light magic.

And it was a silent, chantless spell, cast as naturally and stealthily as breathing.

As someone who correctly understood just what kind of high-ranker the 'wielder' and Saintess, the Orb Law, was, I swallowed all my retorts and anything else and nodded obediently.

For a split second, I considered sitting in seiza. The pressure was magnificent.

But well, it wasn't me who was teasing her, so…

"Kokoro will say all sorts of things, but they are all lies. She is a very mean person."

"Understood."

As long as I don't do anything foolish, that won't be directed at me.

And so, once the cage was dispelled, their familiar conversational play began.

"…Honestly. You haven't changed, have you?"

"The fact that you said 'you also' means you're basically admitting to it yourse—"

"Shall I seal you away for an hour?"

"Man, you're scary. What kind of 'Saintess' are you? You're a light-attribute demon."

"…You truly are a rude person. Besides, I am not the one who calls myself a 'Saintess.'"

"Like you're not secretly pleased with it."

"…………"

"What's wrong, Saintess? You've lost your usual vigor. Are you trying to act all prim and proper in front of the protagonist… no, the hero you finally found? What, you got a cute side to y—"

"…………"

""—, ————""

Even in this short time, I got the gist of it. These two were close.

So, there was no need for me, the newcomer, to worry about their relationship. I decided to just watch quietly. Please, by all means, banter to your heart's content.

And so, after a few minutes of peaceful observation.

"Hey, my bad, Acrobat. Somethin' about seein' this one just makes me wanna tease her."

"Honestly… Haru-sama does not have all day, either. Let us get to the main topic already."

It had been at least several years since their encounter with their shared 'story.'

This odd couple, who had just demonstrated the form of their unbreakable bond, turned to face me, who had been left behind—one with a mischievous grin, the other with a bashful smile.