kscans

Chapter 99 - I Wasn't Told About This x2

The next morning—the day of the Four Pillar War Selection Match.

The three of us, the artisan pair and I, gathered at the usual Istia tavern.

I had, of course, told Sora about how I’d gotten swept up into aiming for a Four Pillar entry. She told me she’d cleared her schedule for today and tomorrow to come cheer me on.

Since it was a good opportunity, I also invited her here to introduce her to Kagura-san and Nia—but we arranged for the three of us to meet up a little earlier.

The reason was a small surprise… Well, you know. I just wanted to show off my brand-new look after it was completely finished—

"Nia-chan."

"Hee hee, what is it?"

"You're a genius."

"But of course!"

After slipping into my new attire, I gazed at my avatar in the large full-length mirror Nia had pulled from her inventory—then gave the one who had tailored it a heartfelt thumbs-up.

The overall color scheme was white and azure. The name of this outfit, inspired by the image of a blue sky with flowing clouds, was—[El-Gran Series - Outer] and [El-Gran Series - Lower].

Apparently, the black full-length inner suit I received as a bonus was a freebie. I gratefully accepted it as well.

First, the outer garment. The overall silhouette was a short hoodie style, with three-quarter sleeves and a hem that came down to the middle of my back.

The slightly oversized hood was a distinctive feature. Not only was it a nice accent that could be pulled down low, but it also had a certain gimmick that was quite useful for me.

Next, the lower garment, also three-quarter length. While not exactly cargo pants, they were made with a slightly looser fit for ease of movement.

There was a decoration on the back resembling a sash, but it seemed to be partially an effect, a wonderful design that wouldn't physically get in the way.

It was also designed so my newly-made sword belt fit perfectly, harmonizing completely with the scabbard of the [Rabbit Dagger, Parabellum] slung behind my waist.

Everywhere, the details of the ornamentation were exquisite.

From the top of my head to the tips of my toes, there was a magnificent sense of unity.

And the perfect color sense of the white and azure, derived from two types of feathers.

It made even a plain-faced guy like me look good—I had no choice but to call it a magnificent, flawless creation.

"Can I say something incredibly cringey?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I look pretty damn cool right now."

Oh man, I just uttered a piece of vanity that would normally give me goosebumps, yet my mental state didn't waver in the slightest. Is this the power of a god-tier outfit…!

"It's not cringey, you look great! As expected of Nia-chan, you get it!!"

For now, at least, I couldn't fault Nia for getting twice as carried away as usual.

A feeling of elation I'd never felt before filled me—not even comparable to when I first put on my middle or high school uniform, back before Arcadia was released.

I think this is because it suits me in the truest sense.

My first-ever custom-made outfit—a masterpiece tailored just for me by the little indigo girl currently twirling around and getting carried away.

…Yeah, I'm seriously indebted to her for this.

"Nia."

"Feh?"

Called by name in a serious tone, Nia stopped moving as if caught off guard.

"I really, really like this—thank you."

I was surprised at how naturally a smile escaped me. Come to think of it, this might be the first time I've shown her this kind of expression and tone of voice—

"I-I… well, um… th-thank you… for the compliment…"

For some reason, Nia's face turned red, and she averted her gaze as if to escape.

"…? Is something—"

"—I think it suits you too. Not to say the clothes make the man… but still."

Kagura-san cut in just as I was about to ask, patting me on the back. When I turned around, she had a rare smirk on her face.

"No, I'm honestly surprised. Even more so since this is just a side gig for her."

"Nia's got an outstanding sense of design. The reason I was vague about the price of the outfit I gave you before is largely because her creations are practically a brand of their own."

"Seriously…"

Yeah, she's serious. Having seen it so vividly with my own eyes, I no longer had any doubt about Nia's skill—and if that was the case.

"Hey, how much is this gonna—"

I turned back to ask, but… huh, I couldn't spot that indigo color anywhere in my vision.

Odd, I thought, looking around—and saw Nia cowering behind Kagura-san's back.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"…I-It's nothing."

It sure didn't look like nothing… but well, her mysterious behavior wasn't anything new.

"Um, so how much will this cost? Sorry, but I don't have enough on me right now, so I'll have to sell some materials to pay for it—"

If I sold off some of the super-rare [Ruby Rabbit Demon Horns], which hadn't even hit the market yet, it should be enough to cover the cost.

Hunting rabbits in the [Spiral Crimson Tower] was a piece of cake for me now. For a certain reason, I had no particular intention of monopolizing the materials, so I had no hesitation in releasing them to the world—

"Y-You don't have to pay."

—or so I thought… wait, I don't have to? Why???

"No, come on… I can't just accept something this amazing for free."

"I-It's fine! I made it because I wanted to in the first place… and, um, it was meant to be a show of support…"

Nia cut off my natural protests, her words trailing off as she strung them together.

"So, you know…!"

Peeking out from behind Kagura-san's shadow, Nia pressed her hands against her very red cheeks and whispered.

"You praised me… so that's good enough…"

"…I-I see."

…You know, when you react that transparently, it kinda makes me blush too.

I recalled what Kagura-san had vouched for—that she was surprisingly shy.

So, unlike her usual antics, she got flustered when praised seriously—I have to admit, the thought that she had a cute side was, in its own way, a blunder on my part.

"W-Well… anyway. I'll just consider this a debt I owe you, so if you ever need anything, just let me know, alright?"

I'll help with whatever I can. Though it was a bit presumptuous for a rookie like me to say, Nia, who had ducked back behind Kagura-san, nodded her head up and down.

When our eyes met again, Kagura-san silently conveyed, 'She's pretty cute, isn't she?' with a smile. I returned an ambiguous smile of my own, not saying a word…

—It was then that the tavern door quietly opened.

"G-Good morning…?"

Perhaps because I had told her beforehand that there were people I wanted to introduce her to. A girl with flowing golden hair appeared, peeking into the tavern with a timid air.

"—Eh…"

"—Heah…"

"Ah…"

The gazes of the three women, meeting for the first time, crossed. Kagura-san and Nia let out sounds of surprise, while Sora voiced her understanding.

Then, a moment later, Sora's gaze shifted to me—

"G-Good morning, Haru."

"Morning, Sora."

I exchanged greetings with Sora, who was still embarrassed to call me by my name without an honorific—and in the next instant, I was grabbed from two directions and dragged into a corner of the tavern.

"Whoa, wha— What are you doing?!"

"Haru?!"

I yelped, and Sora cried out in surprise. Ignoring our mutual confusion, the two artisans who had apprehended me closed in, cornering me against the wall with surprising intensity.

"Hey, too clo—"

"Haru-kun, what in the world is that all about?"

"Hey, hold on a second? Nia-chan wasn't told about this, you know?"

"You kept saying 'my partner, my partner,' but you never once mentioned she was a girl, did you?"

"What's with that girl? She's crazy cute, you know? Do you get it? She's insanely cute!"

"From the way she was keeping up with your ridiculous pace, Haru-kun, I just figured she was a male friend with a similar energy!"

"That is so not cool! No, really, that is not cool at all!!"

Without even a chance to get a word in, I was subjected to a furious verbal assault from the artisan duo.

In the corner of my vision, the abandoned Sora was looking back and forth in bewilderment, and I was probably making a similar face.

"…!"

"Hiih…?!"

Nia, who was grabbing me by the collar, whipped her head around with a snap! Sora, now the target of her gaze, flinched and took a step back.

Don't make such horror-movie movements. Where did the demure Nia-chan from a moment ago disappear to?

"Uh, um… Sora-chan? Was it?"

"Y-Yes!"

Even the little indigo girl, it seemed, wouldn't go completely wild on a gentle-looking beauty like Sora right from the start.

Their voices laced with mutual confusion, they sized each other up, approaching their first contact.

"Um, are you… this thing's… partner? Teammate? Am I correct in assuming that?"

Who are you calling 'this thing'?

"Um, yes…!"

Though confused by the sudden, strange turn of events, Sora was a serious and good girl. With a tense expression, she straightened her posture, and with all her might, she bowed her head.

"I am Haru's partner… Sora! It's a pleasure to meet you…!"

"Eeeh?!"

"Part-nuh…?!"

"Now what is it…"

At Sora's self-introduction—or rather, at one part of it—the two let out cries of shock and began to stab me with glares that were practically daggers.

Kagura-san, who had let out a high-pitched shriek I'd never heard before, was shooting me a death glare, and Nia was so speechless she looked at me like I was the one who had killed her parents.

What is it? What are you two feeling?

Is it really so wrong for a plain-faced, average-looking box of surprises to have a partnership with a literal angel of a girl like Sora?

…Actually, I'm starting to feel like I might be guilty. If I were a third party looking at me, I'd almost certainly sentence myself to hell—

"…Sorry, Sora-chan, we're just going to borrow your partner for a bit, okay?"

"Eh? Um…"

"It'll be over in a flash, so could you just wait here for a moment?"

Pulling on the arm she had clamped down as if to ensure I couldn't escape, Nia began to drag me toward the back of the tavern. Meanwhile, Kagura-san, with a gentle smile I'd never seen before, offered Sora a chair.

A strange intuition told me that resisting would only lead to trouble, so I let myself be dragged along by the indigo girl—knowing full well that this would certainly not be 'over in a flash,' I let out a sigh at my helpless situation.