kscans

Chapter 263 - Temporary Base in the Eastern Country

Having arrived in Azuma, the capital of the Eastern Country, Hayato's group followed Simon's lead toward the mansion that would serve as their base.

This was Hayato's first time in the Eastern Country, but he found the strange atmosphere somehow calming.

The wooden houses had tiled roofs, and the NPCs coming and going wore kimonos and yukatas. In this setting, Hayato's group's attire could be said to stand out.

Hayato's roots were Japanese, so he had done some research, and he guessed this place was based on Japan around the Edo period.

Esha and Ren seemed to be here for the first time as well, and they looked quite excited. Ren let out a soft "Haa" as she looked at the kimonos and yukatas the NPCs were wearing.

"Esha-san, those clothes are so pretty, aren't they? Don't you want to try one on later?"

"My Sewing Skill is in the negative, so if I wear fabric equipment, its durability gradually decreases. That is why I cannot wear anything other than this maid outfit with its self-repair function."

"...That's a curse, isn't it? What does it mean for you to have a curse even more powerful than mine?"

"To gain power, one must sacrifice all sorts of things."

In exchange for her sniping and magic skills exceeding their caps, some of Esha's other skills were in the negative. It wasn't just a negative number, either. It came with terrible demerits.

If she cooked, she would create new life forms. Animals, without exception, disliked her. Just by equipping fabric gear, its durability would be drastically reduced. In exchange, she was capable of attacks that could be called one-hit kills, but the price was steep.

"I see, that's a shame. Hey, Hayato-san?"

"I knew that was coming. No comment on that. Anyway, if you want to wear one, Ren-chan, I'll make it for you. But a little later, okay?"

"I'm looking forward to it!"

If Ren was getting one made, then Maris, Ney, and the other women of Kokuryu also asked for one, and Hayato ended up having to make them later. But for some reason, only Rosalie was lost in thought and didn't make any requests.

"Um, are you fine with that, Rosalie-san? It's no trouble, but if I'm making this many, I can make one more."

"I can make my own, so I do not need one. Like you, Hayato, my Sewing Skill is at 100."

"Eh? It is?"

"All the members of the Black Rose have a Sewing Skill of 100. Furthermore, we have received an ability from God to customize them further, so it would not be an exaggeration to say that when it comes to sewing, we are a step above you, Hayato."

"Customize? You mean you can freely add stats?"

"Not exactly. It means we can tweak the design a little. We can create equipment with unique designs. Generally speaking, the gothic lolita outfits of the Black Rose all have different forms, do they not? Those are all our own original designs."

Ney nodded in agreement with Rosalie's words.

"Rosalie's customizations are amazing! She showed me her customized swimsuit on the floating island, and it was seriously aggressive! That was powerful!"

"Don't go telling people that. And what do you mean, 'powerful'?"

Surprised, Hayato glanced at Diite. As if noticing his gaze, Diite gave him a slight nod.

(So it was a reward from Diite-chan. Still, design customization, huh. I don't have a sense for design, so it's not like I want that ability, but as a craftsman, I feel like I've lost somehow...)

In any case, Hayato prioritized performance. He wasn't that upset. It was just that some equipment had poor appearances despite their good performance. He had thought before about whether he could change it to a cooler look.

Just as he thought he would consult Diite later, Simon, who was walking at the head of the group, stopped.

Ahead of Simon was a large, Japanese-style mansion. From what Hayato knew, it looked like a long-established traditional inn.

"This is it. Well, with this many people, everyone should be able to have their own room. Go on up and make yourselves comfortable... In the Eastern Country, it's customary to take off your shoes. Do you know that? You take them off at the entrance there."

"Aye, I know. The last time I came, I went up with my shoes on and got yelled at."

As Ney said that, the other members of Kokuryu nodded.

Hayato, of course, knew this, but Ash and the others didn't, and they looked a little surprised.

"Exposing your feet feels a bit vulnerable, somehow. It's not a hassle since I can change equipment instantly, but... well, when in Rome, as they say."

Ash said that and stored his entire set of Death Dragon armor in his item bag, changing into normal clothes. The other members all seemed to be doing the same, unequipping their gear and putting it in their item bags.

Members who usually wore armor took off their full sets, but for members who normally wore regular shoes, they just took off their footwear and were otherwise in their usual attire.

However, some members' impressions changed a little once their shoes were off.

"Those high-heeled boots of yours are quite tall, Rosalie. So you were about the same height as me."

"This is the result of pursuing elegance—please do not stare so much at my boots. It is somewhat embarrassing."

Once everyone had their shoes off, just as he thought they were ready, Maris raised her hand.

"Excuse me, is it alright for my Siegfried to come up as well?"

"Of course, it's no trouble. In fact, there are many stray cats, or rather, cats that have made this mansion their den. If you find one in your room, just shoo it out. You can stay with it if you like, though."

As Simon said that, Esha and Ren ran off, trying to be the first ones there. They were probably trying to stay in a room with cats.

"Maris, could you tell the cats to evacuate? I'd be in trouble if Esha got attacked by a horde of them."

"O-Okay! Let's go, Siegfried!"

"Alright, let's all pick a room to stay in. Oh, and the materials you brought—"

"This way for those. But first, let's set up the temporary base. Once that's done, I'll show you to the storehouse for the materials."

By setting up a temporary base like a campsite, they could resurrect here even if they were defeated. They could also use a temporary storage, making it usable just like their main headquarters.

Hayato and the others immediately got to work.

Once everything was taken care of, Simon said he was going to report to the Princess and left the mansion.

Until Simon returned, they decided to lay low, and everyone waited in the mansion, doing as they pleased.

Hayato, Esha, Ash, and Ren gathered in Hayato's room. It was an eight-tatami mat room, which could be considered quite spacious for one person.

Hayato looked at Esha and sighed.

"Esha, I wish you wouldn't be so reckless."

"I was not being reckless. I was intentionally caught in the Cat Stampede. I enjoyed it immensely, so I can die happy now."

"It's not that you can die happy, you were defeated, you know? It's fine since Diite-chan had her resurrection magic, but I wish you would've at least waited until after we set up the base."

"I am being quiet now, am I not? The order was just a little reversed."

"You're not supposed to get the order wrong."

Esha had been found defeated in a room full of cats. It was very sad to see her being attacked again and again by the cats despite already being down, but she had a blissful expression on her face, so she herself probably had no problem with it.

After Maris moved the stray cats to another room, Diite revived Esha with resurrection magic.

To an outsider, it would have looked like the scene of a gruesome murder, but Esha said it was like heaven. That room was now Esha's.

"Hayato, it's just Esha being Esha, don't worry about it. Anyway, what's the plan for today? Are we logging out already?"

At Ash's question, Hayato placed his right hand on his chin and thought.

It was still too early to start preparing for the cafe, but there was nothing in particular to do.

He didn't know when Simon would be back, but he had said it would be late, so there was nothing more they could do today. Ney and the others had said they would explore the mansion, but while it was larger than usual, it wasn't so vast that it would take a whole day to check.

"Alright, let's log out for today and log in again at night."

Hayato said this, asked Ney to take care of things, and then logged out.