Chapter 231: An Unintended Fame Tax
Clang, clang, clang, clang. Clink, clink, clink, clink.
In the workshop, where the sounds were much more metallic than with Effuielle, there was a jet-black rabbit.
Bilac: "Hey. 'Bout time ya showed up."
Sunraku: "I'm here! How'd it turn out?"
Bilac: "A result so good it's downright criminal I couldn't make a whole set. Here, first the shield... a Re-Legacy Weapon from yours truly. The name's 'Dis Pater, Nether King’s Mirror Shield'!"
Sunraku: "Oooh...!"
Bilac handed me a bluish-black small shield shaped like a steel disc, its appearance clearly far from fantasy. ... Huh? The category says it's a large shield.
Bilac: "Even in death, the life force that lingers in a single scrap of bone... The stuff you brought me is the finest quality you'll ever find. So I took the liberty of turning it into a Re-Legacy Weapon."
Whoa! So if I put force on the grip, the outer edge expands outward and turns it into an even bigger shield!
Ah, this is fun. While I'm messing around with it, Bilac whacks my shin with her hammer. Hey, stop that! I don't have any armor there; that could be lethal!
Sunraku: "Whoa! You really are a master artisan!"
Bilac: "Heheh. Too early to be singin' my praises! Next up is this!"
Sunraku: "Woo-hoo!"
A sword, one that could be wielded in one hand yet carries a distinct weight, is placed on the anvil.
It's a single-edged sword, the color of the sea. Unlike Duxram, Blade of Aspiration, which feels like a solid piece of metal, this one feels different, more like a predator's fang made of bone, reinforced with steel.
Bilac: "The 'Blue Predator, Sea-Eater Sword'. I ain't used to workin' with sea beast materials, so I borrowed some techniques from other sword-makin' styles."
Sunraku: "Nice weight. No complaints if I'm using this alongside the shield."
Bilac: "And, there's more!"
Sunraku: "Woo-hoo!"
Emul: "Sunraku-san, Bilac big sister, don't ya ever get tired, wa?"
That's just how the "woo-hoo!" types are, isn't it? The one who gets tired first drops out, and the last one standing earns the title of True Woo-Hoo Master. ... If it's for 100% completion, sure, but if not, I don't really need it.
Sunraku: "...Hey, Bilac."
Bilac: "What now?"
Sunraku: "Am I wrong to think you... planned this look?"
The final piece Bilac presented was a helmet and waist armor made largely from materials from a giant oarfish, Arctus Regalex.
Called the "Lacedaemon Set," it's designed to loosely resemble its source material, Arctus Regalex.
I put on the Lacedaemon Helm, which, if we're talking real-world history, looks a lot like certain helmets from a certain era in a certain region. Then I equipped the Lacedaemon Girdle, which felt less like armor and more like clothing with a few bits of armor attached. I looked myself over.
Half-naked. A helmet. A cape. A round shield. ... How does this not scream "Spartan"? Yeah.
Sunraku: "Hey, Emul. Which is less weird: a half-naked wrestler or a half-naked Spartan soldier?"
Emul: "I dunno what a 'Spartan' is, but ya were already weird the moment ya were half-naked, wa."
Sunraku: "Yeah, true... Ah, whatever."
The stats are good, after all. I learned that equipping the full set gives you hyper armor against chip damage, and I totally bit my lip, but I'm not bitter about it.
This is a last stand where everything's on the line. Even chip damage is lethal, so I can't build around taking hits anyway!
Sunraku: "Emul! We're going hunting!"
Emul: "Hai na! Where are we goin', wa?"
Sunraku: "To finish an errand before someone gets pissed off that I left 'em waiting too long."
The errand quest assigned for the next stage of the Bonus Unique Scenario, "Epic of Vorpal Bunny."
Receive, coordinates, transmit... the three Delta devices. According to Vash, these key items are located in the Ruins of Lost Glories.
It's a place that doesn't bring back fond memories—where that damn wolf renewed my curse, where that dragon kept me busy. But back then, me and Rei-shi only cleared the field area.
Since the name literally includes “castle ruins,” there is naturally a castle somewhere in the area. According to Rei-shi, it is a fortress built in the Divine Era, where a monster called the “Lineart Knight” appears. And that is exactly where I am heading.
Sunraku: "Anyway, I'm gonna go put these new toys to use, Bilac. Might be back later for repairs, plus my thoughts on 'em."
Bilac: "Yeah. Just don't go breakin' 'em on their maiden voyage, ya hear? 'Cause if ya do..."
Bilac gripped her hammer as if to say without words, "I'll break you."
Emul and I promptly made our exit from the workshop.
Sunraku: "She meant that."
Emul: "Ya gotta take care of yer weapons, Sunraku-san, wa."
Sunraku: "Yeah..."
Sunraku: "So. How do we handle this?"
Right now, Emul and I were lying low in an alleyway, waiting for them to pass.
???: "Where'd he go!?"
???: "Ahh, I lost him!"
???: "There was a rabbit! And it was wearing clothes! So cute!"
???: "So he really was in Fifticia!"
I'd forgotten just how notorious the name "Sunraku" had become. Not to mention that Fifticia is packed with players who've put significant time into this game.
I'd foolishly thought, "It's the middle of the night, there won't be many people on, ha ha." I was an idiot! I got chased!
Sunraku: "What to do, what to do..."
Emul: "Oh dear, oh dear..."
It's not like I hate being talked to; I can just brush them off and play dumb. The problem is that if they find me, there will absolutely be people who follow me all the way to the Ruins of Lost Glories, thinking, "If I follow this guy, maybe I can get in on a Unique monster too!"
The thought of being stalked like a hungry hyena isn't entirely unrealistic. It's not that I hate playing with parties, but right now I'm just in a solo mood. It's not technically solo with Emul here, but there's a difference in mental effort between hanging out with an NPC who lives in this world and hanging out with a pioneer player who knows it's all a game.
Sunraku: "Should I use it? ...Ahh, but I don't know."
Part of the reason I chose the gender-swap Grail was to handle situations like this, but there is a hidden drawback to it that's honestly pretty annoying.
The Blue Grail's effect is gender inversion. The downside is that it won't revert until you meet a specific condition: you have to die and respawn.
It might not seem like a huge deal at first glance, but the fact that I can't change back without dying first means that if I use this in our current situation, I'll have to keep fighting as a female character until I respawn. And since respawns are at the Rabituza, I'd have to go through all the same trouble to get back to the Ruins of Lost Glories. I'm more used to fighting as a male body, and with a Unique Scenario involved, there's a chance I might have to fight special monsters. This isn't the time to be experimenting.
Wait. Let's analyze the situation. There are three options.
One: Force my way through. I don't really want to because some players might follow me, but it's not like I've done anything wrong, so I shouldn't have to be running and hiding in the first place.
Two: Medjed Dash. Use the same trick I did back in Thirdrema. But back then, my goal was to cause chaos, so it doesn't quite fit with my current desire to make as few waves as possible.
Three: Commit to stealth and try to sneak out. Not everyone who's logged in is going to be playing all night. There will be times when fewer players are online. If I can slip out of the city unnoticed at a time like that, I should be able to have a nice, solo-friendly adventure (NPCs excluded). But the problem is, it's going to take time no matter what.
Sunraku: "So. I'm going with a fourth option."
I really don't want to think about it, but if the information that "Sunraku is in Fifticia" has already spread to players in other areas, then the difficulty of getting out of Fifticia is only going to increase.
That means it's time to rethink the premise entirely.
Sunraku: "Emul, open a gate to Eleventar."
Emul: "Hai na. A wise move, Sunraku-san, wa!"
Sunraku: "Go ahead and call me the master strategist."
Judging by how I look, maybe “shameful general” would fit better. Ha ha. I’ll get you someday, Lycagon.
Fimbul... Fimbul... (cry)
Q. The protagonist has so many weapons that I’m getting confused.
A. The person writing this is the most confused of all. Please read it with the attitude of, “Oh right, he made a weapon like that,” and I’d appreciate it.