’Waaaaah!’
’Airi! Look over here!’
’Please give an autograph!’
’Eh... um...’
Airi was surrounded by an uncountable number of people.
...Why is this happening?
Because of the people suddenly crowding in, she didn’t even have the luxury to think about the details. A massive crowd was all looking at Airi. They were even calling her na.
Panicking, Airi fled from the spot.
She hurriedly threw herself over a wall, but there were people filled to the brim there as well.
’Hiiik!’
’Airi!’
Imdiately, people sward and surrounded Airi.
’Save !’
Airi woke up from her bed while screaming that.
The rcenary group’s lodging. Airi, waking up from the bed in a place she was now familiar enough with to call ’my room,’ looked around with a flustered face and let out a sigh.
’Phew... was it a nightmare?’
It was a nightmare about being surrounded by a massive crowd. She sotis had dreams like this after eting new people and talking for too long.
Airi let out a sigh of relief and got out of bed.
It was already bright outside. Seeing that there were no other mbers in the room, it seed she had slept in quite late.
’Airi! Are you still sleeping?’
’Hiiik!’
Suddenly, soone opened the door and entered while calling Airi’s na.
Perhaps because of the nightmare she had just had, Airi was startled and reflexively hid behind the bed.
Since this behavior of Airi’s was familiar by now, Rin imdiately found her and spoke.
’What, you were awake. The Captain is looking for you.’
’M-?’
’Yeah. He says there’s a place you need to go together.’
’Again...?’
Recalling yesterday’s events, Airi trembled.
Being caught between two people having a serious conversation in a heavy atmosphere was truly an experience that felt like her stomach was lting.
She thought her work was finished with yesterday’s business. Could there be sothing else left to do?
Airi tried to get out of it by using the excuse of not feeling well, but it didn’t work at all on Rin, who had been watching from the start.
In the end, Airi was caught by Rin and forcibly dragged downstairs.
＊ ＊ ＊
Airi, who went to see Ian after being forced to prepare for an outing, stepped for the first ti into the second-floor workshop located in the building right next to the rcenary base, following Ian.
She wondered if they were going to see ’that person’ again, but fortunately, that wasn’t it. It seed the person they were eting today was Elena.
She was relieved that it wasn’t a far-off outing.
’What is the matter...?’
’I asked briefly yesterday, and she said it would be better if you ca along.’
’...?’
For what purpose exactly was she needed?
Before Airi could hear a more detailed explanation from Ian, Elena opened the door first and greeted the two.
’You’ve arrived. Co on in.’
Ian and Airi entered Elena’s workshop.
Various ores and blueprints were scattered ssily on the work table. They were the materials and request forms Ian had brought and left yesterday.
Ian had visited Elena with all the minerals and crafting materials that ca out of the Labyrinth yesterday and ordered one special item.
It was one of the items absolutely necessary for this plan, and fortunately, it was sothing Elena could produce.
’Do you think it’s possible?’
’Of course. I did a few tests, and I think I can make it exactly as you want.’
It would have been a headache if Elena couldn’t make what Ian wanted, but Elena answered confidently that it was well within her capability.
’The duration is...’
’A month is plenty for this quantity!’
Finishing her talk with Ian, Elena turned her head and spoke to Airi.
’Now, will you show your hands? I need to take asurents.’
’M-asurents? Why my asurents...?’
’Because it’s sothing Airi will be using.’
Elena began taking asurents, placing a asuring tape here and there on Airi’s body.
The goal was to craft it to fit Airi’s body as perfectly as possible.
Of course, making it in a general form wouldn’t affect the performance, but this item was a special one made from very rare materials.
This was surely a special piece of jewelry that no one had ever made before. Elena was certain of that, so she didn’t want to make her first work look ordinary like a mass-produced product.
Elena, having recorded all of Airi’s necessary asurents, asked with a bright smile.
’What length do you usually prefer?’
’Y-Yes?’
Airi flinched at Elena’s question.
’Since your body is small, do you prefer sothing thin and easy to handle? But considering future tasks, it might be better to get used to sothing larger...’
W-Why such a question all of a sudden.
A panicked Airi backed away, shaking her head vigorously.
’T-That, I... I’ve never thought about such a thing...’
’Anything is fine, huh...’
Boy, what a difficult custor.
Elena fell into thought as she considered that. The most difficult custors to deal with were not those with picky tastes, but custors like this who didn’t even know what they wanted themselves.
’Then let’s go with a small one. That would be familiar to Airi, right?’
’T-That, not familiar...’
Wait, should I answer that I’ve never done this before?
Airi fell into such a worry with a flushed face.
She didn’t know why she was being asked this, but they seed to be trying to make sothing. Honestly, she felt like a catastrophe would happen if she didn’t speak up and the item was made wrong.
’T-That, I... that... still, haven’t done it...’
’Just a mont, I’ll take this one. I need it as a sample.’
While Airi was hesitating and failing to answer readily, Elena took an arrow out of the quiver hanging from Airi’s bag.
Only then did Airi realize what Elena had been asking about.
’Ah, ah...! Was it about the arrows by any chance?’
’Yes? Then what did you think it was...?’
’....’
Airi lowered her head deeply with a face dyed bright red. There was no answer this ti either.
What a difficult custor.
Elena, who couldn’t hear Airi’s answer to the end, took the arrow with a bitter smile.
Airi belatedly felt a sense of doubt. An arrow isn’t sothing that needs to be custom-made to this extent.
Airi questioned Ian, who was watching from the side.
’Why an arrow all of a sudden?’
’Because I need to custom-order sothing special. We’ll use it during the invasion.’
’Ah... is it sothing like a magic arrow? I have one too.’
’Right. Then I won’t need to explain how to use it.’
A magic arrow was a very expensive arrow imbued with magical properties.
Airi also carried one magic arrow as an ergency item, which amplified the arrow’s power by twofold.
However, it was too expensive to use as a consumable, so she couldn’t bring herself to use it even when an actual ergency occurred. In the end, it had been saved until now.
But, an arrow?
Hearing the word arrow, Airi realized sothing.
’By any chance... do I have to fire this during the invasion?’
’Of course you have to fire it.’
’I just have to fire the arrow!’
’Yes. That’s why I’m making it into an arrow.’
She had worried that she might have to go down below the city walls to lure monsters, but hearing Ian’s words, it seed it was over as long as she just fired the magic arrow from atop the wall.
Airi, who had been constantly worrying about what kind of task Ian would assign her, finally felt a sense of relief.
It was just when Airi was secretly letting out a deep sigh of relief.
Elena, glancing at Airi, cautiously spoke up.
’However, I have one favor to ask.’
’Please say it.’
’Not to the Captain, but I have a favor for Airi-yang...’
’Yes? For ?’
Airi waited for Elena’s words with a tense face.
’That jewel Airi-yang has. I’m a bit interested in it.’
’J-Jewel?’
Airi was about to answer that she didn’t have such a thing, but then she suddenly rembered the [Stone of Charm] she had kept in her portable bag.
Since she always kept it in there, it was an item Airi had forgotten about as well.
Airi rummaged through the depths of her bag and brought it out. The red stone, receiving light for the first ti in a long while, glowed brilliantly.
’Are you talking about this?’
’Yes! That’s right.’
Elena’s eyes sparkled as she fixed her gaze on the stone held in Airi’s hand.
Airi fell into a montary dilemma.
Did she want this as paynt for this job? It was certainly an item that soone like a jeweler would like.
...It was a waste since it looked like an expensive jewel, but the rcenary group’s salary was coming in plenty. She didn’t even like things like jewels to begin with.
Airi nodded and held it out to Elena.
’D-Do I just need to give you this?’
’No, I want to handle the crafting.’
’You’re going to craft this?’
’Isn’t it a waste to just leave an item like this as it is? It’ll surely beco a magnificent accessory.’
A jewel that was very beautiful just to look at. Surely, it would beco an incredibly expensive item if it passed through the hands of a jeweler.
However, Airi hesitated, unable to accept readily.
Airi had only found out recently that Elena was a famous jeweler.
She recalled being incredibly horrified after hearing how much it cost to entrust Elena with crafting.
’By any chance, how much is the cost...?’
’How about around 50 sheets?’
’T-That much...?’
It was incredibly expensive, but it would certainly be a gain. Airi tightly closed her eyes and nodded.
’Thank you!’
Elena, with a bright smile, held out a pouch filled with gold coins to Airi.
’...?’
Elena, having paid a gratitude fee for allowing the crafting, took the jewel from Airi’s hand.
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