Arc Lab ⑥
A mysterious white space filled with a pure white, enigmatic fog.
Is this the third time I’ve come here? I really don’t want to.
A woman stood佇む in that space. Her hair shimmered, cascading down past her waist. Her eyes were a wondrous silver.
Draped in layers of seemingly sacred garments, the mystical, peerless beauty was smiling.
She had a sort of glittering sharpness, like a blade—no, maybe she actually was a blade.
She was the Lady Goddess of Knives.
“…Um, is this about something again?”
(You’ve finally done it.)
“Eh—?”
My eyes blinked rapidly at the unique, beautiful voice echoing in my mind.
I couldn’t grasp the situation at all.
(You’ve finally gone and done it.)
She spoke such outrageous words with a voice full of boundless compassion.
“Wh-whoa, wait a sec, eh? The tenth one? Eh? Huh? Ah? Eh?”
The Goddess of Knives nodded at my flustered state.
Why did she look somewhat pleased?
(The wait is over. It is indeed the tenth.)
She beamed, a full smile gracing her lips. No, no.
“No no no no no, I have absolutely no memory of this!? Didn’t you make a mistake again?”
This Goddess has a prior record!
(How rude. I would not make the same mistake twice.)
The Goddess of Knives puffed out her cheeks sulkily.
But I really didn’t… eeeh… where did it happen?
All the knives I have equipped are accounted for. I even sharpened them tonight!
“Um, I really don’t understand at all.”
(Today, you walked down a dim underground passage with a girl, just the two of you, correct?)
“Y-yes.”
(How lewd.)
“Eh, i-it wasn’t like that.”
It wasn’t like that at all. What is this Goddess saying?
(At that time, do you recall stepping on something?)
“Eh? Ah, ahh, now that you mention it, I did step on a piece of wood.”
What about it?
(There was a knife underneath it.)
“…Ah—, um, knives don’t usually break just from being stepped on.”
(It was a dilapidated, rust-covered knife. It broke because you stepped on it.)
“……………….”
(—That was the tenth one—)
“…………………………”
Seriously, how was I supposed to know!? There’s no way I could have known!?
“Um, really… a knife?”
(Yes. The tenth one.)
“…Th-this really feels like some kind of trick, doesn’t it?”
(Wof. It is destiny. Please accept it.)
“…But still.”
(Wof. I understand what you wish to say. It may certainly seem like some kind of trap or deception. However, I have done nothing. I did not set you up. It was destiny. It was destiny that while you were walking down a dim underground passage with a girl, just the two of you, you would step on and break a dilapidated, rusty knife.)
“…………”
I hate that kind of destiny.
(It’s already over. It’s over, Wof.)
It’s no use. Nothing I do will change it.
I gave up.
“Understood. I accept it.”
(Yes. That is good.)
“So, what kind of penalty is there?”
Haaah, I guess it can’t be helped.
(Penalty? There is no such thing.)
“Eh?”
(This is not a punishment.)
“…Eeh… If that’s the case, I wish you’d told me sooner.”
Even so, well, breaking it still isn’t okay, right?
(That does not mean it is acceptable to break them.)
“Yes. I apologize.”
I apologized.
(As long as you understand. Very well, first, to commemorate you breaking ten knives, I shall give you this.)
Don’t call it a commemoration. What the Goddess of Knives handed me was a knife.
A beautiful knife, like a pure white wing.
“Th-this is…”
(It is a protective charm knife from the Goddess of Knives. It is an ordinary knife with no special properties other than being easy to use. Please use it for everyday tasks.)
“Ah, thank you very much.”
I received a knife.
(Next, I shall now use the Relic 【Blessing of the Goddess of Knives (Minor)】 on you.)
“A R-Relic.”
I braced myself instinctively.
The Goddess of Knives then closed her eyes. She placed two fingers on her own pale pink lips.
As I wondered what she was doing, she blew a kiss towards me with a wink. Chu.
“Eh, eh?”
Then, she smoothly returned to her original posture as if nothing had happened.
(Yes. I have used it. The effect of this Relic is that all knives you use will become slightly more durable, and their sharpness will increase slightly. That is all.)
“…Um, what was that just now?”
(That is all.)
“Um, that thing just now…”
(That is all.)
“Y-yes.”
There was an imposing air about her that permitted no further questions, so I stopped pursuing the matter.
(Let us meet again when you break another five.)
“No, no, I won’t break that many.”
(We shall meet again soon.)
“I told you, I won’t break them.”
Saying “soon” is rather rude.
(Good-bye— oh, I forgot. Please take this.)
The Goddess of Knives handed something over. It was a marble-like orb, marbled with white and purple.
“What’s this?”
It felt squishy.
(Please give that to Dagaa.)
“To Dagaa?”
(Well then, until we meet again.)
I really don’t want to meet again, though.
The Goddess of Knives vanished, and I woke up.
Clutched in my hand was the white and purple marbled orb.
“Na?”
“Morning…”
“Na?”
Dagaa seemed interested in the marble in my hand.
Like a cat, he nudged the orb with his nose, rolled it around, and then popped it into his mouth. Eh, hey!
Just then, I heard a voice.
“Good morning, Wof.”
“…G-good morning…”
Once again, I was startled by the sight of a girl from behind.
She turned around. It was Mineha-san.
She was wearing casual clothes and an apron.
Her flaxen hair was tied up in a single ponytail, and she looked at me with her honey-colored eyes.
“I’m making breakfast. Want some?”
“Y-yes. I’ll have some.”
“Today, it’s tomato soup, tomato and bean salad, fried bread with beans, and sliced bacon.”
Breakfast. A proper breakfast. I felt an indescribable sense of emotion.
Mineha-san tilted her head.
“What is it?”
“Um… Hey, where’s Hayyarn?”
“If you mean that lewd rabbit…”
She glanced coldly towards a lidded pot. Apparently, Hayyarn was inside.
“What did it do?”
“It suddenly hugged me.”
“Ah.”
“What is wrong with that rabbit?”
Mineha-san seemed irritated.
That was understandable. Sexually harassing a ten-year-old girl is a capital offense.
“…What indeed.”
I sighed. Reluctantly, I pulled the rabbit out of the pot and scolded it.
It claimed to have forgotten she was ten, but it wouldn’t be okay even if she wasn’t ten.
Once the food was ready, we dished it out and ate.
I was used to eating together, using my bed as a makeshift chair.
But that was when Mineha-san was small, in her Fairial form.
The Mineha-san sitting next to me now was in the form of a girl taller than me.
She smelled faintly of sweet citrus.
“Wof. What are you doing today?”
“Um, I’m going to the Guild.”
I thought I’d ask when the Dungeon might open this week.
Well, there are only three days left this week anyway. It’ll definitely be open next week.
“I see.”
“What about you, Mineha-san? What are you doing today?”
“…………”
“Mineha-san?”
“…Hey, Wof, do you dislike girls who can’t let go?”
“Eh, um, what’s this all of a sudden?”
Her direct, serious gaze made my heart skip a beat.
“…I can’t forget… No matter what.”
Mineha-san murmured, looking down. Her voice was small, tearful.
Then, wiping her eyes, she forced a smile and said she was going to the Blacksmith district.
I found myself unable to say anything.
After finishing eating and getting ready, I headed for the Guild.
For some reason, Hayyarn and Dagaa followed me.
Still, is Dagaa really okay after eating such an unidentifiable thing?
Well, he himself is rather unidentifiable, though.
Also, tucked into my belt was the beautiful knife that looked like a pure white wing.
Hayyarn let out a low sound.
“Hoh. That’s a fine knife. When did you buy it?”
“…In a dream.”
“Hm?”
“Ah, no, we’re here, but what’s this?”
“Mu? It’s noisy.”
The large, quaint, three-story building in front of the Hero Statue.
A large crowd of Seekers had gathered in front of the Seeker Guild Hydrangea Branch.
They seemed to be causing a commotion.
“Oi! Don’t mess with us!”
“We didn’t hear anything about an indefinite postponement!”
“Did the investigation team even do their job properly!?”
“Explain yourselves!”
“You’re gonna take responsibility for the private requests, right!?”
“What the hell is going on, oi, you bastards!”
All I could hear were angry shouts. It was as rough as debt collectors demanding payment.
“What’s happening?”
“Hmm.”
This was unusual. The Guild seemed to be closed; the doors were shut, and no one could get in.
Is that why they were making noise outside?
I should ask what happened.
For now, I’ll ask that middle-aged man over there.
“Um, what happened?”
“Huh? Oh, what’s this, a kid? Go play somewhere else.”
I was lightly brushed off. Maybe I should ask the person over there.
“What happened?”
“Nnngh. What is it, kid?”
“I may look like this, but I’m a Seeker.”
I showed him my tag. The man sighed and explained.
“It’s the Dungeon. The town’s Dungeon. It was supposed to open sometime this week, but suddenly it got postponed indefinitely.”
“Eh… What’s the cause?”
“Who knows. That’s why everyone’s angry. We were told it’d be this week, you know? And there’s no satisfactory explanation. On top of that, they just put up a notice on the door and closed the Guild. What’s going on?”
“…………No way.”
You’ve got to be kidding. What timing.
Naturally, Hayyarn and I looked at each other. He wore an expression bordering on despair. I probably did too.
This is the worst.
There’s nothing we can— no, there is. There is a way.