A Bracelet from the Heart ② – Torquetum.
She had slender, deep blue eyes and a dignified, well-featured face.
She felt like she was right in the middle of cute and beautiful.
She was tall, and her ample bosom, which looked like it might spill out of her dirt-stained work clothes at any moment, was prominent.
I could see familiar black horns peeking through her hair. Yes, the horns of a Minos Doll.
Suddenly, a long, slender tail with a tuft-like tip swayed.
Could she be of the bovine race? More importantly, I was pretty sure only male Dwarves were born.
“Yeah. Let me introduce you again. This is my daughter, Kikka.”
“…’Sup.”
“I’m Wof.”
Kikka-san looked down at me suspiciously.
“Kikka. This bozu is The Witch’s disciple.”
“Ah, that!?”
“I’m the disciple of that Witch.”
“So that means, about the knife I made before…”
“Knife?”
“The double-bladed one.”
“Ah… that knife…”
This is hard to say. Kikka-san’s narrow eyes narrowed even further.
“What happened to the knife?”
“A-Alveld broke it.”
I wasn’t lying.
Kikka-san grunted, displeased.
“Huh? Alveld…?”
“Alveld von Rootbelt. A Tier I Seeker.”
“He’s called the ‘Bringer of Ruin,’ you know,” Ms. Pachira added.
“Hmm… But his appearance… Aesthete type… Super handsome…” Liv murmured.
Well, that’s certainly true. Verent-san said,
“Isn’t he the boss of ‘Koon Hunt’? Why would someone like him…”
“Well, a lot of things happened…”
This is really awkward.
“Oh yeah. What about the gauntlet?”
“I left it with The Witch. She said there was room for improvement.”
“Hoh. That’s something to look forward to.”
“…You. You fought a Tier I Seeker?”
Kikka-san asked, glaring at me.
“Y-Yes.”
“Not bad. So, what is it? A weapon?”
She grinned. I felt a sense of relief.
“I’m looking for a knife.”
“How about a sword?”
“Actually, due to a curse, I can’t wield swords.”
“A curse, huh?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Oh yeah. That’s a troublesome one,” Verent-san chimed in.
“That’s why I can handle knives.”
“Can you not handle spears or axes?” Lupinus-san asked.
“I think I probably can. I’ve never used a spear at all, and I’ve never used an axe as a weapon.”
I’d only ever used one for splitting firewood in the village.
“In that case, why not try them out?”
“Indeed,” Pachira-san agreed.
“Hmm… Try… Life… Bring it on,” Liv-san mumbled.
“Y-You’re right.”
Spears and axes, huh? I’d never considered using other weapons.
“Oh yeah. But wouldn’t an axe be too heavy for a bozu like you?”
“It is heavy.”
Splitting firewood was tough. Using one as a weapon would be a bit much.
Kikka-san said,
“Then, a spear, huh? Spears are over there, and knives are on that shelf. And hey. Wof, was it? You. How much you got?”
“About… 400,000 Oro.”
“Oh my, you have quite a bit,” Lupinus-san remarked.
“That must be it. The reward for being a Tsukaishi,” Pachira-san said.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Come to think of it, Ms. Pachira also received around that much,” Lupinus-san added.
“Hmm… Rich…” Liv-san muttered.
Huh? It was supposed to be 800,000.
As if sensing my thoughts, Ms. Pachira gave me a meaningful look.
“Then, how about some armor too?” Kikka-san suggested.
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Lupinus-san said.
“Oh yeah. Spoken like my daughter. Leather plates aren’t that heavy.”
“Plates…”
Armor, huh? I hadn’t thought about it.
“Dad. We had those Crocodile Turtle plates, didn’t we?”
“Oh yeah. I think… in the plate storage area…”
Verent-san headed off, scratching his head, towards the shelf where armor was displayed.
In the meantime, Ms. Pachira brought over several spears.
She lined them up on the empty counter.
“How are these?”
“…This one.”
One, in particular, caught my eye.
A single-edged spear with a wooden shaft. No ornate decorations. It had a rugged design.
“That one caught your interest?” Lupinus-san asked.
“Heh, you. You like that one, huh?” Kikka-san said, a somewhat challenging smile on her face.
“Only this one stands out to me.”
“Hmm. It certainly is different from the other spears,” Pachira-san observed.
“Hmm… Wooden shaft… Luxurious feel… Custom-made…” Liv-san murmured.
“Wof-san. Do you have a good eye for things?” Lupinus-san asked.
“No, it just caught my attention for some reason.”
The wooden shaft was unusual, which was part of it.
The others were mostly metal. Plus, it was single-edged, with a unique shape like one side of an arrowhead.
“That one, well, it’s not exactly cursed, but there’s a reason for it,” Kikka-san said.
“Is there some story behind it?”
“Not that much, but it’s got a history. I made that one on commission, but the guy who ordered it died before he could pick it up.”
“Ah… I see.”
“I only got the down payment, so even then, just storing it or leaving it around is a bit… you know.”
“That’s true,” Lupinus-san agreed.
“It’s quite a predicament,” Pachira-san added.
“So, yeah. It’s tough on the dead guy, but I’m selling it. Not that it sells, though.”
“How much is it?”
“That one, it’s 6,000 Oro.”
“That’s cheap,” Pachira-san noted.
“It actually cost a bit more, but it just wouldn’t sell. So, because of that, having it sit in the shop forever feels kinda off.”
“Can I hold it?”
“Sure.”
I held the spear. It was lighter than I expected. The length of the shaft wasn’t bad either.
And it’s 6,000 Oro. Alright. I’ll buy it.
“Thanks for your business. Its name is ‘Mokusen’.”
Mokusen, huh? I even got a special tip cover and a spear holder as a bonus.
After that, I carefully selected and bought three knives.
A straight, simple, double-edged straight knife.
A knife with a blade like a saw.
A thick, slightly curved kukri knife.
Ms. Pachira and the others also bought one knife each.
They were beautiful, pure white knives. They said it would be a symbol of Torquetum.
“Verent-san is taking a while,” Lupinus-san remarked.
He hadn’t been on the shelf, so he’d gone to check the stock and hadn’t returned.
“Dad. He went to the back and hasn’t come out. I’ll go check.”
Kikka-san also disappeared into the back of the shop.
We were left waiting. Well, looking at weapons and armor wasn’t boring.
“Ah, right. Everyone, could you close your eyes and hold out your arms?”
“What is it?” Pachira-san asked.
“What is it?” Lupinus-san echoed.
“Hmm…” Liv-san hummed.
Tilting their heads in confusion, they obediently closed their eyes and held out their arms.
I took three items out of my pouch and put one on each of them.
As I was carefully putting them on, I ended up holding or touching their hands.
“Wh-What is this?” Pachira-san exclaimed.
“That tickles,” Lupinus-san said.
“…Lewd,” Liv-san muttered.
“S-Sorry. You can open your eyes now.”
When they opened their eyes, they stared in astonishment at what they saw.
Ms. Pachira had a bracelet with a white band and a blue gemstone.
Liv-san had a bracelet with a pink band and a red gemstone.
Lupinus-san had a bracelet with a gold band and a white gemstone.
“Wh-Wh-What is this?!” Pachira-san stammered.
“They’re bracelets.”
“I know that! But this is…”
“It’s beautiful,” Lupinus-san said.
“Hmm… So cute…” Liv-san murmured.
The three of them reacted in their own distinct ways.
“It’s a token of my gratitude for all your help. Please accept them.”
“M-Mmph. Is this really okay?” Pachira-san mumbled.
“They are very lovely, but…” Lupinus-san trailed off.
“…If anything… we’re the ones… who should be grateful…” Liv-san said.
To the hesitant Torquetum, I said,
“You’ve all helped me out a lot too. I’d be happy if you’d accept them.”
They looked at each other at my words and gave small nods.
“Hmm. I suppose so,” Pachira-san conceded.
“I’m very happy,” Lupinus-san said.
“Hmm… I like it…” Liv-san agreed.
“””But,””” they all said in unison.
“?”
“…Hmm. Operation… time…” Liv-san announced.
“Ah, yes.”
What? Torquetum formed a circle and started whispering. What is it?
“Wh-What did you say?!”
“S-Such a thing…?”
“You, now…”
“What are you saying?”
“Hmm… Liv is…”
“M-Mmmph…”
“Is that the best… way…? I certainly did want to… express my gratitude, but…”
“B-But, you know…”
“Trust… Liv… Pachira and… Lupinus… what do you say?”
“It’s not that, but…”
“Yes, it’s not that, but…”
“Hmm… Then… No… problem… -ing.”
“In that case… well. Lupinus.”
“You’re right. Pachira.”
“Hmm… Thank you… let’s do it.”
Oh, this knife looks good. This one’s for Ens-san.
“Wof.”
“Wof-san.”
“Boy.”
“Y-Yes?”
My heart skipped a beat when they all said my name at the same time.
Ms. Pachira, fidgeting, said,
“Um, about the bracelet. Thank you. This is my thanks.”
Ms. Pachira’s lips gently touched my right cheek.
“Eh, Ms. Pachira…?”
Ms. Pachira looked down, her face red all the way to her cat ears and tail.
“Wof-san. I offer my gratitude for your kindness.”
“Lupinus-sa-“
Lupinus-san pressed her lips to my left cheek.
Lupinus-san then moved away and looked aside. Her pointed ears were bright red.
As I stood there, stunned, Liv-san stepped right in front of me.
“…Headliner…登場 (appearance)… tou.”
“Liv-san.”
“Hmm… Close your eyes… I won’t hurt you… okay…”
“Eh, wait, um, your face is close, um, why are you holding my cheeks with both hands? Um, why are you closing your eyes?”
“Hmm… It’s okay… If you count… the stains on the ceiling… it’ll be over…”
“What are you saying, wait a-“
Liv-san’s moist, peach-colored lips pressed against my mouth… Ah.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“I simply cannot overlook that!”
“Ouch…”
Ms. Pachira chopped Liv-san on the head, and Lupinus-san pulled her away.
“Honestly, you can’t let your guard down for a second,” Pachira-san huffed.
“Indeed,” Lupinus-san agreed.
“…Muu… Failed…” Liv-san mumbled, sounding regretful.
My heart pounded seeing her glossy, peach-colored lips.
“Oh yeah. Sorry about that. We were out of stock on those plates.”
“Our bad. Hmm? What’s wrong with you lot?”
Verent-san and Kikka-san returned.
It’s nothing.