Chapter 43 Himezaki Rieslett ⑩
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ooooh! It’s Himezaki-shi! It really is Himezaki-shi, isn’t it!?” Yokoo shouted.
”Ah, a lolicon,” I replied.
”We finally reunite and you’re that cold right out of the gate!?” Yokoo cried.
After a while, Yokoo-kun-better known simply as Yoko-returned. He was as round as ever, with no sign of having shed a single pound. Well, I suppose if he actually got thin, I wouldn’t even recognize the guy.
”By the way, I heard the news from Tate. About Natsu…” I said, my voice trailing off.
”Yeah. Honestly, I don’t want to believe he’s dead, I really don’t. But if it’s Sugita we’re talking about… he’s capable of it. So it’s likely the truth,” Yokoo said solemnly.
”I see…” I whispered.
”However, there is a non-zero chance that he yet draws breath, I daresay. Even if he were to perish, he seems the sort to return as a specter just to visit us,” Tate added.
”That’s true. Even as a ghost, I’d want to see Sasaki-shi again,” Yokoo muttered.
”Yeah. I want to see him too…” I said.
A heavy silence fell over us. Then again, in this world, there was a decent chance he actually would show up as a ghost.
”Changing the subject, what business brings Himezaki-dono to our shop this day?” Tate asked.
”Oh! That’s right, I almost forgot,” I said, snapping her fingers.
Meeting Tate and Yoko had wiped my original goal clean out of my head. When I explained that I was looking for weapons and armor, Tate’s expression turned grim.
”Hrmmm…” Tate groaned.
”I mean, I have money, if that’s the problem?” I asked.
”It is not a matter of coin, I daresay. Rather… we find ourselves in a bit of a predicament,” Tate explained.
”A predicament?”
”Indeed. To be truthful, Himezaki-dono is our very first customer. Granted, we have only been open for two days, but still…” Tate said.
”Wait, really? But your produce and gear look way better than the average shop’s,” I said.
I knew it for a fact because I’d used Appraisal. The fruits and vegetables looked succulent and fresh-the apple they served with the tea was actually amazing.
”It’s the lack of advertising, as I suspected. It doesn’t matter if we have Alice here as our star attraction if no one ever walks through the door,” Yokoo said.
”Mnh… I’m sorry for being so useless…” Alice whispered, hanging her head.
She looked genuinely frustrated that she couldn’t help more.
”It’s not your fault, Alice. Our estimates were just a bit naive, that’s all,” Yokoo said gently.
”Precisely. Besides, Alice-dono, if you had not been with us, we would not have survived long enough to open a shop, let alone draw breath,” Tate added.
”Master… Ko-chan…” Alice murmured.
Alice’s eyes welled up with tears at their encouragement. They both knew perfectly well that she hadn’t done anything wrong. Still… watching two creepy otaku comfort a crying girl was surreal. If you just saw a snapshot of this, it would look like a police report in the making. I mean, I know they’re both good people, but still.
”…I have it! Himezaki-dono, would you be willing to act as an advertisement for this shop? If you agree, I shall forge a set of custom equipment for you, free of charge,” Tate proposed.
”I don’t mind helping, but… giving me custom gear for free feels wrong,” I replied.
”Out of curiosity, how much coin do you carry?” Tate asked.
”Thirty silver pieces.”
”Then it is a certainty that your funds would be insufficient, I daresay,” Tate said.
”What!?” I gawked at him.
I didn’t think I’d be that short for gear.
”What say you? It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, is it not?” Tate asked.
He wasn’t wrong. If this were anyone but Tate, the deal would sound so good I’d suspect a scam.
”I need to ask first: what exactly do I have to do?”
”Nothing overly taxing. I simply wish for you to wear the armaments I have alchemized and spread word of their quality,” Tate explained.
”I see. And if I say no?”
”Then nothing happens. The offer for custom gear simply goes away,” Tate said.
Is there even a reason to refuse? If anything, the custom-tailored gear is the reward itself.
”Fine, I’ll do it. So, what’s this ‘exclusive equipment’ going to be?” I asked.
”Oh! You’ll do it!? Excellent! I shall begin the crafting process at once. Yoko, do you have the Demon Silk?” Tate asked.
”No problem at all,” Yokoo replied.
”Understood. Now, with the Green Magi-Metal we received from the Merchant Guild Elf Village…” Tate muttered.
Demon Silk? I’d heard of Green Magi-Metal in class, but Demon Silk was news to me. I knew Green Magi-Metal was a rare metal imbued with wind mana that traded for insane prices. No wonder thirty silver coins wasn’t going to cut it.
”Pray, wait a few moments. It shall be finished in short order,” Tate said.
With that, Tate vanished into the back room. That left me with nothing to do but wait, so I decided to grill Yoko on the thing that was bugging me.
”Hey, what is ‘Demon Silk,’ anyway? I have a rough guess, but…”
”Demon Silk is the thread produced by the Magic Silk Worms that I Materialization Summoned,” Yokoo explained.
”Magic Silk Worms? I’ve never heard of those…”
”Of course not. They’re a monster I designed and created from scratch,” Yokoo said.
”What!?” I yelled.
Created from scratch? He just dropped a bombshell like it was nothing. Oh, wait, he did summon Alice too, didn’t he?
”Demon Silk is basically silk thread saturated with mana. Other than that, it’s like normal silk, except it provides a degree of protection against magic attacks. Also, if you hit it with an enchantment, the effects are way more powerful,” Yokoo explained.
That sounded actually broken.
”By the way, I also summoned the mulberry trees they eat. Since the trees are magic-infused, the worms that eat the leaves store up a massive amount of mana,” Yokoo added.
Between Tate’s Materialization Alchemy and Yoko’s Materialization Summoning, aren’t these guys basically walking cheat codes? For that matter, wouldn’t this Demon Silk sell for a fortune?
”Oh, that reminds me. I taught the Elves how to do sericulture when we stayed at their village. It’ll take a while to get going, but you’ll be able to get Demon Silk there eventually too,” Yokoo said.
”Huh. Why would you go that far for them?”
”A debt of gratitude for a meal and a bed,” Yokoo replied.
Apparently, they’d escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs and were completely broke. They registered as Monster Hunters in a nearby town to scrape together some travel funds, eventually reaching the Elf village where they were taken in for a few days. As a thank-you, Yoko alchemized the worms, the trees, and the equipment needed. According to Yoko, that place is going to be a major export hub soon. He also mentioned he summoned Alice right after they escaped. She’s a much higher spec than she looks, so it was a real drain on him.
”But thanks to her, the journey got a whole lot easier,” Yokoo said.
”Ehehe…” Alice giggled.
Yokoo patted Alice’s head as she gave a bashful smile. To anyone else, it looked like a total “police matter” scene, but I could tell they were close. It was more like Yoko looked at her as a daughter. When I pointed that out to him…
”Now that you mention it, Alice is like a daughter to me. I suppose it’s because I’m the one who designed and summoned her,” Yokoo said.
He hadn’t really thought about it until I said it. Just then, the back door creaked open.
”It is complete!” Tate announced.
In his hands, he held a set of pale green garments and a trident. There were also gauntlets and mid-calf boots.
”Thanks. Can I try it on?”
”By all means! I am certain Himezaki-dono shall find it to her liking. The dressing room is right there,” Tate said.
I took the spear and the clothes and headed for the stall. I stepped inside, pulled the curtain, and stripped down. As I unfolded the outfit, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.
”Is this…?”
I’d seen this before. Long before I was ever teleported to this world. It was a sleeveless design with armored spaulders. The breastplate and the tunic were integrated into one piece, but the design… it went out of its way to emphasize the chest. The skirt had deep slits that made it flare out like flower petals. There was even a feathered headpiece-one that looked exactly like it had animal ears attached to it. I pulled it on. Just as I thought, the cleavage was… prominent. Wait a second. The size is literally perfect. Does Tate just know my measurements by looking at me?
If so, that is incredibly creepy. I’m definitely asking him later.
”Um, I’m done changing…” I said, stepping out.
”Ooh! It suits you perfectly, Himezaki-dono!” Tate cheered.
”When it comes to Himezaki-shi, it just has to be this!” Yokoo shouted.
”You look like a fairy!” Alice cried.
They showered me with praise. I was glad they liked it, but it was more than a little embarrassing.
”Hey, isn’t this… the same outfit I wore for that one cosplay…?”
”It is! Himezaki-dono was most radiant that day!” Tate exclaimed.
”Exactly. It was a real nightmare driving off all those rude creeps who kept trying to sneak low-angle shots,” Yokoo added.
Exactly. What I was wearing now was a perfect recreation of the cosplay I’d worn at that massive event during the summer break. I remembered now-Tate, Yoko, and Natsu were the ones who chased off the creeps trying to take up-skirt photos of me. That was how we’d met, and we’d spent the rest of the day hitting up the booths together.
Well, since I’m geared up, I might as well check my stats. I pulled up the Status screen, and-
”Gah!?”
A pathetic squeak escaped my throat. The information displayed there was-
—
Summary:
Himezaki Rieslett reunites with her old classmates Yokoo and Tate in their new shop. They mourn their friend Natsu but hope he’s still alive. Tate offers Himezaki a custom set of high-tier gear in exchange for her acting as an advertisement for their struggling business.
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Trivia:
- Tate and Yokoo have high-level creation skills (Alchemy and Summoning).
- Alice is actually a summoned entity, not a human girl.
- The group met during a summer break cosplay event in their previous world.
- Sugita is the primary suspect in Natsu’s disappearance.
- Demon Silk has specific magic-defense properties
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Character Insight:
Himezaki shows a mix of nostalgia and discomfort, recognizing her old friends but finding their ‘otaku’ traits (like measuring her by sight) creepy. Tate and Yokoo show genuine loyalty to their friends despite their social awkwardness.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘kameko’ term highlights the specific subculture of photography at Japanese conventions, often associated with boundary-crossing behavior.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Yokoo – Natsumi Sasaki’s otaku friend. His appearance is based on ‘Yoko’ from ‘Comic Party.’ Possesses ‘Materialization Summoning’. Accompanied by a Living Armor.
• Tate – Male Otaku friend of Reese. Gaunt and thin, wears glasses. Possesses Materialization Alchemy skill.
• Sugita – The leader of the Sugita gang and the primary bully of Natsumi Sasaki. His grandfather is the Superintendent General and his father is a Police Superintendent, so the two of them covered up all his crimes. Because of this, he does whatever he wants wherever he goes.
• Sasaki – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
• Alice – A small, adorable girl summoned by Yokoo. Based on the ‘Red’ and ‘Black’ Majin versions. Stronger than Tate or Yokoo. Celadon Rank Monster Hunter.
• Ren – Height 169 cm, weight 50 kg. A cool-headed guy with glasses who aimed to be a lawyer. He viewed bullying as a minor issue and stood by while Natsumi was tormented.
• Ria – A beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Has a beauty mark (mole) under her right eye. Well-balanced proportions.
• Rieslett – A half-Japanese, half-Swedish girl with a youthful appearance. Often mistaken for her mother’s sister. A blonde or brunette girl. Currently wearing a black cloak over a white shirt, accented with a red ribbon tie. A navy-blue, knee-length pleated skirt, black knee-highs, and brown leather shoes.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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