Chapter 90: And Then a Cat and a Breeze of Trouble Blows

"Th-This is the Iron-Caress Lapis Lazuli Hard Crystal, called the Supreme Ruler of Coating Agents... A-And this is the Canopy's First-Magnitude Star, Lapisteria Star Crystal... N-No way, Roenanva Amber Crystal? This size? This many... H-H-H-Here, this is, Amulsidian Quartz... I-Is it real...?"

"There are also various Crystal Scorpion materials... except for the stinger."

"Why just no sting—"

"Stop it Emul, say any more and I'll spew bodily fluids from my whole body and explode."

"Ueeeh!?"

Someday, Revenge, Raid, Attack.

I thought they had completely different personalities, but these rabbits must be sisters with the same father after all. Watching Bilac stare at the materials I took out with excitement just like Emul, I couldn't help but smile.

"Can you make weapons or something using these?"

"I'm fulfilling the dream of every Cait Sith right now... I never had an interest in gems beyond being materials, but... Haaaah, just rubbing my cheek against a mere stone makes me this happy..."

Bilac rubbing her cheek against a gem almost the same size as her face, which looked like a texture of the night sky pasted directly onto it. It's gone past heartwarming to a level that's genuinely off-putting; she's tripping hard. She better not put it in her mouth and start sucking on it like candy.

".........Waaah!!!"

"Wabyaaaa!? Y-Ya, what are ya doin'!!"

"Be grateful I brought your sanity back before it flew off to the day after tomorrow... No wait, I'm asking if you can make anything with this."

A brief silence. Bilac sorts a few of the extracted items and turns back to me.

"Crystal Scorpion materials and these ores can be used to make weapons. But these can't be used for weapons or armor... These are the territory of a Jeweler, not a Smith."

"Jeweler?"

"Someone who makes accessories that exert effects by being worn, not weapons or armor. Specifically, those specialized in using gems."

I see. The Inventory Key: Inventoria is also categorized as an accessory, and it's an important factor for self-strengthening beyond just weapons and armor.

Up until now, I've been acting half like a hermit outside of Rabituza, so I haven't really looked into accessories properly. But since my slot is taken by Inventoria, getting an accessory now is... No, wait, if I recall correctly, Pencilgon had that flower ornament equipped on top of Inventoria. Does that mean we can equip more than one accessory?

"Then, the accessory craftsmen in Rabituza..."

"There are accessory craftsmen in this country, but there ain't no Jewelers."

"...Seriously?"

In that case, the accessory ores become mere cash items... Just as the brilliance of the gems started to look dull in my mind, Bilac continued speaking with a frown for some reason.

"However, it ain't like there's no connection to a Jeweler... If it's the Cait Siths, who have sworn an oath of alliance with us Vorpal Bunnies, there's an exceptionally skilled Jeweler there."

"Cait Sith..."

Cait Sith. Talking cats, bipedal cats—my personal image is that most of them in fantasy fall into this category.

I've played a reasonable number of games... even trash games, so naturally, there were games featuring Cait Siths, and I've seen them many times, sometimes as allies, sometimes as enemies. But I've never seen a Cait Sith in this game.

I look at Emul juggling small gems on top of my head, and Bilac, whose frown is getting worse for some reason. If even rabbits are like this, how destructive would it be if cats talked and walked on two legs in this game... For some reason, Animalia-san's face popped into my mind.

".........Personally, meeting that guy is veeeeeeeeeery reluctant for me, but my pride as a blacksmith... as a creator, won't allow me to let these gems rot. Wait a bit, I'll call him now."

"Eh, now?"

No, you can't just call someone like you're calling a guy in the next room...

"Oi, Idiot Cat, come here a sec."

"Ahhh! Oh beautiful Black Maiden! If called by you, I shall fly back to your side instantly, even if I have fallen to the depths of a bottomless valley...!"

Something with a super strong character appeared.

Probably appearing via some kind of teleportation magic, the best way to describe it in one word would be "Puss in Boots."

A black cat almost the same size as Bilac—meaning its head barely reaches my waist—standing in a splendid bipedal pose, dressed tightly in musketeer-style clothes. It should be called a Cat Musketeer. A rapier-like thin sword hangs at its waist, but what stands out most are indeed the Boots.

While the other equipment prioritizes practicality over appearance, only the boots are flamboyantly decorated with gems and metal.

"Mumu! You must be the younger sister of my beloved Maiden!"

"I am Emul desu wa. And this person is Sunraku-san desu wa."

"Mumu? Why is a Birdman in Rabituza? No, the arm shape is different... perhaps a Human? No, but I've never heard of a human with a bird face..."

"Probably Human is the correct classification."

I don't know what other races call humans, so I can't be sure. At my words, the Cat Musketeer stares intently, then suddenly strikes a pose.

"In that case! I must announce my name! Yes, I am the Sword Saint! The Wild Wind, Vice-Commander of the 'Boots Musketeers' of the Cait Sith Kingdom 'Catzeria'! Araaaa... Misuuuuuu!!"

Should I sprinkle some confetti or something?

Drawing the rapier and thrusting it toward the heavens is a practiced pose, but since it's a cat, the cuteness outweighs the coolness.

For some reason, Animalia-san's voice played in my head.

"Remember him as Bakamis (Idiot-mis), he acts cool but inside he's a brat."

"Aah! Maiden, your words are always cold and sharp like icicles, but in the brilliant heat of your furnace fire, my heart is just like melting icicles..."

No good, this is the type of conversation that turns into an endless comedy routine if left alone.

"Ah—, you self-proclaimed Sword Saint, but what about the Jeweler part?"

"Nn, oi Bakamis. I have... yes, a favor to ask of ya."

Contrasting with Bilac, whose frown had deepened to the point of emitting killing intent, the black cat—probably named Aramis—shone like the sun.

"Of course! Of course, Maiden! If it is your request, I shall challenge even that Lycaon!"

Well, I think you'd die if you challenged Lycaon... source: me.

Bilac sighs deeply at Aramis, who expresses joy almost to the point of jumping, and thrusts the gem as big as her own face toward him.

Aramis had been wearing a smiley-smile with heat comparable to the sun if smiles had heat, but the moment he witnessed the gem Bilac held in both hands, his expression switched from serious to dumbfounded in the blink of an eye.

"............Ah—, Maiden... Umm?"

"It's the Roenanva Amber Crystal the Bird Person over there fetched. Besides that... here."

A cat with a face like a pigeon shot by a pea-shooter—quite a rare sight, isn't it?

Aramis receives the amber Bilac holds with trembling hands, touches it peta-peta, rubs his cheek against it, sticks out his tongue to lick it...

"Stop it, idiot!"

"Hah!? How unlike me, I forgot myself...!"

"Aramis, I want to ask the Jeweler at yer place... Dulnyata, to make an accessory. And not just any accessory, the Supreme Masterpiece."

"That is... again... Who exactly is this human?"

"He's Dad's Bro (Underling), recognized by the Emperor of the Night and the defeater of the Eternal Tombguard."

The moment Bilac spoke those words, the color of Aramis's eyes changed. It wasn't the look directed at "a human in Rabituza" until now, but one looking at "Sunraku as an individual."

"...In that case, although I am unworthy, in the name of Aramis, the 'Wild Wind', Vice-Commander of the Boots Musketeers, I swear to create the supreme adornment."

"Bird Person, we're gonna use all these gems... ya okay with that?"

"I don't mind. If I don't use them, selling them is the only other option anyway."

Confirming that Aramis teleported away with the various items and that only Emul, Bilac, and I remained in this place, I decided to clear up all my questions at once.

"...What is Catzeria?"

"The Kingdom of Cait Siths. Though callin' it a country is a bit... 'too loose'."

"By the way, what is your relationship with Aramis?"

"...Long ago, I made a weapon for that idiot. That's all."

"By the way, how strong is that Aramis?"

"Stronger than me."

I seeee... figured as much... Had a feeling since he seemed on par with Bilac and called himself Sword Saint.

"...Right, I'm going to sleep for a bit. Starting around evening, it's finally time to search for the Magic Power Operation Unit to get the Ancient Craftsman job."

"Warya, I've thought this for a while, but yer really restless..."

"I'm the type to sprint full speed to the destination."

It suits my nature better to level up intensively in one go rather than steadily leveling up while advancing the story.

"Ah—, I'm tired."

Time is... around 4:00 PM? I guess I'll have a light meal and a nap before resuming the conquest. Thinking about that, I pick up my mobile terminal and notice an email has arrived.

Three unread messages. One is a news email from a game I used to play, so I can ignore it. The remaining two are...

Subject: Have a little question
From: ModoruKatzo
To: Sunraku
Body: Where are you right now? There's a matter I want to join up for ASAP.

Subject: Question for Sunraku-kun
From: Pencil Warrior
To: Sunraku
Body: Where is Sunraku-kun right now? Fivelle? I have something I want to talk about directly, are you free tonight?

"Amazing, even a carnivorous plant sets a better trap than this."

Translated directly, this reads: "I got involved in trouble, so I'm dragging you in too."

The fact that they ask for my location instead of designating a place is suspicious. Unlike other games, "trouble" in this game is nine times out of ten player-related...

"Not in the mood for PvP, so I'm going on a journey, please don't look for me. Also, depending on the situation, can I use up one weapon in Inventoria... Send."

Now then, a light meal, sleep... Ringtone.

I expected a reply, so opening it, I see one raging and one wry smile.

Subject: Don't screw around!
From: ModoruKatzo
To: Sunraku
Body: Do you understand the terror of being surrounded by guys with dangerous eyes constantly begging "The Rabbit" "Appointment with Sunraku-shi..."!? I'm unrelated! I'm going to sacrifice you to resume comfortable play, so spill your location swiftly and quickly.

Subject: Well, it doesn't work like that
From: Pencil Warrior
To: Sunraku
Body: I can't really refuse when the Leader of "Black Wolf" comes personally for negotiation accompanied by Max Firepower-chan, you know?
I will mercilessly abuse my authority as a superior, so spill your location.

"Hmm.................. Alright."

Let's pretend I didn't see that!

Author's Afterword

Iron-Caress Lapis Lazuli Hard Crystal
Its hardness as an ore is actually low, cracking even with a light tap. However, when painted onto weapons or armor as a coating agent, it grants extremely high magic resistance to the weapon. Commonly known as "Supreme Ruler of Coating Agents," "Hero's Caress," "Ore that should not be carried by clumsy people."
Unpopular with Crystal Scorpions who don't cook, as it requires painting rather than ingestion to be effective.

Lapisteria Star Crystal
A beautiful gem that looks like the starry sky solidified. It has the property of accumulating more magic power the more stars twinkle inside the gem. An "First-Magnitude Star" class is valuable enough to buy a small country with a ping-pong ball size. Commonly known as "Canopy's First-Magnitude Star," "Starry Sky in the Palm," "Tsundere that doesn't Dere."
Accumulates an extremely large amount of magic power, but has the property of not mixing or converting with other magic power, becoming nothing but a foreign object in the body if ingested, so it is unpopular with health-conscious Crystal Scorpions.

Roenanva Amber Crystal
Strictly speaking, not an ore but amber formed from solidified tree sap from ancient times. Refers to amber made from the sap of an extinct tree called "Brilliant Flame Tree." Rarely, ancient magic power or organisms are sealed inside the amber, and a skilled Jeweler can revive the sealed ancient power in the modern age. Commonly known as "Amber Brilliant Flame," "Gift from the Ancients," "Not Maple Flavored."
Unpopular with Crystal Scorpions who don't take dangerous gambles, as it's not an ore to begin with, and ingesting it poorly causes internal damage from the sealed magic power.

Amulsidian Quartz
A jet-black ore always formed in a perfect hexagon, boasting the highest hardness among ores. It has a "track record" of not getting a single scratch even when trampled, breathed on, or chewed by a dragon. A half-hearted blacksmith can't even scratch it, let alone process it. However, it is said that a handful of excellent "Master Craftsmen" can process it more easily than melted candy art.
Its name is derived from the Dragonewt Hero "Amul" and his eternal partner, the Dwarven Master Craftsman "Sidian," but it has weathered and disappeared from current human records. It is the admiration of all Dragonewts and Dwarves; just looking at Amulsidian Quartz makes their rice taste better. Commonly known as "Tip of the Hegemon's Spear," "Proof of a Master Craftsman," "Best Side Dish."
Tasteless, doesn't melt when licked, can't be chewed. Is there value in such a candy? Therefore, it is unpopular with Crystal Scorpions, who recognize ores strictly as food, as a very confusing object resembling food.

What should I do? Thinking about item settings is more fun than writing the main text...?