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Chapter 124: Expectations for different cultures can often be off target

Right, so I’ve left all those materials with the Kartinez Sisters, as well as some jeweled beetle carapaces and crystal python scales.

Looks like the jeweled beetles don’t show up in Ploids, so the sisters were happy to get them.

Even though they’re common in Nyl Labyrinth.

Oh right, some of my magic ores were also left with them.

Karin-san’s armor will be more of a metal armor than leather, after all.

The sisters, Lizette and Andira, quickly sketched up some drawings that satisfied Karin-san and Emi-chan, but were disappointed when I asked them to keep mine plain and simple.

Anyway, with all of our measurements taken and the designs more or less decided upon, we left it to the very excited sisters.

They didn’t pay for the materials yet, since we’ll be balancing payments for our materials and their labor at a later date.

We left a lot of the armor decisions, like which materials to use for what, up to them, after all.

You know what they say; leave the details up to the professionals.

“… Tell the truth, though. You thought my mini-skirt armor was too sexy, didn’t you?”

Karin-san asked.

We had purchased some plainer clothes and armor for Karin-san and Emi-chan to wear in the meantime, as well as for casual wear use.

But Karin-san just won’t let the matter drop… ugh…

I sigh as I reply,

“Maybe a little, but that really wasn’t the reason I was telling you to wear something different.”

“Hmm…”

Karin-san made a noncommittal sound as she walked around in the simple tunic and pants she had chosen.

Well, the tunic is still on the fancy side for non-nobles, but it no longer screams ‘rich girl right here,’ so it’s a vast improvement.

… How strange.

Even though it’s not like I haven’t met the other gamers yet, only when Karin-san and Emi-chan showed up did I really feel like, ‘Oh yeah, this isn’t the world we originally came from.’

Maybe because Karin-san isn’t trying to assimilate into the world like the others?

No, well, she probably is trying in her own way, but no matter how you look at her, she’s still a Japanese high-school girl through and through.

It’s not like I had forgotten or anything, but somehow, seeing a familiar sight in an unfamiliar place really hammers the point home a lot more.

This isn’t my original home.

“So… we can’t… join you guys for the commission?”

Emi-chan asked timidly.

At the Kartinez Sisters’ shop, I had informed them that Hibiki-chan and I would appreciate any pieces of armor they can finish soon as quickly as possible, since we were going to be doing a large-scale commission in the Labyrinth.

I had almost accidentally let slip that we were going to The Forge, but barely remembered in time that it was supposed to be a secret.

“Sorry. Guild business.”

I said.

“Eeeh… what are we supposed to do then? We didn’t come all this way just to get shut up in a different place.”

Karin-san complained.

“Um… well, we aren’t really in charge of you guys, you know?”

I said.

I mean, we have absolutely no control over them, they just can’t come with us to The Forge.

Hibiki-chan nodded.

“Oh! I forgot! I’m so used to Seimei-san and the others saying, ‘don’t do this, don’t do that’~.”

Karin-san suddenly looks to be in a much better mood.

“Well, we’ll have advice for you guys, so please take it,”

I said.

“Yes, yes, I get it~.”

Even though she still sounds frivolous, Karen seems much more likely to listen to us after the armor situation.

Was she just rebelling from the stress of being in Carnus?

“Can’t we have Desmond and the elf twins watch over them? I mean, there was a lot of things about Labyrinth exploration I didn’t know about, and without the Valor of Arms Brigade, I would have had a hard time.”

Hibiki-chan said suddenly.

Aah… that’s true.

Ploids is all jungle-like too, so I’m sure there’s just as much, if not more, to watch out for.

“Well, we can ask them. I guess we don’t know that many people around here yet.”

I kind of miss Nyl City because of that.

But, that’s true.

It would make me feel a lot better to have some kind of experienced adventurer watching over Karin-san and Emi-chan.

Hm… maybe I should ask Ragnall what he thinks about it.

While I was thinking so, Karin-san claps her hands together suddenly as she exclaims,

“Ah! I want to register with the Adventurer’s Guild!”

Are there not any places to register in Carnus?

When I asked, there apparently were places but there weren’t that many, and you’d get registered as a citizen of Carnus, which Karin-san didn’t find super appealing.

Besides, since they’re Carnus citizens, technically they already have identifications and don’t need an Adventurer’s Card to enter the Labyrinth … so she just wants an Adventurers Card because of the template. Oi.

“Jun, Hibiki, there you are. It’s almost time to meet up with Desmond.”

As we returned to the inn, Ragnall was waiting outside, hood on.

It doesn’t completely hide all of his white hair, but it’s enough to keep most of the curious gazes off of him.

“Oh, is it already time? Sorry.”

As I apologized, Ragnall waved his hand lazily.

“Nah, women take a long time to shop, after all.”

… I have mixed feelings about that, but it’s true that Karin-san and Hibiki-chan took a long time to decide on the designs, so I just decided to assume he’s not including me in the ‘women.’

I didn’t take that long… I think.

Since all of us gamers have Inventory there’s nothing to store, so I’m free to just follow after Ragnall without having to stop by the inn room first.

It’s times like this when I remember: Inventory is REALLY convenient…

As we begin to leave, Hibiki-chan holds back.

“? What’s wrong, Hibiki-chan?”

I ask.

Technically she’s part of the original party, and she can definitely be considered a witness of the Demon Lord’s appearance.

“Um… Well, I was wondering if I could stay behind and help out Karin-san and Emi-chan?”

Ragnall and I look at each other for a second.

Even though I’ve only known Hibiki-chan for a couple months, I’ve gotten to know her enough to ask,

“…And the real reason is…?”

She’s making her ‘I’m giving an excuse’ face, after all.

“… According to Aislinn and Aidan, Deep Elves look down on normal elves a lot…”

Ah… Hibiki-chan is extremely sensitive to those kinds of prejudices, after all.

She would have been an excellent justice warrior if she had been able to grow up in Japan.

It looks like she’s capable of reading the atmosphere; we’re going to be dealing with highly sensitive politics, after all.

… Wait. Rather than Hibiki-chan, shouldn’t it be me who stays behind?

Actually…

“… I completely forgot you were an elf.”

Exactly what I was thinking, Karin-san.

Her features are pretty much Japanese, after all… as long as she keeps that stone we got from Pelma.

Ah, I’ve properly worked with Kopfton and his brother Krispin, who’s a jeweler, to make a pretty pendant out of the milky white stone.

Very fitting for Hibiki-chan and her other form, her character Echo, it show a nightwing oriole, a nocturnal hunting songbird with a haunting call, circling the stone that’s set to look like a moon.

Since I wanted it to be durable, the setting for the stone is galvorn, and the oriole, in gold, silver, and mithril, stands out as much as the stone.

“This… definitely looks like some kind of heirloom…”

Krispin marveled at the pendant.

Of course the necklace portion wasn’t half-assed, either.

Although it’s more rope-like than chain-like, I properly wove kelpie and manticore mane together with mithril thread in order to make an uncuttable, thin rope.

Although I needed help spinning the manes into thin threads, I was pretty satisfied – ah, but if it ever got caught on anything, wouldn’t Hibiki-chan be in danger, since it’s uncuttable?

As various things popped up like that, one after another, um… well, Hibiki-chan’s disguise necklace became kind of… yeah…

It unlatches on Hibiki-chan’s command and can be called over as long as it’s within range of Hibiki-chan’s voice… The nightwing oriole part can also give a soft glow on command.

Both necklace and pendant are also shock-proof and resistant to heat.

By the way, I learned a lot about voice-activated multi-enchantments while working on it.

It was actually far more difficult to key specific words to activate the enchantments.

If it was just activated by a certain voice, that was actually pretty easy.

Um… I feel like in modern-day Japan, they had problems making AI discerning between different voices, but in Orelia, it’s easy to discern between different voices if they are emitted with magic power.

Since everyone has a different pattern of magic power, much like fingerprints.

… I’m getting distracted.

Anyway, we gamers might have forgotten that Hibiki-chan was an elf, but there’s no way the people of this world would.

Her tell-tale ears are there, after all.

After exchanging glances with Ragnall again, we agree to leave her behind.

What really clinched it was that Desmond and the elf twins came out… and the elf twins also expressed their preferences to stay behind.

Looks like Karin-san and Emi-chan really are going to get some guidance from the elves in Ploids Labyrinth – both the elf twins AND Hibiki-chan.

Desmond smiled wryly as he watched them head off.

“It’s not like I can’t understand how they feel about the situation,”

Was all he said.

Yeah… that makes me reluctant to go see the Deep Elf Representative too…

As if he sensed my desire to run off, Ragnall grips me tightly by the shoulder.

Owowowow… Ragnall, your strength isn’t normal, you know?

Although I could shake him off easily just by increasing the amount of magic power I’m putting into Augment Body.

Grumbling to myself, I follow after Desmond as Ragnall keeps a close eye on me from behind… I won’t run off, okay?

It was just an impulse, jeez…

Desmond is… a lot more solemn than normal.

No… grim, almost?

It feels like we’re going to go to a funeral or something.

Ploids is heavily trafficked as usual, but gradually, as we make our way past the markets and stores, the people begin to thin and the surroundings turn more into trees than buildings.

Although, the trees are still being utilized as buildings.

There’s just less building parts than tree parts.

Pretty soon we reach a huge tree – it looks like an extremely old, gnarled gingko – and a mansion built into its branches.

The mansion was by far the most ‘elvish’ thing I had seen yet…

I couldn’t help muttering, “Fantasy…” as I looked up at it and at the grand, winding staircase leading to the main gates.

Desmond grimaced a little at the statement as he replied,

“It IS a little in bad taste, isn’t it?”

Eh… so… this isn’t a normal Deep Elf residence?

I don’t know if I feel relieved or disappointed as I followed Desmond to the gate at the foot of the stairs.

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<a/n: Ugh… I defeated jetlag so easily in Japan, but I’m losing the battle now that I’m back … Sorry. I really expected to get these out sooner than later, but I’ve only just begun waking at normal times. Now I need to work on sleeping at normal times…>