Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: A Flower Just for You
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Our promise with Senior Wolfram.
When I mentioned that if I took first place in our grade again, I'd asked him for a date—just the two of us—Vanilla dropped the meat she was eating with a clatter, and Yogurt closed the romance novel she was reading.
"For real? ...You actually asked Senior for a date?"
"Milmyu...?"
"Y-Yeah... I did. I said it properly."
"To think that our late-bloomer, awkward Milmyu actually said it with her own mouth. We can graduate now. No, let us graduate. I don't want to study for exams anymore..."
"Jefrin Academy's first-ever early graduation. That's a grand dream, Vanilla."
"V-Vanilla!? ...Yeah. Thanks."
Vanilla teared up and hugged Milmyu tightly, while Yogurt let out a deep sigh.
Their conversation was far too bizarre to call it encouragement, but Milmyu read the mood and thanked them for it anyway.
"So. When are you doing it?"
"I set it for before the end-of-term ceremony."
"Hmm, so you're worrying about what to prepare, huh?"
"...Yeah."
"You need something that plays up Milmyu's strengths."
"Yeah! Something that plays up Milmyu's strengths!"
"......R-Right! So, what are my strengths?"
At that, Vanilla and Yogurt averted their gazes.
They desperately looked away, mumbling and unable to say a word.
"......Hey, guys? My strengths........."
"W-Well. No, Milmyu's kind."
"A good girl..."
"N-No, not that—I mean something usable on a date..."
Even as Milmyu looked slightly desperate, the two just hemmed and hawed, unable to give a proper answer.
No matter how close friends are, there are things you can say and things you can't.
How do you tell someone that being "kind" is no compliment at all?
"Guys......"
"Milmyu's kind. Yeah..."
"So kind... Kind..."
Milmyu's eyes welled up with tears.
But in the end, she couldn't get a proper answer out of them. "Does that mean I don't have any good points at all?"
"That's a bit..."
"Well, you do have some, but..."
"Then tell me something! Guys!"
At Milmyu's desperate plea, Vanilla and Yogurt sighed deeply and spat out the cruel truth for their friend.
"Milmyu. Romance is something that starts when you look like a romantic prospect."
"In other words, you have to make yourself stand out as special."
"But your target is way too strong."
"If you try playing up being a junior or younger, there's Senior Nepthelian in the way, right?"
"And your fiancée is a senior from the continent's top house, Trista."
"Not to mention, for petite and cute, there's Senior Rudika Hassan Shadow."
"Umm... You don't have to emphasize small, but if you go for volume, there's that fourth-year senior who's been seen around Senior Eve lately, right? The one with the blue hair."
"No bloodline. Not enough as a junior."
"Small's outdone. Big's outdone too..."
"......Hiiing."
Under her friends' barrage of harsh truths, Milmyu buried her face in her knees and went silent.
Truth always hurts the most.
After that, Milmyu von Sabre seriously pondered her own strengths.
But no answers came.
All she realized was how hopelessly outclassed she was in every spec.
And without finding any answers, the day of the date arrived.
"Senior?"
"...Mm."
On the day of the date.
Milmyu visited the convenience store and could tell Wolfram's condition at a glance.
He was clearly overexerted.
Wolfram was fragile even normally, but in that state, Milmyu could take him down barehanded without her gauntlets.
Had he forgotten their promise? That would be too sad.
"Did you forget?"
"...I did. Sorry."
"......Ah."
"I forgot tomorrow's the end-of-term ceremony. I thought we had a few more days..."
"Pardon?"
Instead, Milmyu panicked at his words. He'd forgotten the ceremony, not their date?
...Well, that was kinda off too, but since it wasn't their date he'd forgotten, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Let's go. A promise is a promise."
"......"
Wolfram stood, staggering to his feet. His face pretended calm, but his body couldn't keep up.
"No. I'm not going out."
"...But tomorrow's the ceremony. We won't be able to keep the promise."
"I'm not giving up on the promise."
"......?"
"The convenience store is part of Jefrin too. If it doesn't open today, it'll just be you and me alone, right?"
"Well, that's true, but."
"So today, let me stay by your side here at the convenience store."
"......If that's what you want, it's no trouble."
"Okay."
Milmyu sighed inwardly.
The fancy restaurants she'd researched were useless now. The spots she'd wanted to see together were for naught.
But she'd rather not see this man suffering from overexertion over something like that.
It's pretty bad, she thought, yet accepted her own feelings as admirable.
Whoa.
Tremendous guilt. No joke.
Turning down a junior's promised outing like this?
Even I know this is straight-up trash behavior.
I should go out. Can't ruin this kid's precious smile.
A grown-up's job is to make a world where kids can smile and play, isn't it?
"Milmyu, we should still go out..."
"Senior? Hehe. I'm fine, really?"
Milmyu was smiling.
But why did that smile look so scary?
If I push it further, something seriously bad might happen.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yes!"
"Alright. But just watching me work at the convenience store would be boring, no?"
"No way. It's the best seat in the house."
"Is that so."
What a truly kind girl. Well, since sitting idle feels off, I'll stick around the store today and cater to Milmyu as much as possible.
As I sat in the chair thinking that, Milmyu tilted her head.
"Aren't you going to do anything?"
"Hm?"
"You're not open for business, but don't you have other work?"
"I have no intention of doing anything on my own."
"...Ah."
"Today, tell me what you want to do. I'll accommodate as much as possible."
"......Eek. That's not fair, Senior. Then... can I really make a request?"
"Mm."
"I want to see you making something, Senior. Is that okay?"
"Not hard at all. Alright, then. I'll give you an exclusive preview of something special."
"Whoa... It's so flashy. Just from sewing?"
"It's not ordinary sewing. Completely different technique."
What I'm making is a magic-infused hair accessory.
Made of fabric, yet more beautiful than a real flower— a hairpin with embedded blue gems and blooming red petals. Even I, the designer, could only call it beautiful.
"Whoa..."
Dexterity 15 plus the thimble yields this efficiency, huh.
Even as the maker, it's turning out amazingly well.
Alright, the hair accessory is nearly done.
Just the finishing touches now.
Normally, it'd just complete here, but...
"It's complete."
"...Whoa."
Beautiful Hairpin Infused with Guardian Magic
Tier:7TEquip:Women Only | Bind on Equip
A beautiful flower-shaped hairpin infused with guardian magic.
The fabric, gems, and creator's skill all receive 'Intermediate' rating.
1. Slight increase to wearer's HP recovery.
2. Defends against one spell per day (up to 5 clauses, within 1.3x wearer's mana limit).
3. Special Skill: [Blessing of Growth]
I stared at the hairpin I'd made, lost in thought for a moment.
What?
This is what got made? For real? Insane?
The accessory I gave Aila before had mana power, regen, and speed triples—pure stat boosts.
But this is objectively a tier higher: a skill-embedded accessory.
Plus [Blessing of Growth].
It's tiny, minuscule boost to status growth speed.
How tiny? The kind I wouldn't pick even when offered 8T choices.
Still, crafting an accessory with HP recovery, spell defense, and growth? Massive achievement.
But the equip restrictions are a snag.
Hmm.
"...I-Is it magical? It's sparkling and all..."
"Yep. HP recovery, magic resistance, and a small skill attached."
"......Pardon?"
Milmyu's eyes went wide as she stared at me.
The look screamed, "No way."
Eve, Nefti— this world's magic item standards are too low.
But yeah, something like this would be pure honey by Act 2.
If not for the equip limits!
"I-I see. ...As expected of you, Senior. You whip this up like nothing... So, Senior. That brooch... you're wearing it?"
Milmyu tilted her head, and I shrugged. Doesn't suit me, does it?
"Women only. Plus it binds to the wearer's mana pattern—no one else can equip it."
"Ah, a-ah. I see. Then... color-wise, wouldn't it suit Senior Nefti? Hehe."
Really?
She'd probably prefer small earrings over a hairpin.
Hmm.
I'll ask Nefti later.
Anyway, interesting accessory.
Great success, all positive options, yet low tier.
Proof I can embed [Explosive Growth], [Absolute Magic Defense], [Avatar] later on.
This thing with red flowers and blue gems.
Hmm. Suits someone specific.
Can't imagine anyone else.
"No. It has a different owner."
"Ah, oh. Right. Senior Trista then..."
"No. Aila already has a necklace."
"Th-Then Senior Rudika..."
"What, an assassin in something flashy?"
"......Th-Then. If it's impossible and presumptuous to imagine, but maybe..."
"Not impossible, not imagination, not fantasy. That's the one."
"......Ah."
"Milmyu. This suits you."
Yeah. Doesn't it practically declare its intent?
The path wasn't wrong.
Not perfect, but it can grow right.
As I moved to hand her the brooch, Milmyu stepped back half a pace.
"Why back away?"
"Th-Thank you so much for saying that, Senior... but is someone ordinary like me really worthy of something like this?"
"Ordinary?"
"Y-Yes... I can't shield you like Senior Nefti, or move stealthily like Senior Rudika, or use magic like Senior Aila... Someone like me doesn't deserve a treasure like this..."
"Ha. What nonsense."
Kid. Digging holes in front of an adult?
I stepped forward as she backed half a pace.
"...Senior?"
"That day. I said I wanted to explore Jefrin's secret realm with you all. Remember?"
"Yes. I do."
"And inside that list is Milmyu von Sabre. You too."
"......"
"Don't belittle yourself—it belittles my judgment too. Even if you hate it... I've decided you're a comrade."
"......Ugh. Eek."
"Take it. It's yours."
I, Yi Young-jin,
in 20,000 hours of playtime, never once abandoned a comrade.
Never let one die.
That's how stubborn I am. Better take it nicely, kid.
"S-Senior! Um, if it's not rude, one more request... A presumptuous one..."
"Granted. We're comrades, right?"
"......Please put it on me yourself, Senior."
What.
That much is nothing.