Chapter 42
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Interior (6)
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After wrapping the bandage completely, I also put on the Chain of Magic Essence on Arsvald's arm.
The Chain of Magic Essence was fixed in a loop on his wrist and forearm below the elbow, with six chains connecting the two loops.
"Oh, ooooh...."
Arsvald raised his right arm and looked at the bandage wrapped around his forearm and the Chain of Magic Essence on top of it with the bright, sparkling eyes of a child who had just gotten his hands on the latest toy.
"A bandage and a chain on my arm...! Wrapped in a double layer...!"
For Arsvald, who had a refined sense of style, the primal and fundamental chuunibyou fashion was incredibly effective.
"You seem to like it."
"...! Ahem!"
Arsvald flinched and then began to clear his throat.
"Well, well... your sense isn't bad. It's practical... and you know what coolness is."
His sulkiness about being told to put the weapons back seemed to have been resolved immediately.
"Mister~."
Shasha, who had appeared behind me, asked with a grin.
"Is there anything else you need? Or anything you want to buy?"
"Hmm... then I'll take an extra winter coat."
"A winter coat? It's still a long way until winter."
"I'm preparing in advance for when I have to fight monsters in a cold region."
Because in snowy mountain regions and other places without a bonfire, there was a gimmick where your health would decrease.
"Aha! You're so well-prepared, mister!"
"It's better to be prepared for these things in advance. Besides...."
I looked at Pamela, Yeon-hwa, and Arsvald and said.
"Our group's current outfits are weak to the cold."
"Well, I guess that's true. It can't be helped for the sake of magic power recovery."
Magic power recovery?
Why was magic power recovery suddenly coming up?
Instead of pretending to know, I should just ask openly.
"For the sake of magic power recovery? What do you mean by that?"
"Huh? Mister, don't tell me you don't know?"
"From what you've said, I can surmise that there's a close connection between the exposure of clothing and magic power recovery. Is that true?"
"Wow, you really didn't know?"
"Oh ho ho ho ho! Then I, Shu Yeon-hwa, will tell you!"
Yeon-hwa laughed loudly and said.
"When you use magic or skills, your magic power is consumed. You know that, right?"
"Yes."
"And magic power is recovered either by a mana potion, by the owner's own magic power auto-recovery ability, or by absorbing the mana floating in the air through the skin. It's more efficient to absorb the mana in the air through the skin than to recover on your own."
"I see."
"The more skin that is exposed, the faster your magic power will recover. This outfit of mine is also! a design created by the Shu family to maximize the magic power recovery ability! And! to add beauty! to it!"
"Hmm, then was it a similar reason for Pamela too?"
"Y-yes... someone like my master has a strong ability to recover her own magic power without having to absorb the mana in the air. B-but I-I'm still inexperienced, so I have to absorb a lot of mana from the air."
"I see. So your outfit is also for the sake of magic power recovery."
"Hmph, don't tell me you didn't even know something as simple as that, Ishihan! The difference in magic power recovery after using a skill should be easy to notice!"
At this point, I delivered the excuse I had prepared.
"Until recently, I was able to handle the monsters and enemies I faced without having to use any skills. The first time I seriously used a skill was in the duel with you, Arsvald."
"Hmph...!"
Arsvald's lips were twitching and going up even as he turned his head away.
He was probably thinking something like, "So I was an opponent worthy of him using his skills for the first time, when he didn't have to use them properly until now!"
"Wow~ I guess that can happen if you have unusual skills like you, mister~."
Shasha was impressed, not doubting me at all.
"Ah, but~."
Shasha asked me with a sly grin.
"If you didn't know that it was a fashion for magic power recovery... what were you thinking when you saw women in those kinds of outfits, mister~?"
"Oh."
"...!"
At Shasha's question, Yeon-hwa also had a look of interest, and Pamela flinched and glanced at me.
If I were going for a stoic concept, I could just say I didn't think much of it, but I hadn't gone in that direction in the first place.
And I would feel more at ease if I was honest about what I wanted to be honest about.
"As a man, I thought it was a nice fashion to look at."
The men's fashion was the opposite.
"Hehehe, as expected of you, mister~ you're so honest."
"There's no reason to lie."
While talking with Shasha, I checked the reactions of Yeon-hwa and Pamela beyond her.
Yeon-hwa was smiling with a hand gently placed on her lips, and Pamela's face was slightly flushed.
"Hmm, is this pose good? No, this pose is better...."
Arsvald had quickly lost interest and was studying cool poses on his own.
He's so consistent.
After also buying a winter coat, since our business was done, we used a warp stone to head back to the academy to install the furniture we had bought.
On our way, Yeon-hwa smiled sweetly and said to me.
"I never thought you'd have such an interest in women, Ishihan. I thought you'd say something like, 'I don't really have any thoughts on it. My only interest is strength.'"
"I am certainly seeking strength, but that doesn't mean I think I don't need anything other than strength. In the first place, those who think like that are mostly broken somewhere."
"I guess that's true."
"Besides, I'm a man too. It's only natural to be attracted to the charm of the opposite sex. If not, I wouldn't even be able to judge that you are beautiful, would I?"
"...! Th-that's right! I was wrong about you, Ishihan! There's no way that you, who properly know my beauty, could be a block of wood! Oh ho ho ho ho!"
While Yeon-hwa was smiling, Pamela, who had been flinching and reacting to my words, called out to me.
"M-Mr. Shih-han!"
"What is it?"
"Um... I-I'm curious. I'd just like to hear a friend's opinion. D-do I have... any feminine charm? N-no! You don't have to answer! I'm sorry for asking something so obvious! It's only natural that someone like me wouldn't have any charm as a woman...."
"In my eyes, you are also a very charming and pretty woman, Pamela."
"Th-that's right! Someone like me is pretty... huh? Oh? R-really?"
"Of course. As Shasha also said last time, you are pretty. And I think so too."
"Ah, ah, ah... he, hehe, hehhehehe... for me to be pretty~."
At a single compliment, Pamela immediately grinned and was delighted.
Without even needing to pierce her praise resistance, Pamela was weak to compliments.
"Oh ho ho ho ho! Even in my eyes, you're a very pretty woman, Ms. Pamela! Though not as much as me!"
"Hehehe~ for you to say that too, Ms. Yeon-hwa~ he, hehehe...."
As Yeon-hwa added another compliment, Pamela made a wave with her body like a worm.
"You're a really funny person, Ms. Pamela. How should I put it... it's rewarding to praise you!"
"I agree."
"Hey! What are you dawdling for! Aren't we going to the club room quickly!"
As we were talking and had slowed down a bit, Arsvald, who had been walking ahead, shouted loudly.
"Weren't we going to go and install the things we bought today quickly!"
That appearance was similar to the impatience of a child who wanted to go home quickly and play with his toys.
"Eek! I-I'm sorry!
"Hehe, I'm sorry, Mr. Arsvald. We'll be right there."
"Wh-why are you also calling me by my name! Shu Yeon-hwa!"
"Oh ho ho ho ho! We're in the same group, so what's the problem. You can also just call me Yeon-hwa!"
"N-no thanks!"
After arriving at the club room and taking out the furniture we had bought today, except for the kiln, from my inventory, we installed them.
We installed two types of curtains, laid down a carpet with a magic circle drawn on it, and then installed a weapon display case, a medicinal herb drawer, and a bed.
"As for the kiln, we'll take it out when the professional comes."
"Y-yes!"
"Hmph.... to have a weapon display case but no weapons!"
"As for weapons, we can just buy them with our own money later, can't we? Even Ishihan wouldn't say anything about that."
"I guess that's the only way...! No, this is no time to be disappointed about this! Ishihan! Pamela! Get off the carpet!"
At Arsvald's request, Pamela and I, who were on the carpet, moved away, and Arsvald drew the thick curtain.
Because of its thickness, the moment the curtain was drawn, a corner of the club room became dark.
"Good!"
Arsvald nodded in satisfaction, then walked to where the light was shining and took something out of thin air.
"Hmm?"
"It's a camera."
It was a camera that appeared in Lucadia Fantasm.
It was a long, rectangular camera with a large lens, not a modern design.
According to the lore, even with that design, when you took a picture, a color photo would come out from the side like a Polaroid camera.
Arsvald had prepared not only a camera but also a tripod and set it up.
"Ishihan!"
"What is it?"
"Come here and press this when I tell you to!"
Arsvald had chosen me as his photographer.
"Understood."
I moved to the camera, and Pamela followed me.
"Hehehe, the time has finally come to show the true value of this carpet! Hah!"
As Arsvald stood on the carpet and struck a pose, a slightly strong light shone out from the magic circle on the carpet.
That was the function of the carpet for the sake of the coolness that Arsvald wanted.
According to Shasha, its official name was the Magic Light Carpet.
Arsvald, who was already covering one side of his face with his hand, swung his left hand back and flapped the coat he was wearing.
With a crackle! a blue current of electricity flickered around Arsvald for a moment.
"Now! Take it!"
Click!
I pressed the button at his signal.
As the picture was about to come out with a whirring sound, Arsvald rushed over and snatched the fully developed photo.
And he shook the photo with a flap, flap, flap.
Actually, it was said that it was better not to shake a Polaroid so that the ink wouldn't smudge.
But I didn't know if the camera in this world was really a Polaroid, so I decided not to advise him.
A little while later, after checking if the photo had come out properly, Arsvald stopped flapping it, looked at the photo, and clenched his fist.
"...Hmph! The best shot!"
Yes. As long as you're happy.