Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Event is Going Smoothly!
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"Ah, no! Not at all! Even if it's just me and Rubelt, I'm fine!"
Yume shook her head and hands vigorously in denial.
"Really?"
"Yeah! I'm totally fine."
"Good to hear."
I flashed the brightest, most refreshing smile I could muster.
Sure enough, Yume's face flushed a little, just as expected.
This Rubelt pace works wonders because he's such a handsome guy.
It even lands perfectly on the heroines who already have a thing for me.
I'd seen Yume embarrassed a few times before, but she was still as cute as ever.
First, Yume and I strolled through the city streets together.
She walked quietly beside me, head slightly bowed, before finally asking a question.
"Come to think of it, what did you come here to buy?"
In Blaze Blood, the protagonist picks out combat gear designs here, but I already have mine.
So I gave an answer that would let us wander around more with Yume.
"Just browsing armor and weapons."
"Armor and weapons... Don't you already have some, Rubelt?"
"Yeah, the ones procured from the Eldra family. But... even without Eldra involvement, the markets sometimes sell top-notch gear. Let's just say I'm hoping for a lucky find while we're out."
"I see..."
"Anyway, there's always more gear to check out. Yume, if you see any weapons or outfits you like, take a look. I'll buy whatever catches your eye."
"Huh?! N-No, it's fine. You don't have to!"
"No, I think I didn't explain myself well enough and got your hopes up. Sorry about that."
"Still..."
Yume fidgeted, clearly flustered.
In moments like this, it was best not to push too hard.
"Then how about this: if we spot something you like while browsing, just let me know. If not, no big deal."
"Uh, okay."
With Yume's approval secured, we wandered the streets together, peeking into shops.
Right before entering the first one, I paused as if something had just occurred to me and turned to her.
"Oh yeah, Yume."
"Yeah? What?"
"Your outfit looks really great on you today. I almost forgot to say it."
"...Eek! Th-Thanks... Y-You look good too, Rubelt!"
"Thanks."
Praise at an unexpected moment.
Yume had to be thrilled deep down.
"Ah, let's check out this shop."
"R-Right!"
Yume and I stepped into the hunter's gear store.
It was an excuse for a date with Yume, but you never know—there might be something amazing, so I examined the displayed equipment closely.
"All this stuff is pretty good quality."
"Really?"
Well, nothing compared to what I had, but still.
"My, you have a good eye, sir! Everything on display here is perfect for beginner hunters—and even seasoned veteran adventurers swear by it!"
The clerk approached with a bright salesman's smile.
"What's your position? If you're okay with it, I can recommend something!"
"Ah, well..."
I answered for Yume, who was flustered by the clerk's enthusiasm.
"Support-type mage... but I can handle any position."
"Impressive talents! Hmm, you look kinda familiar..."
"Can you recommend a magic staff for now?"
"Of course! For your girlfriend, right?"
"G-Girlfriend!?"
Yume's face turned beet red in an instant.
"What's your rank, by the way?"
"We're academy cadets. First-year enrollees."
"Oh! Cadets, got it! One moment~."
The clerk picked up a staff embedded with diamond-like gems from the display.
"How about this White Prism? It's a versatile, easy-to-handle staff that even veteran hunters choose!"
"What do you think, Yume?"
"Girlfriend..."
Yume was still mumbling "girlfriend" to herself, lost in thought.
Her reaction alone told me just how much she liked me.
Seeing the fruits of steadily building affection during high school life always felt great.
Pretending not to notice, I called her name again.
"Yume?"
"Huh? Oh! Uh! Well... I dunno."
"Of course! You can't tell just by looking! Come this way? We let you test weapons in our shop!"
The clerk led us to the back, into what they called the weapon testing room.
The interior resembled the academy's combat training hall, with a straw dummy target set up in the center for practice.
"Go ahead, give it a try!"
"Yume, test it out."
"Okay."
Caught up in the momentum, Yume took the White Prism from the clerk.
"Um... what should I use?"
"Mana Ray would be good. Perfect timing with the target there."
"Right! Hoo..."
Exhaling, Yume gripped the White Prism, gathered her mana, and...
"Mana Ray!"
She unleashed the basic attack spell toward the target.
Piiiing! A Mana Ray shot out faster and stronger than Yume's usual one.
"Wow..."
And Yume, the user, felt the difference most of all.
"A-Amazing. It's nothing like the Mana Ray I used at the academy..."
Of course—gear makes all the difference.
In Blaze Blood, buying new weapons from shops as they unlock in the late game is standard procedure.
But this was reality.
No need to wait for new chapters; with enough money, you could snag high-end gear early on.
The White Prism was a mid-to-late game magic staff.
The difference in mana conductivity and amplification was night and day, so the power boost was obvious.
"So, what do you think? Pretty great, right?"
"Yes, it's really good."
Yume answered the clerk's question honestly.
Seizing the moment, the clerk whipped his gaze to me.
"Your girlfriend loves it!"
"G-Girlfriend...! Rubelt and I aren't...!"
"Yume, do you like the White Prism?"
"Huh!? Well... uh..."
"We'll take it."
"Thank you!"
"Rubelt?!"
I bought the White Prism on the spot and left the shop with Yume.
"Thank you~."
Yume clutched the wrapped White Prism in a daze.
"Ah! R-Rubelt! You didn't have to buy this for me!"
"But you liked it, right?"
"S-Still!"
"I told you—if you saw something you liked, I'd get it for you."
"But!"
Yeah, I bought it without even asking her opinion first, so a considerate, kind-hearted girl like Yume probably felt bad about it.
But in these cases, pushing forward confidently was the way to go.
"I feel bad for dragging you out without explaining properly. Please accept it, Yume."
"Ugh... but this thing's expensive..."
"Expensive?"
By the standards of the world's top conglomerate heir—that's me?
"Maybe not for you, Rubelt..."
"Exactly, it wasn't for me. I know you won't be satisfied with that, but could you think of my feelings for now?"
"...Okay."
Yume nodded and stored the new White Prism in her Hepai.
"Alright, let's keep looking around, Yume. Speak up if anything else catches your eye."
"This is more than enough!"
Yume shouted hastily, wary of getting showered with more gifts.
After buying the White Prism.
Yume's heart kept pounding as she toured shops here and there with Rubelt.
Wasn't this basically a date with Rubelt?
That initial fluttering evolved into Why didn't he deny it when the clerk called me his girlfriend? Was it not worth correcting? Does he have Eli? But if so, wouldn't he have mentioned his fiancée? Though if he flat-out said no, that'd hurt too...
The pounding only grew faster.
"Yume."
Rubelt's voice snapped Yume out of her spiraling thoughts.
"Huh!? Yeah!"
"We've looked around enough. Want to hit a café and take a break?"
Yume nodded immediately.
"Yeah! L-Let's do that!"
After the White Prism purchase, Rubelt dragged her to three more shops.
But to Yume, lost in thought, the time didn't feel long or boring.
She was even surprised when Rubelt spoke up: Has it been this long already?
At the café, Rubelt and Yume each ordered drinks.
No conversation passed between them until the drinks arrived.
Yume felt like her heart and head might explode from being alone with Rubelt in the café.
Rubelt was too busy admiring her to speak.
Once the drinks arrived and Yume took a sip, Rubelt timed it perfectly and spoke.
"Sorry. You must've been uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable?"
Rubelt's words didn't make sense to Yume.
Uncomfortable? What was uncomfortable?
"We just kept hopping from shop to shop. I got caught up looking at weapons and only now thought of a café. My bad."
It was a lie.
Rubelt had checked gear, sure—but his eyes never left Yume, and he'd been calculating the perfect timing to hit the café.
He was even surprised she'd stayed distracted elsewhere for so long.
But Yume didn't know that.
"No! It wasn't uncomfortable at all! You even bought me a new staff—I'm happy!"
"Really?"
"Really! I wasn't uncomfortable at all! I was thrilled!"
On the contrary, shopping with Rubelt alone and getting a gift from him made me so happy...
Yume was too embarrassed to voice her inner thoughts.
"Phew, glad to hear it."
Rubelt's relieved sigh and expression made Yume's heart race even more.
To Yume, who harbored feelings for the ever-gentlemanly and kind Rubelt, that face was utterly unfair.
Rubelt wanted to see her blush more, but knew better than to push it. He changed the subject.
"By the way... how's academy life for you? Clubs and stuff?"
"Huh? Well..."
Shifting to academy topics, Rubelt gently guided Yume back to her usual self.
She shared stories from practical training and club events, her embarrassment fading as she talked about daily life.
At the same time, she savored the comfort and joy of casual chat with Rubelt.
Before they knew it, their drinks were finished.
After paying and leaving, Rubelt suggested to Yume.
"Want to take a walk in the park?"
"Ah, sure!"
In a great mood from their fun talk, Yume accepted without a second thought.
Three minutes into strolling the city park.
Hehe, this really feels like a date...
Yume was relaxing, simply enjoying being with Rubelt.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Suddenly, a spatial rift tore open in the middle of the park.
"Kuhahahahaha!"
A muscular giant of a man emerged, radiating ominous mana.