Perfect Crime

What came back to my slightly questioning voice about whether she could make what I needed was a voice mixed equally with confidence and self-assurance.

“I’ll make you anything. Really, anything.”

The brown gaze that had been trembling slightly with tension was already nowhere to be found.

It’s not that there wasn’t any bluster or exaggeration at all, but still.

And so, I began to carefully explain the portable teleportation stone to the person who was still holding my hands together.

Not long after, when my vague explanation based on memories from my first playthrough had ended.

“Um, can I ask you one thing?”

I nodded at the question from the person who somehow seemed a bit confused.

What I heard next were questions about means of transportation other than the portable teleportation stone.

“Instead of asking me to make something this complicated, couldn’t you just learn teleport magic later… no, you don’t even need to learn teleport magic, couldn’t you just ask a hunter from your guild?”

It was a valid point, as it was unlikely that there wouldn’t be at least one person among the many Lunatic Guild hunters who knew how to use teleport magic.

However, teleport magic was never an option for me in the first place.

The reason being that one of my cheat skills had an unexpected side effect.

–Ding.

▶ Unstoppable (P)

[Resists all external influences attempting to change the coordinates of the entity named: Lua.]

I really didn’t expect it, but I never dreamed that this [Unstoppable] would activate even for teleport magic cast by others.

I discovered this unexpected fact a few months ago.

“H-huh…? W-where did Lua go?!”

Everyone was extremely confused when the teleport magic, which had been used dozens or hundreds of times before, didn’t work only on me.

In the end, I had to wander aimlessly in an empty lot alone until the car that came to pick me up arrived.

It was a bit strange that this [Unstoppable] nullified teleport magic but didn’t work for simply traveling by car… but what could I do?

“If it’s your request, Lua, they would use teleport magic for you as much as you want, wouldn’t they?”

“I-I have personal circumstances. And I feel bad about asking people who are already busy.”

Above all, teleport magic was rejected because I absolutely couldn’t let anyone in the guild know where I was trying to go or where I had been.

What would happen if a child who should be obediently wandering only around the Lunatic Guild headquarters or the surrounding neighborhood was on the opposite side of the continent? Especially while doing all sorts of reckless and strange things.

As Tana said a few months ago, it wouldn’t be strange if I were to be confined somewhere now.

But if I did nothing and just stayed quiet, the world and everything else would end.

“I wanted to visit famous places like <Azratek Plateau> or <Jenia Great Waterfall>, even if just for a moment.”

“Huh? You alone, Lua?”

“I’ll just wander around a bit and then come back home, so wouldn’t it be okay to go alone?”

Even if I get severely scolded later, I should at least try to do what I can for now.

And so, after convincing her with a bit of force about why I needed the portable teleportation stone.

I voiced another request to make it easier to move around.

“Um, Aine Unnie. Could you also tweak this device a little bit?”

What followed was an intention and an excuse that even I thought was a bit mean.

“It has some annoying functions. But if I go around without the device altogether, I’d be more suspicious.”

“Are you asking me to help make your deviation a perfect crime?”

“It’s just going around tourist places and coming back. It’s hardly a crime…”

But in conclusion, I didn’t hear a refusal.

I also promised that even if the modification of the device was discovered later, I would never reveal Aine’s name.

Right after that, I was told how long it would take to make the portable teleportation stone.

“Since I just need to modify a cargo teleportation stone a bit, it won’t take that long. However…”

“However?”

“I’m not sure if it’s safe to use on a person rather than inanimate objects like cargo.”

In other words, there could be a risk of safety accidents.

However, in my first playthrough, it was something that caused no problems even after being used several times.

Strictly speaking, there was no other way at the moment besides the portable teleportation stone.

Therefore…

“Hmm, I didn’t see you as that kind of person. Perhaps you’re not confident?”

“…What?”

I provoked Aine once more.

Sure enough, her lips started trembling again.

Not long after, she finally made a boastful claim to just wait and see.

“This little kid is already underestimating people. So fearlessly?”

“Then why don’t you try to scare me~.”

Nothing I can’t do. Only when I heard Aine’s not-quite-mutter did I feel somewhat relieved.

For people who make and showcase things, the desire for recognition is fuel. Or a driving force.

I felt that intentionally stimulating her competitive spirit like this would help her complete a more perfect portable teleportation stone in a shorter time.

Anyway, the fact that I would soon be able to move much more proactively compared to until now was a great help.

–Pause.

“…Thank you.”

I briefly expressed my gratitude to the person who was already looking for something resembling a blueprint.

Only, the already busy person probably didn’t hear it.

But well, it’s not like I said it specifically for her to hear.

I scratched my head awkwardly and just went outside.

“Don’t starve just because your sister isn’t around, don’t stay up late, don’t follow strange people, don’t do dangerous or strange things—”

“Aren’t you treating me too much like a child?”

“Lua, you’re still a child, you know?”

“B-but still…”

By this time, it was the day Asha and the Lunatic Guild hunters were leaving for The Tower.

Sure enough, I grumbled slightly at Asha, who had begun to give sincere nagging toward the day I would be left alone.

If you’re going to worry this much, why don’t you just not go?

“Hmm… Should I? Just not go?”

“…You’re going to go anyway.”

“That’s… true.”

On the face of the person who had been silent for a moment, what eventually bloomed was the same gentle smile as always.

Words I had heard more than a hundred times so far flowed into my ears once more, along with the familiar pat.

“Don’t worry too much. It’ll be fine.”

“What if… it’s not fine?”

But when it actually came time to let her go, for some reason I kept holding on.

“Then, we need to make it fine.”

“…And if you can’t make it fine?”

“Hmm. Why is our good Lua like this today?”

Since waking up this morning.

No, since before going to sleep last night, numerous bad memories had been replaying continuously.

–Ding.

<Guild: Asha, the Guild Master of Lunatic, has died.>

The short death message that clearly had no emotion or feeling.

Words that were nothing more or less than a notification to restart the game now lingered in my ears like tinnitus.

“I’ll just… be honest. I’m scared you might get hurt, Unnie.”

I hoped that no matter what, she wouldn’t die.

I wished she would make even a promise with no binding power or effect, like ‘I’ll come back without even a hair harmed.’

Of course, Asha wouldn’t understand why I was worrying about her to this extent… but that’s okay.

“Promise me that you’ll think of yourself first… at any moment.”

Then, I slowly extended my pinky finger toward Asha.

And so, at the moment when the pinky finger of the person who didn’t have a particularly solemn expression became intertwined not long after.

“If you get hurt even a little bit, I won’t look at your face until I die.”

A threat that seemed to have little power when thought about rationally.

However, for some reason, it seemed like it would be the most powerful threat specifically to just one person, Asha.

At this, her voice momentarily became confused and carefully asked if I was serious.

“I-isn’t it too much to say you won’t look at me until you die…?”

“I really won’t look at you until I die. I won’t even turn my head in your direction.”

I knew it was nothing more or less than a childish whim from an immature child.

Just, I thought maybe she would remember my words if I did this.

I wanted to make sure that when the time came to weigh lives, she wouldn’t throw away her own life too lightly.

“So, don’t get hurt.”

“…Okay.”

Right after that came the time when she really had to leave.

In other words, it meant she had to act as the Guild Master of the Lunatic Guild, not as my close sister anymore.

From that point on, I couldn’t even try to hold her back.

Not long after, when I could no longer hear even the sound of footsteps moving away in the distance.

More precisely, when the last hunter who had remained until the very end had completely left for The Tower.

After briefly looking at the empty office, I finally stepped outside as the sunset was beginning to fall.

After walking and walking, I finally arrived at Aine’s laboratory.

–Knock knock.

“I’m here.”

And so, as the black wooden door in front of me slowly opened inward.

After one of Aine’s strangely shaped tools completely stopped the device’s location tracking function and video recording function.

“Here, what you asked for.”

I finally received the portable teleportation stone that would serve as my exclusive teleport magic.

As would be expected, Aine’s precautions that were heard almost simultaneously.

But now, I really couldn’t waste even a minute or second. Just couldn’t.

“…I’ll be back!”

“W-wait! I haven’t finished speaking—”

–Whoosh!

For some reason, I activated the slightly glowing portable teleportation stone, distorting the space around me.

Not long after, various colored lights that enveloped all around.

However, even that completely disappeared after a short while.

The feeling of floating that I had been feeling somehow gradually changed to a feeling of falling, and finally landed on what looked like a snow-white snowfield.

–Thud!

“Ouch!”

As the fur all over my body stood on end at the sudden impact, ding.

[A total of 8 damage has been accumulated.]

[Cumulative Damage: 321407 ▶ 321415]

[Available Damage: 321415]

A message window appeared in the air, telling me exactly how much damage I had received from falling from about 2 meters in the air.

However, the cityscape visible in the distance matched exactly with the appearance of the place I had intended to go.

That is, the most bustling appearance among the various cities of the Northern Continent. At the same time, the appearance of the place where the person reigning at the top of the Northern Continent lives.

After clearly realizing that the portable teleportation stone had worked properly, I walked toward the most magnificent-looking building among the quite uniquely designed buildings.