Vol. 14 - Ch. 760 - Unveiling of Sierra's Equipment

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After the exchange class wrapped up, I headed over to negotiate with Highwood regarding the «Rusted» equipment, just as promised.

Since I had the full set ready and offered it at a price considerably lower than the market rate, I’d say he at least owed me one now.

As for his weapon, he picked up the Mechanical Fist. Since «Cyborg» was a specialized branch of the «Fighter» job, he went with the most standard model available.

As soon as he'd them, he'd practically bolted off, grinning ear to ear, shouting he would immediately have them strengthened. I was looking forward to seeing him after his power-up. It’s just a shame we’re in different classes; I’d love to see that strength in action firsthand.

The next day, during a break between classes, I got a message from Marie-senpai—«Sacred Shield Luminous Armor set» had been completed.

"Sierra! Your equipment is done! We’ve gotta go, right now!"

"H-hold on, Zephyr! Calm down. We still have classes, remember? You can't just... run off, understood?"

In my excitement, I had grabbed her hand to pull her along, but she stopped me by placing her index finger against my lips.

—Aah.

I felt an excitement, different from earlier, welling up for some reason. It was like a wave of pure calmness washed over me. My soul felt...purified.

"...I see. So this works on Zephyr. I’ll have to make a note of that."

It appeared Sierra seemed to have found a dangerous habit... no, it had to my imagination.

Still, when she did that "no-no" gesture, I felt like my consciousness was about to embark on a spiritual journey.

And with such interlude, the classes came to an end.

Sierra’s equipment was ready. Somehow, the word had already spread throughout the entire class. I wonder why?

Consequently, it wasn't just Sierra and me; a large group of our guild members ended up tagging along to the «Weapon Seal Sticker» guild.

"Marie-senpai, you in?"

"I’m here! ...Whoa, Mister, that’s one heck of a crowd you brought!"

I couldn't blame Marie-senpai for being surprised. Almost all the girls from our class was there.

Notably, none of the boys showed up. This was Sierra’s big reveal, after all. Apparently, a few guys were worried about starting rumors if they were seen clamoring to watch a girl change into new gear.

Me? I was the leading manager and visionary behind this project! I had a professional obligation to be here.

"My shop’s way too small for this group. Hmm, tell you what—why don't you guys head to your guild house? We’ll do the unveiling there."

"Oh, good call. We’ve got plenty of space there."

Since the «Weapon Seal Sticker» was mostly taken up by guest parlors and individual workshops, it lacked a proper assembly hall. Thus, the venue for Sierra’s debut was moved to the Eden guild house.

By the way, the reason Sierra’s armor was here in the first place was that they are the absolute pros when it comes to the finishing touches. Aruru had crafted the individual plates and components, then brought them here for final assembly and fitting.

"Marie-senpai, I’m looking forward to your work today."

"Leave it to me, Sierra-han. Alright, Zephyr, you guys head on back first."

"Wait, me too?"

"Yep."

"See you in a bit, Zephyr."

"Ah... right. Sure."

Apparently, I wasn't allowed a sneak peek. I left Sierra in Marie-senpai’s capable hands and led the rest of the guild back to the Eden house. Since we’re both on C-Street, it was only a few minutes' walk.

However, an hour passed, and there was still no sign of Sierra or Marie-senpai.

I was pacing around impatiently until Lana and Ester, seemingly unable to watch my fidgeting any longer, step in to give a reason.

"A girl needs time to prepare, Zephyr. You can't just slap on armor and call it a day."

"Indeed. Zephyr-dono, one must have patience when a lady is choosing her attire."

"Huh, but Ester, the attire is already finished. No, wait, are they doing last-minute alterations or something?"

The anticipation was killing me. What was I supposed to do with all this pent-up energy?!

I settled for making a massive offering to the «Sachineko-sama» and «Koneko-sama», praying with all my might. Finally, the moment arrived.

"Sorry to keep ya waiting! Sierra-han’s equipment is good to go!"

"Finally! We’ve been waiting, Marie-senpai!"

We were in Eden's living room. Since we used this space for briefings and celebrations, it’s large enough to fit the entire guild with room to spare. And before I knew it, members from other departments and grades had caught wind of the event and gathered as well.

We were now a crowd of about thirty people.

"Wow, you can really tell how popular Sierra-han is."

Marie-senpai remarked, looking impressed by the turnout. Everyone had gathered just to get a glimpse of her new look. That’s our Sub-guildmaster for you.

"Alright, time for the reveal. Sierra-han, come on in!"

"…………"

“Ooooooh!” “Wow!”

At Marie-senpai’s signal, Sierra stepped into the room. She walked toward the main spot—the spot where I usually stand to brief—carrying herself with an air of refined elegance, her back straight and dignified. Just seeing her silhouette and the way she carried herself drew gasps of admiration from the entire guild.

"She looks... so cool."

"So beautiful..."

I heard voices whispering from the crowd. Sierra was practically a statute of elegance just by walking across the room. The entire guild was spellbound by her appearance.

When she reached the platform, she turned toward us with a composed expression. However, I could see her face was slightly flushed from embarrassment. That touch of modesty only added to her charm, sending the girls into a frenzy of "Kyaa!" and "She’s so cute!"

I finally took the moment to take a solid look at her equipment.

At a glance, while they might not appear different from her previous set, you could sense the overflowing strength.

On her head was a circlet-style helm that radiated a sublime aura. Her body was covered in a base of cloth armor reinforced with various plates and guards, much like before, but this version was far more luxurious and dazzling.

The highlight was the series of small, palm-sized white shield guards attached to various points of the armor. Some were layered like scales, while others stood alone as accents—the motif was incredibly cool. It perfectly represented her job's theme.

On both sides of her waist were four small shields. These were her trusty «Snow Wolf Shields» and «Moon Shields», two of each, protecting her from hip to knee. They're also due for an upgrade soon.

Her weapons remained the same. I had debated getting her a matching series shield, but since her «White Fang Kite Shield» was already incredibly powerful, we kept it. For now, those were put away. This unveiling was all about the five-piece armor set, from head to toe.

It was magnificent. Simply magnificent!

And they're incredibly strong, even without any strengthening! Their defensive stats were high enough to carry her all the way through the Advanced-high dungeon.

With this, we’d finally cleared the minimum requirements to challenge the advanced-low dungeon

But first, I had to give her my thoughts.

"Sierra, you look beautiful."

"Y-you think so?"

"And you look incredibly strong."

"I see..."

"I’m counting on you, Sierra. Now more than ever."

"Yes. Leave it to me, Zephyr."

Sierra replied with a gentle smile, striking a chord within me. Taking my lead, the rest of the guild members began showering her with praise.

"It’s amazing! You look so cool, Sierra!"

"With this, we can definitely take on the advanced dungeons!"

In an instant, Sierra was swamped by the other girls.

I could only watch from the sidelines with Marie-senpai and the others.

"It’s not just the looks. The stats are perfect too!"

"You bet they are! I wouldn't say our skills are flawless yet—we still need more practice—but I reckon we pushed it to the exact quality you were looking for."

"You’re the best, Marie-senpai! Seriously! Giving you that ticket was the best decision I ever made!"

"Hehe, go on! You can praise me more!"

I had checked the stats with «Juvenile Dragon», and they were breathtaking.

Focused entirely on defense, the set boasted top-tier values for both Physical and Magic Defense. It perfectly met the criteria I had set for advanced-grade equipment. If I'd only asked for a downgraded version, the stats would have been at least 200 points lower. It’s insane. Bwahahaha!

I spent a good while singing Marie-senpai’s praises. She stood there with her hands on her waist, beaming with such pride she practically looked taller. Actually, looking closely, she was standing on her tiptoes. I decided to ignore that. Everyone loved to feel a bit bigger when they’re being complimented.

By the way, the other MVPs, Hannah and Aruru, were over with Sierra, explaining the technical details of the armor. I’d have to make sure to praise them properly later, too.

Once Marie-senpai had her fill of praises, I brought up the most important question.

"So, Marie-senpai, how are we looking at the rest of the advanced-grade materials?"

"We’re bone dry! Cleaned out!"

She declared with a proud smug.

Wait, what? Nothing? Not a single scrap left?

"Well, since you said you guys are going to gather more in the advanced-grade anyway, so I figured I’d go all-in on Sierra-han’s gear."

Apparently, I was the cause. She certainly didn't hold back, huh?!

"So, Mister? You know what that means, right?"

"Yeah, I hear you. Loud and clear. We’re hitting the advanced dungeon tomorrow."

Under the expectant gaze of Marie-senpai—who looked more like a hungry predator—I puffed out my chest and gave her a firm nod.

The preparations were complete!

At long last, we'd finally be starting with an advanced dungeon!

Starting tomorrow, we finally step into the High-Tier Dungeons!