"Welcome back—wait, no, it's 'hello' for you, Lena! You've gotten pretty strong."
"Can you tell?"
The leader greeted me with a smile, and beside them was a bundle of fabric.
"I have a skill that lets me gauge an opponent's stats. With your level of skill, it's pretty easy for me to see. I try not to overuse it, though. Oh, and I finished the item you requested! It's my pride and joy—a single piece can make either a coat or a jacket."
"What? That's amazing... The fabric looks incredible…"
"…It's beautiful, Lena."
I touched the fabric and spread it out. It felt smooth and had a pleasant texture, colored in white and blue. I used my appraisal skill on the fabric.
'Sky Fabric ×2
A magical fabric crafted by Lydia, made with great care. The quality is exceptionally high, and it offers excellent protective properties.'
"I matched the colors to our hair, but is that okay?"
"Yeah, no problem! Since we're at it, how about blue for the jacket and white for the coat, Phoebe?"
"Yes! Let's do that!"
Hearing Phoebe's enthusiastic reply, I asked the leader to borrow a sewing space.
"The difficulty increases with better fabric, so let me know if it's too much. I can help out afterward."
"No, it's a production class and my skills have improved. With Phoebe's help, we'll manage just fine."
I declined the leader's offer of assistance and pulled out my magical sewing kit. I selected the jacket pattern from the recipe and started sewing immediately.
"Regenerate, Fairy Wish, Slip Guard, Speed Up, Element Boost!"
As Phoebe cast support spells, I followed the guide, cutting the fabric and threading the needle with yarn.
"This is tougher than I thought!"
The guide was inconsistently displayed, flickering in and out, clearly inviting mistakes. With time passing, my concentration wavered, and I began to feel sluggish... But it felt different from losing HP, almost like my MP was depleting instead?
"Lena, repeat those stitches!"
Phoebe's urging made the guide highlight firmly, and while I didn't quite understand how it worked, I appreciated her help!
"Phoebe! If you understand, please help me with this!"
"Yes!"
After struggling with the fabric for several minutes, I finally managed to finish the project... I was exhausted.
"Wow, even with two of us, using that fabric so skillfully is impressive... Given the skill level needed, it should have been really tough, but you're quite adept at this."
"Well, I do have confidence in my dexterity."
Now, I just need to make Phoebe's coat... Thanks to Regenerate, my fatigue was easing away. It seemed I could make the coat after all.
"Phoebe, do you have the energy to make the coat?"
"Absolutely! Let's do this!"
Fueled by momentum, we dove into making the coat. It felt like a runner's high—whatever it was, we were determined to complete it!
Despite the challenges, we successfully crafted the coat.
**Mana Protect Jacket**
*Attributes: None*
*Status: Defense +??, Magic Power +5*
*Special Effects: MP-dependent Defense, Chance for Critical Guard (Chest Pocket), Equipment Restriction (Human)*
This striking blue jacket, created collaboratively by Lena and Phoebe, boosts defense based on the wearer's MP. Beware: as your MP decreases, so does your defensive power. The large, durable chest pocket is designed to mitigate fatal blows, at least occasionally.
**White Cloud Exterior**
*Attributes: None*
*Status: Defense +??, Magic Power +5*
*Special Effects: Maximum MP-dependent Defense, Continuous MP Recovery (Medium), Equipment Restriction (Fairy)*
The white coat we crafted together, with Lena and Phoebe, enhances its defensive power based on maximum MP. While it doesn't reduce defensive strength, the boost it provides is relatively low. The jacket is called Phoebe, a name I chose for the coat.
As I examine the armor's performance, it seems that the jacket I wear gains power from MP, potentially offering a sharp advantage. However, since I currently lack skills that consume MP, my previously high MP is effectively translating into significant defense. Once I learn powerful skills that drain a lot of MP, this could become a double-edged sword.
Additionally, the chance-based critical guard designated for the chest pocket is awkward to use. According to the description, if the probability effect activates, it can absorb damage completely. However, since Phoebe is in the chest pocket, the capability to absorb damage from Archie's attacks is a concern; having attacks land there isn't ideal. Still, it may serve as a minor safety net.
On the other hand, Phoebe's defense is stable since it relies on maximum MP and doesn't fluctuate. The problem is that I don't know Phoebe's maximum MP, so I can't determine how much defense it actually offers. Also, it seems to have a decent MP regeneration; I've used a lot of support magic without experiencing MP depletion. I might even suspect it has its own MP regeneration skill since I've never witnessed it running out.
"Wow, a dependency armor? That's pretty rare... It's not popular in this world since you can't see the status reflecting the equipped person's performance, but there's no doubt it's strong."
"Yeah, it's a bit inconvenient that the performance of the gear doesn't show up in the status…"
"Well, in reality, we can't see statuses at all, so I think it's nice to have at least some indication of performance, even if it's separate. Anyway, you both should try on your new gear! How about a commemorative photo?"
The leader pulled out a camera and, after asking for a photo, activated the system to change their gear. A shimmering effect enveloped the gym clothes, transforming them into jackets.
The jackets had an embroidered design on the chest pocket, mimicking Phoebe's wings in white thread.
"Wow! This looks awesome!"
I never make my own clothes in real life, so this really boosts my excitement.
"L-Lena! Look down! Look down!"
"Huh? Down?"
Phoebe urged me to check below. I saw the brand-new jacket, but nothing seemed off.
"What's weird, Phoebe?"
"Um, could you please look in the mirror?"
Following her suggestion, I glanced in the mirror and saw a stunning girl with white hair and pale eyes wearing a jacket that swallowed her up to the knees. The coolness of the jacket shifted into a cute vibe…
…Oh, I realized that I was still wearing the gym shorts beneath. Since they were short, they were completely hidden by the jacket, giving the impression that I wasn't wearing anything at all…
"This pair of pants is different, huh... I either overlooked it or completely forgot about it," I said.
"Well, the jacket isn't full-body armor. If it were like a suit of armor or a onesie, it would apply to the whole body, but do you really need long pants?"
"Y-yes, please! Even though I thought I was wearing shorts, I suddenly feel embarrassed!"
At that, the leader handed me a pair of navy blue long pants, and I quickly put them on. After getting them on, I felt relieved, but then I checked the pants' stats. They had no special effects, but boasted high defensive capabilities. I should probably pay for these...
"Excuse me, leader, how much do these cost?"
"Don't worry about it, you've already paid me. Just consider it a gift!"
"O-okay…" So I had already paid 1.5 million with fabric creation. Well, if that's the case, I'll gladly take them.
Next, Phoebe changed into her coat. It was white, and ordinarily, you'd worry about dirt, but in the game, there's no deterioration or stains—very convenient. The contrast of her white coat with her blue hair and light blue eyes looked stunning next to me. By the way, Phoebe had been wearing long pants from the start.
"You look great, Phoebe! It was worth the effort!"
"Ehehe, thank you for making it for me, Lena!"
With that, we finally equipped new gear—powerful, decent-looking armor that wasn't just gym clothes! We did it!
"Alright, I'll send the photos to Lily and—"
"Wait, why did you send them to Lily?!"
"Because she asked me to."
When did Lily make such a request to the leader…?
"Well, I'll question her about it later. Anyway, thanks for letting me use your workspace!"
"Don't worry about it. It's tough to have a personal workshop. Oh, and here's a little gift."
"You received two summer live tickets from Lydia."
"What's this? Idol Rhea's concert tickets?"
"Wow, she's really beautiful."
The tickets featured the idol who had advertised Fantasy Freedom, and they were for what seemed like great seats, labeled 'A.' But these must have been bought with real money, right? Aren't these quite pricey…?
"The concert is in just 20 minutes at the stage in Three Street, so it's a gift. You two should go together."
"Are you sure? Aren't you going, Leader? Isn't this valuable?"
"I've seen it before, so don't worry. Tickets are easy to get."
How does the leader get his hands on what seems like high-demand idol tickets so easily?
"Are you secretly a billionaire in real life?"
"I just have some connections… Plus, prying into someone's personal life is bad manners, you know? Well, if you don't want them, you can throw them away. I just do this because I enjoy it."
"It would be such a waste to throw it away! Let's give it a try, Lena!"
"Well, I don't have any plans, so why not... I'll gladly take the ticket, thank you, Leader!"
"Enjoy yourselves!"
I felt a twinge of guilt for always receiving favors from the Leader, but I slipped Phoebe into my jacket pocket, bid the Leader farewell, and stepped onto the magic circle, headed for the Three Street.
When I arrived at the location indicated on the ticket, I found a magic circle. As I stood inside, a notice appeared: "To enter the live stage, please use two tickets for two people. The live show lasts one hour, and re-entry is not allowed if you exit."
...Looks like Phoebe needs a ticket too; that's impressive. Time was on my side, so I consumed the tickets and activated the magic circle.
My vision faded to white, and when it returned, I found myself in a prime seat with a clear view of the stage. People around me were chatting excitedly, some fidgeting in anticipation.
"Is this the live stage...?"
Even though it was just a game, this was my first idol concert, and I could already feel the electric energy in the air.
"I can sense a tremendous power here..."
"Well, there are all kinds of people around... Maybe you're feeling the energy of some high-level players?"
Phoebe scanned the crowd, her excitement palpable.
I scanned the surrounding area, noticing the audience clad in metallic armor. Many were players, and with their careful character customization, there were plenty of handsome men and beautiful women. They all wore the same gear as I did in real life.
As I pondered this, the lights began to dim… it was about to start.
"Thank you all for being here today! ☆"
In a burst of light effects, a girl appeared on stage. Tall, with blue hair and blue eyes, she was a stunningly voluptuous beauty—Rhea. The spotlight focused solely on her, her dazzling costume shimmering and creating a fantastical aura around her.
"Wow… she's incredibly cute and so captivating…"
"Is she really?"
It might be a bias, but for Phoebe—who lived in a world filled with beautiful characters—to find someone extraordinarily attractive was a significant endorsement. Did Rhea possess some kind of charm-enhancing skill?
The moment Rhea appeared, the stage erupted with enthusiasm. Some waved glowing sticks—were those called light-sticks? I had never seen them before… even in a fantasy game setting, they existed.
Yet, perhaps due to my lack of knowledge or my own insufficient passion, I felt unable to keep up with the fervor around me.
"Well then, let's kick things off with a song! ☆"
And so, Rhea's live performance began. It was spectacular. As she sang and danced, the stage transformed to match the music, bringing her closer to fans in the audience and winking for fan service, completely enchanting everyone.