Chapter 26 – ２６ – A Moment at the Burger Shop

Entrance Ceremony Arc

“Will here be alright?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, Naru.”

“Understood.”

“Then, if you will excuse us, we will take the opposite side.”

Having rented a large shield, and since the timing was just right, the four of us decided to have lunch at a major fast-food chain inside the shopping mall.

And so, after receiving our respective orders, we took a seat at an outdoor terrace table—the only spot that could accommodate four people together.

“Let’s eat!”

The taste… yeah, it hasn’t changed.

The saltiness of the fries, the burger sauce, the sweetness of the soda—everything felt exactly as it always does.

“The last time I ate this… was it about six months ago?”

“Around that time, yeah. No matter which fast-food place it is, back home they’re always located a bit outside the main living area.”

“In the city, there are places where there’s one every few minutes’ walk. But I hear they’re sparse in the countryside.”

“It is only natural; they open shops where they can actually sell things,” Marie added.

By the way.

In terms of quantity, I alone had an obviously larger portion; Suzu and the others just had standard sets, and there were differences in the side dishes.

This was simply because the amount and types of things high school boys and girls want to eat are different.

“So, Naru. Are you going to carry that shield around?”

“Yeah, I will. I want to get used to the weight and the feel of it. There’s no problem with the rules, right?”

“As far as I’ve confirmed, there is no problem. It’s not the kind of item that would violate the Sword and Firearms Law,” Ichi replied.

Now, having eaten a fair amount, the conversation turned toward the large shield I had leaned against my chair.

Since I was currently sitting in a chair with a backrest, it was leaning, but normally it would be carried on my back using the included belt. My intention was to carry it at all times—except when sleeping—and treat it as if it were a part of my own body.

“It looks like it will stand out quite a bit,” Marie noted.

“It’s a bit late for that. I’m the number one in Magic Capacity this year, after all.”

“True. In that case, it is not a problem, yes?”

As Marie said, there was no doubt it would stand out. However, simply standing out doesn’t cause actual harm, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

More importantly.

“…”

After wiping my hands with a paper napkin, I touched the shield and flowed magical power into it.

Apparently, manipulating magical power without using a Device requires immense concentration and is highly inefficient, so very little of the power actually soaked into the shield.

Still, I could feel the magical power gradually permeating the shield. I had a feeling that once the power had completely saturated it, I would be able to handle it effortlessly even in my Masked Form.

“…”

“Hmm. I see.”

“Without a Device…”

Suzu watched me with a smile, Marie seemed to be observing, and Ichi looked surprised.

Suzu was her usual self… but it seemed that Marie and Ichi were hanging out with me simply because they were close with Suzu, not for any other reason.

Well, whatever the underlying circumstances, as long as they didn’t cause trouble for Suzu or me, there was no need to question them.

More importantly.

“Suzu, Ichi, Marie. Thanks for coming along today. I plan to keep circling the mall to look for materials, but should I buy you some presents or treat you to something?”

What mattered now was what came next.

“I’m fine. Just being able to shop with Naru makes me happy.”

“Hmm. In that case, how about treating us to some ice cream? That would be just about right,” Marie suggested.

“I agree with Marie. Saying there’s nothing at all would be a bit… you know.”

“Got it. I’ll treat you to something at a good spot then.”

Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remained that all three of them had spent their time for my sake. Therefore, it would be a healthier relationship if I did something for them in return.

Usually, Suzu would say that just being together was enough, and if the other two followed suit, I planned to push through and treat them anyway… but it seemed that wasn’t necessary.

Marie and Ichi quickly exchanged glances and asked for something modest.

Yes, given our current relationship, that was probably the most appropriate level.

“Then, let’s move on to the second half of the shopping trip!”

“Yeah, alright. I’ll get ready.”

“Ichi will go throw away the trash. Please gather it together.”

“Yeah, okay.”

After leaving the restaurant, we resumed our tour of the shopping mall. Our next destination was the fashion area.

“It feels like it’s divided into men’s and women’s sections, with the school uniform area acting as the boundary.”

The fashion area was one of the largest sections of the mall. The items for sale were… well, practically everything. Not just full outfits, but everything from the top of the head to the tips of the toes.

“Is this area also primarily for rentals?”

“Whether it’s a rental depends on the item. Most of the time, you purchase them,” Ichi explained.

“That’s because the main items are things you need and can use regardless of your Masked Form. There are also things people don’t want to use if someone else has already worn them,” Suzu added.

“Cosplay costumes are mostly rentals. Like those nurse outfits and, uh, police uniforms over there,” Marie pointed out.

As expected, there were items on display that would almost never be sold outside the academy. For example, full-body chainmail, a full set of Western-style armor, and a full set of Tosei-gusoku. Those seemed to be rental-only, and like my shield, they couldn’t be taken home.

“Wouldn’t police uniforms be problematic if you could create a Masked Form with too much detail?”

“They would be. That is why the police uniforms sold here have intentionally different details,” Marie explained.

“Where… oh, I see.”

“However, since they are made as real garments, they help in constructing a Masked Form. That’s the idea.”

“Hmm, I see. That makes sense.”

I looked around while Marie and Ichi explained things to me.

Hmm, would this kind of clothing suit my Masked Form?

No, it definitely would—since it’s me. The problem was whether I could actually wear it, the difficulty of reproducing it, and the point of wearing it in the first place.

“Hm? Where’s Suzu?”

“She seems to be agonizing over something.”

“Is that… a bag?”

Looking over at Suzu, she seemed to be conflicted at the bag section. She was holding a type of Boston bag, opening the zipper to check the interior, and then putting it back.

Then I remembered that Suzu’s Masked Form carried something like a bag. I had been distracted by the Hannya mask, but thinking back, Suzu’s Masked Form somehow carried a bag of unknown contents.

And she carried it much like the weapons other students’ Masked Forms possessed.

“…Shall we wait a bit?”

“Understood.”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

Whether I was imagining it or not, Suzu was currently in a state similar to someone appraising a weapon. If that were the case, interrupting her carelessly would be bad in multiple ways. Marie and the others must have noticed this, which is why they chose to wait patiently.

“Yeah. I think this one is good. The shoulder strap, the grip of the handles, the reinforcement of the bottom and sides, the inner dividers—everything feels right, and it looks good for daily use. Huh? What happened to you guys, Naru? You could have just left me alone and gone on ahead.”

“No way, there’s no way we’d just leave you behind!”

“That’s right, just as Naru says!”

“Agreed. Totally agree!”

“Why are Naru and Ichi talking like Marie?”

Yeah, she really was appraising it like a weapon, wasn’t she?

If she told me I was just seeing things because that’s how I was looking at it, that would be one thing, but there was an unmistakably ominous aura in the way she spoke.

“Uh, so, you’re buying it then.”

“Yeah. Oh, that’s right, Naru. Since we’re here, let’s go look at shoes next.”

“Shoes?”

“Yes, women’s shoes.”

“?”

Suzu placed the Boston bag in the shopping cart. And then, we were led straight into the women’s shoe section.