5位に入賞したというのに、談話室の空気は非常に微妙だった。
「あ、えと......5位入賞おめでとう、リィズちゃん! ハインド君も!」
少し引きつった笑みでセレーネさんが祝いの言葉を掛け、そこでようやく他四人も正気に戻る。
画面はまだ先程と同じメッセージを流し続けているが......。
「俺は仕上げを手伝っただけなので、リィズをもっと褒めてやってください」
俺の言葉にユーミルが頷いて一歩前に出る。
こいつがリィズを褒めるところなんて想像できないのだが、どうして真っ先に......。
どうする気なんだ?
「やるではないか! 貴様の性格の悪さが存分に発揮された毒物だったな!」
「喧嘩売ってますよねユーミルさん? 全く褒めてませんよねそれ?」
「む? そんなことは――あるかもな!」
「そこに直りなさい! 今日という今日は許しません!」
あーあ、やっぱりこうなったか。
両手で押し合いを始めた二人をよそに、シエスタちゃんが俺の方を向いて質問してくる。
「で、先輩。あの毒、どうやって回復薬に偽装したんです?」
「毒性を帯びたアデニウムの葉を煮詰めてさ......すると、やや澱んだ緑色の痺れ薬になる。で、回復効果が低く色素の濃い薬草を適量混ぜると、あの痺れ薬が完成するってわけ。ちなみに効果が首から下になったのは、色調整で回復薬を混ぜたことによる偶然の産物だよ」
「まぁな。結局ああいう使い方をされちゃったわけだし」
「運営からストップかかるとか、前代未聞ですよねー。ぷくく......」
シエスタちゃんはリィズと俺のやらかしが面白くて仕様がないらしい。
厳密に言えばやらかしたのは女王様であって俺達ではないのだが、この結果は看護師の息子としては誠に遺憾である。
「笑ったら失礼だよ、シー。そういえばハインド先輩、薬品は情報を隠すことも出来るんでしたっけ?」
サイネリアちゃんの質問の意図は、あの痺れ薬の情報を隠していたのか否かという点に関してだろう。
「可能だよ。取引掲示板に出す場合は、情報を開示していないアイテムなんか売れないから余り使わない機能だけどね。あれはリィズがどうしてもっていうから、隠してコンテストに出したんだけど」
「女王様にはお見通しだったんだね。そういう醜態を晒すタイプでも無さそうだし......こうなるよね」
そんな俺とセレーネさんの言葉を受けて、リコリスちゃんが頭に疑問符を浮かべる。
「誤飲させたいって言ってましたけど、リィズさんは女王様のことお嫌いなんですか?」
「リィズ殿は自分よりスタイルが良い女性は大体嫌いでござるよ?」
「ええ? それってほとんどぜんい――」
リコリスちゃんの迂闊な発言に、地獄耳で反応したリィズの鋭い視線が飛んでくる。
あれだけユーミルと言い合いをしていてよく聞こえるな......。
口ごもってモゴモゴし、汗を一筋流したリコリスちゃんは必死にフォローの言葉を絞り出した。
「ち、小さい方が可愛くていいですよね! 現に私だって小さいわけですし! ビバ、すもーる!」
「でもリコー、最近背が伸びてきたって喜んで――ふもっ」
「シーちゃんしーっ! あれ嘘! 嘘だから!」
シエスタちゃんの口を必死に抑えるリコリスちゃん。
ちなみにヒナ鳥三人の身長はサイネリアちゃんが少し高く、リコリスちゃん・シエスタちゃんは同じくらい背が低い。
二人はリィズと変わらないくらいだ。高校生にしてはリィズの背が低いとも言える。
中継画面に変化が訪れたのは、ユーミルとリィズが取っ組み合いに疲れ、全員のハーブティーを淹れ直して出したお菓子を食べ尽くした頃のことだった。
中学生三人は眠くなってきたのか、ややウトウトしているが。
女王が玉座に座り直し、側近二人を左右に何事もなかったかのように再開。
『えー、アイテム・薬品部門第5位はアイテム名・偽薬ポーション(痺れ)、出品者はリィズである。妾個人としてはもっと上の順位でも――何じゃアルボル? 何? それ以上余計なことを言うな? ......あー、次の発表に移るぞよ! 第4位は――』
その後は無難な回復アイテムが続き、HP・MPを微量回復し状態異常を癒す複合型のポーションが1位の座を獲得した。
出品者は掲示板で話題に上がっていた薬剤師のプレイヤーである。
アイテム関係はそこで終わり、次はいよいよ装備品の発表に移っていく。
最初のアクセサリー部門は俺達の中には出品者が居ないので割愛。
そして俺が出品した防具部門の発表が始まった。
『では、次じゃ。防具部門上位100品、デデン!』
「「「うおっ、まぶしっ」」
登場した出品物のほとんどは眩い金の光沢を放っていた。
中には抑え目の銀の物や性能重視の落ち着いた物も見られるが、総量としては圧倒的に金の防具が多い。
そんな中で、俺が出品した防具は......。
「お、あったぞ。取り敢えず100位には入ったか」
「む? どこだ、ハインド?」
「あそこの右の方、金色のドレスの隣」
「あの赤いので――あ、消えたでござる」
真っ赤で目立つと思っていたのだが、どうにも周囲が派手すぎる。
みんなに確認してもらう前に画面が切り替わり、10位の発表に移行してしまった。
そんな中、リィズが胸を張って宣言する。
「大丈夫です。ハインドさんの作った服なら必ず10位以内に入ります」
「ちょ、リィズお前! セレーネさんにはあんなに優しいことを言ったのに、俺のハードルは上げるのか!?」
何だよその上位に入って当然みたいな顔は! 過剰な信頼が怖い!
ユーミルとトビがそれを面白がってニヤつき出し、シエスタちゃんも口の端をキュッと上げた。
「そうだな! まさかこのままハインドが終わるということはあるまい!」
「ハインド殿でござるしな! 軽ーく上位を取ってくれるでござろう!」
「先輩が負けるところは想像できませんねー。超期待してます」
「あ、えーと......ハインド先輩、頑張ってください!」
「全員見事に無根拠だな、おい。大体もう結果は出てるんだよ? 今更頑張りようがないんだぞ?」
際限なく上がるハードルに困惑しきりである。
リコリスちゃんもなんとなく追従してしまっているし。
サイネリアちゃんとセレーネさんは苦笑しているが。
時間ギリギリまで粘った力作ではあるが、ここまでの結果を見るとやはり現実での物品に関係しているプロが強い。
俺の作品がどこまでいけるか分からないが......。
3位まで進んだところで、ラインナップとしては黄金の盾、鎧、兜などの中で出来が良いものが入選。
そんな中、3位に入った有名鍛冶プレイヤー・ヴァレス作の漆黒の鎧は一際目を惹くものだった。
トップクラスの鍛冶師として、女王の嗜好を無視した上での上位入賞は何か意地と誇りのような物を感じさせる。
「ハインドの防具はまだか? まだなのか?」
「楽しみでござるなぁー。2位かな? それとも1位かな?」
「先輩、入賞していなかったら私と一緒にふて寝しましょう、ふて寝」
「は? 寝言は寝て言ってください。......まぁ入っているに決まってますから、そんな約束は最初から無意味ですけど」
「出ませんねぇ、ハインド先輩の防具」
残すところ後二作と迫り、味方のはずの五人から追い詰められている俺のメンタルもそろそろ限界が近い。
リィズとリコリスちゃん以外の三人はワザとだ、絶対にワザとだ......。
「もう早く終わってくれ......10位未満でも全然いいから......」
「ハインド君、一杯一杯だね......」
「ハインド先輩......」
セレーネさんとサイネリアちゃんだけだよ、俺を気遣ってくれているのは。
俺が早く終われと念を送る中、女王が2位の作品を指し示して宣言する。
『装備・防具部門第2位は......防具名・エイシカドレス! 出品者はハインド!』
「――ッ!!」
その瞬間、言葉にならない叫びを上げながら俺は両手でガッツポーズした。
主にストレスからの開放という意味で。
Even though we had gotten 5th place, the atmosphere in the lounge was quite delicate.
[Ah, eh...congratulations on 5th place, Riizu-chan! Hind-kun too!] (Selene)
After Selene-san gave us her congratulations with a forced smile, the other four members finally returned back to normal.
Though the message on the screen was still there...
[I only helped a bit with the finishing touches, so praise Riizu more.] (Hind)
When I said that, Yumir nodded and took a step forward.
I can't believe her being able to praise Riizu but...why was she the first one to go...?
What is she going to do?
[Not bad! It was a poison that really displayed just how bad your personality is!] (Yumir)
[You are picking a fight, right, Yumir-san? That definitely didn't sound like a compliment.] (Riizu)
[Muh? That's no-...I might be!] (Yumir)
[You stand right there! Today, I will definitely not forgive you!] (Riizu)
Ah, as I thought, it ended up like this.
While both of them started to wrestle with both hands, Siesta-chan came closer to me and asked.
[So, senpai. That poison, how were you able to disguise it as healing medicine?] (Siesta)
[We made a concentrated solution from the poisonous leaves of one of the Adeniums...when we did, it became an anaesthetic with a green color. Then, we mixed it with medicinal herbs with low recovery effects and a dark green color and the result was that anaesthetic.
[Well yeah. In the end, it was used for that exact purpose after all.] (Hind)
[For the developers to have had to stop it, that's something quite unheard of, right? Pukuku...] (Siesta)
It seems like Siesta-chan can't help but find what Riizu and I did funny.
Strictly speaking, the one that did it was the Queen and we didn't really do anything. However, as the son of a nurse, this is quite the regrettable turn of events.
[Laughing is quite rude, Si. Right, Hind-senpai, when it comes to medicine, it was possible to hide information right?] (Cineria)
I believe what Cineraria-chan wants to know with that question is if it's possible to hide information regarding that anesthetic.
[It's possible. Though, since people won't buy items from the trading BBS unless the information is shown, it's not used often. But since Riizu really wanted to submit it without its information being shown, we submitted it like that for the contest.] (Hind)
[So the Queen saw right through it. She doesn't look like the type that would show such a disgraceful side of hers...so it turned out like this.] (Selene)
When she heard what Selene-san and I had to say, question marks started appearing above Lycoris-chan's head.
[You mentioned that you wanted the Queen to accidentally drink it, but Riizu-san, do you hate the Queen?] (Lycoris)
[Riizu-dono generally dislikes females with a better figure than hers.] (Tobi)
[Eh? But that would mean basically every-] (Lycoris)
Because of Lycoris-chan's careless remark, Riizu, who had sharp hearing, sent her a sharp gaze.
She sure has good ears, to be able to hear that remark despite being fighting with Yumir...
Moving her mouth while hesitating to keep talking, Lycoris-chan started to sweat and she frantically tried to think of a way to follow it up.
[B-Being smaller is cuter, right!? I'm currently quite small after all! Viva, SMALL!] (Lycoris)
[But Lyco, you've been happy recently because you've gotten a bit tal-...mofuh.] (Siesta)
[Si-chan, Shhh! That was a lie! A lie, you hear me!] (Lycoris)
Siesta-chan's mouth was frantically covered by Lycoris-chan.
Just for the record, when it comes to the height of the members of Baby Bird, Cineraria-chan is slightly taller. Lycoris-chan and Siesta-chan are quite short and about the same height.
Both of them are pretty much the same height as Riizu. You could say that Riizu was quite short for a high schooler.
By the time there was a change in the image on the screen, Yumir and Riizu had gotten tired from their scuffle and were eating sweets with the other members.
The three middle schoolers, most likely because they were getting sleepy, were dozing on and off.
The Queen sat down on her throne, and her retainers were next to her as if nothing had happened.
{Eh, The item that took 5th place in the Item*Medicine category is called Placebo Potion(Numbness), the exhibitor is Riizu. I personally wouldn't have minded if it was placed high...what is it Arbol? What? Don't say anything unnecessary? ...Ah, let's proceed to the next announcement! In 4th place...} (Queen)
After that, it was followed with healing items, the one that acquired 1st place was a potion that healed a little bit of HP*MP and status ailments.
The exhibitor was the pharmacist player that was talked about in the BBS.
That concluded the item related divisions, it was finally time for the equipment ones.
First off was the accessory one, since no one among us was participating in it, I'll omit it.
Then, it was time for the defensive gear category I was participating in.
{Well then, time for the next one. The top 100 items in the armour category, Tadah!} (Queen)
[[[Uwoh, so bright!] ] 
Most of the exhibited goods released a dazzling golden glow.
Among them, we could see some silver ones and others that gave priority to their performance, but the number of gold armor was overwhelmingly high.
In the middle of those, my item was...
[Ah, it's there. For the time being, seems like I got into the top 100.] (Hind)
[Muh? Where is it, Hind?] (Yumir)
[There, towards the right, next to that golden dress.] (Hind)
[Oh, that red one...ah, it's gone.] (Tobi)
I thought it would stand out because it was bright red, but the items surrounding it were just too flashy.
Before everyone managed to take a look, the image was cut off, they were proceeding to announce the top 10.
At that moment, Riizu said this with great conviction.
[It'll be fine. If the clothes are made by Hind-san, they'll definitely get in the top 10.] (Riizu)
[W-Wait, Riizu, you! Even though you treated Selene-san so kindly, you are going to raise the expectations for me!?] (Hind)
What with that expression that is saying that it would be a given for me to place high! The way you put so much trust in me is frightening!
Yumir and Tobi found that funny so they were giggling and the corners of Siesta-chan's mouth also rose up.
[You are right! There's no way for Hind to lose here!] (Yumir)
[It's Hind-dono after all! He'll easily get a high rank here!] (Tobi)
[I can't imagine senpai losing here. I have really high expectations.] (Siesta)
[Ah, eh...Hind-senpai, do your best!] (Lycoris)
[You guys sure have some baseless confidence. Besides, the results are already out, you know? There's nothing to do my best at right now, you know?] (Hind)
I was feeling bewildered at how they just kept raising the hurdle.
Lycoris-chan even added a comment there for some reason.
Selene-san and Cineraria-chan were giving a wry smile.
I was working on mine until the last moment but...looking at the goods displayed here, I can tell that real life professionals with actual experience are strong.
I'm not sure how mine will fare...
The announcements continued until 3th place, the things line up until now were things like: golden shields, armors and helmets. They were finely crafted products.
Among them, the one that took 3th place drew our attention, it was a jet black armor made by a famous blacksmith player called Wales.
As a top class blacksmith, he was able to get such a high rank despite disregarding the Queen's tastes. You could feel something akin to pride and stubbornness from it.
[Is Hind's defensive gear not announced yet? Shouldn't it be about time?] (Yumir)
[I'm looking forward to it. Will it be 2nd place? Maybe even 1st place?] (Tobi)
[Senpai, if you don't manage to place in the top 10, let's sulk in bed together, together.] (Siesta)
[Hah? Save the sleep talking for when you are sleeping.
[It's not coming out, Hind-senpai's defensive gear.] (Lycoris)
Only two products left, being driven to a corner by my companions, my mental was about to reach its limits.
Aside from Riizu and Lycoris-chan, the other three are definitely doing it on purpose, they are for sure...
[Just end it...I don't care if I didn't get into the top 10...] (Hind)
[Hind-kun, he just had enough...] (Selene)
[Hind-senpai...] (Cineraria)
Selene-san and Cineraria-chan are the only ones, the only ones that worry about me.
While I was praying that it ended soon, the Queen announced the product that was in 2nd place.
{The item in 2nd place in the defensive gear category...its name is Eishika Dress! The exhibitor is Hind!} (Queen)
[-!!] (Hind)
At that moment, I gave out an incomprehensible shout and did a fist pump with both arms.
Mainly, it was because I was finally free from the stress.
VRMMO no Shien Shokunin ～Top Player no Shikakenin～
ＶＲＭＭＯの支援職人　～トッププレイヤーの仕掛人～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/vrmmo-no-shien-shokunin-%ef%bd%9etop-player-no-shikakenin%ef%bd%9e/
Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Harem Slice of Life
Adventurers Beautiful Female Lead Blacksmith Brother Complex Calm Protagonist Childhood Friends Clan Building Cooking Crafting Curious Protagonist Dense Protagonist Elemental Magic Fantasy Creatures Game Ranking System Gamers Hard-Working Protagonist Healers Level System Love Interest Falls in Love First Love Rivals Male Protagonist Misunderstandings MMORPG Ninjas Possessive Characters Priests Siblings Siblings Not Related by Blood Sword And Magic Virtual Reality Younger Love Interests Younger Sisters
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4014ds/
二階堂風都