Chapter 99 – Paper Armor
Inside my backpack, Hollow utters a floating mantra that cannot be activated unless you close your eyes and meditate.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, I recalled the morning’s events and removed the backpack from my shoulder. The backpack hovered just above the ground, barely touching it.
“Protection.”
Balancing carefully on the backpack, which increased defense by +1, I smoothly slid forward, propelled by momentum.
From here, onward.
“Double Wind.”
Infusing a weak wind magic into the palms of both hands, I cast it, gradually accelerating as it started sprinting just above the ground.
It was slightly scary, so using it sparingly felt appropriate.
By the way, this is also my original beginner-level magic, and I can utilize it up to Triple Wind. The power is reduced to one-third, but therein lies the charm.
It’s incredibly enjoyable.
From the weight of hardships to suddenly transforming into a delightful ride.
Now I can honestly say, “Thank you” to the old man who gave me the backpack, though he might scold me if he saw me stepping on it.
Passing adults turn their heads with startled expressions, while children look at it with envy in their eyes.
“Hey, what was that just now?”
“Mommy! I want that. Please buy it, please, please!”
(TLN: Aix changed his backpack from being like a jetpack to now being like an hoverboard)
The boy’s eyes glisten as he tugs on his mother’s skirt.
“But I’ve never seen a flying magical tool like that before.”
“I want it! Hey, I want it!”
Hehe, aren’t you envious?
You can’t purchase this anywhere, though.
Watch this…
By changing direction to the right or left with a movement of my palm, smoothly evading obstacles, I dash through the city.
Right, left, all without incident!
I’m curious about the shining silver figure up ahead.
It seems like a person wearing sparkling armor, running while waving their hands as fan service, swaying and moving unpredictably from side to side.
“Let’s pause for a moment.”
Safety comes first, after all.
However, at this moment, an unexpected flaw is discovered in the prototype jetpack, which appeared flawless until now.
…What should I do?
Th-This thing… doesn’t have brakes!
Waaaah!
I can’t stop. The armor is getting closer, and at this rate… Am I going to crash?!
I hastily dodge to the right.
“Why are you coming in the same direction?!”
Someone who seems to be in sync with me suddenly turns in the same direction, giving me a determined look.
Cr-cra-crash!
“Ouch!”
I collided with the person wearing the shiny armor, and the backpack got stuck in the ground, bringing me to a halt. Ouch.
“Damn it! Watch where you’re going! I’m a forest patrol officer. I heard there was an orc sighting around this area in the city, and I was rushing to the scene.”
“Huh? If it’s an orc…”
I just defeated it earlier, didn’t I?
“Do you know where the orc went?”
“Ugh. It was over there.”
While being choked, I point in the direction I came from, and he looks at me disdainfully.
“So, you shamefully fled, riding on such a strange magical contraption. Oh, I hear the voice calling for my help!”
“No, it’s just a co—cough.”
As I attempt to convey that it’s merely a hallucination, I get pushed away and start coughing.
“…He’s gone.”
I watch in astonishment as the shining figure runs away, and something shiny falls from it.
“Huh? Forest patrol officer!! You dropped something!”
Could it be a part of the shiny armor? It’s not my fault, right? I cautiously approach to pick it up, but the wind from my palm causes the armor piece to roll away. What a situation. I can’t even retrieve lost items.
“Oh no, wait!”
Huh? Wind magic isn’t that strong.
Curious, I observe closely and realize that the lightweight armor is made of paper with thin metal attached to a wooden frame.
“…Paper?”
What is this?
###
The rookie from the Forest Security Guards, who collided with Aix, was rushing to the scene in response to an urgent request for extermination from the townspeople. As he ran without getting out of breath, the townspeople passing by couldn’t help but express their admiration.
The secret lies in the lightweight paper armor.
“Hehehe, nice. Just as expected from paper armor. It’s so light! The senior members are fools. If we’re not leaving town anyway, we could just wear paper armor all the time.”
Lately, he had heard that there were no opportunities to shine due to the peaceful situation, so if he could handle things well here, they might surpass the senior members.
Anticipation puffed up their noses.
However, instead of making a heroic appearance, he was met with disapproving glances at the scene.
“What are you doing? You’re late, Forest Security Guards!”
“That’s right! That’s right!”
“We already defeated the orc a long time ago!”
A broken shop.
An intentionally dropped small magic stone.
Who the hell stole my spotlight?
Frustrated but following the protocol, he looked for a hero to ride on their accomplishments.
“Please calm down. It’s just a minor incident with some small fries interfering! Um, by the way, who defeated the orc? On behalf of the Forest Security Guards, I would like to express our gratitude.”
Upon seeing the face of a veteran adventurer who happened to be there, they awkwardly averted their gaze.
Are these guys the culprits?
“Tch, it’s that defective mage, Aix! You guys are way more incompetent than him.”
One adventurer grumbled with dissatisfaction.
“…Defective, you say? Just for something like an orc. How dare he try to steal my credit and act all high and mighty.”
Damn it!
This was supposed to be the moment to receive praise and ride on his success, but due to jealousy, he made a mistake and inadvertently offended the victimized old lady, who glared back at him.
“What? Just an orc? Because you were late, my shop was destroyed by that ‘just an orc’! …And what’s with that armor? What a joke!”
“What? Do you have a problem with my shining armor?”
Huh?
Guided by suspicious gazes, he looked at his own armor and noticed it was broken, revealing the inner paper material.
This is bad. It’s full of problems!
Why?
Ah, it must have been when I collided with that kid!
All eyes were on him.
But in a negative way.
“What? It’s true. Take a look. That guy fooled us with such flimsy armor. How embarrassing.”
“I wonder if the Forest Security Guards are actually doing their job?”
“They’ve proven to be more incompetent than that scrawny boy.”
“Wait, let’s hear what they have to say…”
“We need to find out the truth from the Forest Security Guards.”
“Can we allow them to erect a statue of Captain Isel the Hero like this?”
“We won’t be satisfied until they demonstrate their true abilities.”
“That’s right! That’s right! I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”
…It’s over.
My glorious path to success.
(Where did I go wrong?)
If it comes to this, there’s no way to prevent the news from reaching headquarters. The secret of the paper armor, a symbol of vanity, has been exposed, and it’s making my stomach ache.
