Today, I’m at the Great mage’s house for a crafting session. Using the forge once employed by the Great mage, I’m making a disguise suit!

This forge is equipped with an impressive array of tools—furnaces, hammers, anvils—and a bizarre assortment of materials. There’s metal, wood, and fabric whose origins are beyond me. Could some of this be Orichalcum or material from the World Tree? That’d be wild.

It’s so like me that the first thing I create in such a sophisticated forge isn’t a weapon or armor, but a disguise suit. For starters, I want a quick-change feature and at least minimal defensive capabilities.

“...Alright, this should do.”

After about three hours of work, I’ve finally come up with something satisfactory. There was a book on magical item creation in the Great mage’s library, which I used for reference. While I can read the text, the magical content was challenging, so I had to improvise with the remaining parts and materials in the house. Somehow, I managed to cobble together something that works.

The result is a suit with a Superman-esque vibe. When summoned from storage magic, it instantly equips itself over my clothes. The strength is remarkable, thanks to some “Divine Spirit Cloth” I found in the Great mage’s stash. It’s so durable that it might even withstand attacks from the monsters in the Forest of Ruin.

For the face portion, I plan to use the black mask I wore when sneaking into the royal castle. That mask was originally from the Great mage’s house and is focused on defense. Its lack of distinctive features makes it less memorable.

A blue suit, a red cape, and a black mask.

...Yep, I look like a suspicious person. If I walked around town dressed like this, I’d get reported instantly. But as long as no one realizes it’s me, it’s fine. What, you think I don’t need the cape? No way—heroes need capes!

That aside, creating things is quite enjoyable. I can understand why the Great mage took up forging as a hobby. Since I inherited blacksmithing skills, I can make things too. Maybe I’ll try crafting something like a katana or shuriken with the world’s materials when I have time.

For now, I’ll call it a day and head back to the original world.

The next day’s classes passed without incident. Without Isosaki around, school is wonderfully peaceful.

“See you tomorrow!”
“Later, Abe, Watanabe!”

Since Abe and Watanabe have club activities today, I’ll head home before Yanagi and the others invite me to karaoke. Singing with three girls? Nope, can’t handle it.

“Hey, Tachihara, got a minute?”

“Oh, Kawabata. What’s up?”

Just as I was about to leave the classroom, Kawabata approached me.

“...Can we talk somewhere private? Like the courtyard?”

“Uh, sure. Of course.”

She whispered, clearly not wanting others to hear. Something she can’t say in class? I’m not dense—this has that vibe all over it, doesn’t it?

“Actually, there’s something I need to ask you.”

“Yeah?”

In the courtyard, Kawabata seemed hesitant, fidgeting nervously. This has to be a confession, right? My heart was pounding; I might actually get my first girlfriend!

“I need you to protect my friend!”

“...Huh?”

She explained: her middle school friend, now dabbling in idol activities, has been feeling stalked. Someone’s been following her, staring at her, and even sending creepy letters. However, since she’s still a student and not a famous TV idol, reporting it to the police feels difficult.

Kawabata had been spending her free time with her friend to keep her safe, but two girls alone still felt unsafe. Apparently, she saw me throw Isosaki last week and asked Abe about my judo skills. Despite the risks, she’d finally worked up the courage to ask.

...So, it’s not a confession.

Gah! How embarrassing! I’d been overconfident, thinking I was in my prime with Sara in the other world and Yanagi’s attention here. I want to punch my past self.

“It’s dangerous, but if there are three of us, they might not make a move. I know it’s weird to ask a classmate for this, but please, help us!”

Kawabata bowed deeply. While it wasn’t a confession, being relied on like this still made me happy. My answer was obvious.

“Sure, I’ll do it.”

“R-really? But it’s dangerous! You can think it over—”

“It’s fine. Trust me. I’m strong enough to handle a knife-wielding person with ease. You can count on me.”

Back when I was bullied, Kawabata had stood up for me more than once. Her courage to say “no” to bullies is something I respect deeply. If she’s asking for my help, there’s no way I’d refuse—especially with my cheat-like powers.

“Thank you so much! But if it gets dangerous, you can quit anytime. I’ve already told my friend that.”

“Got it. But I’ll do my best to help. Oh, one thing: emergencies might come up, and I might need to step away for about an hour. Is that okay?”

After some back-and-forth, we headed to meet her friend—a local idol hosting a small live show. Though she said her friend wasn’t famous, the crowd at the park suggested otherwise. As we moved backstage after the show, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person this idol would turn out to be.