(Chpt. 7) Promise.

Alice.

I was relaxing with Ari under a tree near the shore of the lake, the sunlight was just right. Fenri was sleeping next to us. It was the perfect scenery.

“Hey Yami, is it ok for me to wear these clothes?”

She asked out of the blue while looking at her clothing.

“Yes, it is, why you ask?”

“Aren’t these items too?”

“Well yeah… they are.”

After the explanation about items in this world from Ari I had a lot to think about, then I realized I gave a little girl a [Legendary] set of clothes…

“Ari, is there a way to determine an item’s tier?”

She looked at me as if I was joking, I do not blame her when she saw that I was serious, she looked at me in disbelief again and started talking.

“There’s only appraisal which is a skill that certain items can use and people can use, at least that I know of.”

‘Looks like that hasn’t changed huh?’ I muttered well that’s good I wonder if it still works like in the game.

“Ari, does this appraisal that you speak of need direct contact with the object?”

“That’s a very weird question to ask Yami, but it does.”

“It also works on people right?”

She looked at me with her eyes wide open. As if I wasn’t supposed to know that, I understand considering I started asking about the skill itself and then said something about it that, I wasn’t supposed to know, so I understand why her eyes went wide open. Wait why am I even thinking about it?

“Yeah… Yami you are being really weird right now…”

“Y-yeah I guess… Sorry about that.”

I apologized while scratching the back of my head, but now that I know this I need countermeasures. I spoke to Ari in a serious tone.

“Ari.”

“Y-yes?”

She was taken aback from my sudden approach.

“Make me a promise.”

“No.”

“ehh?”

She said that with a smug look on her face. I thought this was going to go well. Just why? As I was thinking…

“Instead let’s make a promise to each other.”

“Nn…”

I reluctantly nodded.

“Well Yami you go first, tell me what you want me to promise to you.”

“A? A-ah, Do not let the clothes I gave you be appraised.”

“Ah... Yes, I knew that.”

“...”

I have been tricked...

“Now my turn!”

“ehh…”

She said cheerfully and then her expression turned serious and filled with determination. I was worried about what she might make me promise. Turns out my worries were unneeded.

“Please let me accompany you!”

My eyes went wide open. I was surprised but I was really happy.

“Of course you can accompany me Ari.”

“Yay! Now I will discover all of your secrets.”

She said with a playful yet strong-willed voice.

“Youuuuu…”

I embraced her again with warmth while sitting down. She is a smart girl, I started to caress her head almost unconsciously, at that moment  I decided that I would take care of her.

‘I am sure you will discover them eventually whether I want it or not I just hope you accept them.’ I muttered while she was still under my embrace. Then I remembered something that got my attention from the previous conversation.  

“Ari, how did you know to not let clothes get appraised?”

“I felt weird when I wore the clothes as if I got stronger. Moreover, the material on them gives me a feeling that I could slash them with a sword and they would be left unscathed.”

She said while she grabbed a piece of them. I could not see her expression but I assume she is confused about what they are made out of.

“Ari you are right, even though those clothes are items they are a bit on the special side of things. So you must never let them get appraised it could be troublesome.

“Yami, what about yours? That cursed ring of yours is…”

“Right…”

I agreed with Ari, I needed to do something about the [Useless Ring of Insanity] you do not even need to appraise it, it’s constantly leaking out a wicked aura. I decided to take a look at my inventory, and I saw what I was looking for. I took out a single black leather glove for my right hand and put it on. I left the other one in my inventory since only one is needed for the effect to work. It was one of the gloves of [Gloves of the Fiend].

“Yami, do you really think a glove will solve the issue?”

“It will, it will also block appraisals from items on my items unless they are equal or higher tier than this glove.”

“H-...”

I said with absolute confidence. Based on what Ari told me it would be almost impossible to be appraised with this [Divine] tier glove. Ari wanted to say something but decided to go silent instead, I let her go from my embrace. She seemed to be thinking about something.

“Yami, where are we going to go?”

“Well, I don’t really know but I want to go to the nearest town first”

“Nn…”

Ari nodded but she looked unsatisfied with my answer. After all of that talk, the sun was setting and Ari looked tired so I prepared a camp. and started a fire using an item and some wood that Fenri fetched and cooked food for Ari and me, I gave Fenri some more raw meat. After that, I put some cloth on the ground to sleep on.

“Ari, you should go to bed, it’s getting late.”

“Yami, what about you?”

“I… have things to take care of.”

“Nn.”

Ari just nodded without questioning it, I found it weird since she questions basically anything I do but this was for the better. Ari went to sleep and I went into the forest to talk to a certain someone.

Alice.

Hey guys, I thought I would give you a heads up. The next two chapters might feel a bit weird. They may or may not feel forced. But everything is in the name of character development!