The meeting was scheduled for tomorrow.
Conveniently, it was the last day of the weekend. Shirakawa didn't forget to tell Mio Izumi he'd be away, so she wouldn't bother preparing lunch for him.
Best not to let the sexy housewife cook for nothing.
[You've extracted mana for 7 hours. Gained 500 XP. Mana Refinement Lv4 (800/1000)]
[You've extracted mana for 7 hours. Gained 500 job XP.]
[Your continuous mana refinement has slightly enhanced your overall stats.]
"An unexpected bonus?"
After this nonstop refining, Shirakawa could clearly feel the improvement in his inner energy—a clarity of mind and vitality that was extremely refreshing.
The real surprise—
His overall attributes had actually improved just from this 12-hour mana extraction regimen!
Eagerly, he opened his familiar status screen.
[Name: Shirakawa]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 17]
[Physique: 13]
[Agility: 12]
[Strength: 12]
[Intelligence: 13]
[Spirit: 12]
Note: The average value for a normal adult is 1 unit.
[Current Professions: Student (Lv5), Exorcist (Lv5), Holy Sword Wielder (Lv4)]
"So... this is the power granted by mana Infusion?"
Shirakawa couldn't help but feel surprised by the stats that appeared before him. On average, all five core attributes had increased by two points—despite the fact he'd only gone through the most basic level of Infusion.
The improvement of his stats was already twice the level of an average adult.
If the mana Infusion skill had no upper limit, then even without unlocking a more powerful profession, his personal strength could grow steadily and surely over time.
But for now, there was still one problem—the core skill of the "Holy Sword Wielder" profession.
All Things of Creation.
He had yet to find a suitable weapon for replication, and as for how powerful a weapon could be copied with the skill... that was still uncharted territory.
To interact with someone from a higher-dimensional world—like Saber—was no simple feat.
The challenge remained steep, and the members of the chat group were, by comparison, still far from that level. Currently, the best bet for sword replication might lie in the world of Aqua.
The cursed sword Gram, wielded by that guy Kyouya, whom Aqua reincarnated into the other world—it was a weapon Shirakawa definitely intended to copy, once the chance came.
After reorganizing his thoughts...
Shirakawa did a quick wash-up and changed into a dry sports outfit. After all, what awaited him next was another trip to a fantasy world—and a battle against goblins was inevitable.
Only—
As he pushed open the bedroom door, he was greeted by a familiar silhouette busily moving about in the kitchen. Her silver hair was tied into a high ponytail, revealing the elegant line of her neck.
She wore a simple apron over loungewear.
Her face, without any makeup, remained as exquisitely beautiful as ever—still carrying traces of drowsiness. Izumi Mio let out a yawn as she noticed him standing at the doorway.
"Good morning, Shirakawa-kun."
He hadn't expected this beautiful widow to wake up even earlier than he did. Wasn't she a lewd illustrator who worked late into the night? And yet, here she was making breakfast.
He blinked in disbelief. "Auntie, didn't I tell you there was no need to cook this morning?"
"But you high schoolers never eat breakfast," she replied with a smile in her eyes, casually placing a fried egg onto a plate. "You're heading out today, right? A good breakfast will keep your energy up."
As she turned—
She noticed how close he had suddenly gotten.
She could smell the faint scent of mint from his toothpaste, and beneath that, the distinct masculine scent unique to Shirakawa.
So close…
She had almost kissed him by accident.
But Shirakawa's expression was one of mild exasperation as he looked at the breakfast set before him—sandwich, egg, milk—and sighed quietly.
Catching this small detail—
Mio tilted her head slightly, smiling gently like a kind older sister. "You shouldn't sigh in the morning, or your whole day will feel gloomy."
"I was just thinking..."
Shirakawa shook his head with a wry smile, eyes drifting toward her. "If I get too used to all the nice things you do for me, I'm never gonna find a girlfriend."
"What am I supposed to do then?"
The words were teasing, yet so direct that Mio felt her heart skip a beat.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks, but the upward curve of her lips betrayed her mood.
"That's not true," she whispered. "You're such a wonderful boy, Shirakawa-kun... I'm sure lots of girls will like you."
Even she hadn't realized that while saying this, a strange emotion had stirred deep inside her. The thought of other girls gathering around him...
But Mio quickly pulled herself together.
Carrying the breakfast to the table with a smile, she added in a more serious tone, "I don't know what you're heading off to do today, but make sure to rest when you need to, okay?"
---
"Viviette, today's request to help the village eliminate goblins… it's just the two of us. Are you really serious about this? Isn't it too dangerous?"
"We'll be fine."
Re-equipped and ready for battle, Lianne Viviette stood in her gleaming new armor, long sword in hand. She smiled softly and shook her head, waiting patiently.
No matter what, she believed with unwavering certainty—Shirakawa, who had promised her, would definitely come.
And sure enough, she wasn't kept waiting for long. At the designated meeting point, the once-empty clearing began to pulse with flowing magical energy.
As a mage, Catherine instantly sensed something unusual.
The vast mana that had been accumulating across the ground… was now gradually converging—and shifting toward a forming magic circle.
"…What's going on?"
"This… feels oddly familiar."
Though Shirakawa was a hero to the people, to Caitlin he was still just a passerby—a stranger from another world. She found the magic circle powerful and oddly familiar, but didn't think much beyond that.
But as the teleportation circle began to radiate with brilliant light—
A black-haired boy in a loose tracksuit—completely out of place in this fantasy world—appeared before her eyes.
Catherine's eyes widened as she froze on the spot.
"Good morning, Viviette!"
He first looked to the fully armed Lianne Viviette, then finally turned to the mage beside her. With a relaxed smile, he greeted her as well:
"You too, random side-character mage."