2 - Noble Son, Recall

Airi Kakitsubata was a 17-year-old girl attending a design trade school.

She wanted to be a fashion designer when she grew up. The bus home from school rattled around her as she thought back to the events of two weeks ago.

In the VRMMO Narrow Fantasy Online, Airi played the Elf Alchemist, Iris. Her avatar’s name was a play on her real one. Her surname, “Kakitsubata,” was the name of a flower that was called “rabbit ear iris” in English. She had been amazed when she’d learned that.

Rabbit-ear iris. That was very cute in its own way.

Yes, Iris was a girl. She liked cute things. She had a no-nonsense personality, and had often served leadership roles in her groups in middle school, but she still liked girlish, cute things. Back then, she had styled herself a competent fashion advisor, and her path in life had extended from there.

But along that path, she had faced a few setbacks and frustrations, and ended up retreating into the VRMMO. She had won the game hardware, which usually cost 70,000 or 80,000 yen, at a bingo tournament in town.

Iris was a girl.

She had fussed around with accessories to make designs she liked, and set them out in her booth for people to buy. It was a small thing, but it delighted her. To further that end, she had bought various Miraive Gear proprietary software, including 3D modeling software. But there weren’t many players who wanted to buy accessories or tools that brought little statistical benefit just because they were a bit unusual looking.

Even so, she had to make money somehow.

It was a game, so she didn’t have to worry about living costs for the most part. But to create items using the “Craft” Skill, she needed some kind of income. Iris’s daily in-game cycle was to log in, travel to Vispiagna Meadow, collect ingredients, make potions, “Craft” some unique accessories to her taste, put them out on display, and then log out.

To be honest, she wanted to try making weapons and armor, too. She had that 3D modeling software, after all. She wanted to make armor that reflected her own bold design sense, then watch a first-rate avatar beautifully stomping on mobs while wearing it.