Using Gacha to Increase My Companions and to Create the Strongest Girls' Army Corps
Chapter 148
After parting ways with Deus and his team, we returned home while it was still bright outside. Though I was a bit anxious about Freesia, I trusted that with Sisya and Runa around, there would be no issues… or so I believed. The moment we teleported back home using the beacon, we were met with a scene of utter chaos. Chairs and tables were overturned, items scattered everywhere, and the place was in complete disarray. And there, lying face down on the floor, was a little blonde girl. Beside her, Mofuto was making worried noises.
“What the… What happened here?”
“It looks like a storm blew through the place…”
“Runa, are you okay?”
In the shock of the scene, I rushed over and lifted Runa, who was lying unconscious.
“Hey, Heihachi… Finally back, huh…”
“Yeah, but what happened?”
“It was Freesia… all her fault… I can’t take it anymore… Let me sleep… gah…”
“She’s out cold…”
With a theatrical "gah," Runa passed out, snoring away. It looks like Freesia is to blame for this mess… What could have happened here?
“Why would Sisya leave Runa like this?”
“That’s a good question… Given how the place looks, where could she have gone?”
Indeed, it was strange for Sisya not to be around, especially with Runa in such a state. Sisya would typically be fussing over her in a situation like this. And where was Freesia? What could they be up to? As these thoughts raced through my mind, I heard rapid footsteps from Noru’s room, followed by the door bursting open.
“Hahaha, over here!”
“Get back here, you little…!”
Freesia, laughing gleefully, was running around with Sisya in hot pursuit, a rope in her hand and a furious look on her face. What the heck were they doing?
“Oh, Noru! You’re back!”
“Uh, yeah, I’m back.”
Noticing us, Freesia ran to Noru and hugged her. Sisya, panting heavily, finally noticed us and leaned on her knees to catch her breath.
“Ha… ha… You’re finally back…”
“Yeah, you look exhausted.”
“I’ve been chasing Freesia since yesterday…”
“Why would you do that?”
“Here’s the thing…”
Sisya started explaining what had happened while we were away. For the first three days after we left, everything was fine. But on the fourth day, Freesia began insisting on going outside. Sisya and Runa tried to keep her entertained indoors, but Freesia became increasingly demanding. She would constantly bother them, even interrupting their sleep, until Runa snapped and started chasing her around the house, with Sisya joining in. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t catch her. Runa eventually collapsed from exhaustion, leaving Sisya to continue the chase alone.
“So that explains the mess in the living room… But how did Freesia manage to evade you two in such a small house?”
“I tried everything, even ambushing her, but she always managed to dodge at the last moment.”
“I had so much fun playing tag with Sisya and Runa!”
“You kept biting and causing trouble, yet you didn’t seem to mind…”
Despite Sisya and Runa being utterly exhausted, Freesia still had plenty of energy. Surviving a chase from these two meant she must have some serious skills. But her persistent annoying behavior was unacceptable. Though it was partly my fault for leaving without resolving this issue, I needed to give her a stern talking-to. However, Noru beat me to it.
“Freesia, you shouldn’t trouble Sisya and Runa like that.”
“But… it was so boring just staying inside…”
“I understand you’re frustrated, but there are limits. Apologize to Sisya and Runa.”
“Okay… I’m sorry…”
Freesia hung her head and apologized to Sisya. She seems to listen to Noru without much fuss… perhaps because they’re similar in some ways?
“Don’t worry about it… I was considering tying her up and locking her in a room, honestly.”
“Did you have to say that out loud…?”
“Maybe it’s better she didn’t get caught…”
So that’s why Sisya had the rope… Freesia would have been bound and left in a room if she had been caught.
“I’m exhausted, so I’ll leave the rest to you…”
“Sure, go get some rest.”
“I’ve never seen Sisya this worn out before.”
Sisya staggered back to her room. She was completely drained… just how intense was that chase? I carried Runa to her room and laid her on the bed. She instinctively burrowed under the covers even while unconscious. After making sure she was comfortable, I returned to the living room to address Freesia’s desire to go outside.
“We can’t leave things as they are. We need to find a way for Freesia to go outside safely.”
“Really?! Yay!”
“Seems like you really want to go outside, huh?”
“We might have underestimated her need to go outside…”
While she might have been enjoying herself, her constant pestering was probably due to her frustration of being cooped up indoors. We needed to find a solution quickly; otherwise, leaving her at home while we’re away would always be a concern.
“To go outside, we need to hide those ears somehow… Any ideas?”
“Simple solution: just cover them up with something, right?”
“Something to cover… like a hat?”
A hat seemed the most straightforward solution, but regular hats might not be able to conceal her long ears properly. Maybe something like those winter hats that cover the sides of the face? Still, it seemed likely Freesia would manage to knock it off. While pondering this, I noticed Noru.
“Is something wrong?”
“What about a helm?”
I was struck with an idea when I saw Noru’s helm. Maybe a helm would do the trick. I quickly fetched a gacha helm and handed it to Freesia. She took it reluctantly, grimacing at the sight of it.
“Do I really have to wear this?”
“Don’t worry, gacha equipment should adjust itself to fit you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Wait, does that mean…”
“Yes, our equipment can adjust to fit.”
While choosing gems with Sisya, we discovered that gacha gear adjusts to fit the wearer’s size. I hadn’t had the chance to explain this to Noru and the others yet. Upon hearing this, they seemed intrigued but accepted the explanation. In theory, this helm should adjust to accommodate Freesia’s ears.
“Alright, give it a try.”
“Okay… Huh?”
Freesia tried putting on the helm, but it didn’t adjust and was still pressing against her ears.
“It’s not changing at all.”
“That’s strange…”
“Maybe it doesn’t adjust that much in shape.”
Despite waiting a bit longer, the helm didn’t adjust. It seemed it could change size but not the overall shape, which wouldn’t work for Freesia’s long ears.
“I guess we’ll have to go with a hat or a hood. Estel, can’t you use magic to disguise her appearance?”
“I could, but only temporarily and it won’t last long. The effect would also vanish if she strayed too far from me.”
“Then we have to find a physical solution… Let’s head to town and see what we can find.”
Despite searching through the gacha items, there was nothing suitable. Since Estel’s magic was also not a viable long-term solution, it seemed we’d have to shop for something like a hat or hood. Just as we were about to head out, Noru spoke up.
“Wait! I think I have just the thing!”
“Really?”
“Hold on a moment!”
Noru dashed into her room, leaving us curious. What could she have that might work? Freesia looked excited, eyes fixed on Noru’s door. Estel and I exchanged puzzled glances as we waited. Finally, Noru returned, holding a white piece of cloth.
“Ta-da!”
Noru proudly unfolded the cloth before Freesia. It wasn’t just any cloth; it was a hood with cute bunny ears attached.
“Wow! It’s adorable!”
“Oh, it is! Where did you get this?”
Freesia, overjoyed, took the hood from Noru. A bunny ear hood, really… Where did she get that? Estel asked, and Noru, with hands on her hips and a proud smile, replied.
“I made it myself!”
“You sewed this?”
“Yes! I was inspired by Mofuto’s cuteness!”
What a talent… not only can she cook, but she can also sew? And this level of skill, no less… Self-proclaimed maiden indeed. While I was genuinely impressed, Freesia seemed hesitant.
“Noru, are you sure it’s okay to take something you made?”
“It’s fine! If Freesia can use it, I’m happy. I can always make another one, so don’t worry!”
“Noru… Thank you!”
Overjoyed again, Freesia hugged Noru. She seemed hesitant to accept a homemade item but was reassured by Noru’s enthusiasm. She quickly put on the hood.
“How does it look?”
“It suits you! But it might slip off as it is. Maybe we should add a neck strap.”
“And your ears are still visible. Let’s untie your hair and see if that helps.”
Noru and Estel were eagerly adjusting the hood on Freesia. The hood was only draped over her now, so adding a strap was necessary. Estel happily worked on Freesia’s hair, changing her side ponytail into two pigtails that framed her face, effectively hiding her ears.
Good, it looks like we
’ve found a solution. The hood might be a bit too noticeable, but if she likes it, that’s fine. If it attracts too much attention, we can always have Noru make another hood. However…
“Noru, if you had this, why didn’t you bring it up earlier?”
“Well, I didn’t think of using a hood to hide her ears. Sorry about that.”
Noru laughed sheepishly, scratching her head. Despite her combat skills and high femininity, she can be quite oblivious sometimes…