25, Pocket-Sized Peeping and Bikini Blushes

"Wait, are you sure? The swimsuit I pulled has a lot of exposure. If it's your first swimsuit, I think it might be pretty hard to wear…"

Well, I'm a guy too. My body may be small and delicate, but if someone asked if I wanted to see Phoebe, an attractive woman, in a revealing swimsuit, I would probably say yes. But I don't want to force that on Phoebe…

"It's fine! The hoodie has a big pocket, and if you wear it, I can just hide inside the pocket. I won't feel embarrassed there, and it won't be obvious…"

"Okay, let's swap then… Thanks! Um, which swimsuit will you wear?"

"P-Please let Lena choose!"

Huh?! I have to choose… Phoebe's face is a bit red, and when I glance at our leader, she's grinning widely.

"Then I'll go with this one…"

I pick a bandeau bikini. Shell swimsuits look good on mermaids, but I'm not sure if fairies can pull them off, so this one seems safer.

"Looks like that's settled. Here, I'll send you the materials and the recipes."

As our leader manipulates the system screen, several sparkling blue crystal-like materials and four swimsuit recipes arrive under the true name of our leader, Lydia. I proceed to pay the amount we agreed upon in the contract.

There are four swimsuit recipes: two are for the upper part, chosen randomly through a gamble, while the other two are for the lower part, which includes half-pants that pair with a hoodie and the bottom of a bandeau bikini.

"Um, isn't the material supposed to be fabric?"

"Don't worry! Somehow, when you create them, the fabric will magically become suitable for swimsuits… but don't ask me how; it's just one of those convenient game mechanics. Now let's get started!"

Feeling unable to refute the term "game mechanics," I decided to make the swimsuit anyway.

"Oh, swimsuits can be made not just through sewing but also through crafting, blacksmithing, alchemy, cooking, and nearly every other production skill. So feel free to use whichever skill you prefer."

"Wait, cooking to make a swimsuit…?"

"I get where you're coming from, but apparently, the developers wanted everyone to easily obtain swimsuits. It's a bit ridiculous, especially the idea of making a swimsuit through cooking—it really comes off as a joke."

While crafting, blacksmithing, and alchemy might be justifiable through magical powers, cooking seems like a stretch.

"Well then, I'll stick with blacksmithing; I'm most familiar with that."

"By the way, since you've reached the intermediate production class, you can now combine two related recipes and create both the upper and lower parts at the same time. It might be a bit more challenging, but you should be able to handle it with your current skills."

That's convenient! It means I can finish the entire swimsuit in just two rounds of blacksmithing.

"Lena, let's give it our all together!"

"Ah, this is personally uncharted territory for me, but let's do our best."

Approaching the forge, I first set the recipe and the sky-blue crystal—sent to me as materials—on the system screen for the swimsuit I was about to make.

Using the increased MP that came from becoming a fairy blacksmith, I paid the required amount and activated the system… and soon, a red-tinged, white-hot lump of metal was delivered to the anvil.

"...I'm really making a swimsuit, right?"

"Regenerate, Fairy Wish, Slip Guard, Power Up, Element Boost! Let's create a fantastic swimsuit, Lena!"

I realized that overthinking would lead to failure; with that insight, I began swinging the hammer… Was it okay to approach this the same way I did when crafting Archie, swords, and staffs?

Trusting my instincts, I swung the hammer relentlessly. The iron lump gradually thinned, transforming into a sheet… Was this right? My anxiety grew, but then the finish button appeared, and I pressed it. To my surprise, the thin sheet transformed into a hoodie with large pockets and half-pants for a swimsuit—there was not a hint of metal.

"...Isn't this a bit beyond fantasy?"

"Even if it exceeds fantasy, that's just how games are... Drink this to recover your MP; you're making one for Phoebe too, right?"

Listening to the leader's perplexing words, I gratefully took the MP recovery potion and drank it, while using my appraisal skills to check the swimsuit's stats.

**Fairy Blacksmith's Swimwear (Top and Bottom)**

**Attribute:** Water

**Status:** Defense +5

**Set Effect:** Event Bonus (Summer), Underwater Breathing, Underwater Movement, HP Regeneration (Small)

Crafted collaboratively by Lena and Phoebe, this water-hued hoodie and black shorts are infused with the power of water, allowing for unimpeded swimming. The chest pocket is generously sized, and wearing the complete set grants the blessing of summer.

"Ugh, the stats are low. Did I mess up? …But expecting defense from swimwear is a bit ridiculous, right?"

"Ah, summer event swimwear often has its true value in the event bonuses. According to last year's management, if swimwear had high stats, more players would always wear it, which wouldn't look great for the game world. So they intentionally made it less powerful.

Well, there are some crazies out there crafting top-tier swimwear, but those typically come from special quest rewards, so don't feel competitive if you see them!"

"I'm not competing!?"

I interject during the leader's explanation. Honestly, in a full-dive game, how many people would constantly wear swimwear both in town and dungeons just because it has good stats?

Anyway, I need to move on to creating Phoebe's swimwear. I'll set up the materials and Phoebe's swimwear recipe just like before, input the MP… and start.

"Isn't it pretty perverted to make swimsuits for the opposite sex?"

"Huh?!"

"Whaaat?!"

At the leader's words, an odd sound escapes me and my body stiffens. Phoebe also gasps in surprise.

However, the forge starts up, devouring the materials. Once again, a heated mass of metal is transported, but my mind is in chaos. Still, if I don't swing the hammer, I'll fail. I force myself to focus and keep hammering.

Speaking of swimsuits—how different are they from underwear? I get that there are differences, like water resistance and various other features… but isn't it just that everyone perceives them as separate categories?

Am I crossing a line here? I really don't want my sister to call me a pervert because of this!

This is bad; I can't concentrate with these weird thoughts... I'm not swinging the hammer correctly...

"Ouch?!"

I accidentally strike the hot metal with my hand, and it burns.

"Ah, whatever!"

I discard my thoughts and swing the hammer, focusing only on not wasting the materials. That's all that matters right now.

The moment I press the finishing button, my vision goes dark, and I find myself in Lily's house.

What just happened? I don't understand, so I head back to the workshop, where Phoebe mistakenly shows up.

"I'm sorry! I was so flustered that I forgot to cast the supporting magic!" Phoebe bowed her head in apology.

It seemed that due to the absence of the *Regenerate* spell to offset the heat generated during the task and the damaging effects of the *Skill: Smithing*, she had suffered significant damage from large mistakes, such as directly touching scorching-hot metal. Her already low maximum HP couldn't withstand it.

Thank goodness this is just a game... If I touched hot metal in real life, I'd lose my fingers.

Though I have no intention of swinging a hammer in such a mentally unstable state in reality, I need to be careful...

"No, I was shaken too... Leader! Please don't say weird things!"

"I'm sorry... I spoke thoughtlessly... You're right, disrupting a worker's focus is not good... If it were alchemy, the potions could explode, causing us severe damage too..."

The leader apologized, and as I glanced at the anvil, I noticed Phoebe's swimsuit was ready.

*Dangerous Charm Fairy (Top & Bottom)*

- Attribute: Water

- Status: Defense -5

- Set Effect: Event Bonus (Summer), Underwater Breathing, Underwater Movement, Charm (Major)

Lena had crafted a green bandeau bikini for Phoebe, infused with the power of water, allowing her to swim freely without any hindrance. No matter how vigorously she moved, it wouldn't come off, providing assurance. Wearing both pieces granted her the blessings of summer.

"Defense minus... and what's this *Charm (Major)*?"

**Fascination (Great)**

This ability charms the opposite sex, compelling them to obey commands or even immobilizing them. However, it may also make them targets in certain situations.

The system interface reacted to my voice, revealing this information.

Isn't this a bad effect for Phoebe? While I plan to safeguard her with Archie's protection against any drops in defense, the charm aspect worries me, as it could attract unwanted attention.

By the way, I can't change the name of this ability… Oh, and I recall that I couldn't change the name when I created that low-quality staff either. Is it a system where low-quality items can't have their names changed? That's unfortunate…

"Is this my swimsuit? I'm wearing this to the beach tomorrow…," I murmured.

"Uh, sorry about that…"

"Oh, there's no need to apologize! Thank you for making it for me!"

Phoebe approached the anvil, picked up the swimsuit, and then it vanished. It seems NPCs also have inventories that can store intangible data, just like player characters.

"Well, I'm going to log out now. If we end up together during the summer event, let's team up!"

With that, our leader logged out. Did he leave awkwardly, or was that just my imagination?

Anyway, I've prepared the swimsuit for tomorrow's summer event. As long as I don't forget, there aren't any pressing tasks at the moment!

Considering I've only changed classes, enjoyed a live performance, and crafted armor today, I really want to get moving a bit!

"Hmm, Phoebe, I'm thinking of getting some exercise around Three Street. Want to join me?"

"Sure, let's go together!"

Phoebe gently nestled into the pocket of the jacket I made today.

"By the way, how does the new pocket feel? Is it too tight?"

"It's just right, not too cramped."

"That's good to hear."

As our conversation flowed, we stepped outside into Three Street.

Once we ventured a bit away from the bustling area, we spotted a few players engaging in battle with wolf foes.

"Trislash!"

"Ice Lance!"

Other players utilized spells and attacks, while the ominous black wolves fought back, manifesting their shadows into blades to strike at them.

"Oh, mutual knockout!"

A swordsman plunged his weapon into a wolf just as he was pierced by one of its shadow blades, both enveloped in a red effect as they vanished.

They probably depleted all their HP—the swordsman likely transported back to the entrance of Three Street. A nearby wizard, presumably his ally, checked the loot before dashing off into the street.

"I need to be careful not to get taken down..."

"Let's stay cautious, Lena!"

Suddenly, a black wolf lunged at us!

Instead of using its shadow attack, it aimed to bite.

"Not today! Get back!"

I dodged and swung Archie in a wide arc, sending the wolf flying. But it landed gracefully, like a cat, and then manifested its shadows into blades, firing at us like a shotgun!

"Ah! Oof!"

"Regenerate! Speed up! Power up! Lena, hold on tight!"

I tried to dodge by jumping to the side, but I wasn't quick enough and took a hit from the shadow blades. Despite this, my HP barely decreased—was my new jacket providing that much protection? Or was it the result of my class change boosting my stats significantly? While pondering this, Phoebe, concerned even with my minor injuries, cast a support spell on herself, and my HP began to recover rapidly.

"Thanks for the support, Phoebe!"

"Lena! Next time the wolf attacks using its shadows, we'll find a way! Please strike hard then!"

"Got it!"

Trusting Phoebe's words, I readied Archie and charged again. Just as the black wolf opened its mouth wide, Phoebe's voice rang out!

"Light!!"

A blinding light enveloped me, but I focused on driving Archie straight into the wolf's jaws! The black wolf didn't attempt to dodge; it was simply pierced by Archie. Pulling it out, the wolf vanished, enveloped in a red glow.