《The Labyrinth Raids of the Ultimate Tank》 Chapter 1: I was excited about new comrades, but got suddenly expelled.

Chapter 1: I was excited about newrades, but got suddenly expelled.

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± A new person is going to join our party. I guess most would be happy to hear those words. At least I was. A newrade, huh. I wonder if it¡¯s a man or a woman. I hope it¡¯s a woman. Isn¡¯t itpletely normal for a man like myself to have such thoughts? I came to a bar to participate in a weing party for a newrade. The party leader, who was waiting for me at the entrance ¡ª Kys, who is called a hero, sneered when he saw me. I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of that expression. Other party members were already standing alongside him. Per the rules ofbyrinths, a party can have only six members enter at once. Including me, we currently have 5 people. Just one more. We¡¯ve been looking for someone for a while. ¡¸Hey, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry. Am Ite?¡¹ ¡¸No, you¡¯re right on time.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ The moment I walked up to Kygras his grin grew even wider. Did something funny happen? That smile he had wasn¡¯t of the sort that should be shown in front of others. A hero is admired by everyone, so I think it would be better if he refrained from this. And the moment I was about to tell him that. ¡¸So-sorry, we arete!¡¹ ¡¸K-Kygras-sama! Sorry for making you wait!¡¹ Two women arrived. Both of them looked a few years younger than me. Are they our newrades? Wait a moment. That would bring us to a total of 7 people¡­¡­ Kygras turned to face me. Now, I finally understood the meaning of his smile. ¡¸Today we have a wee party and a farewell party. Rude, as of today, you are dismissed.¡¹ Kygras made a gesture as if he was cutting his neck. ¡î Eh? I wonder how much time I spent standing frozen in ce. As if tired of waiting, Kygras sighed. ¡¸As I said, you are dismissed. If those two join us we will have 7 people, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, I get that, dismissed, huh. But why?¡¹ Nothinges to mind. Kygras furrowed his brows, it looks like I shouldn¡¯t have asked that. ¡¸We have no need for a tank like you who can do nothing but take hits from enemies. Who in this day and age carries a tower shield around? All tanks now are evasion based, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you are right, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸And thanks to you being in our party, we use a really high amount of potions. Even though we have Nin, a healer, why the hell does your outer shell reduce like crazy?¡¹ We have God¡¯s blessings. That being skills and outer shell. Outer shell is also called divine armor or endurance. Unless it¡¯spletely whittled down there is no threat of death. My outer shell is 9999, the highest number in history. Even the strongest adventurer, called a hero, Kygras, has only 4000. The difference is obvious. ¡­¡­But it indeed was true, my outer shell often gets shaved off. Without my notice, my outer shell gets shaved down, and every time that happens a potion is consumed. That¡¯s why my expenses are the highest in our party. ¡¸In the first ce, all you do is block with your shield without even trying to attack. Without me or Lilia you wouldn¡¯t be able to take down a single puny monster!¡¹ Lilia¡­¡­ Attacker of this party. She is merrily talking with her twin sister Lily¡­¡­ They always drift off into their own world. Looks like they have no intention of taking part in our conversation. ¡¸My role is a tank¡­¡­ Attacking has nothing to do with me, no?¡¹ ¡¸What, you think you are doing a great job by merely taunting monsters? Look at other parties. There, they evade and counterattack, you know?! Not evading, taking every attack and then gulping potions like an idiot! You damn meathead who has nothing except his other shell!!¡¹ As I was at loss on how to answer, Nin stepped forward. The healer of our party. Narrowing her jade green eyes she is ring at Kygras. A duke¡¯s daughter and a saint of the church, she was twirling her beautiful brown hair with a finger. That¡¯s something she does when she is irritated. ¡¸Even so, bringing a new person out of nowhere is unthinkable. As a tank, Rude has an outstanding outer shell. What if you take a new person and things won¡¯t go well?¡¹ Kygras seems to have anticipated that objection and shrugging his shoulders replied. ¡¸At the very least they are stronger than Rude. One is an attacker and another one is a tank. This tank previously belonged to an A rank party, but¡­¡­ But they actually had the ability of only a B rank. Yet thanks to her they managed to be A rank. She has enough power to make a party go up by one rank.¡¹ Kygras wrapped his hand around the woman¡¯s shoulder. Though her expression was tense, she still maintained a smile. ¡¸Rude. Do you have anything to say.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No.¡¹ With a tank that outstanding I have no way to retort. I¡¯m basically a burden to this party. I managed to remain in it only thanks to myrge outer shell. Besides, they are adventurers as well. It¡¯s only natural to pick talented people if they want to aim higher. If there is a tank superior to me, they would of course swap. That¡¯s how our job is. ¡¸That¡¯s how it is, you are out.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ Adventurers pick work that is suited for them. If you want to go higher, then group with more powerful adventurers, the opposite is true as well. This is probably the time to part. I¡¯m also worried about my little sister, whom I left back in the remote town, so I thought about returning there once. So this is just fine. That was when Nin grasped my hand. Two years younger than me, she was looking my way with slightly wet eyes. ¡¸I don¡¯t care about this party if Rude is not in it.¡¹ Nin is cooperating with the hero on the church¡¯s orders. She has no option to withdraw from the party of her own volition. That¡¯s probably why she wanted me to remain since we were somewhat close. ¡¸Hey hey. A far stronger person will join us in the ce of this loser. Aren¡¯t I far more reliable than this guy who can only stand in front of monsters?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Aren¡¯t you just rampaging as you please.¡¹ ¡¸How many monsters do you think I have killed until now? Well, you will understand soon enough. We can conquerbyrinths far easier without a guy like him.¡¹ ¡­¡­So that¡¯s what he actually thought. And I thought Kygras to be myrade. Disappointing, just a bit. ¡¸Sorry, Nin. Since the leader decided so, I can¡¯t remain.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well then, I¡¯ll be going home.¡¹ I wonder if there is anyone who can sit through a farewell party after this. At least I didn¡¯t feel like that at all. If I remain it will only spoil the mood for everyone else. As such, I was about to leave¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey, hey, wait a moment. Pay back for the potions you wasted.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­How much do you want?¡¹ ¡¸That sword is enough. It¡¯s a magic one, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Fine.¡¹ A long time ago I was lucky enough to pick it up in abyrinth. As I took it off my waist and gave it Kygras, his smile grew wider. Pulling it out of its scabbard he gazed at it, holding the sword overhead. ¡¸He-hey!¡¹ Nin gripped my hand. Unusually enough, she looked like she was about to cry. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Are you really going to leave?¡¹ ¡¸Theposition of this party is decided by Kygras. If I¡¯m no longer needed then I can do nothing but give up.¡¹ ¡¸You are an excellent tank¡­¡­ I think it was thanks to you that everyone could keep fighting.¡¹ If Kygras heard that he surely wouldn¡¯t have kept silent. But he was busy talking with the two, who were about to join the party. It looks like he didn¡¯t hear. ¡¸I¡¯m honestly happy to hear such an evaluation. But still, you are overestimating me.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not¡­¡­ I understood well enough that you are protecting me¡­¡­ And now I won¡¯t be able to see your back anymore¡­¡­¡¹ As her voice gradually became smaller, she hanged her head. When I was about to try to peek and see what expression she was making, she raised her head. Her expression was a resolute one. This firm expression worries me a bit. ¡¸I decided. I will leave the party.¡¹ ¡¸How¡­¡­? It¡¯s the order from the church, right?¡¹ ¡¸I will tell the church. I will tell them that I will leave the party if they fail at their next attempt atbyrinth subjugation. Surely the church also would think that there is no need for me to help the hero if it will put me in danger. And if that doesn¡¯t work I will leave the church as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ She is pretty reckless, but it¡¯s not like she is thoughtless. She is a saintess, not an adventurer. If she provides enough of a reason the church wouldn¡¯t force her to help him any further. But it¡¯s a bit sad that such a skilled person would quit as an adventurer. Thought it might sound egoisticing from me, a person who is leaving. ¡¸See you, Nin.¡¹ ¡¸You will continue as an adventurer in this town?¡¹ ¡¸No. First I will return to Avancier, where my little sister lives.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. Well, good luck.¡¹ ¡¸Same to you.¡¹ Surely, we won¡¯t see each other again. She is a daughter of a duke, a noble, and a saintess. And I¡¯m but a humblemoner. The worlds we live in are different. Chapter 2: Showing a tank’s power

Chapter 2: Showing a tank¡¯s power

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± After bidding my farewells I began searching for a carriage heading to Avancier. I went to the waiting area, but it was already silent there. It¡¯s almost night already¡­¡­ I guess I should just stay put until the morning. As I dropped my shoulders, a group of adventurers came from across the street. With the serious expressions they had, they caught a bit of my curiosity. ¡¸¡­¡­Escort mission with us alone, is it really okay?¡¹ ¡¸It-it¡¯s fine!¡­¡­ Y-yeah! Though we just got to D-rank, it¡¯s only to the town of Kurath, so there shouldn¡¯t be any strong monsters!¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­ I¡¯m still a bit worried.¡¹ The group I saw was engaged in such a conversation. One man and two women. ¡­¡­Kurath, huh. It¡¯s right next to Avancier. From there it¡¯d be only a few hours on foot. Escort mission, huh¡­¡­ ¡¸Hey there. Mind if I join as well?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ ¡¸Wha-what¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡¹ Well, that¡¯s to be expected. I¡¯m often told that with my huge build I look scary. Of course, they would be afraid. ¡¸I have urgent business at Kurath. So I want to get on a carriage right away. I don¡¯t need payment, can you let mee with you?¡¹ When I told them that, they turned to each other and started a discussion. Looks like they are considering it. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, fine. With another personing the danger should somewhat lower.¡¹ Appears to be the conclusion they reached. Alongside them, I head to the carriage that we are supposed to guard. ¡¸By the way, your rank?¡¹ ¡¸F rank.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Maybe we should give up after all?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But I heard that hired adventurers often have a low rank?¡¹ ¡¸Right¡­¡­ His face is scary, and he has pretty good muscles, so he seems stronger than F rank, but¡­¡­but you know¡­¡¹ I wonder if I should have lied and imed to be at least D rank. No, I could¡¯ve been exposedter. I might look scary, but I still get nervous. If I lie it would surely show on my face. Even so, with the hero¡¯s party, I went inside some high-levelbyrinths. As a tank I¡¯m B¡­¡­ No, at the very least C rank. In the end, they didn¡¯t refuse me. If so, then it¡¯s fine. A poor lie exposedter would only bring mistrust. We reach the merchant. His eyes went wide upon seeing me. ¡¸Wh-what a strong-looking person¡­¡­ The reward is still 20,000, no changes there!¡¹ ¡¸I know. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ The merchant loaded his baggage onto the carriage, then, we also got on. The carriage immediately started to move and passed the town gates. A good horse. It runs through the fields at quite a speed. This merchant is pretty prosperous. Traveling twice as fast as I initially expected, we saw the town of our destination by the time the sky was about to begin brightening up. But there, the carriage stopped. The momentum threw the adventurers at me, whom I managed to catch. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Tha-thank you very much.¡¹ The merchant peeked inside the carriage with a panicking look. ¡¸A woman that looks like an adventurer is being attacked by a white tiger! It¡¯s a disaster, it¡¯sing this way!¡¹ ¡¸W-white tiger!? No way!¡¹ ¡¸Are you saying it came down from the mountains!? How can it be!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­We, are going to die here.¡¹ Everyone was petrified with colorpletely drained from their faces. White tiger? If I¡¯m correct, it should be a monster of about C rank. Sliding my cape off I look outside. The situation is just as the merchant described it. There is no chance of escaping from it in the carriage. Then, the only option is to fight. I have no chance of defeating it by myself. I¡¯m just a simple tank after all. ¡¸We are going to kill it.¡¹ ¡¸Ru-Rude-san!? Im-impossible! We are E rank!? Ranks exist to weigh your chances against monsters. What we can do right now is try to somehow run away!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down, I will protect you. My party role is a tank.¡¹ First, I have to gain their trust. I jump out of the carriage by myself. Getting outside I stare at the white tiger and the woman. The white tiger isrge, double the size of an adult human. Its white fur looks beautiful. ¡¸Come here! From here on I will protect you as a tank! So help me take it down!¡¹ After my shout, the woman chased by the white tiger made a slight nod. Passing her, I get in the front. Taking a stance with the tower shield I charge at the white tiger. ¡¸Rude-san! Dodge it! Getting hit by such a giant would mean the end of you!¡¹ The voices of the adventurers called out. The end of me? No no no, there¡¯s no way I could be a tank if this much could blow me away. Seemingly staggered, the white tiger steps back. Stabbing the shield into the ground, I further provoke it. ¡¸Eh!?¡¹ Came the surprised voices. Perhaps it¡¯s their first time teaming with a tank such as myself. After all, the current trend seems to be an evasive tank¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m a tank. I will protect you! But I don¡¯t have the means to attack. So I will leave offense to you. Can you do it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Y-yes.¡¹ ¡¸I believe in you.¡¹ Adjusting the position of the tower shield, I face the white tiger. For a split second, the tiger¡¯s gaze went to adventurers. I won¡¯t let you get to them. Using the¡ºTaunt¡»skill I get the white tiger¡¯s attention. Though normally I live keeping a low profile, without standing out too much, the moment I use this skill I get all the attention. Well, although not in a good way. The adventurers join thebat. While receiving recovery from the healer, I block the attacks of the white tiger. But, as expected, the outer shell gets shaved off without my noticing, so I use a potion to recover. With repeated attacks from the adventurers, wounds begin to stand out on the white tiger¡¯s body. And¨D¨D ¡¸GUGYAA!?¡¹ The boy¡¯s sword pierced through the white tiger¡¯s neck. With it gushing blood and causing the ground to violently shake our victory was now assured. The adventurers were frozen looking at the now unmoving white tiger. ¡¸You¡¯re kidding¡­¡­ We won.¡¹ ¡¸We¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s actually because Rude-san was blocking the monster¡¯s attacks the whole time. This is the first time I saw such a reliable tank¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ru-Rude-san, that was amazing! We won thanks to you!¡¹ ¡¸No, we couldn¡¯t have beaten it if it wasn¡¯t for your attacks.¡¹ I mean, I don¡¯t even have a weapon. I say it in a joking manner, then, their nervousness finally disappears. Then, at the edge of my vision, I noticed that the woman copsed. ¡¸H-hey, are you okay?¡¹ I approached and called out to her, but the woman seems to have lost consciousness. Moving her pale ashen hair away I touch the bottom of her neck. There is a breath, she isn¡¯t dead. Her breath is also calm, like that of a sleeping person. With her well-arranged facial features, like that of a doll, the woman somehow didn¡¯t look real. Looking over her properly, I see that her clothes are all tatters. She is simply wrapped in something like a cloak. With her skin showing here and there, it gives me a weird feeling. When I tried to fix her clothes I saw her chest. My eyes reflexively went wide. But it wasn¡¯t because she had no chest. I saw a very conspicuous magic stone in the heart area. ¨DHomunculus, huh. ¡¸Th-that girl¡­¡­ Is she okay?¡¹ I made it so the boy, who came near, didn¡¯t see the chest. For a boy his age that is too stimting. I can¡¯t be held responsible if he awakens as a t chest lover. ¡¸I don¡¯t know. But for now, I will take care of her¡­¡­ And, Merchant. Sorry. My house is at Avancier. It¡¯s closer from here, do you mind if I end my escort here?¡¹ ¡¸Y-yeah¡­¡­ Sure¡­¡­ But! Can youe as my guard some other time!? With someone as strong as you, I don¡¯t even mind making an exclusive contract!!!¡¹ ¡¸Th-then, Rude-san! Would you like to join our party!?¡¹ The merchant and the boy shouted. I¡¯m happy to hear that, but I have my precious little sister. ¡¸Sorry. I have a person I must save no matter what.¡¹ ¡¸Is, is that so¡­¡­ Could it be¡­¡­ Your wife?¡¹ Do I look that old? ¡¸My little sister.¡¹ That is the only reason I keep diving intobyrinths. The cutest sister in the world. All to cure her illness. Chapter 3: Learning the effects of my skills

Chapter 3: Learning the effects of my skills

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The method to create Homunculi is technology that was discovered in abyrinth. If one were to describe them in simple terms, an obedient doll that looks exactly like a human would be the most urate. A distinctive feature of Homunculi is an obvious magic stone buried into their chest area. There is no way to recognize them when they are wearing clothes. Well, they are expressionless, so they still can be spotted. Carrying the homunculus I walk through the fields outside the town. Just a little more to Avancier. At that moment, the girl¡¯s nose twitched. She opened her eyes. We stare at each other. Then, her eyes went wide, as if in surprise. How odd. It¡¯s my first time seeing a homunculus showing such an expression. Pushing me in the chest, shends to the ground. Then, she began preparations to cast magic. ¨D¨DNow, that is clearly abnormal. Homunculi aren¡¯t supposed to receive anybat abilities. It¡¯s made so to avoid any possibleplications if by some unlikely event a homunculus opposes a human. This is not a normal homunculus. An illegal homunculus? Well, I heard rumors about such research ongoing in neighboring countries. Don¡¯t tell me that this girl is that. ¡¸W-what are you nning to do by taking me? Are you going to dispose of me?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Dispose? No. I just¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want. I don¡¯t want to be thrown away.¡¹ After saying that, the girl activated magic. A bird of me was upon me. Using my tower shield I defend from it. As I blocked it with the shield, the girl already got near me. A shortsword. I block the attack with the shield, but as one would expect, dealing with a weapon allowing for high versatility is hard. Shoving away the girl with all my strength, I then grab her by the wrists. Throwing the tower shield away I push the girl down. Then, I immediately released her. Raise both hands and show that I have no intention to fight. ¡¸Calm down. I have no ns of doing anything to you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What does that mean?¡¹ ¡¸You lost consciousness, so I just decided to take care of you for a bit. If you want to go somewhere, then go ahead.¡¹ Brushing off the dirt that got on the clothes, I put the tower shield back on. ¡¸P-please wait!¡¹ A voice came out. She was clutching near her chest. Her eyes were swaying with nervousness. ¡¸I¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t know?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m a homunculus¡­¡­ Until now I lived by taking orders. So I don¡¯t know what to do.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why were you being chased by the white tiger?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­¡­I was disposed of. But by luck, I managed to survive¡­¡­ By escaping from the disposal site¡­¡­ And walking through the mountains I was attacked by that monster. What should I do from now on?¡¹ I can¡¯t help but scratch my head. In the past, I also had times when I didn¡¯t know how to live from now on. Looking at the homunculus I remember how I was in the past. ¡­¡­I want to help her. ¡¸Then, how about bing an adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ ¡¸You seem to be able to fight. And you also don¡¯t look like a homunculus. As long as you hide that magic stone you should be able to live as a human.¡¹ It was just a spontaneous thought, but isn¡¯t this actually a good idea? I get a bit of self-satisfaction about my own bright idea. ¡¸¡­¡­Adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s a bunch that raidsbyrinths or takes variousmissions. If you want to lead a quiet life in the countryside, most likely no one would ask you to prove your origins. So you will be able to live as you please.¡¹ Though I said all that, it doesn¡¯t seem to have clicked with her. She might not understand what adventurer means at all. What is¡­¡­an adventurer? Exining it to a person with zero knowledge might be next to impossible. ¡¸But the only thing I can do is appraise abilities that others have.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Appraise abilities?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. But it¡¯s merely examining skills a person has and their effects.¡¹ ¡¸Ple-please wait a moment!¡¹ Astonished, I stopped her. This¨D¨DAppraisal is not¡ºMerely¡»at all! Appraisal is called SSR skill. It¡¯s the best one of them all. The people of this world are born with skills. Skills have four grades of rarity, N, R, SR, SSR. Appraisal is a skill of the highest rarity. Its effects allow for aplete understanding of the skills that other people have. It¡¯s the first SSR skill discovered in our era¡­¡­ However, I heard that its user died one year ago. ¡­¡­Why does this girl have Appraisal? Putting that aside, for now, I approach the girl and put my hands together. ¡¸I beg you. Can you appraise my skills?¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ ¡¸Y-your sure?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That was my job after all.¡¹ I didn¡¯t think she would agree so easily. Appraisal from a master appraiser requires an appointment made several years in advance and an enormous fortune. We, humans, can sense skills. But we don¡¯t know the effects or how to use them. As such, one has to investigate it at the national archives,paring names of the skills one has with the skills recorded in the past. Even so, the effects of skills with the same name might still somewhat differ from person to person. I have two skills that I don¡¯t know how to use. And both of them are SSR. The most important factor for a skill to be recognized as SSR rank is a rarity. No matter how weak the ability, if it¡¯s the only one in the world, it counts as SSR rank. Of course, the extremely powerful¡ºBlessing of Saintess¡»that Nin has is also an SSR skill. And I have two skills that no one in the recorded history ever had. But¡­¡­ Both effects and ways to use them were unknown as well. ¡¸To appraise skills I have to hold your hand. May I?¡¹ ¡¸S-sure.¡¹ It¡¯s a bit embarrassing if she asks for it so formally. If it was my sister I probably would¡¯ve had the creepiest of smiles from how happy I¡¯d get. I¡¯m d that this is a total stranger. ¡¸There are 4 skills.¡ºTaunt¡», generate the maximum amount of aggro.¡¹ ¡¸That, I know. But, to the maximum amount, huh¡­¡­¡¹ This is an R rated skill. My ability is probably better than¡ºTaunt¡»that others have? Yes, let¡¯s think positively. ¡¸Next is¡ºHealthy Body¡». Protects from abnormal status effects and brings the body to the limit of toughness.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Certainly, I never caught one.¡¹ This skill is also rated R. Though I think that it¡¯s quite useful. ¡¸Next is ¡ºLife Conversion¡». Allows to convert damage taken to power.¡¹ ¡­¡­I take more damage than normal. Could it be that it¡¯s linked to this skill? Is what I thought, but that wasn¡¯t the case. So it was simply an attack skill¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never used it. ¡¸And thest one,¡ºSacrificial Shield¡». This one allows you to take damage in ce of those you view asrades. While you are covering for the saidrades, it will strengthen them as well as your own toughness.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Taking damage for others?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Is something wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No.¡¹ This means that until now Kygras and others didn¡¯t take any damage because all of it was going to me. That bastard. He was even saying crap like¡ºI never got hit by an attack. I dodge all of them.¡»¡­¡­ I was the one taking them! Taking damage to my outer shelles with some amount of pain. I recall how at times some spots would start hurting for no apparent reason. So it wasn¡¯t just muscle pain, I was taking damage instead of other party members. Looking over those skills, I really was suited to be a tank. 9999 Endurance wasn¡¯t just for show. I might be able to return to the hero¡¯s party if I tell them this. ¡­¡­No, there is no reason to go back. With those skills, I can just gatherrades that I can trust and subjugatebyrinths with them. ¡¸Was this satisfactory?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, thank you¡­¡­ The question that gued me for many years was finally answered.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The girl looked at me surprised. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡­ It¡¯s the first time that someone thanked me¡­¡­ It¡¯s a pleasant feeling.¡¹ Putting a hand to her chest she said a bit bashfully. Indeed, there aren¡¯t many people that would thank a homunculus. ¡¸Anyway. Though it was me who went off-topic in the first ce¡­¡­ But let¡¯s return to the main question. How are you going to live from now on? I will help you until you find your way of life. I want to pay you back for what you just did.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understood. Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Rude. Nice to meet you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m called a homunculus. Master, please treat me well¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have a name.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ Only a few give names to homunculi. For example, they would be called by a number or model name instead. But if she¡¯s going to live as a human, a name is necessary. Then, I noticed flower petals stuck to the girl¡¯s clothes. It¡¯s a lunafia flower. My little sister likes this flower. I still remember how a long time ago she picked those flowers and gave them to me as a birthday present. I was really happy about that. I made a bookmark out of them, and still have it in the drawer of my desk. ¡¸How about Luna?¡¹ ¡¸Luna?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Luna¡­¡­ Luna¡­¡­ Yes. From now on I will live as Luna.¡¹ She can smile just like a human. The homunculi that I saw until now were a lot more expressionless, so it feels a bit weird. But she is cute and it¡¯s more pleasant to interact this way. ¡¸What the matter, Master?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡­ Or rather, can¡¯t you stop with this master.¡¹ ¡¸No, on this I won¡¯t budge. Master is the person who saved my life. So I will address you with the proper respect.¡¹ ¡­¡­She can also be stubborn. Nothing like a homunculus. But, it¡¯s not a bad thing. We began walking towards Avancier. Chapter 4: Townsfolk and appearance of saintess

Chapter 4: Townsfolk and appearance of saintess

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The sky began to slightly brighten up. Finally, Avancier came into sight. As always,pared to the capital, the town gates here didn¡¯t look impressive at all. And yet, they had a certain friendliness to them, which I liked. This city is the so-called countryside. There is nothing about the town that particrly stands out. At most, there is ake in the mountains a bit away from the town, where undine, a water spirit lived. Thanks to that, water in the river that passed through the town was delicious and ording to what people said, it could be drunk just like that. But that¡¯s about it. But even that advantage wasn¡¯t unique to Avancier, with the town at the foot of the mountain benefitting a lot more from it. Supposedly, it¡¯s pretty lively with tourists. To put it poorly, Avancier is dreary, to put it elegantly, it¡¯s serene. There is no better ce to rest. At the gates were militia that protected this town. A person fully d in armor¡­¡­ That¡¯s probably her. When our eyes met, the person approached, noisily ttering with the armor. ¡¸Long time no see, Rude. Were you supposed to return today?¡¹ As Feel, d in heavy armor, raised the visor of her helmet, beautiful blonde hair peeked from beneath. As I thought. She might be the only one in this town with such solid equipment. ¡¸Feel, it¡¯s been a while. I guess I arrived a few days early. Can I pass through the gates?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. ¡­¡­And who is this girl?¡¹ Upon making eye contact with Feel, Luna went to hide behind my back. ¡¸Homunculus. She was thrown away¡­¡­ So I thought it might be perfect to let her care for my sister.¡¹ I have many interactions with Feel. So even if I hide it, she will find out eventually. ¡¸¡­¡­Homunculus, huh. So they are popr in big cities after all¡­¡­ But anyway, she looks just like a human.¡¹ Feel intently looks Luna over, from head to toe. Luna¡¯s expression seemed nervously stiff. ¡¸Stop that. I¡¯ll return home for now. You also have work to do, right?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I took your time. For how long will you stay this time?¡¹ ¡¸For now I have no set date for leaving.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I¡¯ll be happy if you visit militia¡¯s headquarters again. Surely, father will also be happy to see you.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that.¡¹ Then, Feel swayed her body a bit. ¡¸If you get time¡­¡­ How about having some fun together?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Once in a while, this is fine as well. After showing a smile, Feel lowered the visor. I entered the town together with Luna. The town has a lot of familiar faces. Each time I pass nearby they call out to me. Among those, some suggested that I came back with a girlfriend. No no. Just look at Luna. Nothing in her attire implies that we came here together on good terms. Using appropriate excuses I exin the situation to the townspeople. When things finally calmed down, I looked at Luna. ¡¸Sorry, Luna. There is nothing but such people in this town.¡¹ ¡¸No, it doesn¡¯t bother me at all. Everyone seems to trust Master a lot.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because I hunt monsters during my stay here.¡¹ I¡¯m close with everyone. That¡¯s why I can leave my sister here and go onbyrinth subjugations. It took a while before we reached home. The cause is being caught by an olddy from the neighborhood. Upon finally reaching my home, I, with a wry smile, put the key into the lock and stepped inside the house. ¡¸It¡¯s still a bit early so my sister might not be awake. So please move quietly.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Acknowledged.¡¹ Quietly, Luna and I enter inside. And upon reaching the living room, we saw my little sister standing there with a cup in her hand. ¡¸¡­¡­Wee home, nii-san.¡¹ She looked at me with something akin to a re with her usual cold ck eyes. In the past, I wasn¡¯t good with this gaze, but now, I feel thrilled. No, no, it¡¯s like I¡¯m some kind of a pervert. My sister, Manicia, scooped water from a bucket and gargled it a bit. Her beautiful ck hair was cut at the shoulder length. Perhaps due to theck of exercise since the old days, but she even now, turning 17 years old but still looked as thin as a child. But that didn¡¯t diminish her beauty. ¡¸I¡¯m back. How are you feeling?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine, no problem¡­¡­ And who is thisdy?¡¹ ¡¸She is Luna, a homunculus¡­¡­ I met her on my way here. It didn¡¯t feel right to just leave her there. So I took her with me.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Well then.¡¹ Leaving those words only, she slowly returned to her room. ¡¸Are you¡­¡­ On bad terms?¡¹ ¡¸Something like that.¡¹ As the door closed with a bang, I breathed a sigh, thinking about her unchanging attitude. I wonder since when she became like that. ¡¸Your sister, she was angry. Is that because of me?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡­ For now, Luna. I will teach you about adventurers, but it¡¯s not like I will always stay in this town. Can I ask you to take care of Manicia in the meantime?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, acknowledged. But what should I do?¡¹ ¡¸Ye-ah. For now, at least greet her. With two girls alone you probably will be able to talk morefortably.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Making a small nod, Luna then went towards the room where Manicia entered. ¡¸You two have a simr figure, so ask her if she can spare some clothes. If not, then we will buy somethingter.¡¹ ¡¸Oh no. There is no need to buy something specifically for me. If it suits you, there wouldn¡¯t be any problem with my operational capacity even if i am naked.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a question of my reputation. Please, wear clothes.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged.¡¹ Homunculi might have a bit of a weird outlook on things. Luna and Manicia¡­¡­ Well, they¡¯ll manage somehow. With people other than myself Manicia is kind, sociable, cute and beautiful, so it surely will work out just fine. I guess I¡¯ll go meet people whom I¡¯m yet to greet aftering back. The apothecary and the cksmith. First, I head to the apothecary. Though it¡¯s a bit before the opening hour but, when she noticed me, granny Gigi, the owner of the store, opened the front door. Making her deep wrinkles even more pronounced, she smiled at me. ¡¸Rude-chan. It¡¯s been a while since I saw youst time.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s been a while, Granny Gigi.¡¹ Granny Gigi, the apothecary of this town. She is pretty old already, and yet her back is still surprisingly straight. I¡¯d like to be like that in my old age as well. ¡¸Is it about the payment for medicine?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. This is for this period.¡¹ Manicia was sickly since her birth. Apparently, the magic produced by her body is incredibly low. As a result, she is continuously in a state simr to magic power deficiency that some magic users fall into from time to time. Granny Gigi makes medicine to alleviate that. However, since it requires pretty rare herbs, it costs a lot. ¡­¡­Even so, granny Gigi makes them for a very low price, making almost no profit from it. I don¡¯t think I can ever repay this favor. ¡¸Got it. For how long are you going to stay in this town?¡¹ ¡¸For some time.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Manicia-chan was lonely, so stay for a while. And also,e back again when my daughter-inw is here.¡¹ ¡¸I understand.¡¹ So Manicia was lonely. Shouldn¡¯t she be able to live more freely without me around? And yet, she was lonely, huh. Maybe she was even saying something like¡ºOnii-chan, I¡¯m missing you¡». If so, then I¡¯m happy. ¡¸I will stay until I decide on my future course of action. I¡¯lle again when I need potions.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, use them a lot. Oh, though normally it would be better if you didn¡¯t? Hahaha.¡¹ After bowing to granny Gigi who smiled a friendly smile, I headed to a shop that stood beside this one. The cksmith. If one wants to buy a weapon in this town, this is the only ce. Pushing the door open, a girl tending to the store is lying sprawled on a counter. ¡¸We~e.¡¹ The listless looking girl is the daughter of the cksmith. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Milena. Is the owner, Rigil-san, here?¡¹ ¡¸Ru-Rude!? Was it already time for you toe back!?¡¹ Now, aste as it may be for that, Milena straightened up. ¡­¡­There are no customers, what¡¯s the point. ¡¸Yeah. I just returned.¡¹ ¡¸He, he is here! Pa-Fa-father! Rude came back!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I heard! Wait a bit, I¡¯ming!¡¹ Regil-san shouted from the forge. Until hees, I look over the disyed weapons. Then, Milena, fixing her hair, approached me. ¡¸How long are you going to stay this time?¡¹ ¡¸This is the third time I¡¯m being asked this question aftering here.¡¹ ¡¸Everyone wants you to stay. Of course, me as well.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­I¡¯m d to hear that. I¡¯m nning to stay for a while. I¡¯m no longer bound by a contract with that party after all.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? That is¡­good, or maybe bad?¡¹ ¡¸Well, for me it means that I now have to search for a new party¡­¡­ Well, though this is my chance to take a good rest, so it¡¯s a bit of both.¡¹ ¡¸I see! Then, this time, let¡¯s go somewhere together!¡¹ ¡¸If I get time. Which reminds me, Feel also invited me. Wanna go together?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haaah¡¹ ¡­¡­For some reason, she breathed a long sigh. Dropping her shoulders, Milena then grabbed my arm. ¡¸I want to go together with Rude, with Rude alone. This is the important part. You catch my drift?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, not really.¡¹ The two of us, alone. If I¡¯m not being too self-conscious, then it means that she wants to get close with me. However, until I cure my little sister, I¡¯m nning to put off all of my own issues. Therefore, I couldn¡¯t tell her anything. And while it began turning awkward, Rigil-san appeared from the room in the back. Regil looked at me and Milena and revealed a smile. ¡¸Oh, oh. Looks like you are as close as ever. I wonder if I get to see a grandchild soon.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, father. You are too hasty, right, Rude?¡¹ ¡¸Hastiness is not the real issue here¡­¡­¡¹ In the first ce, for him to see a grandchild, Milena and I will have to¡­¡­ Well, get into that sort of rtionship. So Milena¡¯s words just now really had this sort of meaning after all. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s not think about that. ¡¸You seem to be just like always. So, greetings aftering back, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­ And, can you make a sword for me?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Speaking of which, you have no weapon on you. Didn¡¯t you have the magic sword that you picked up in abyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¨D¨D¡¹ I exined to him the situation. Regil sighed. ¡¸That magic sword was a pretty good one. And you want me to make something on par with that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, I didn¡¯t say that.¡¹ ¡¸No! Why not do just that! I just had an idea for a pretty interesting sword! Come to pick it upter!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understood. Then, I¡¯ll be staying here for a while again. See you around.¡¹ As I said that to the two, they replied back with smiles. ¡î Two weeks have passed since then. It was right after I was done with introducing Luna around and was about to start my activities in the town. ¡¸Rude! Just listen to this!¡¹ Nin barged into my house. Chapter 5: The hero’s mission

Chapter 5: The hero¡¯s mission

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± A hero is a supreme title given to those who keep diving into the deepest parts ofbyrinths and defeating guardians that are said to be there. To keep that position, one has to keep conqueringbyrinths. And once a hero fails, people quickly change their attitude. And if that person is to keep everyone¡¯s trust or not, entirely depends on their conduct until now. ¡î ¡¸Thebyrinth we are heading into this time has been conquered up to the 42nd floor. What is required from us is the same as usual, reach the innermost part of thebyrinth, and conquer it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ I will do my best!¡¹ Kygras smiled at Sasin, a new member of the party. An outstanding tank, handpicked by Kygras. She seemed to be still nervous, so her expression was a tense one. ¡¸I¡¯ll exin the basic tactic of our party. Listen well.¡¹ Kygras looked at the twins. That was because the twins often were too preupied with each other, so there was no telling if they were actually listening. The older twin, Lilia, gave him only a fleeting gaze in return. ¡¸First of all, I will exin the roles of everyone present. I, Lilia and Sar are physical attackers, Sasin is the tank, Nin healer, Lily is a magic attacker. In regards to Lilia, you have some degree of freedom, attack or assist allied depending on the situation.¡¹ ¡¸Roger.¡¹ After replying with that, Lilia began making out with Lily. Kygras furrowed his brows and kicked the ground. ¡¸Damn you, listen when people are talking.¡¹ ¡¸I heard you. What else do you need? Isn¡¯t it always like this?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Didn¡¯t you talk more with Rude?¡¹ ¡¸Won¡¯t you refrain from saying stuff that might be misunderstood by Lily? I was talking with Rude only because he asked me how much I¡¯m going to attack. So we were making some arrangements beforehand. It¡¯s necessary so a tank can keep enemies¡¯ aggro, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Lilia looked at Sasin. Her gaze was sharp. Being ate bloomer Sasin looked thin. And now, she shrank in her small body under Lilia¡¯s gaze, appearing even smaller, and repeatedly nodded. ¡¸Y-yes. Many years of research showed that monsters have a thing called hate level! So it¡¯s pretty important how many attacks each person will perform!¡¹ ¡¸You heard that. Do you understand, Kygras? I¡¯m only interested in Lily and money. So can you stop uttering nonsense?¡¹ After making such a statement, Lilia tightly hugged Lily. The two were already smiling and enjoying themselves, touching each other. Clicking his tongue, Kygras turned his eyes to Nin. ¡¸Nin, just as usual, give tank priority in recovery. But well, unlike that guy, Sasin is capable. She won¡¯t be standing and taking enemy attacks like an idiot, so you won¡¯t have to use recovery as much. I don¡¯t even mind if you decide to focus on magical attacks if you¡¯d like.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I don¡¯t want you to nitpick on my actions, so I will just stick to perfectly doing my job.¡¹ Nin said with a cold look. Currently, the rtionships between party members were neither good nor bad. Lilia and Lily were just as usual. Nin was somewhat sullen, but that was directed only towards Kygras. Towards two new members, Sasin and Sar, she was sweet. But Nin¡¯s attitude put a frown on Kygras ¡®s face. That reason is simple. He wanted to get closer to Nin. Though he might not be in love with her, he liked her position. She is a saintess and the third daughter of a duke. Getting close with a person of such position is bound to open new doors. Perhaps due to having such ulterior motives, but things weren¡¯t going that well. ¡¸Sasin, Sar. It¡¯s your first time, but I¡¯m expecting a lot from you. Show me the best you can do.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes, I will do my best!¡¹ ¡¸I-I always aspired to, to fight alongside the hero! I will do my best, sir!¡¹ Sasin and Sar straightened up in a salute akin to that that knights do. Then, the two looked at Kygras with sparkling eyes. Kygras narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡¸Then, as a warm-up, let¡¯s start from the 30th floor. There is a possibility of being suddenly surrounded by monsters, so steel yourself!¡¹ Raising his voice in a shout, Kygras activated the skill Dungeon Walk. ¡î A monster of the 30th floor, grand minotaur. A bull-headed monster of about three meters in height. The special trait is that all of them carry a weapon of their own, like an axe or a sword. Already beating them in otherbyrinths, Kygras challenged them as a ¡¸warmup¡¹. It wasn¡¯t particrly careless. Everyone, including Kygras, thought that it would be easy to deal with the likes of a grand minotaur. But currently, Kygras and others were on the verge of annihtion. Nin and Lily who were in the rearguard were targeted first and lost their outer shells in the first battle. And Kygras was grimacing under the pain that came every time he activated his skill. ¡¸It hurts¡­¡­ W-why¡­¡­ Such pain never came before¡­¡­¡¹ With pain assaulting his whole body, Kygras clicked the tongue. ¡¸Did my skills¡­¡­ Go crazy?! Damn it, what the hell is going on!¡¹ There are two types of skills, inherent and acquired. Kygras acquired one skill when he teamed with Rude. A skill called Life Burst. Kygras didn¡¯t know the actual effect of the skill but frequently used it as an attack skill. Skills and endurance can be checked at an altar at a church, but it won¡¯t reveal their effects. It only allows you to learn of skills that were there. Some people could sense the effects of their skills, but Kygras didn¡¯tprehend his skills fully. With that skill consuming about 10% of the outer shell, Kygras was now clutching at his chest. ¡¸Kygras! Stop sleeping there!¡¹ Hearing Nin¡¯s shout Kygras raised his head. Grand Minotaur¡¯s axe was some inches away. Panicking, he tried to avoid it by jumping to the side. Unable to fully avoid it, he was knocked to the ground. The stones under his feet scattered, scraping Kygras. ¡¸Guh!?¡¹ That damage wasn¡¯t caused directly to his flesh but was mitigated by the outer shell. Even so, it still hurt. But being Kygras¡¯s first taste of pain in a while, even this much felt agonizing. ¡¸E-Everyone! Please back off! Their aggro is too dispersed!¡¹ ¡¸Damn! Sasin! Do your job properly! Why they keep switching targets!¡¹ ¡¸Hiii, I-I¡¯m sorry!¡¹ Sasin kept using¡ºTaunt¡»over and over and over again, trying to get the monsters¡¯ attention. As they began focusing on her, she desperately dodged iing attacks. Seeing a chance, Kygras activated Life Burst. Kygras grimaced. That was because he was attacked by a pain akin to that of having his heart squeezed. Even so, he swung his sword. Holding his sword with both hands, he chopped off a hand of a Grand Minotaur. ¡¸Ky-Kygras-sama! I still didn¡¯t fully get their attention!¡¹ Out of breath, Kygras crouched on the spot. ¡¸Damn¡­¡­What is this! What, just what is all of this!¡¹ As Kygras tried to get up, an axe came down on him. Sar, who happened to be nearby, pushed Kygras away. And the axe hit her. Having her endurance shaved away she was knocked to the ground. And like that, she got an abrasion. ¡¸Her outer shell was shattered. Someone, move to cover her.¡¹ Lilia shouted while fending off another opponent. But it was toote. A hit from a grand minotaur knocked her away. Luckily, she flew in Sasin¡¯s direction, so she caught her, falling over, and rolling on the ground. ¡¸Kygras ! I will give first-aid, stall this one!¡¹ ¡¸Tch¡­¡­Just what the hell is going on!¡¹ They were struggling with opponents they should have easily beaten. That fact irritated Kygras beyond the limit. ¡¸What the hell is going on!¡¹ Kygras shouted and shed at the grand minotaur that lost one hand. The grand minotaur turned around, swinging its fist. Not expecting that, Kygras took the worst of the attack. Being smashed into the ground, he felt a spreading pain in his leg. ¡¸No, way¡­¡­ Endurance!¡¹ As he directed his focus to his own body, a depressing 0 showed up. At this point healing magic will no longer work. The only option is to wait until endurance recovers naturally. ¡¸Damn damn damn! My attack power should be higher! In fact, we already have beaten them in otherbyrinths!¡¹ ¡¸Guuuuu!¡¹ ¡¸Wha!¡¹ A grand minotaur shouted and Kygras¡¯ whole body froze. Abnormal status attack. Kygras, who prepared no countermeasures, gets kicked away by a Grand Minotaur. ¡¸Guah!?¡¹ Flying through the air, he then crashed into the ground. Having no divine protection he now experienced a non-mitigated pain, which made him roll on the ground. While actually feeling that he is alive, he also felt in close proximity to death. Kygras¡¯s face turned pale. ¡¸GUBOBO.¡¹ Letting out something akin to a strangeugh the grand minotaur stopped right in front of Kygras. Grand Minotaur made what appeared to be a mocking smile and licked its lips. ¡¸Looking, down on me¡­¡­ Don¡¯t screw with me!¡¹ Kygras put a skill into his sword. His strongest attack. He swung the magic sword charged with that skill at Grand Minotaur¡¯s legs. But at that moment. The pain from Life Burst was the worst he ever felt. ¡¸Aaah!?¡¹ The pain interrupted the skill. The weak sh, that no longer had divine blessing behind it, touched minotaur¡¯s leg. There was no way that could put even a scratch on those thick and muscr legs. ¡¸Ah, Aaaah¡­¡­¡¹ Smiling, the minotaur looked closely into Kygras¡¯s face. Scared witless, Kygras drew away, trembling. ¡¸¡­¡­Sto-Stop! Don¡¯t kill me! I don¡¯t want to die yet! Forgive me! I¡¯ll do anything, just spare me!¡¹ Crying, Kygras desperately begged the monster. The ground under his feet turned wet. But there is no way such a plea can get through to a grand minotaur. A merciless attack fell upon Kygras. ¡¸AAAAA!?¡¹ Crushed underfoot, Kygras lost consciousness. But, thanks to Kygras desperately stalling for time, Lilia, who was able to focus on one grand minotaur managed to dispatch it. Then, she shed at the back of the minotaur that was ying by trampling on Kygras. ¡¸How do you like it!¡¹ ¡¸As expected of onee-chan!¡¹ ¡¸Fufun.¡¹ ¡¸You guys! Enough of that and prepare to escape! I and Sasin will take care of Sar! Twins, you take Kygras! And Lily, you had Dungeon Walk as well, right!? Please get it ready!¡¹ Nin shouted and immediately gave Sar first aid treatment. ¡¸Uwaa, what a bother.¡¹ ¡¸I think so as well. Or rather, he is all tattered, where do you start first aid in such a case?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s no longer a question of first aid. Hey, Nin. We are ready over here. Let¡¯s pull out already.¡¹ ¡¸Got it! Sasin, I leave her to you!¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes¡­¡­! U-uh¡­¡­ Sar, please don¡¯t die¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. Since you caught her, it didn¡¯t lead to a heavy injury.¡¹ When everyone gathered, Lilia tapped Kygras on the forehead. ¡¸We are retreating, Leader. No objections?¡¹ ¡¸Uh, Ye¡­¡­ah¡­¡­¡¹ Though Kygras couldn¡¯t even speak properly, he managed to reply. ¡î The hero Kygras was defeated on the 30th floor, such news immediately spread to various towns through the guild. The message reached the capital¡¯s newspaperpany as well and came to decorate the front page of the monthly issued newspaper. As Kygras came to his senses, the party members gathered in his hospital room. That was because each of them had an announcement of their own. First, Nin. ¡¸I had my arm broken in that fight¡­¡­ As such, I temporarily will stop being an adventurer. And as I mentioned earlier, I will no longer be a member of your party.¡¹ ¡¸You damn¡­¡­¡¹ Kygras tried toin but was interrupted by a fit of coughing. With his body covered in wounds, it was almost a miracle that he was still alive in the first ce, but Kygras looked at the bandages with irritation. ¡¸Damn it¡­¡­ My reputation was stained because of the new tank!¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry!¡¹ The two newbies that suffered minor injuries werepletely scared of Kygras. ¡¸What was that? You were the one who picked those two!? Expelling Rude, choosing them yourself¡­¡­ Is it her fault that she didn¡¯t meet your expectations!? Aren¡¯t that too selfish!?¡¹ ¡¸Shut¡­¡­ Up! I fought! And after those two joined, my skills turned strange!¡¹ Nin was about to reply to something, but Lilia came forward. ¡¸Kygras. I will say it as well, those two aren¡¯t to me.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸Those two are good enough. The problem this time is you. Your attacks worked on Grand Minotaur only when you used skills. In the first ce, you couldn¡¯t even keep up with Grand Minotaur¡¯s speed. It was impossible to defeat Grand Minotaur with your strength.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not, true! Didn¡¯t I chop a whole bunch of them in otherbyrinths!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. Then, what was different this time?¡¹ Saying those words with a tired look, Lilia turned to leave the room along with Lily. ¡¸The tank that you needed the most was probably Rude, no? That¡¯s what I thought looking at you this time. How about apologizing and asking him toe back?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­tch. Wrong! I could fight on my own! If only the tank did the job more properly!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m telling you that she did. But Rude¡¯s ¡ºTaunt¡»was even better than hers. That¡¯s for sure. After all, I also had to drop the frequency of my attacks to adjust.¡¹ ¡¸What, did you say¡­¡­ Are you saying that I¡¯m a blind fool!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and a big one at that.¡¹ ¡¸There is no way! There is no way that he is good! During every raid, he used tons of potions¡­¡­Damn!¡¹ Kygras scowled and clenched a fist. ¡¸It must be fun living while putting all of the me on others. I hate such people.¡¹ ¡¸Onee-chan, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Right. Lily. Let¡¯s eat some sweet dessert and go home. While the guild¡¯s contract exists we most likely will have to act as a group again, So I¡¯ll say this. Since you are already hospitalized, ask them to fix your personality as well.¡¹ The two left the hospital room, holding hands. ¡¸Then, Kygras. Farewell. Sasin, Sar, we are leaving.¡¹ Pushing Sasin and Sar in their backs, Nin left the room. ¡¸No¡­¡­ No. I wasn¡¯t wrong. He is ipetent, I¡¯m in the right here¡­¡­¡¹ Kygras ground his teeth, spitting words of denial. ¡¸I could fight! I¡¯m the hero! There is no way things could get this bad just because one tank left. Soon, I¡¯ll heal my wounds and prove it! I¡¯m the strongest! Leader of the S Rank party, hero Kygras!¡¹ Screaming at the top of his lungs, Kygras then vomited blood. --------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4: Townsfolk and appearance of saintess Chapter 6: New life --------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Comments - Weasalopes May 11, 2020 at 7:04 pm Commenting on the teaser: Kygras did not do his homework properly¡­ He was hoping for the ¡°Twins Fantasy,¡± not knowing they were into each other, not him. Nice foreshadowing, where it talks about their previous behaviour being crucial to a Hero¡¯s reputation once they have a failure¡­ Kygras being an arrogant ass won¡¯t help him any after the uing debacle. Post-teaser addendum: Yeah. Without Rude, they weren¡¯t able to deal with challenges that they¡¯d gotten used to thinking of as a cakewalk. Kygras isn¡¯t willing to consider that he was mistaken in his judgement, so it all has to be the fault of someone else, even though he could tell that all sorts of things were not the same in regard to his own skills, attacks, defense, etc. I do have to concede that given Rude¡¯s skill being an Unknown Skill, Kygras not recognizing the impact of said skill when Rude was present wasn¡¯t totally unreasonable. Not recognizing it¡¯sck, on the other hand, is sheer stubborn determination to not consider that it might be his actions that led to their being in this situation. Rude is there: Monsters focus on Rude, Rude takes the lion¡¯s share of damage, other¡¯s attacks are more effective and they take less damage than otherwise. Rude isn¡¯t there: It¡¯s the same for them as it would be for any other party of equivalent members¡­who hadn¡¯t been over-evaluated rankwise by the Guild due to the impact of Rude¡¯s Unknown Skill, that is. In other words, they aren¡¯t really an S-rank party, or whatever they were listed as, but rather one several ranks lower, when operating without Rude. Kygras is an ass. He¡¯s not apetent leader, he¡¯s evaluating his potential party members by criteria which do not rte to their proper duties within an adventuring party, anything which goes right is to his credit and anything which goes wrong is clearly someone else¡¯s fault¡­ When the current contract with his party members runs out, don¡¯t be surprised if they all leave. So much for Mr. Social Climbing Harem Protagonist¡­ Chapter 6: New life

Chapter 6: New life

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Luna put a cup filled with water on the table. Without missing a beat Nin grabbed it and gulped it all down. Perhaps intrigued by the noise in the living room, Manicia poked her head from the room. Cute. ¡¸¡­¡­Nii-san, who is this person?¡¹ ¡¸Nin, a healer, we previously were in the same party. She helped me a lot.¡¹ ¡¸The outside is noisy with something about saintess, what is that about?¡¹ ¡¸Nin is the church saintess. The party to which I belonged was led by a hero. So we were there together.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The hero? Nii-san, so you were working at such a ce.¡¹ Speaking of which, I never talked to her about this before. I thought igniting her interest in the world outside with such talks would be cruel. ¡¸But a lot happened, and my contract with that party was canceled.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I, see. I will go and lie down. Saintess-sama, please enjoy your stay.¡¹ Manicia made a gentle smile directed at Nin alone. Please, give some of that smile to your onii-chan as well. It made me want to jump in front of Nin. ¡¸I shall apany you.¡¹ Luna and Manicia went into her room. ¡¸So that girl Manicia is your little sister? And the other one¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s your wife or something?¡¹ Her expression looked like a mix of anger and sadness. ¡¸She¡¯s Luna, a homunculus. She is attending to Manicia¡¯s needs.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Indeed, she looked sickly. Was she born with that?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Well, nothing can be done at this point. ¡­¡­Enough of that for now. Why are you here? The town is in a huge uproar over a saintess-samaing here.¡¹ Listening carefully, the fuss outside can be heard even now. Or rather, I had no idea what Nin became famous enough to be such a hot topic. However, it looks like that question was a sensitive one. Nin¡¯s expression turned rather stern. ¡¸It¡¯s about the hero!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ I anticipated this. Just a bit. If she was here, it meant that she received permission from the church. I nce at her arm. Is it broken? A loose piece of cloth was hanging from her neck and a splint was attached to her left arm. ¡¸I will tell you everything that happened since you left.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, you don¡¯t have to.¡¹ ¡¸No, I will!¡¹ As pushy as always. ¡¸Okay. What happened?¡¹ ¡¸Immediately after you left we went out to subjugate abyrinth that is considered to have a high level of difficulty.¡¹ Why is Kygras called a hero? The title of a hero is given to those traversingbyrinths. Whenbyrinths just appeared in our world, the title of¡ºHero¡»was given to those brave enough to subjugate them. Since then, those that kept subjugatingbyrinths of high difficulty came to be called heroes. That¡¯s why Kygras is a hero. By the way, it was that ¡ºHero¡» of the past that defined roles of attacker, healer, and tank. ¡¸Well, I warned him beforehand that I will leave if we fail, so it seems that he picked an easierbyrinth than usual. That guy is so weak.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ So, in the end, it was a failure?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. A defeat on the 30th floor of thatbyrinth.¡¹ I only heard stories, so I actually don¡¯t know how monsters decide on their attacks. ¡¸The hero kept saying that one should just evade attacks, but in the end, couldn¡¯t evade a thing, so damage kept piling up¡­¡­ Anyway, it wasn¡¯t the load that a single healer could deal with.¡¹ She shrugged her shoulders with a tired look. ¡¸Is everyone okay?¡¹ ¡¸Just barely. I got away with only a bone fracture, but other members are in a more beaten state. Kygras, who recklessly fought on the frontline will need three months topletely heal. I guess Lilia would be the only one who is more or less okay?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That sounds likes a disaster.¡¹ If one loses their outer shell and takes damage directly to the body, healing would take time. Of course, one can be cured through the use of secret medicines or elixirs, but they are not perfect. ¡¸I¡¯m fine. After all, I even got a long-awaited rest. And there I noticed that during this raid a lot was different from usual. ¡­Say, that thing about Kygras and other party members never taking a single attack, if you think about it, isn¡¯t it pretty weird?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It is.¡¹ So it¡¯s about that. Thanks to Luna I managed to learn the effects of my skills. ¡¸Here is what I thought. Kygras was taking attacks even before this. But he didn¡¯t take damage. After all, you are the only one on whom I used recovery. Isn¡¯t that linked to your skills?¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be the case. Recently I learned the effects of my skills as well.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Hey, tell me!¡¹ I exined to her what I learned about my skills a few days ago. Nin¡¯s expressions kept changing at a dizzying speed, and by the time I finished with my exnations, she had a pretty grim look on her face. How strange. I thought I¡¯d surprise her¡­¡­ ¡¸Then, it means that you took all of the damage that party received¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that would be the case.¡¹ I think I¡¯m pretty resistant to pain. As a tank, I underwent training that would ustom me to pain. In a state without my outer shell, I just kept repeating the training. At this point, the pain from the damage to my outer shell is not enough to make me care. It seems like this is what bothered Nin the most. ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry, for not noticing until now.¡¹ ¡¸No, no¡­¡­ It¡¯s fine. Even I didn¡¯t realize it.¡¹ ¡¸All of the attacks I took also were going to you©`©` That¡¯s why the previous raid with Kygras didn¡¯t go well at all.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ I¡¯ve spent almost a year in the party with Kygras. Fighting in the same fashion, as usual, is sure to screw up a few things. For that alone, I actually might be the one to me. ¡¸And so. After this failure Kygras¡¯s ability is being held in doubt. After all, the highest floor reached in thatbyrinth was over 40, you know?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Oh my.¡¹ Kygras attempt ended at the 30th floor. With that, many would wonder why he is even being called a hero in the first ce. However, then, for the first time aftering here, Nin revealed a delighted smile. That¡¯s probably a bit mean. ¡¸Rude, don¡¯t you want to be acknowledged? After all, the difference between this raid and all the previous raids is you. Though Kygras didn¡¯t admit that.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. Bringing needless attention would only restrict my freedom of action. And there is also Manicia.¡¹ Looking at Nin I can¡¯t help but think this. Like Nin or Kygras, those with a certain status also have to shoulder the weight of duties and responsibilities. I might be unable to return to Manicia like I did this time. I don¡¯t want that. I¡¯d rather die than be unable to see Manicia. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, certainly, you are that kind of guy.¡¹ ¡¸Pretty much. I¡¯m raidingbyrinths for the sole reason of curing Manicia. As long as I can join some party I¡¯m fine with it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Search for the legendary magic tome, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ The magic tome, that is said to be concealed deep within abyrinth, in which is sealed magic capable of curing any illness. ¡­It¡¯s close to a fairytale. But even so, if there is even a hint of a chance to cure Manicia I have no reason not to try. ¡¸Nin, when are you going back?¡¹ ¡¸After my wounds heal. I also was told that I can rest for a while after I recover, maybe I should stay here?¡¹ ¡¸In this town? There aren¡¯t many inns, if by some chances other adventurers are in town, you might not be able to find a ce.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, can I stay in this house?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The only room we have left is my own, well, I can just stay in someone else¡¯s house.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to do that. Ehm¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine even with two of us together in your room.¡¹ Please, don¡¯t make that face. The creature known as a man easily falls in love. Give him a cute look and he will fall without much effort. I desperately resisted by imagining Manicia¡¯s smile ¡¸We are a man and a woman. A woman of marriageable age shouldn¡¯t say such things. Even if you are talking with me.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s exactly because it¡¯s you that I¡¯m saying this.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m d that you have so much trust in me, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not what I meant. Try and think about the reason I came here.¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say that you wille to see me? Does one need more reason to visit a friend¡¯s house?¡¹ I shouldn¡¯t think about that. I¡¯m a weak person. If I get hold of some peace here, I likely will be content with it. I have to live through thickheadedness. ¡¸Though we didn¡¯t see in a while, but you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you the same? Except for the broken arm, nothing changed about you.¡¹ She wouldn¡¯t say that her chest actually grew bigger or something like that, right? ¡ºThe saintess is cute, butpared to her predecessor she has no bust.¡» Is often being said among the public. After sighing once, I stand up. My room is on the opposite side of Manicia¡¯s. ¡¸This is my room. You can use it freely.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What a dull room. Don¡¯t you have any hobbies?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t. But if were to name something, that would be polishing my shield.¡¹ And also drawing portraits of Manicia. As a result, she is the only one I can draw well. ¡­¡­Which reminds me, I had a whole bunch of them locked in a cab. I have to hide themter. ¡¸That¡¯s quite a hobby. Even so, it¡¯s not like you are collecting shields, huh. But, this room does feel like yours. There is a rxing smell to it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It stinks? I¡¯ll ventte it.¡¹ ¡¸No, not in that meaning.¡¹ Once again showing a smile Nin waved with one hand. ¡¸Then. I¡¯ll be in your care!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, likewise.¡¹ So I will have to live with her from now on, huh. ¡­Wait a moment. Isn¡¯t this pretty bad? She is a saintess and a daughter of a duke¡­¡­ If something happens I will get erased. I can imagine how my life will be from now on. ¡­¡­Well, her being in my house when Ie back isn¡¯t that bad. No, no. I also have a sister. *Bam Bam Bam!* A knock, or more like bashing on the door resounded. ¡¸Wha-what, what¡¯s wrong?!¡¹ ¡¸¡­I don¡¯t know. But this usually means that something bad happened.¡¹ When I rushed to open it, I saw Feel. With a panicking look, she grabbed my hand. ¡¸A-A monster the likes of which we¡¯ve never seen before appeared nearby! The vignte corps is fighting it right now, but it¡¯spletely out of our league!¡¹ ¡¸Roger. I¡¯ming right away.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll go as well.¡¹ ¡¸Saintess-sama?! Why here?!¡¹ ¡¸Your arm is injured.¡¹ ¡¸Wha-what is going on, Rude? Why is Saintess-sama is here¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m only going to cast magic from the rear anyway.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. Then, please help us. I will make sure to protect you. Luna, can youe as well?!¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m heading out immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Ca-can you hear me? Aaah, fine, just exin itter¡­¡­ Anyhow, this way!¡¹ When I called Luna, Nin tilted her head, bewildered. Nin knows that homunculi cannot fight. I can trust her. I¡¯ll exin the situation on the way. Chapter 7: First use in a real combat

Chapter 7: First use in a realbat

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± We ran through the town with Feel and me in the lead, followed by Luna, and then, behind us, Nin. Smiles appeared on the faces of anxious townsfolk as they saw us. ¡¸Rude! Thank goodness you are here!¡¹ ¡¸Rude can beat any monster, right?!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, leave it to me.¡¹ As I reply like that, the denizens of the town look visibly relieved. ¡¸They have a lot of trust in you.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that great?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Right. I¡¯m somewhat pleased as well.¡¹ ¡¸Rude, over here!¡¹ Under Feel¡¯s guidance, we left through the northern town gate and headed to an orchard. It¡¯s the orchard managed by the people of the town. Usually, many trees stood there in a row, with people of the town and militia picking fruits. I went along with them a number of times as well, but currently, there was none of that tranquil atmosphere. Several trees were uprooted, and ripe apples were scattered under our feet. Shouts of fierce melee resound. Heading here, we find the militia fighting with a monster. The monster resembled a giant tiger. What is that monster¡­¡­? It¡¯s d in ominous magic power. It¡¯s my first time seeing such a monster. ¡¸What, is that¡­¡­ Rude, do you know?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know either. But, it doesn¡¯t change what we have to do. Nin, keep repeatedly casting recovery magic on me. Feel, tell the same to the people from militia.¡¹ ¡¸Go-got it!¡¹ About ten people from the militia were gathered. Everyone was gasping for breath. ¡¸Ca-captain! My outer shell shattered!¡¹ ¡¸Damn! Back off! Is there anyone who can get in front?¡¹ The captain, Feel¡¯s father, shouted with a grim look on his face. Our eyes met. ¡¸Rude! You came!¡¹ His expression softened a bit. ¡¸Everyone,mence the attack. I will take it over from here.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯ll leave it to you! Everyone, Rude arrived!¡¹ The captain shouted, smiling. Other members of the militia also regained energy with my arrival. ¡­¡­With my abilities, I can protect them. The question is should I tell that to them. I hesitate a little. If the truth about Luna were revealed, the country surely would want her. I don¡¯t want to rob her of her freedom. But I can trust them. It should be fine. ¡¸Listen up, everyone! I understood the effects of my skills! I can take over the damage that others are taking! So charge without fear!¡¹ They looked at me with expressions that clearly said they find it hard to believe. ¡­¡­I just have to convince them throughbat. As I stepped forward, the tiger lifted its front paw looking somewhat annoyed. I block it with my shield. Widely opening its mouth, the tiger roared. The sound turned into a shockwave, hitting my body. Blocking it with a shield I felt a dull impact. Warding it off with the tower shield I bash the tiger. The tiger took the hit, but it didn¡¯t look particrly bothered by it. Attacks not powered by skills are not that effective. As people say, monsters were created by evil gods. The evil god¡¯s armor given to them by their creators©`©`What for humans would be outer shell or endurance, non-skill based and non-magical attack will be repelled by it. If we had someone capable of using Enchant spell I¡¯d be able to participate in attack as well, but it¡¯s a rather unusual skill, so we had no one capable of it. I felt a slight pain on the back. Looks like one of the members of the militia couldn¡¯t withstand the shockwave and fell on his back. The pain is not unbearable. It is more like a light pat on the back. ¡¸It¡¯s true. There is no pain!¡¹ ¡¸Rude, what a crazy skill you awakened!¡¹ ¡¸Preventingrades from taking any damage, doesn¡¯t that make you basically the strongest tank?!¡¹ As soon as they realized that, the attacks from the militia turned to something extreme. Knowing that there is no need for them to defend, they can focus that much on attacking. Due to the reckless rush, my outer shell diminishes at an rming speed. But, here we have the strongest saintess. I lose 2000, 3000 of my outer shell. Nin makes it in time with her healing. Whatcks Ipensate with potions. I take one potion after another from the pouch hanging on my waist. By doing that I maintain my outer shell at 9999. Nin is really reliable. As long as I keep using Taunt on the tiger, it will not target anyone except me. I only lose a bit of the outer shell when allies get hit with AOE attacks. ¡­¡­Is it because I now know the effects of my skills? I¡¯m now more conscious of the pain. But that is not a bad thing at all. If I know that someone is about to receive an attack I can prepare for that. And with me at the center, we keep our offensive on the tiger. The needle-like fur covering it gradually disappears, and swords stab into exposed soft skin beneath it. Slowly but surely the number of wounds keeps increasing. Perhaps being cornered the tiger decided that it¡¯s time to escape, but it turned its back to us. However, an earth wall appeared before it, blocking its escape. It¡¯s Luna¡¯s magic. With irritation, the tiger red at Luna, but I disrupted it with Taunt, returning its attention to myself. Warding off its w attacks I smile. Compared tobyrinths, outside has the advantage of being able to fight inrge numbers. So my abilities can be tested without limitations. After taking about 20000 damage to my outer shell I use¡ºLife Conversion¡». The one that turned out to be an attack skill. I infuse my shield with the power of the damage that I have taken until now. ¡¸Everyone, step back! I will finish it!¡¹ I put all of the received damage into one attack. Now, how powerful will it be? Matching the timing with the tiger¡¯s charge I swung my shield. The tiger, sensing something, tried to evade, jumping back. But it was toote. Before it managed to do that, I lunged forward, bashing it with the shield. That instant, the tiger was blown away with a loud bang. Knocking over the trees, it tumbled on the ground¡­¡­ And thenpletely stopped moving. Complete silence followed. Angry voices that could be heard moments ago disappeared and peace returned to the orchard. ¡­¡­It¡¯s my first time seeing an attack skill with this much destructive power. Of course, it can¡¯t be used if conditions are not met, so it hardly can be used when dealing with small fries, thus making it a skill exclusively for strong enemies. Being still on guard, just in case, I approach the tiger, and after confirming that it is truly dead I turn to the militia. ¡¸Ru-Rude, you¡­ What was that crazy skill?!¡¹ ¡¸You didn¡¯t have any attack skills! Damn¡­¡­ So you are now ahead of me!¡¹ ¡¸No, no, Rude was far ahead of you from the very beginning¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Damn¡­ Shut up!¡¹ Some friendly militia members were arguing, but I¡¯m more worried if there is anyone injured. ¡¸It¡¯s my first time using it, so I¡¯m surprised as well. Anyway, no one was injured, right?¡¹ I was the one who said that I will protect them as a tank so they can focus on attacking. If we got wounded after that it wouldn¡¯t be funny. However, Feel¡¯s father shook his head. ¡¸Thanks to you, it¡¯s fine, Rude! Thank you foring to our rescue! If it weren¡¯t for you¡­ By now all of us would¡¯ve been¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If everyone is okay, then it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s only light wounds, then you can take medicine at Granny Gigi¡¯s ce or have the saintess over here check them.¡¹ Everyone tilted their heads upon hearing the word saintess. ¡­¡­Were they too focused on the battle to notice? ¡¸The, the saintess-sama?! Yeah, I heard someone saying that she came to the town?! Do-don¡¯t tell me, Rude, is she your bride?! What about my daughter?!¡¹ To begin with, I don¡¯t have such a rtionship with Feel. Since it will onlyplicate things, I pretend not to notice Nin¡¯s stare. ¡¸Nin is just my former party mate.¡¹ ¡¸Must be nice to have such a beautiful bride.¡¹ Hey, listen to me. ¡¸But¡­¡­ Since you are that strong that¡¯s to be expected. With your skills, none of us took any damage!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s not like that..¡¹ I keep denying it, but people that took the captain¡¯s words for truth appeared anyway. Nin hates talking about love affairs. Apparently, being a noble and a saintess she was fed up with countless talks about marriage interviews. But that Nin currently has a smile which covered her whole face. Is she happy about this misunderstanding? On the other hand, Feel looked displeased. Let¡¯s not touch this subject anymore. I¡¯m quite certain that if I talk to her right now she will only explode on me. ¡¸Anyway, if you are fine, then have the militia go back already. There is no guarantee that there are no other monsters prowling nearby. I will investigate the orchard for a bit more.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ye-yeah, sure. The town is basically defenseless now. Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you, Rude.¡¹ While the militia headed back, Feel and Nin remained. Do those two know each other? To learn how this monster came to be I approach the tiger¡¯s corpse to investigate it. Then, the two came closer as well. ¡¸Do you have a moment, Rude?¡¹ ¡¸I also want to hear about it, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Rude, what is your rtionship with this saintess-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Rude, what is your rtionship with this person?¡¹ The two asked almost the same question. And I have no other answer than both of them being just a friend. Feel¡­ Well, she is a beauty, so it¡¯s not like I never had any thoughts about her. And the same goes for Nin. But, I have Manicia. Until I somehow fix her situation¡­¡­ I can¡¯t think of this sort of stuff, I shouldn¡¯t. ¡¸Rtionship between Nin and me is that we were in the same party. Rtionship between Feel and me is that she helped me out, that¡¯s about it.¡¹ ¡¸He-helped you out!? Is it something lewd!?¡¹ What is this way of thinking? Are you in heat? ¡¸She just showed me around when I was still new to the town¡¹ ¡¸You were in the same party? Past tense¡­¡­ Past tense? Then what is it now? Did your rtionship¡­¡­ progress even further?¡¹ Feels¡¯ face is red. Just what is she talking about? ¡¸I was expelled from the party, nothing happened since then. She got a break and came to see me.¡¹ ¡¸Where is she staying? As I remember, by some incredible, really incredible chance, adventurers came to our town, so the inn is full.¡¹ She¡¯s sharp¡­¡­ If I lie it surely will be revealed right away, let¡¯s be honest. ¡¸At my house¡­ You guys, maybe you would stop using me as a medium and talk with each other? This way you might get to know each other better.¡¹ Nin¡¯s and Feel¡¯s questions could be just as easily answered by someone who is not me. The two looked at each other and after exchanging self-introductions began talking. Their exchange kept getting more and more heated. To avoid listening to them I turn to survey the tiger¡¯s corpse. I wonder what that sinister magic power was. It was clearly stronger than regr monsters from here, is it some kind of unique monster? Anyway, for now, I guess I¡¯ll collect its magic stone. Dismantling the tiger, I search for the monster¡¯s heart, its magic stone. ¡¸I got through many life and death situations with Rude! That¡¯s how deep our rtionship is!¡¹ ¡¸Tha-that is the same for me! I protected this town with him! That time can¡¯t bepared with a short while he spent in the same party with you!¡¹ ¡¸You people, stop fighting and look at this magic stone.¡¹ I interjected as things began looking bad. ¡¸Rude, between me and her, who is more important to you?!¡¹ ¡¸Right. Let¡¯s make it clear who is on top.¡¹ ¡¸Both of you are precious to me. Rather than that, I found the reason behind the abnormal strength of the monster.¡¹ When I said that, the two blushed for a second, and finally calmed down. Looks like this answer can be counted as a correct one. ¡¸What? What it was?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s only my guess, but I think this magic stone is the cause. It¡¯s probably the same type of stone as used in the creation of homunculus.¡¹ ¡¸¡­So there is someone that tried to apply homunculus technology to a monster? To begin with, isn¡¯t the creation of homunculi forbat purposes prohibited?¡¹ Nin nced at Luna. Frightened, Luna cast down her eyes. Looks like this point bugs Nin. ¡¸Even if it¡¯s prohibited, everyone is pretty interested in this, since the topic oftenes up?¡¹ A magic stone that was carried by a human is embedded into a homunculus¡¯ heart. Since magic stones have skills and other information remaining©`©` Well, to put it simply, it allows for the creation of a copy of a previously living adventurer. But it¡¯s prohibited to use them in that state. Wiping all of the information a magic stone had and only then using it as a heart for homunculus is the expected course of action. If a homunculus that retained it¡¯sbat abilities went on a rampage it would be a huge problem. ¡¸If I¡¯m not mistaken, Granny Gigi was pretty knowledgeable about homunculus technology. We better let her examine the magic stone, and only then try to draw any conclusions. Feel, I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes. I¡¯ll keep it for now.¡¹ I hand over the magic stone to Feel. I would feel bad about stealing the militia¡¯s job any further. Chapter 8: True Feelings Part I

Chapter 8: True Feelings Part I

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± One week has passed since Nin came to Avancier. Around that time a hectic everyday life began regaining its usual calmness. Nin possesses a skill called¡ºSaintess¡¯ Healing¡». As such, I thought that she might be able to determine the cause of Manicia¡¯s illness, but it was no good. And it was the same for Luna¡¯s Appraisal. In the first ce, there aren¡¯t many children who are sickly from birth like Manicia, but there is still a significant number. An impairment since birth¡­¡­ Is how society sees it. The town was still in a bit of disorder. Returning to the raidingbyrinths right away is impossible, but after things calm down a little I have to find a new party and get back to raiding. Breakfast time. Cooking made by Luna is arranged on the table. Using a hand to hide my yawn I get to my seat. ¡¸Good morning, Manicia.¡¹ ¡¸Good morning.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s good weather today.¡¹ ¡¸That is so.¡¹ I greeted Manicia who was sitting on the opposite side from me. After Nin and Luna came here I bought a bigger table. We now can eat with four people at the same table, but my physical distance from Manicia becamerger, and I also rarely get a chance to talk with her. Though we were much closer before¡­¡­ Even this distance feels lonely. To begin with, I¡¯m not good at talking. Quite the opposite, pretty bad. Since I¡¯m bad at dealing with people, I have to make efforts not to worsen my rtionships with Manicia even further. No other choice but to desperately try to butter her up. Lately, Manicia¡¯s cold re began feeling pleasant to me. This might not be a good thing. ¡¸Luna, Nin is doing the usual thing?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. She is teaching children magic at the schoolhouse.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ She is so diligent from the very morning. Without her, the dining table is even more silent than usual. ¡¸Manicia-sama, won¡¯t you talk with Master?¡¹ Luna brought up. Today, her eyes had a bit of energy to them. ¡¸I am talking with him.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Manicia-sama. I¡¯m saying this because of Manicia-sama¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Luna-san. Thank you for doing theundry today. And you also wiped my body with a wet towel. Can I ask you to do the same tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ Manicia said, forcibly closing the topic. While being envious of wiping Manicia¡¯s body, I was happy that Luna tried to do something about this situation. Close to one month has passed since she came to this house. It¡¯s not surprising that Luna would find this house ufortable to stay in. Until now, she made a number of attempts to improve our rtionships. But all of them ended in failure. ¡­¡­Our rtionship is not that simple. As we began eating, Luna looked my way. Her expression was simr to the one with which she looked at Manicia moments ago. Is she going to say something to me this time? ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸When I was preparing breakfast I confirmed that we don¡¯t have a lot of supplies remaining in the magical cold storage. It¡¯s about time to restock.¡¹ That¡¯s not what I expected to hear at all. I froze for a moment and then agreed with a vague ¡¸Ye-yeah.¡¹. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go shopping today?¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged. Master, you will being as well?¡¹ It would be tough for Luna to buy everything in one go. ¡¸Yeah. Sure.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ After showing a smile Luna began her meal. Manicia kept eating pieces of bread one by one. It goes well with the stew that Luna made. But, Manicia¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡­¡­Okay, it¡¯s my chance. It¡¯s for Luna¡¯s sake as well. And your onii-chan also wants to talk. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it tasty?¡¹ ¡¸It is. Luna-san, it¡¯s delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you very much. I made it as you taught me earlier.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ Learning all sorts of stuff so easily, Luna is amazing. It took me a long while to learn how to cook.¡¹ ¡¸I already had the basics, while you had to learn from zero. I think this is where the difference lies, Manicia-sama.¡¹ ¡¸No, if only it was like that. I¡¯m bad at learning in general.¡¹ Hm, Manicia avoided talking with me in quite a natural fashion and began talking with Luna. My poormunication skills were fully exposed. Forcing my way into someone else¡¯s conversation is impossible for me. After this exchange ended a silence once again fell upon the table and just like that the breakfast ended. But I¡¯m satisfied. Today I managed to talk with Manicia twice. It¡¯s been a while since we talked so much. Good, good. Luna left her seat and carried now empty tes to the kitchen. Using water magic she then proceeds to wash the tes. ¡¸Luna-san, I will help as well.¡¹ ¡¸No need. Manicia-sama, please rest in the room.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have to treat me like a sick person. This much is nothing.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, please rest. Wasn¡¯t your condition not that good since the morning.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand.¡¹ Luna forced Manicia, who tried to help, back into the room. Her condition wasn¡¯t good? She looks fine right now, but I¡¯m a bit worried. As Manicia looked at Luna with a slightly sullen face, I felt a little nostalgic. In the olden days, she often gave me the same look. Manicia was bad at rock, paper, scissors. She kept using the same moves so I kept repeatedly winning. At such times she would puff her cheeks out and re at me with tears at the corners of her eyes. Doing that she looked really cute, and after a few rounds, I would lose on purpose. Then, Manicia¡¯s face would brighten up and bloom into a smile. She was like an angel, no, a goddess. To regain that smiling Manicia I became an adventurer. It wasn¡¯t time for reminiscence about the past. I approach Luna to help her with the dishes. ¡¸Master, do you think you are on good terms with Manicia-sama?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think I¡¯m not? At least not in terms of how rtionships between siblings go in general. ¡¹ Is what I think. Not sure if they can be used as a reference, but the twins from my previous party were super close. Appearing deep in thought, Luna put away the dishes. Once she was done with that, the time for shopping came which we agreed to do earlier. Taking only money we leave the house. With a gust of a winding through a smile appeared on Luna¡¯s face as she held down her hair. The weather today is just right for a walk. It¡¯s springtime at the moment. This continent is an unusual region, with seasons being properly split into four. It¡¯s quitefortable, so I like it. ¡¸Luna, did you see everything in the town already?¡¹ ¡¸Manicia-sama gave me a tour through it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ They went out together. Since I was busy helping the militia all the time, I had no idea what was going on at home. As I kept working every day, they actually told me ¡ºTo Rest¡»and forcibly gave me a day off, which happens to be today. I¡¯m d that Manicia is doing well. As I stretched, as if trying to get as much sunlight as possible, Nin came back. She is teaching magic at the school, but judging by her smile she seems to be having a lot of fun there. ¡¸What are you guys doing here? Shopping together?¡¹ ¡¸How did you know?¡¹ We just left the house. Well, since I had no weapon and shield it¡¯s an easy guess. ¡¸Eh? ¡­¡­Ah, well, just a guess. So, when are nning toe back?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know how long it will take. Shopping is such a thing.¡¹ ¡¸The estimated time of return is 12 o¡¯clock. ¡¹ Homunculi are good with that stuff, so if she is saying so, then it¡¯s probably true. ¡¸¡­Well, yeah. We can¡¯t eat outside after purchasing what we need.¡¹ Keeping fresh vegetables exposed to the sun will ruin them. And I also don¡¯t like staying under the sunlight for long. ¡¸I see. Got it. Good luck then.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, wait a moment. Nin, how is school? I thought about going there for sword practice in the afternoon.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t today your day off? Give your body asional rest. And everyone also thinks that your practice is too difficult so they don¡¯t want to do it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so?¡¹ Well, I might have been a bit strict at times, but¡­¡­ So they actually disliked me. ¡¸Half of that is a joke. They didn¡¯t put it in such terms, but it actually was difficult. Though they also said that it was informative.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ I did it for their own good, but teaching is difficult. ¡¸Well then, see youter..¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, roger that.¡¹ Looking at Nin go inside the house I suddenly thought The house might need some improvement as well. Nin will go back sooner orter, however, it¡¯s small even for three people. I still have money. If Luna is going to remain then I should seriously consider this. As we walk through the town many call out to us. Something about chasing off a monster or saving a child a while ago, everyone kept giving us so many freebies that it became difficult to carry gifts even in both hands. Purchasing foodstuff took only a short while. We¡¯ve got so much that I even felt a tad bit bad about this. ¡­¡­Maybe I shouldn¡¯t havee. Thinking so I keep walking. As we finished sooner than expected, Luna pulled on my shirttail. ¡¸I¡¯d like to look around town a bit, can we?¡¹ This stuff is pretty heavy though¡­¡­ Even so, Luna is asking. I¡¯d like to somehow thank her for always taking care of Manicia. If I consider this to be training, then it¡¯s not so bad. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s see. Let¡¯s walk for a bit?¡¹ We walk without any destination in mind. That¡¯s a way one would kill time on their day off. Not so bad. ¡¸There aren¡¯t many people in this town.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. That¡¯s because this ce is considered to be the countryside. ¡­¡­Eventually, the town itself might disappear.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ Luna looked at me in surprise. Her eyes were slightly closed, giving her a somewhat saddened appearance. ¡¸Hardly any young folk migrate to this town. There is nothing here after all. No ces to have fun, and nobyrinth nearby. But it¡¯s calm here.¡¹ That¡¯s why I like this town. Raidingbyrinths I often end up staying in big cities. For me, who is not very good with huge crowds, the countryside is more rxing. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸What about you?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­¡­ Like it here.¡¹ Having said that, Luna turned her head to me. Her expression startled me a bit. ¡¸Master. I have something I want to ask you.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s is it?¡¹ Her eyes look serious. Just what is it, I can¡¯t even imagine. ¡¸Master and Manicia-sama. Why do you think you are on such bad terms?¡¹ ¡­¡­I can¡¯t answer that question. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to. ¡¸I don¡¯t know.¡¹ As I said, looking down, she let out a small sigh. What might that expression be? It¡¯s sad¡­¡­ But even more, it¡¯s angry, that¡¯s how it seems to me. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­ Well, let me tell you a bit of an old story.¡¹ Luna doesn¡¯t know much about us. ¡¸Old story?¡¹ ¡¸Manicia already told you?¡¹ Luna put a hand to her chin, as if in thought, then, made a small nod. ¡¸I heard a bit. When you two were small¡­¡­ You, well, were abandoned.¡¹ As she struggled with a reply, I smiled. Chapter 9: True Feelings Part II

Chapter 9: True Feelings Part II

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± I can imagine why we were abandoned, but there is no point in talking about that right now. That probably isn¡¯t what she wants to hear. ¡¸I guess I was about 10 years old at the time. When we were abandoned. When I woke up we were in an unfamiliar ce. From there, we did our best to survive. My little sister and I, living in slums.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s how it was. Manicia-sama didn¡¯t tell me this. She said that you were picked up by a noble.¡¹ Life in slums wasn¡¯t nice at all. Moreover, people thate from slums are often shunned. That might be the reason why she didn¡¯t want to mention this to Luna. ¡¸I stole stuff from the people living in the slums. That¡¯s how we got by. That¡¯s how we covered our food expenses and payment for Manicia¡¯s medicine.¡¹ ¡¸Then how did you got picked up by nobles?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­There was a moment when I couldn¡¯t get money no matter what I tried, so I decided to target a noble. But their guards almost caught me and remembered my face.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What happened after that?¡¹ ¡¸I somehow got away from those guards. But a pursuing party came right away. So we got captured. ¡­¡­I thought that I managed to lose them as usual, but that time it wasn¡¯t the case¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s how it was. What happened to the two of you after that?¡¹ ¡¸They took us in.¡¹ ¡¸How did it turn that way?!¡¹ Seeing her react just as I expected I smile wryly. If I heard such a story I probably would¡¯ve reacted the same way. ¡¸Apparently they were impressed with my ability.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸After that they took good care of us¡­¡­ And when I turned 15 I was asked if I would be a knight or an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸A knight?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. A fine upation allowed only to children of prosperous noble houses. But to cure Manicia I chose to be an adventurer. Though the man that picked me up supported me, saying that if this is what I decided then I should stick to it untilpletion.¡¹ Even now I¡¯m still repaying that house for taking good care of us to the best of my ability. Though it¡¯s only to the extent of helping with extermination when monsters appear in theirnds. ¡¸¡­¡­And then.¡¹ Luna tightly pressed her lips together. As I spoke, I suddenly remembered. Manicia once asked me. ¡ºYou really won¡¯t be a knight?¡» And I, of course, answered that I won¡¯t. I said that if I want to save Manicia, then bing an adventurer gives better chances. Which reminds me¡­¡­¡­ It probably was about that time. ¡¸It was probably when I became an adventurer that my rtionship with Manicia changed for the worse. In order to find the magic tome, I traveled here and there¡­¡­ So she might¡¯ve be lonely and entered her rebellious age?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Manicia might hate me, but I¡¯m fine with that. I will cure Manicia, that¡¯s all.¡¹ After I¡¯m done resting here, I will find another party. ¡¸If you know all that, why can¡¯t you see Manicia-sama¡¯s true feelings?¡¹ Luna shouted. Wha-what? Did I say something that could anger her? ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸Manicia-sama doesn¡¯t hate you. ¡­¡­She loves you.¡¹ Eh, really? I put a hand to my mouth to hide a grin that was about to appear. ¡¸But then why¡­¡­ Is she so angry all the time?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­She said that she wants you to live freely.¡¹ ¡¸Freely?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡­Manicia-sama was saying that¡ºNii-san¡¯s life was ruined because of me¡».¡¹ That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s because Manicia is there that I can have an enjoyable life. But, I see. It can also be seen that way, huh. ¡¸Please, talk it over with Manicia-sama. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t have a family. So¡­ I can¡¯t understand you that well. But¡­¡­ Shouldn¡¯t family get along?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But, you know. I talked with Manicia about the past.¡¹ I had a simr conversation with Manicia. At nights, when it was time to sleep, Manicia often became anxious. I would stay with her until she falls asleep, and she would always ask me. ¡ºOnii-san, am I not a burden to you?¡». Naturally, I would answer¡¸Of course not.¡¹, hug her tightly and pat her head. ¡¸I talked with her about this many times. Happiness for me is Manicia bing able to run around outside in good health.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then talk with her again. I will talk with her as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡­¡­Unlike the olden days, it¡¯s embarrassing for me to speak so frankly. And on top of that, she is a family member that was with me all this time. It would be hard to honestly tell her everything like I just did with Luna. It¡¯s almost noon. ¡¸¡­¡­Let¡¯s leave this conversation forter. It¡¯s almost noon, so let¡¯s go back.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Luna puffed her cheeks out with a sullen look. Right now her kindness hurts. After putting the purchased provision into the magic cold storage adjusted to the house, we return to the entrance. Luna was holding the entrance door open, waiting. ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing. Please follow quietly.¡¹ No, that¡¯s not nothing at all. But she appeared serious, seemingly wishing to do something. I¡¯m used to erasing my presence. Luna also seems experienced at it. I keep walking like some kind of thief. Entering the living room I hear voices. It¡¯s from Manicia¡¯s room. She¡¯s together with Nin, huh. Her voice kepting from a little opening of the not fully closed door. Luna drew near it. ¡¸So you¡¯ve always been together since the olden days.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Nii-san is always worrying about me.¡¹ That voice belongs to Manicia. But it¡¯s a delighted voice, not displeased. ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think Manicia could speak in such a way. She might be even smiling right now. What Luna told me a while ago might be true. If she still likes me as she did in the past, then onii-chan is happy. That¡¯s fine. Learning about those feelings alone is enough. I shouldn¡¯t eavesdrop on thoughts that Manicia was desperately hiding until now. Making such excuses to myself, I turn away from there, almost as if trying escaping. But, my hand was firmly caught. It¡¯s Luna. She probably saw right through me. ¡¸But, you aren¡¯t that close right now? Or rather, it feels like you just hate him.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­ Nin-san, do you like nii-san?¡¹ What that sister of mine is saying!? ¡¸Wha-why would you suddenly ask something like that?! What in our conversation prompted that question?!¡¹ Nin sounded panicked. This conversation is not something I should hear. I want to run away. But I can¡¯t escape Luna¡¯s grasp on my hand. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m just a little interested. I thought that you wouldn¡¯t follow him all the way to this town unless you are somewhat close.¡¹ ¡¸We, well¡­¡­ We are somewhat close, but¡­¡­ But what of it?¡¹ ¡¸Then. Can you take nii-san?¡¹ *Buuuh!* After spurting out something, Nin then coughed as if she choked. If I was drinking something I¡¯d surely do the same. ¡¸Why, why does it turn into such conversation?!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t want nii-san at my side.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why? Rude is doing his best for your sake?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I hate!¡¹ Manicia shouted. ¡¸¡­¡­Nii-san is trying to help me, sacrificing his own life in the process. That¡¯s not right. Nii-san should have his own happiness. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t want him to waste his own life for me. ¡­¡­Nii-san could¡¯ve be even a knight, but he chose to be an adventurer. For my sake¡­¡­ All for my sake.¡¹ ¡¸And that¡¯s why you are taking such an attitude?¡¹ Nin said calmly, trying to calm down Manicia. ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ Nii-san should be fed up with me already.¡¹ She said with notes of sadness in her voice. It¡¯s just as Luna said. I look at Luna. She cast down her eyes and looked away. ¡­¡­So all of this is ording to Luna¡¯s n. ¡¸¡­¡­You two are all the family you have. I can¡¯t bear to look at you being like that. Especially with the way Manicia-sama is suffering. I wanted to do something.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­ This is.¡¹ ¡¸Right now, with this timing, it might work.¡¹ As I was at loss for an answer, Nin raised her voice. ¡¸I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. He surely doesn¡¯t care about something like that.¡¹ ¡­No, I actually do. I thought that she might be putting distance between us due to my body odor, so I began washing myself quite thoughtfully, and even used herbs when I washed my clothes. I also asked a lot of questions to women that were in the same parties. Or rather, I even asked Nin. ¡¸That¡¯s not true. Nii-san¡­¡­ He probably hates me already.¡¹ ¡¸He always spoke happily about you. He is always saying that he has a cute sister, whom he absolutely must save. To be honest, I¡¯m a bit envious that he talks about you so much.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Re-really? So, nii-san cared about me so much.¡¹ Obviously. You are my little sister with whom I spent all my life since we were little. ¡­¡­My own happiness, huh. I never thought about such a thing. I want to cure Manicia. That¡¯s certainly my true feelings. When ites true I will be happy. However, that alone won¡¯t satisfy Manicia. How difficult. ¡¸Master, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Eh, are you serious? Even though I went through my own share of carnage, I can¡¯t even begin to imagine a way to achieve victory in this situation. Nope, nope, nope, pretty much throwing a tantrum I¡¯m trying to pull back my arm. But Luna keeps pulling on my arm. Suddenly, she stops¡­ ¡¸Whoa!?¡¹ ¡¸Aeh?!¡¹ We fell over. Holding Luna to avoid injuring her, I fall on my back. A bit of my outer shell disappeared. Luna¡¯s head made a clean hit into my sr plexus. Today I¡¯m truly grateful for having an outer shell. The two obviously noticed the noise and came to check. ¡¸Ni-Nii-san¡­¡­ And Luna-san. When, did youe back?¡¹ Manicia¡¯s expression immediately turned stern. She seems to be a bit flustered. That¡¯s cute as well. ¡¸No, just some moments ago.¡¹ ¡¸Since the very beginning. We were listening to your conversation since the very beginning.¡¹ Luna, it¡¯s an order, please shut up. Is what I thought, but didn¡¯t say. Manicia¡¯s face turned red. At first, from embarrassment, then it quickly turned to anger. Nin looks like all of this has nothing to do with her. Even further, unseen to Manicia she is evenughing a bit. ¡­¡­Nin and Luna were in this together. I instantly realized that, but Manicia grabbed my cheek. ¡¸Nii-san.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What?¡¹ ¡¸You heard that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I, did.¡¹ I nodded after a bit of hesitation, her face turned to an even deeper shade of red. ¡¸Please, forget it!¡¹ She headbutted me with all her strength. I felt the impact with my head, but this much is nothing. It was Manicia who copsed to the floor. I hurriedly lifted her up as she fell unconscious. Chapter 10: True Feelings Part III

Chapter 10: True Feelings Part III

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The two sessfully trapped me and Manicia with their magnificent n. I don¡¯t really care though. Quite the opposite, I was grateful, having no intention of ming them whatsoever. The problem is Manicia. Waking up on the bed she then tried to y it cool. ¡¸Nii-san, why are you here? Won¡¯t you hurry up and leave my room?¡¹ ¡¸Manicia, that headbutt, are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Wha-what do you mean?¡¹ Monotone. And while thinking that being so bad at lying she is also cute, I lower my head. ¡¸Thank you for caring so much.¡¹ Those words were everything. As her eyes met with mine she turned red up to the very tips of her ears. Gradually, tears built up in her eyes. The tip of her nose also turned red. ¡¸Nii-san, you should care about yourself more.¡¹ ¡¸I do. I do care, and that¡¯s why I currently live the way I do.¡¹ ¡¸And you are searching for a nonexistent magic book. Please, stop wasting your life on me.¡¹ ¡¸Putting the magic book aside,byrinths have many not yet known mysteries. Someday, the way to cure you shoulde up as well.¡¹ Besides©`©` ¡¸What¡¯s wrong in living for the sake of your family?¡¹ For a moment, hints of anger showed on her face, but then came a smile. Tears run down her cheeks. ¡¸Nii-san!¡¹ She hugged me. ¡¸¡­¡­Manicia. Don¡¯t worry. My happiness is you being alive and well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Nii-san. Sorry for what I did until now. Being an idiot, I thought this is the only way to make Nii-san happy¡­¡­ But I don¡¯t want Nii-san to hate me!¡¹ ¡¸There is no way I can hate you. ¡­¡­And it¡¯s my fault as well. From now on, I will look for my own happiness as well. So, Manicia, you too¡­¡­ Please think about what you will do after you are cured. Let¡¯s live our lives the best we can after this ends.¡¹ Basically, this is what I think. I had no idea on how to live after Manicia is cured. This is no good. I have to find something. In that aspect, I¡¯m just the same as Luna. I gently pat Manicia on the back. Manicia cries loudly. It reminds me of the old days. Back then I didn¡¯t have enough power to protect her. But, now it is different. As I gently brush her on the back, she gradually calms down. After crying too much, she is still making sobbing noises, twitching. ¡¸Nii-san¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. Manicia, let¡¯s continue together again.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ Standing up I lightly pat her on the head. For the first time in a while Manicia responded with a smile. ¡¸Should we thank the two of them?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, right.¡¹ Holding hands with Manicia, we leave the room. Right away, our eyes meet with Luna and Nin, who were sitting in the living room. They looked relieved. ¡¸Thank goodness. It looks like you reconciled. Fighting with your family is just stupid.¡¹ ¡¸You are thest person I want to hear that from.¡¹ Weren¡¯t you on bad terms with your parents? Manicia let go of my hand and returned to her aloof tone. Then, she took a seat and intently stared at the two girls. ¡¸¡­¡­It was a mistake to talk about this with you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I concluded that Manicia-sama would prefer to reconcile. Was I incorrect?¡¹ Luna lowered her head apologetically. ¡¸¡­¡­Ugh.¡¹ Manicia¡¯s cheek twitched, then, she turned to me, seeking help. This is your problem. I begin arrangements for an already cooked dinner. ¡¸Luna-san¡­¡­ Ehm.¡¹ ¡¸Please, forgive me. I cannot fullyprehend a human¡¯s feelings. I did my best with estimations¡­¡­ Then consulted with Nin-sama and then took to action.¡¹ Nin, who was sitting beside her, smiled, as if in mockery, and then showed a V sign. ¡­¡­I wanted her to ask for my advice as well. ¡¸If I was wrong, then I apologize. ¡­¡­I did something uncalled.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­¡­ You are not¡­¡­ You are not wrong. ¡­¡­I wanted to get along with Nii-san. ¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ While I brought the food my eyes met with Manicia. She went silent as her face turned red. Luna breathed a sigh of relief. ¡¸¡­¡­Thank goodness. Thest factor was my own feelings. I wanted Manicia-sama and master to get along.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I, I got it. Yes, I¡­¡­ That¡¯s what I wanted as well.¡¹ Manicia seems to be embarrassed to hear Luna¡¯s real motives. Can¡¯t say that I don¡¯t understand her. I put the food on the table and sit down. ¡¸A lot happened, but for now¡­¡­ Let¡¯s eat.¡¹ All of us put hands in a praying gesture and after offering prayers to the God, began eating. ¡î ¡¸Nii-san.¡¹ Seeing me upon leaving her room she happily smiled. ¡¸Good morning.¡¹ Raising my eyes from an issue of the capital¡¯s newspaper for a bit, I then get back to it. It takes about a week for it to arrive here from the capital. Passed among the denizens of the town as they read, my house was the veryst one it arrived at. As a source of information it¡¯s outdated. At most one can check information about the situation in foreign countries or on the progress ofbyrinth raids. But this time, the front page was given to the failure of a hero. It¡¯s probably what Nin was talking about. Then, Manicia walked up to me and sat on myp. ¡¸Nii-san, read me a newspaper.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Aren¡¯t you quite good at reading and writing?¡¹ She learned that at the house of the noble that took us in. However, Manicia shook her head and stubbornly insisted. ¡¸Please read it.¡¹ She shook her waist, pressing into me. Her long ck hair tickles my nose. Unlike me, she had a small build, so she wasn¡¯t heavy at all. It was all thanks to Luna that she now acted so openly. When no one was around, Manicia began acting like a spoiled child with me. With other people around, she acted coldly, just like before¡­¡­ Not to the same extent, but she still had that cold facade, but when no one looked she turnedpletely spoiled. I read newspaper headlines in order. Then, I would read the articles which Manicia put her finger on in more detail. ¡¸Nii-san, you went to the capital, right?¡¹ ¡¸A number of times, yeah.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯m so envious. Was it beautiful?¡¹ ¡¸Not really. There are many people, so trash is scattered all over the ce. The roads are dirty. The people too, there are all kinds of them. ¡­¡­I like this town much more.¡¹ ¡¸But this town¡­¡­ There are fewer and fewer people. I¡¯m worried about what will happen to it.¡¹ She¡¯s right. Avancier is a good town. But, there is nothing that stands out about it, so the poption keeps dwindling. I¡¯d like to do something about it, but this alone I hardly can change. Manicia pointed to the front page. ¡¸This hero, it¡¯s that guy that Nin-san doesn¡¯t like?¡¹ ¡¸Right.¡¹ ¡¸Nii-san also was in the same party, right? Nin-san said that she hates him because he made fun of you.¡¹ ¡¸Nin is a bit personally invested in this.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so you knew? And, there is nothing between you?¡¹ She narrowed her eyes as she teased me. ¡­¡­What a bind. I didn¡¯t n on saying this much. Since it was embarrassing, I closed my mouth, but she lightly pinched my cheeks. ¡­Okay, I¡¯ll tell you what I think. ¡¸Well, not really. But I can¡¯t think about this right now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that because of me?¡¹ ¡¸No. ¡­¡­Well, this as well. Since I want to cure you, I don¡¯t think of this. ¡­¡­If I get into such rtions with someone¡­¡­ I¡¯m most likely a weak person, So I will stick to that happiness. I¡¯m not that skillful¡­¡­ Chasing two things at the same time is most likely impossible for me. So¡­¡­ Nothing I can say about this, sorry. Until I cure you I don¡¯t want to think of such stuff.¡¹ This is the reason why Manicia was so cold to me. I knew that, but this time I clearly said this aloud. ¡¸¡­¡­If you understand this, then it¡¯s fine. But when you find a person that is really precious to you, please live for their sake. I¡¯m happy even now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay.¡¹ Manicia donned a smile and then leaned on me. Then, she blushed slightly. ¡¸But until then¡­¡­ Ehm, please take good care of your little sister.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Got it.¡¹ After patting her head, the sweet smile that I knew from when she was young appeared on her face.. ¡¸Which reminds me, Nin-san is a noble, right? She doesn¡¯t really talk about that kind of thing herself.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. She once dragged me off with her. She seems to be from a duke¡¯s house.¡¹ As expected, even Manicia would be surprised to hear that. ¡¸Du-Duke?! She was such a person?! I said some pretty rude stuff!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m pretty much the same. Rather, she would hate it if you changed your attitude because of that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is, is that so. Understood, I will try to tread on the line that at least won¡¯t get me beheaded.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that much should be okay. If you just act as your usual self there should be no problem.¡¹ Manicia nodded slightly. ¡¸But even so, Nii-san. You are quite a yboy. Bringing two girls right after you came back, I was surprised.¡¹ ¡¸I get along with the two¡­¡­ But please don¡¯t put it like that.¡¹ ¡¸yboy. There are also people interested in you living in this town¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I tend to have a lot of interactions with them.¡¹ I don¡¯t feel like a yboy or particrly popr at all. In regards to the town, I think one of the reasons is that there aren¡¯t many young men here. ¡¸¡­¡­Nii-san. You shouldn¡¯t make girls cry, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Of course¡­¡­ I know.¡¹ Then, a loud bang resounded making Manicia jump in surprise. ¡¸Wha-what is this?!¡¹ ¡¸Ru-Rude! It¡¯s terrible! Pa-Papa is!¡¹ Milena pushed open the front door. Since Nin left for the school, the front door was left unlocked. Rather, not many lock their doors here, to begin with. Everyone knows each other anyway. Manicia jumped off me. Her cheeks were red as she escaped to her room. ¡¸Did something happen to Regil-san?¡¹ ¡¸He copsed at the forge!¡¹ ¡­¡­No way. ¡¸Got it, I¡¯ming immediately. Milena, can you still run?¡¹ ¡¸N-no, hardly¡­¡­ I wille after you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, we are going together.¡¹ Someone will have to call for help. I alone am not enough. Carrying Milena I leave the house. Chapter 11: Mixed feelings

Chapter 11: Mixed feelings

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Together with Milena I head to the cksmith, Regil. On my way there I also took Luna along, and together we all rushed to Regil-san¡¯s workshop. ¡¸Pa, Papa! Papa!¡¹ Regil-san was still lying on the floor of the workshop. ¡¸Milena, calm down¡­¡­ Luna. Call Granny Gigi. I will carry Regil-san to the bed.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged!¡¹ I look over Regil-san. ¡­No external injuries. His pulse seems normal as well. Shouldn¡¯t it be okay to move him then? It¡¯s pretty hot in the workshop. Leaving him here might be dangerous. I carry Rigel-san to the bed and wipe sweat off. Is it dehydration? This ispletely out of my expertise¡­¡­ As I kept observing him Luna returned, bringing Granny Gigi. ¡¸You three, wait outside. I¡¯ll check him.¡¹ ¡¸He is in your care.¡¹ After entrusting Rigel-san to Granny Gigi we went out to the corridor. We did what we could. Now we can only wait for the results of the examination by Granny Gigi. Milena kept nervously walking back and forth in the corridor. ¡¸Is papa going to be okay¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­He will be, absolutely.¡¹ A baseless statement. Merely consoling her. But I wanted to say that. ¡¸¡­¡­He, he won¡¯t die¡­¡­ Right?¡¹ ¡¸No way.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­ We don¡¯t know for sure¡­¡­¡¹ Tears gradually build up in Milena¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Ye-Yesterday¡­¡­ I¡¯ve got into a bit of an argument with papa. I don¡¯t want¡­¡­ To part with him like that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ As she sunk to the floor, sobbing, I went down on my knees in front of her. There is only one thing I can do. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. You are the one who knows the best just how tough Regil-san is.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yea, that¡¯s true, but.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s sickness then Granny Gigi will surely cure him. You know how good she is, right? Elixir materials might be required, but in that case I will go for them. That¡¯s all there is to it. This will fix everything.¡¹ Chances are, it might be something impossible to treat with elixirs or mixtures. But right now, there is no need to point out that reality to her. As I smiled, Milena finally calmed down a bit. ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll go wash my face.¡¹ Wiping her eyes, she went downstairs. ¡¸¡­¡­Milena-sama was crying a lot.¡¹ ¡¸Well. One would get worried if a family member copsed.¡¹ It doesn¡¯t seem like Luna fully understood what I said. ¡¸That¡­¡­ Feeling I can¡¯t understand.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Aren¡¯t we basically a family already? If I or Manicia copsed, I think you surely would¡¯ve tried to do something? ¡­¡­That¡¯s a simr thing.¡¹ After giving me a look of obvious surprise, she then smiled. ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you very much, Master.¡¹ When Milena came back she looked the same as always. Not going to cry no matter what. She seemed to be filled with such strong resolve. The door opened. ¡¸Ah, you guys¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Granny Gigi. If there is something you need we will get it. Tell us anything.¡¹ ¡¸Calm down, Milena-chan. It¡¯s fine already.¡¹ Granny Gigi gave us a bright smile. Behind her appeared Regil with a slightly embarrassed look. Huh? I didn¡¯t even imagine such an oue. After exchanging nces we looked at Regil. ¡¸¡­¡­Regil-san. What¡¯s going on? Are you fine already?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh, no¡­¡­ Well¡­¡¹ Not very talkative, are we? All emotions seem to have drained from Milena¡¯s face. How scary¡­¡­ I promptly moved away from Milena. ¡¸It¡¯s just simple exhaustion from overworking. He seems to have regained his strength after I made him drink a potion. Were you busy with somethingtely?¡¹ ¡¸Thats¡­¡­ Well,tely I was doing pretty good¡­¡­ So the time I spend at the forge has increased¡­¡­¡¹ Scratching his head, Regil-san let out a dryugh. I look at Milena. I¡¯m d that it was nothing. However, I have to tell him. But before I could say anything, Milena stepped forward¡­ ¡¸Idiot! How much do you think I was worried?!¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­¡­ That¡¯s, well. Sorry! I feel like I¡¯m in good shape¡­ So I thought I could make a good weapon! And I put all my might into this one!¡¹ ¡¸Even so, think about your health! You are not a kid anymore!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! I¡¯m not so old to just drop dead!¡¹ ¡¸You are not young! You smell of age! And you are balding!¡¹ ¡¸Wha! Uuu¡­¡­¡­gh.¡¹ Looks like that¡¯s a serious shock for Regil-san, I wonder if he is going to copse again. I imagined if Manicia told me the same thing. I felt like throwing up. Milena snorted and left. ¡¸It¡¯s just as your daughter said. Don¡¯t work to the point of causing others to worry, good grief.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ After bowing to Granny Gigi, Regil-san walked away, looking like a beaten dog. ¡­¡­Well, for now, I¡¯m d that it was nothing serious. Together with Granny Gigi I go down the stairs. Regil-san¡¯s house has a forge and shop on the first floor, with the second floor used as a living area. Milena and Regil-san seem to be engaged in some sort of conversation. Milena was clearly angry, with no tears in sight anymore. ¡¸Regil-san really knows how to make people worry.¡¹ When I said that, Granny Gigi¡¯s face turned just a bit more serious. ¡¸Yeah. You also should be thinking about your actions.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine. I fully understand what I can and what I cannot do.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. If something happens to you, everyone in the town would be sad.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Would they, really?¡¹ ¡¸They would. Anyway. A bitter I will check on Manicia.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Please do.¡¹ Granny Gigi made a friendly smile and walked away. ¡¸Milena-sama¡­¡­ She looks happy.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s expected.¡¹ ¡¸Ehm, can I ask something?¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸A while ago, you told Milena-sama that it surely will be okay.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You did that out of consideration for Milena-sama, right?¡¹ ¡¸Right.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I, see. I can¡¯t do something like that at the spur of the moment. Presenting uncertain information to Milena-sama as a fact is¡­¡­¡¹ I see, sort of a homunculi¡¯s trait. However, that is a mistake. ¡¸You are doing that already.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh?¡¹ ¡¸Despite having those thoughts, you didn¡¯t say anything. ¡­¡­That¡¯s because you knew, that it might sadden Milena.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you can do that much, then it¡¯s plenty. If you want to do more, just imitate that. A persons growth begins from imitating or copying others after all.¡¹ Luna made a small nod and then as if deliberating on it, put a hand to her chin. Let¡¯s leave her alone with those thoughts. Regil-san approached us. ¡¸Rude! Remember what I¡¯ve said a while ago? I was working on a weapon. Of course, on yours!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ I was so happy that I wanted to express that happiness through my whole body. But, the eyes of Milena, who stood at a bit of a distance, were very stern. Please. Notice that, Regil-san. It¡¯s like she is staring at me. ¡¸Yeah! My best work so far! At this age, I might have reached a new height! GA HA HA!¡¹ ¡¸I~diot!¡¹ Milena threw a magical ore at us. It made a direct hit on Regil-san¡¯s head. Regil-san didn¡¯t seem to particrly mind that and still smiling, he picked up the magic ore from the ground. ¡¸Anyway. I will bring it right now! You can look forward to it!¡¹ Regil-san returned to the forge. ¡­¡­I¡¯ll just take the weapon. After that, I will surely make him take a break. ¡¸¡­¡­Haah. As one would expect, Rude is also a man.¡¹ Milena said with a sigh. ¡¸¡­¡­Why would you say that?¡¹ ¡¸You look super excited.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well. I¡¯m quite curious about what kind of weapon it is.¡¹ ¡¸Haaaah. I don¡¯t get it.¡¹ Milena grabbed one of the daggers they had for sale and began polishing it with a cloth. ¡¸Sorry. For calling you so early in the morning.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it. Rather, I¡¯m happy that you decided to rely on me.¡¹ ¡¸W-why?¡¹ ¡­¡­The way I put that might lead to misunderstanding. Making a small sigh I make some corrections. ¡¸Since you came to me right away, it means that you trust me that much. ¡­¡­That¡¯s what made me happy.¡¹ When friends rely on you, it doesn¡¯t feel bad at all. ¡¸I, I see¡­¡­ So that¡¯s how it is. ¡­¡­Me too, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯d say that, I guess.¡¹ ¡¸But even so, I think it would be better if you fixed your bed hair after you woke up.¡¹ As I pointed to her hair, she uttered a short ¡¸HAH¡¹ Panicking, she touched her pink hair. Taking a rubber band out of her pocket, she then tied the hair in a side tail. ¡¸Which reminds me, you made up with Manicia?¡¹ Looks like we¡¯ve been seen. ¡¸Just a while ago.¡¹ ¡¸Good, good. I heard about you two quite a lot. ¡­¡­I wanted to do something, but Manicia told me not to try anything.¡¹ She said with a difficult expression, scratching her cheek. ¡­¡­With all the stuff going on, she actually was watching over us. ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry about that.¡¹ ¡¸No, why would you even say that to me. ¡­¡­Could it be that that Saintess-sama did something?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No. It was Luna.¡¹ Looking at Luna, who stood beside me, Milena made a slightly bashful smile. ¡¸So, that¡¯s how it was. Thank you, Luna-chan.¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡­¡­ I just did what I wanted to do. ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t consider their feelings at all.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But that¡¯s why you seeded.¡¹ While I was checking the weapons of the store, Regil-san came running from the store interior. ¡¸Here it is! Please, try it, Rude!¡¹ Regil-san brought a sword. I pull it out of its scabbard. Taking it in a hand, it turned out to be a lot lighter than I expected. A magic stone was incorporated into the hilt. However, it didn¡¯t seem to have any magic power. asionally, magic stones are used as decoration in ceremonial swords. But this one is different. ¡¸I bought this magic stone from a peddler that appeared here some time ago. The quality seemed pretty good. Then, I asked Granny Gigi to make some adjustments to it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Adjustments?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t get the details either! Anyway, she changed the properties of that magic stone. So instead of naturally taking magic power, it absorbs it on impact.¡¹ ¡¸Impact?¡¹ ¡¸For example when an enemy attacks you. The sword can then be infused with the absorbed magic power, which you then can use. Though only temporary, but it can be used as a sort of magic sword.¡¹ ¡¸Wouldn¡¯t gathering magic the usual way be easier? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you aren¡¯t going to engage in battles repeatedly, then yeah. But I tested it, waiting for it to recharge magic power naturally takes at least one hour. And with the absorption, if you are lucky enough, you might be good to go after only a few attacks. ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Just try it.¡¹ Regil-san pulled out a sword and swung at me. I blocked the attack with the sword. That instant, the magic stone on the sword shone faintly. I put my left hand over the magic sword. Extracting the magic power, I send it into the sword. The de shone with faint blue light. So cool¡­¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­This?¡¹ ¡¸You adventurers pour magic powers into swords to increase sharpness, right? That technique strengthens the surface of a sword. This magic stone strengthens the sword from the inside, so you can enhance the sword from both inside and outside.¡¹ Infusing a sword with magic power to attack enemies is the basics of basics. But even by using this, it¡¯s unlikely to get through the protection given by evil gods. But even so, it¡¯s better than cutting with a normal sword. Magic swords are structurally capable of storing magic power inside the de. This allows for easier destruction of evil god¡¯s protection by releasing that magic power. Thoughpared to the power of skills it¡¯s pretty trivial. ¡¸Indeed. This is amazing¡­¡­¡¹ For a test I enhance it with magic from the outside. This magic enhancement is influenced by an inborn talent. And I¡¯m somewhat bad at it. ¡¸But, this creates an opening when one tries to draw power from the magic stone. If it isn¡¯t someone like you, who has no problem standing on the frontline, this sword is quite hard to use. If you find some good application for it, please tell me!¡¹ ¡¸Sure¡­¡­ How much?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need that!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, that won¡¯t do.¡¹ I¡¯ll feel bad just taking it for free. When I said that, Regil-san pped, and donned a mean smile. ¡¸Then, how about a grandchild©`©`¡¹ ¡¸Father¡­¡­ Can you already stop with your work for today and take rest?¡¹ A chillingly cold voice resounded. Regil-san turned his head. Milena stood with a polished dagger in hand. ¡­¡­No, no, no, this is not funny. ¡¸I, I¡¯m just kidding! You often bring magic ore and magic stones. Just think of this as my gratitude for that. Well then!¡¹ As expected, even Regil-san went pale, and after giving a sharp bow with his head, he went back. ¡¸Good grief¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t this nice, Rude? With this, Rude the adventurer is back.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, seems so.¡¹ ¡¸Are you going to leave again?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m going to stay for now.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Good then. Let¡¯s have fun togetherter.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sure.¡¹ I¡¯m also worried about Manicia, so for now I return home. Returning home I told Manicia what happened, to which she showed a relieved expression. From there, I return to the usual daily life. But¡­¡­ Luna wasn¡¯t her usual self. From time to time she would mutter¡¸Family¡­¡­¡¹appearing deep in thought. ¡­¡­A family, huh. For Luna her parents would be her manufacturers, I guess? Chapter 12: C rank monster

Chapter 12: C rank monster

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The militia¡¯s building is located in the center of the town. Their job is the defense of this town. Major settlements have permanent garrisons of knights, protecting them, but for small rural towns, it¡¯s impossible. Avancier is a part of the domain of a certain count. The count¡¯s troops are defending arger town. Thus, the control of this town is currently delegated to the town mayor. And this is also the reason why he is filling the role of the leader of the militia. The militia headquarters are adjacent to the mayor¡¯s house, Eventually, it probably will be handed over to Feel, the mayor¡¯s daughter. Being called with¡¸I want you to help with my work¡¹, I was currently at the conference room of the militia headquarters. It seems to be a prettyrge-scale operation, so adventurers that were staying in the town also were called. A total of three adventurers were present in the conference room. As expected, very few. For a town with abyrinth nearby the number would be at least 10 times that. Judging by their age, they just started their career. However, despite being called to such a ce, their faces were overflowing with confidence. I guess they had a lot of sess until now. As I waited, speaking with Luna, a man, who appeared to be their leader, approached us. ¡¸So you are an adventurer as well. I¡¯m Sinanis.¡¹ ¡¸Nice to meet you Sinanis. I¡¯m Rude.¡¹ ¡¸Your adventurer rank?¡¹ ¡¸F.¡¹ Sinanis eyes went wide. ¡¸F?! Doesn¡¯t that mean that you just registered?! So that¡¯s why you were in such a countryside!¡¹ I wasn¡¯t as mature as to think nothing after getting so obviously looked down on like this. However, I was the one who gave them a reason for that¡­¡­ So I can¡¯t retort. One can raise rank by fulfillingmissions from the guild. I didn¡¯t do anything outsidebyrinth raids. Handling raw materials and other loot was left to the leader. There wasn¡¯t a single chance for a guild to change my evaluation. ¡¸We became adventurers a year ago. And we already raised our rank to D! Before long we will be called heroes!¡¹ The title of a hero, given to the strongest of adventurers, huh. Many seem to be adventurers longing for that title. ¡¸I see. I hope you will.¡¹ I hope it doesn¡¯t go well. Experiencing a few setbacks would allow them to acquire a true strength. Perhaps set off by my tone, Sinanis red at me. At that moment, the door to the room opened, and Feel, her father, and also Nin, entered the room. The adventurers¡¯ gaze stopped at Nin. As they stared at her in amazement, Nin showed a tired face for a second, but then donned a smile. ¡¸Nice to meet you, everyone. I¡¯m Nin, a member of the church.¡¹ An outgoing smile, looking at her one can almost hear a softugh. As I tried to endure the urge tough, veins on her temple twitched. Oops. I shouldn¡¯t get in the way of her activities as a saintess-sama. It¡¯s not because I¡¯m worried about her, rather, it¡¯s because I¡¯m worried about what might happen to me after that. To be specific, she likely will put the vegetables I hate into my dinner. ¡¸Saintess-sama¡­¡­ Why are you in such a ce?¡¹ ¡¸I just happened to be here during my vacation. The person over there is something like my knight.¡¹ ¡¸A knight of Saintess-sama¡­¡­ This F rank?!¡¹ ¡­¡­Hey. Didn¡¯t I refuse that earlier? A saintess can employ one knight for personal security. A stable job, furthermore, with the benefit of being near a beautiful saintess day and night. The most wanted job among men. ¡­¡­Even so, in fact, it¡¯s more like a glorified manservant. What I want to do isbyrinth raids. I don¡¯t want to do the jobs where I can¡¯t focus on that, no matter how good the conditions are. ¡¸Now, I have a job I want you to take. Feel, I leave the rest to you.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ After her father said that, Feel immediately stepped forward. ¡¸I am the sub-leader of the militia of this town. Feel. We appreciate all of youing here so early in the morning.¡¹ Then, after bowing once, Feel continued. ¡¸The reason why we gathered all of you here today is to exterminate a certain monster.¡¹ Saying that she showed amission form, usually issued by the guild. On that piece of paper with an image of the monster depicted was written ¡¸Fieldzaurus¡¹. ¡¸Fieldzaurus, that is¡­¡­¡­ C rank, a pretty dangerous monster. Why would it appear at such a town.¡¹ As expected, Sinanis was surprised. Fieldzaurus, a dragon-type monster capable of surviving in various environments. Instead of creating a nest for themselves, they instead roam all over thend. Most likely it wandered in here from some other area. ¡¸Where it came from is unknown. However, it is known that they are in the vicinity of this town. The orchard already took damage from it. I already fought it with members of the militia once¡­¡­ Well, driving it away was the most we could do. And there. We want to ask you to subjugate it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Here we have 4 of D rank, F rank, and hisrade.Even with Saintess-sama, isn¡¯t this too much?¡¹ ¡¸We, of course, will assist as well We will challenge them with a total of 50 people.¡¹ This should be enough. I also learned a proper way to use my skills. We should be able to manage. ¡¸Roger. Are we sallying out right away?¡¹ ¡¸Hey, old-timer! Do you even get it?! It¡¯s not an opponent F rank can beat!¡¹ Who is an old-timer? I¡¯m still 20 years old. ¡¸Should we see it as you got scared and ran away? Even without your party, given enough time we should be able to beat them.¡¹ With that personality, I was pretty sure they would give in to provocation. And also, they pissed me off a bit with that old-timer. ¡¸Ah?! The hell was that?! We aren¡¯t scared!¡¹ ¡¸Then, you areing with us.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­tch, if we think that it¡¯s impossible we will immediately retreat, alright?¡¹ He returned in a calm tone. Shinanisu doesn¡¯t seem like a reckless man. Aware of their own power, he understands that this mission will be tough. He is a lot moreposed than Kygras. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ming as well.¡¹ Nin¡¯s arm healed a lot faster than expected. So she will apany us. There is nothing more reassuring than that. ¡¸Got it, don¡¯t be rash though.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s what I should be telling you. You will be taking attacks for everyone after all.¡¹ She said in a small voice. So others won¡¯t hear her, I guess she is being considerate. It¡¯s fine. No need to worry. ¡¸¡­¡­Then, let¡¯s move out right away. I will be taking on-sitemand. If something happens to me, follow Rude¡¯s instructions.¡¹ Sinanis doesn¡¯t seem to like the idea. However, he made no attempts to voice hisints. Our preparations being already done, we immediately group up with the members of the militia. A total of 50 people. Having this many should be enough. Though I¡¯m a bit worried, considering how nervous everyone looks. With Feel in the head of the group, we leave the town. The outside is quiet. However, unlike the usual, a tense atmosphere was in the air. Other monsters also were afraid of the fieldzaurus. Thus, a tense air hangs over the area. The same could be said for us. Especially nervous were the members of the militia. For most of them, it¡¯s probably their first time fighting a C rank monster, so it¡¯s only natural that they would be afraid. Let¡¯s find the fieldzaurus as fast as possible. Members of the militia and Sinanis¡¯rades activate their skills and search for the monsters. However, it doesn¡¯t go that well. And I thought that a monster like a fieldzaurus would be spotted immediately¡­¡­¡­ Entering the orchard we once again repeat the search from there. Then, several people stopped in their tracks, all at the same time. Each of them had some kind of detection skill. ¡­¡­Did they locate the enemy? ¡¸Something is below us!¡¹ ¡¸This reaction, no way, is this the fieldzaurus?!¡¹ The earth shook. Which reminds me, don¡¯t they¡­¡­! ¡¸Some of fieldzauruses can travel underground. Everyone©`©`¡¹ ¡¸Everyone, take distance! We are going to engage the enemy!¡¹ Feel shouted an order. I immediately bring out my shield and sword. With dirt fluttering through the air a green giant appeared. Its yellow eyes look right at me. Instead of attacking with its thick rear legs, it moves its small front legs. Those movements gave off a feeling of it being happy about discovering a prey. A long pointy tail also was happily swaying from side to side. Everyone moves to avoid it. However, the fieldzaurus tosses up one person, who then falls to the ground on their back. A faint feeling of pain spread through my whole body. ¡­¡­Looks like they failed thending. ¡¸Prepare for battle!¡¹ Feel pulled out a sword and shouted. Sinanis, holding a sword with both hands, went to close the distance. A hint of a smile showed in his expression. ¡¸It¡¯s small! Is it just a child?!¡¹ ¡¸Lucky! Even us, with our D rank, can take this one down!¡¹ The moment Sinanis sprung on it, hisrades fired their magic. But all of it went in apletely different direction, hitting another fieldzaurus, concealed behind trees, that was about to jump out. ¡¸Two, two of them?!¡¹ ¡¸No way, a couple¡­¡­?!¡¹ Surprised voices resounded. Everyone¡¯s expressions be more and more clouded with fear. The situation is not too good. ¡¸A couple, how unusual¡­¡­ Honeymoon?¡¹ ¡¸We don¡¯t have time for such jokes!¡¹ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to be funny. It¡¯s just that everyone is so tense, that I wanted to relieve some of that tension. Ick experience with such stuff after all. But it doesn¡¯t change the usual pattern, I get their attention and have everyone attack the enemy. But when ites to everyone¡­¡­ They arepletely overwhelmed. From the perspective of the militia, even one is devastating. And with two of them, naturally, they would lose their wits. Like this, they won¡¯t be able to disy their full potential. ¡¸Feel, at such time it would be better to fall back and regroup.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­ are right. Everyone, a retreat for now, we have to change our tactic! Rude! Please, buy time for us!¡¹ Feel shouted with a frown. Chapter 13: Human’s way

Chapter 13: Human¡¯s way

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Buy time, huh. Holding a sword and a shield I step forward. In turn, members of the militia retreat to the rear. As one of the fieldzauruses tried to go after them, I used Taunt and brought its attention to me. As a fieldzaurus charges at me, I block the attack with the shield. ¡¸He took it head-on?!¡¹ Sinanis yelled. But I don¡¯t have time to respond. I immediately looked at Luna. ¡¸Luna, I want to rob the enemy of their sight. Do you have any magic you can use for that?¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged. I can use light magic.¡¹ Luna made a sharp nod and began preparing her spell. Now, I only have to wait until the magic is ready. The fieldzaurus came at me with its fangs, which I repel, striking at it with the shield. As I fend off the attack, deflecting it, a tail came at me from the side. Oh smart, attacking at a hard to see angle. Those guys understand how to fight. But I evade it anyway. Jumping off the tail I avoid the attack, leaping over their heads. Striking with a sword I taunt them. In order to prevent them from going for others, I keep repeatedly using Taunt at every opportunity I get. ¡¸Hurry up and run away!¡¹ I shout at the members of the militia still too frightened to run. In such a situation, they would not move unless you at least shout at them. Finally, they got up and began running away from the fieldzauruses. ¡¸GaAAARR!¡¹ The fieldzaurus swept with its tail. I once again block it with the shield, but the attack is stronger than before. I step back, negating the impact, and then confirm my surroundings. Everyone escaped. I can¡¯t see anyone around. With the fight until now, I should have enough magic power stored in the sword. Releasing the stored magic power, I then further enchant the sword with my own magic power. Charging with the shield, I m the sword into a fieldzaurus. ¡¸GuuuA?!¡¹ A scream-like roar resounded. My sword pierced through the scales of the fieldzaurus. Lucky. Looks like I struck a pretty weakly protected spot. Seeing the green-colored blood stter, the other fieldzaurus raised a worried cry. Now! As I swung my hand, Luna activated light magic. The moment I hid my face behind the shield, a burst of intense light urred. The fieldzauruses closed their eyes. Now, they shouldn¡¯t be able to see anything. I and Luna run in the direction where everyone retreated. The fieldzauruses made no attempts to chase after us. ¡¸Weakness of a pair, huh.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­One of them tried to protect the other.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ They get along better than some families out there. And while having such thoughts, I head to rejoin with everyone. With no pursuit from the fieldzauruses, we could finally stop running and calm down. It didn¡¯t take us long to catch up with Feel and the others. Wiping our sweat, I survey the situation. All of the members of the militia lookedpletely exhausted. Can we even win¡­¡­ Is what their despairing expressions seemed to be asking. ¡¸Feel, what are we going to do next?¡¹ ¡¸Wait a moment, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking about right now.¡¹ Feel put a hand to her chin. Frowning, she from time to time nced at me. She looks like she¡¯d like to get some kind of a hint. ¡­¡­But this is something akin to an exam, given to her by her father. Her father, who usually was inmand, today, didn¡¯t participate. This was done probably out of consideration for her future. If I interfere, it would ruin this rare opportunity. I¡¯m going to stick to the support role to the bitter end. Like a proper tank. Nin approached and cast a heal on me. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Well, this much is not a big deal.¡¹ I¡¯m quite used to this level of damage. Since my outer shell was restored I raised a hand, stopping Nin. ¡¸Thank you. What about you? You were moving quite a lot, is your hand okay?¡¹ ¡¸Pretty much. It¡¯s almostpletely healed by now. So, what are you going to do from here?¡¹ ¡¸That is up to Feel to decide.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t the burden a bit too heavy for her? She probably never went through anything like this before.¡¹ ¡¸Then, she can ask others for assistance.¡¹ Me helping arbitrarily and her asking for help by herself are two different things. Feel, after breathing a sigh, gathered everyone. ¡¸Anyway. We have to subjugate the fieldzauruses¡­¡­ I want to create a strategy for that, does any of you have any good ideas? For an opening statement that gets a passing mark. Kicking the ground, Sinanis let out a dryugh. ¡¸You, you are kidding, right? We barely might take one of them, you know? As much as I hate to admit, but only that F rank and Saintess-sama could move right away in that situation. In such a state, how are we supposed to fight two of them?!¡¹ Sinanis wasn¡¯t wrong. Faces of members of the militia turned to a vexed grimace. Normally, the proper course of action would be calling strong adventurers to the town. However, in the meantime, the damage from the fieldzauruses would keep growing. ¡¸¡­I know. However, it mostly went this way due to the element of surprise being on their side. We have Rude and Nin. Until some days ago they belonged to the hero¡¯s party.¡¹ I see. A talk to boost morale, huh. Immediately, everyone was gripped with excitement. Especially Sinanis and his party, who didn¡¯t know me that well, were surprised from the bottom of their hearts. The atmosphere changed slightly. Not lending her a hand here would be way too mean. Though I¡¯d like to see that as well. ¡¸It¡¯s just as Feel said, I was employed in the party of the hero. Due to reasons, I returned to this town, but I have enough confidence in my strength. Furthermore, the skills I have, allow me to take damage in ce of myrades. As long as I stand, none of your outer shells will be damaged. Well, though it still hurts a bit, so make an effort to dodge iing attacks.¡¹ Though personally, in cases where they can deal damage to an enemy but it would require taking a hit, I would prefer it if they went for it anyway. ¡¸¡­¡­From the hero¡¯s party. And with such amazing skills?¡­¡­¡¹ Sinanis put a hand to his chin, while hisrades raised their voices. ¡¸If those two are with us, then C ranked monsters©`©`!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Aaaah! Just now, when Rude-san fought against the two fieldzauruses, he wasn¡¯t pushed back at all!¡¹ With the militia joining as well, the excitement kept growing. Feel sighed, seemingly relieved with how the situation currently developed. Sananius¡¯ and my gazes met. He also understood this change and was now deliberating on it. I put a bit of force into my look. ¡¸You too, cooperate.¡¹ urged so, he bit his lip. ¡¸Indeed, with this, we might manage somehow, probably.¡¹ With Sinanis, who until now was quite negative, also agreeing with us, the morale rose even higher. Though he is foul-mouthed, he has good judgment. Most likely, others also were of the same opinion of him. That¡¯s why his affirmation meant a lot. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s put up a n to take down the fieldzauruses.¡¹ Gather everyone, Feel worked out the battle n. ¡î Returning to the orchard we spot the fieldzauruses. Taking down a monster living in the orchard, both of them were now feasting on it. With their giant bodies, that volume of meat clearly was nowhere near enough to satisfy them. It would be best if they grew bored with this area and moved somewhere else. Since it¡¯s a couple, there is a possibility that they are looking for a ce to make children. If they conclude that this area is easy for living, then they would settle here. ¡¸Ah, awawa¡­¡­¡­ A fieldzaurus¡­¡­ Two of them.¡¹ Beside me was one of Sinanisrades, a girl with a detection skill. Clenching her staff in both arms, she was greatly shaking. ¡¸Calm down. Your role ends here. Can you call everyone?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­U-Un-Understood.¡¹ She slowly stood up. Due to how nervous she was, her movements were quite clumsy. The sound of cracking branches resounds. Fieldzauruses raise their heads. ¡­¡­Are you serious? ¡¸Ru-Rude-san! It¡¯s an entrance to abyrinth!¡¹ Turning my gaze there, I indeed see an entrance protruding from the ground like a small hill. A familiar-looking entrance to abyrinth. ¡­¡­The orchard didn¡¯t have abyrinth in it. Could it be that those fieldzauruses came from there? ¡­¡­I can think about thatter. For now, I have to do something about them. Slightly lowering their posture, the fieldzaurus then opens its maw. Magic, huh. Activating ¡ºTaunt¡»I stand between the woman and the monsters. I blocked a wind sphere that they shot at us. ¡¸Hurry up and call them¡­¡­ No, since it came to this, shoot magic into the sky.¡¹ ¡¸Un-understood!¡¹ Raising her staff to the sky she then casts a fire spell. It made a loud bang in the midday¡¯s sky. She kept repeatedly casting it like crazy, eventually catching the attention of the fieldzauruses. ¡¸It¡¯s enough, step back!¡¹ ¡¸Un¨Cunderderderder!¡¹ Seeing a fieldzaurus charging at us, she went pale. Meanwhile, I lower my posture, bracing for the impact, and block the attack. As expected, it¡¯s hard to do when you can¡¯t move freely. But I manage to block it. Yeah, it¡¯s fine. A heavy impact rings through my arms. A faint pain feels good. A moment when I can actually feel that I¡¯m alive. Deflecting that power to the side, I p the opponent on the head. After using¡ºTaunt¡», I parry the bite from the other one with my sword. I don¡¯t retreat. Quite the opposite, I advance. I have to gather their attention to myself. The woman hid behind the trees and began working on a spell. This is fine. While the fieldzauruses focus on me she can support me with magic. After calming down she acts befitting of her D rank. She knows her job. I shall put my trust in her. The militia arrives. Arrows and magic flew through the air, swooping upon fieldzauruses. The aim is the female fieldzaurus. A few shots stab into her. As she raised a scream, the male fieldzaurus let out a rage-filled roar. As expected, those two are quite close. This is their weakness. The fieldzauruses¡¯ yellow eyes turn to the shooters. An opening. There, Sinanis swooped in. Masterfully handling the two-handed sword, he shaved off some of its scales. Annoyed, it swings its tail at him. Shinanis tried to avoid by jumping, but unable to dodge the follow-up attack he gets knocked away. As I took over that damage, Sinanis nced at me and made a small bow with his head. ¡¸Don¡¯t mind that. Focus on attacking!¡¹ The female fieldzaurus¡¯ breath is rough. Looks like poison is working. The arrows were smeared in it. That makes the male fieldzaurus even more impatient. Desperate to kill us as fast as possible, it once again turned to offense. And to make him panic, even more, I block his attacks, while slowly retreating. To provoke him further I make no attack of my own. Arrows rain upon them. This time they also managed to stab the male fieldzaurus. As he staggered, the magic struck him. What matters in battle is strength. However, aside from that, there is also a whole array of factors that can influence the oue. Can you fight in full strength if there is a hostage involved? Can you focus on the enemy, while caring about others? The monsters are the same. To get an advantage we will use everything. This is how humans fight. The female fieldzaurus falls to the ground. Seeing her unmoving body, the male fieldzaurus sank to the ground beside her. ¡­¡­Both humans and monsters fight to protect their lives. With a swing of a sword from Feel, blood sshed from the fieldzaurus¡¯ neck. Then, the light disappeared from the fieldzaurus¡¯ eyes. Chapter 14: Victory Feast

Chapter 14: Victory Feast

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Though the fieldzauruses already fell to the ground, the members of the militia were still petrified, standing without movement. Looks like they don¡¯t believe that the battle already ended. I broke the stance and approached Feel that still stood stiffened by nervousness. ¡¸We did it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ye-yeah. Everyone, it¡¯s over! It¡¯s our victory!¡¹ Feel shouted, raising her fist to the skies. That spread to everyone. While everyone was crying or smiling, Sinanis was staring at me with a grim expression. ¡¸¡­¡­Like hell you are F rank. Aren¡¯t you actually damn strong.¡¹ ¡¸Not really. It was you who took them down.¡¹ I hardly participated in offense. For the most part, I used taunt to keep attention on myself. Thus, I simply didn¡¯t have time to use offensive skills. ¡¸Damn. If it weren¡¯t for you, we wouldn¡¯t be able to do a damn thing about the fieldzauruses¡­¡­ I have to get stronger.¡¹ ¡¸You will get stronger. You are still about sixteen, right? I¡¯m already twenty. Did you hear me, twenty. Given four years, you can even surpass me.¡¹ I¡¯m not an old-timer, got it? ¡¸Of course I can.¡¹ His expression turned to a more friendly one, and he turned to hisrades. Someone grabbed my shoulder from behind. Turning around I see Nin. ¡¸¡­¡­How much endurance did you lose this time?¡¹ A sudden question. I didn¡¯t take that much damage. ¡¸¡­¡­About 15000.¡¹ I used only about 10 potions. Without Nin¡¯s recovery magic it could¡¯ve been dangerous. ¡¸That much?! Shouldn¡¯t that kill you many times over?!¡¹ ¡¸You know that I have 9999 endurance. That is basically dying one and a half times.¡¹ ¡¸That still would¡¯ve killed you once anyway! ¡­¡­¡­Aaah!¡¹ Nin stared at me. No matter how much damage I take, all of it goes to my outer shell. When I was in the same party with Kygras I took a lot more damage during a single raid. ¡­¡­I guess it would be better if I kept my mouth shut about that. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing. I¡¯ll go and help with dismantling.¡¹ That was close. Heading towards the fieldzauruses corpses, basically escaping, Luna followed after me with unsteady steps. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ She looked depressed, so I asked without thinking. Then, she spoke, a bit troubled. ¡¸How should I put it¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you think, that those monsters¡­¡­Were pitiful?¡¹ Luna muttered, following me. Unlike the tiger that we fought earlier, the feelings of fieldzauruses were inly obvious. And they seem to have gotten to Luna. ¡¸We kill others to protect ourselves. And the same goes for fieldzauruses. ¡­¡­Outside the town, might makes right. That¡¯s the world we are living in.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is an adventurer, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I won¡¯t tell you to get used to killing. However, you better not think during a fight. If you do, you surely would stop moving.¡¹ ¡¸Is it the same for you, Master?¡¹ ¡¸It might be. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think. I can¡¯t afford to die.¡¹ From humanity¡¯s point of view, we are right. However, for monsters we are evil. It¡¯s useless even to entertain this question. ¡­¡­Or rather than useless, one just mustn¡¯t think about that. As I smiled at her, Luna, though still looking somewhat down in spirits, nodded, somewhat satisfied with the answer. With the dismantling being mostly done, Feel pped her hands. ¡¸Let¡¯s return to the town. Everyone must be worried.¡¹ Several people were sent ahead with reports of the subjugation. However, they surely won¡¯t be able to have peace of mind unless they see everything with their own eyes. Members of the militia have families. And so do I. I, too, want to see Manicia as fast as possible. Carrying the dismantled raw materials together, we head to the town. Then, on the way there. Luna looked in a certain direction. ¡¸¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸This©`©`¡¹ A single egg wasying in the direction pointed at by Luna. ¡­¡­It might be a fieldzaurus. ¡¸Would it be better to destroy it?¡¹ Luna¡¯s eyes looked like she was about to cry. ¡¸No¡­¡­ Taking it with us might also be an option.¡¹ At the capital, there is a fad of keeping monsters as pets. From what I¡¯ve heard, if one raises it from an egg, even a monster would grow attached to humans. ¡­¡­If it doesn¡¯t work then I¡¯ll responsibly dispose of it. Luna picked up the egg. It had the size of a human head. It might be good for Luna to raise something. ¡¸I can take it home?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. If you will look after it.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ This is probably better than just abandoning it here. It also would be a problem if it awakened as a monster. Upon returning to the town, we get apuded for defeating the fieldzauruses. Denizens¡¯ shouts of joy resound through the town. ¡¸We are having a festival today¡¹, came a voice from somewhere. Returning to the headquarters of the militia, Feel reports on the situation. Our job as the adventurers ends here. Taking the reward we leave the building. ¡¸Hey, Rude!¡¹ Sinanis called me. Turning around, I see him pointing a fist my way. ¡¸The next time we meet I won¡¯t lose to you!¡¹ ¡¸I look forward to it.¡¹ Sinanis smiled. Seeing the boy¡¯s innocent smile, I smile myself as well. After he left, we returned home. ¡¸Nii-san, you were fine?¡¹ Manicia approached me as soon as I opened the front door. I smile, seeing how relieved she looked. ¡¸Of course.¡¹ ¡¸Thank goodness.¡¹ Breathing what appeared to be a sigh of relief, she sat back on a chair in the living room. She is a bit cold since Nin and Luna are also here. If they weren¡¯t she might have even gone for a hug. Unlucky. ¡¸Luna, wrap the egg. Though I think fieldzauruses egg would be able to hatch under any conditions.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged.¡¹ ¡¸We have extra nkets, you can use those.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you very much.¡¹ I put the fieldzaurus meat that I¡¯ve received into the cold storage. A feast will be held tonight. So for a meal, we better have something simple. ¡¸Anyway, things seem to be pretty hectic. Fieldzauruses, the discovery of abyrinth. Could it be that there is some kind of jinx on you?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what we actually should be asking you, right? It¡¯s after you arrived that all sorts of stuff began happening.¡¹ ¡¸That surely is not the case. I had pretty good luck all my life until now.¡¹ That doesn¡¯t mean anything. My life also was continuous happiness. I mean, I can live together with my little sister Manicia. That¡¯s happiness that overshadows everything else. ©– When the night came, the town was in a huge uproar. Sitting around a huge fire people drank, ate, sang, and shouted¡­¡­ They were going at it with their all, trying to get over the exhaustion of the boring everyday life. But I didn¡¯t have such an outgoing character as to take a part in that. Together with Manicia and others, I sat on the edge, from time to time picking food. ¡¸Hey, Rude! What are you doing sitting so far away!¡¹ ¡¸The main hero of this monster subjugation shouldn¡¯t sit in such a ce! Come on! Get over here!¡¹ I brush off the hand of a man of this town that grabbed my arm. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to. How annoying. I¡¯m eating together with Manicia.¡¹ ¡¸Goddamn! Ah, fine! Thank you for this once!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! Please spar with me sometimeter!¡¹ Smiling, they left to bother someone else. ¡­¡­What a lively bunch. I once again sat down and reached for the food on the table. ¡¸This is nice. Just like a real festival. I like this stuff.¡¹ Nin said, gulping down another drink. You just want to drink, don¡¯t you? She just drank who knows which cup. I¡¯m getting drunk just by looking at her. Nin can hold her alcohol, so her face isn¡¯t red at all. ¡¸Are you having fun, everyone?¡¹ Feel came. Without her usual equipment and helmet, her beautiful blonde hair was shining in the dark of the night. ¡¸What about you? Did it go okay?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­To be honest, I still cannot believe it. That we managed to take down fieldzauruses.¡¹ ¡¸We surely did.¡¹ After I replied so, Feel lowered her head, then showed a soft smile. ¡¸¡­Thank you. Thanks to you we managed somehow.¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t do anything.¡¹ ¡¸You did. You guided me. And first of all, this n wouldn¡¯t have worked without you. ¡­¡­I¡¯m very grateful.¡¹ ¡¸Then I shall ept it.¡¹ She sat next to us. Looking at the zing mes that rose up to the sky, Feel smiled. ¡¸I think father also thinks that it¡¯s about time for me to seed him.¡¹ ¡¸Well, he already began balding after all.¡¹ ¡¸Fufu, that seems to bother him quite a bit. So don¡¯t dare to say that to him. ¡­¡­With this event, I understood that I alone am still not quite adequate for the job. I¡¯m used to swinging a sword under someone¡¯s orders, but giving the orders myself turned out to be very different.¡¹ I understand what she means. I acted as a leader a number of times, but that pressure still feels tremendous. The feeling that my own judgment is going to decide everything. In fights with monsters, I prefer to entrust myself to others. I¡¯m too afraid to call shots. Even so, if the situation demands it, I¡¯ll do it. ¡¸To be frank, I also rarely was in such a position. So it¡¯s not like I gave you good guidance. I might¡¯ve been helpful, or that might¡¯ve been a mistake. But in the end, you were the one who made a decision. ¡­¡­So this battle belongs to you.¡¹ Feel moves her lips slightly, but then tightly pressed them together. And as we¡¯re having such talk, Nin, reeking of liquor, drew near us. It looks like she is getting somewhat drunk. Getting between Feel and me she put hands on our shoulders. ¡¸Aah, you guys! Everything went fine, so it¡¯s fine already! Holding a review meeting during a feast is just a waste! C¡¯mon, Feel, you drink as well!¡¹ She pushed a ss into Feel¡¯s cheek. ¡¸S-sure¡­¡­ Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, no!¡¹ Nin, wait, don¡¯t give alcohol to Feel. As Feel took the ss from Nin I hurriedly rushed to stop her. However, it¡¯s a sad thing. I didn¡¯t have the speed for that. *Gulp, Gulp* Feel drank the contents. And, her eyes turn ssy. Aaah, toote. I immediately tried to escape from Feel, but, ¡¸Ruuuuuuuude! It was sooooooooooooo scary!¡¹ Suddenly bursting to tears she grabbed onto me. Nin¡¯s jaw dropped open. Feel¡­¡­ Can¡¯t hold alcohol. She pushed herself at me. Sadly, she has no chest. So wearing armor makes almost no difference. But I¡¯ll be killed if I say that. If I mention tiny breasts, Nin and Manicia might also join in. ¡¸Ye-yeah. It was so scary, yeah.¡¹ I pat her on the back. Since she caught me, there is nothing I can do at this point. ¡¸I had enough! I¡¯m not good with such position!¡¹ ¡¸I know, you mentioned it many times.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­ So, you know. Rude, help me more¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do this alone¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know. Didn¡¯t I help you today? I will keep helping you. The militia is also often helping me.¡¹ ¡¸Re-really?! Then, will you marry me?!¡¹ ¡¸How did ite to this.¡¹ ¡¸Bu-but¡­¡­ You will be the leader of the militia instead of me, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I won¡¯t marry you. And I also won¡¯t be a leader.¡¹ ¡¸Ru-Rude¡­¡­ How can you say that¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at her, about to cry any second, makes me want to growl. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll help you if you have problems. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡¹ ¡¸Rude! I love you!¡¹ Feel hugged me tightly. ¡­¡­When drunk, Feel turns into apletely different person. It hurts, can you stop pressing that hard armor at me? Ah, she didn¡¯t have any armor right now. ¡¸¡­¡­Nin, you shouldn¡¯t give Feel alcohol.¡¹ ¡¸You, you people¡­¡­ Is that the sort of rtionship you had?¡¹ ¡¸No. Feel just can¡¯t drink. And it also affects her memory, she won¡¯t remember a thingter. And, Feel herself, thinks that she is good at drinking.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So, that how it is.¡¹ The next day she will act as if nothing happened. No matter how much she drinks, she is full of energy the next day, so in a way, she is strong with alcohol, but¡­¡­¡­ ¡¸Feel-sama is a very level headed person, so I didn¡¯t expect this.¡¹ Luna stared at Feel in shock. ¡¸Everyone has a lot of stuff going. No matter how confidently they act, deep down they are bound to have some conflicts.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s how it is.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Indeed.¡¹ Muttering so, Nin nodded. Looking at the smoke rising up to the sky, I gently stroke Feel¡¯s back, who by now fell asleep on my knees. ¡¸¡­¡­How nice.¡¹ Manicia muttered such words. Aren¡¯t you doing pretty much the sametely? If you¡¯d like, then how about getting on onii-chan¡¯s knees right here? I tried to ry that message with my eyes, but Manicia pouted and turned away. Chapter 15: Meetings and farewells

Chapter 15: Meetings and farewells

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The next day. The headquarters of the vignte corps were hectic. After such a feast someined about a hangover, but even so, the situation called for urgency. They seem to be having a hard time finding an appropriate response to discovering abyrinth. ¡¸Do people always get into such a panic upon dealing with discovering a newbyrinth? ¡¹ Nin tilted her head. For Nin, who lived in the capital, the appearance of a newbyrinth was nothing new. ¡¸Of course. A newbyrinth appeared it¡¯s much stranger to dismiss it with a simple, ah, cool.¡¹ As I heard, at the capital they spawn about once a month. Nin, who was extremely used to it by this point, tilted her head. ¡¸Oh, great, Rude! I just thought about calling for you!¡¹ Feel appeared from the corridor. Considering how out of breath she was, I guess she came here running after learning that I came to the headquarters. ¡¸I don¡¯t have the slightest idea of what to do after discovering abyrinth. I¡¯d like to ask you two for help.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Nin, shall we go?¡¹ ¡¸Well. I have lessons at the school, but it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s time for that.¡¹ She shrugged her shoulders a bit disappointed. Same for me. I wanted to teach swordsmanship to kids, is this too much to ask? ¡¸Did you already message about discovering abyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸Y-yeah. I heard that at such times one should contact the guild at the capital, so I sent it there.¡¹ ¡¸It would be better not to stop at just that.¡¹ As I said that, Feel opened her eyes wide, slightly surprised. ¡¸Who else can we contact?¡¹ ¡¸You should message the nearest major guild. It would make things easier. So you should contact the town of Kurath.¡¹ Eventually, investigators would be deployed from the nearest town. Contacting them directly from Avancier, rather than waiting for the guild in the capital to contact them, would allow them to have more urate information, and most of all, it would be faster. That alone would shorten the interval until investigators are sent here. ¡¸Kurath, huh. If I¡¯m not mistaken, there should be a peddler stopping in the town. Let¡¯s ask him. ¡­¡­What else?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s it. That should be enough for the time being. ¡­Right, Nin?¡¹ It¡¯s fine, right? I never had to deal with such situations as well. I just happen to have some knowledge. ¡¸For what concernsbyrinths, that should be enough. And, let me tell you something good. Having abyrinth gives you a good chance to enliven the town.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm. That¡¯s certainly true. They even say that when one is founding a new town it should be close to the water and abyrinth.¡¹ ¡¸Just as he said. It depends on the difficulty of thisbyrinth, but it¡¯s very probable that adventurers wille to visit this town more often in the future. At the very least there would be crowds of adventurers,ing to check the ce. Everyone is looking for an efficient hunting grounds that would suit them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Then, we will need an inn for adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. At such times, given enough funds are avable, buying homunculi and leaving the management of the inn to them is usually a good idea¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm¡­¡­ That¡¯s probably is not feasible at the moment.¡¹ Feel furrowed her brows. ¡­Development of the city, huh. I also wanted to do something about it. This town is nice and quiet. But¡­¡­ There is nothing. Thus, youth often leaves for other settlements. The poption kept shrinking, and now there is nothing but the elderly. Some even say that this town will disappear someday. ¡­I hate that. ¡¸So the only option is to rely on the militia and townsfolk that has free time on their hands?¡¹ ¡¸Got it. I will ask about this.¡¹ Nin nodded to my suggestion. ¡¸I rmend buying a few homunculi sooner orter. Homunculi without any prior education can be bought at aparatively low price. Though it would require you to train them.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Thank you, Nin.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m d that the knowledge that was crammed into me was of use.¡¹ Feel made a wry smile hearing Nin¡¯s words. Being a youngdy of a duke¡¯s house, she seems to be quite well-informed of such stuff. Feel bowed deeply. ¡¸Thank you both. For now, I will try to follow your advice.¡¹ ¡¸Feel free to consult us if somethinges up again.¡¹ Feel and Nin smiled at each other. I¡¯m relieved to see that they seem to be getting along. Andpared to before, Nin became more amiable. ¡¸I will patrol the town and its vicinity.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, I will leave that to you. Tell me if you need people. I will find someone.¡¹ ¡­If possible, I¡¯d prefer to avoid that. It doesn¡¯t look like the militia has any spare personnel. Since I was done here I leave the headquarters. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s make rounds.¡¹ ¡¸Nin, are youing as well?¡¹ She is still an injured person. She seems to have recovered for the most part, but even so. ¡¸What? Are you nervous about going alone with me or something?¡¹ ¡¸As if. Just be careful that your wounds don¡¯t worsen.¡¹ ¡¸I know that much.¡¹ Nin donned a bright smile and stood next to me. Well, though it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t get nervous at all. She is a girl, at times I can¡¯t help but get overly conscious. Her smile just now for example. I¡¯m actually quite fond of it. To calm down my throbbing heart I picture Manicia¡¯s charming smile. ©– We walk through the town. As expected, it¡¯s not like adventurers would suddenly sprout from the ground overnight, but even so, the already familiar merchants caught the smell of gold and began all kinds of preparations. At the area assigned for the carriages, we notice Sinanis and his group. Only one carriage in a few hourses to our countryside. And the time is pretty random as well. If one were to say that it can¡¯t be helped since there is a risk of getting attacked by monsters on the way, there would be no way to argue. ording to rough estimations, one shoulde soon. ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t that Rude?¡¹ Though Sinanis spoke in the same manner as usual, for the first time, he showed no hostility. He casually waved a hand at us, so I replied in the same way. His party did the same. Hisrades came up to us and bowed their heads. Their eyes were shining, as expected, I never faced so much admiration before, so I took a step back. ¡¸Are you going to another town?¡¹ ¡¸Yup.¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you going to raid thisbyrinth?¡¹ An unexploredbyrinth is basically a treasure trove. There might be materials impossible to acquire in otherbyrinths or even an actual treasure. It¡¯s exactly what most adventurers yearn for. But, Sinanis shook his head. ¡¸We are currently traveling to hone our skills. We move from ce to ce, spending roughly one month in each area.¡¹ ¡¸Truly, an adventure.¡¹ That¡¯s how the adventurers of old were. All of them lived freely in their own ways. But now there are some that settle in a single town, make contracts with guilds, working exclusively with them. Stability is a good thing after all. ¡¸People tend to growzy by staying in one environment. ¡¹ ¡¸That is true.¡¹ That is something thattely I often felt myself as well. Reluctant to part with Manicia I ended up staying in this town for quite a long while this time. ¡¸Where are you going next?¡¹ ¡¸Karde, the city of adventurers. This favorite sword of mine is pretty worn out already. So I¡¯d like to get it reforged there. I¡¯ve got a whole lot of raw materials for that.¡¹ His expression turned into a grin. ¡¸I see.¡¹ As I replied so, a girl, Sinanis¡¯ party member, that stood beside him, pushed him aside and stepped in front of me. ¡¸Sinanis, so full of lies. There is a delicious store at Karde, we are just curious about it. He keeps inventing all kinds of reasons about training or whatnot just to eat delicious stuff everywhere. Ah¡­¡­ Ehm, my name is Arica! Thank you for saving me during the fieldzaurus hunt!¡¹ ¡¸You damn! Get out of my way! I¡¯m not done talking! Rude! ¡­¡­The next time we meet I will get stronger than you, got it?!¡¹ ¡­¡­Please, spare me this spirit of rivalry. You¡¯ll force me to go training as well. I can¡¯t just lose. Neigh¡¯s of horses and squeaks of wheels approached. ¡¸Then, until next time, Rude! Don¡¯t you dare get weaker!¡¹ ¡¸Sure¡­¡­¡¹ Sinanis and his party boarded the carriage. An adventurer¡¯s life is full of meetings and farewells. I get especially many of those. It felt a bit lonely, but I¡¯m looking forward to our next encounter. ¡¸Are you going to go back to adventuring as well?¡¹ After seeing them off, Nin asked. ¡¸¡­Well. Nowadays, there are some regions that I¡¯m yet to visit. A few newbyrinths popped up, so I thought of hitting them this time.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Maybe I should stick with you.¡¹ ¡¸The church will be angry.¡¹ Well, with Nin¡¯s recovery magic, the burden on me will lessen a great deal. So I would be happy if she follows me, but she has her position. A saintess and a daughter of a duke. She doesn¡¯t have that much freedom in her actions. ¡¸Not really. In the worst case, I can also retire as a saintess.¡¹ ¡¸And what about your family?¡¹ ¡¸They can expel me for all I care. At the end of the day, I¡¯m only the third daughter. And if I tell them that I¡¯m going to follow you, they probably would dly send me off. They want strong blood.¡¹ ¡­¡­That¡¯s probably it. But until I cure Manicia, I have no intention of considering such stuff. I¡¯m aiming to live without paying attention to that. Though I understand that it¡¯s rude to others. However, I¡¯m a weak human. I might be content with the happiness of today. If I turn that way, who is going to save Manicia? If I find another happiness and find that to also be dear to me. What if I give more priority to that? Thus, I will not think about any of this. I will pierce through with stolidity. ¡¸A single piece of advice from a person that has no parents. You should keep a ce where you can return. It radically changes your entire outlook.¡¹ It¡¯s better to have someone on whom you can rely. For me that¡¯s Manicia. When I return, she is there for me. That alone allows me to get through the day. ¡¸Thanks for the warning. I will give it some thought. And in my own way, I was devoted to both the church and the family. They shouldn¡¯t be angry even if I do what I want from now on? I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Well, okay. Then, you should decide for yourself. But don¡¯t be rash.¡¹ ¡¸I heard you. Thank you, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸There is nothing to thank me for.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s thanks to you that I am who I am. So, thank you.¡¹ Compared to the past she smiles a lot more often. Would this be thanks to me? Though I don¡¯t recall doing anything in particr that would¡¯ve made us closer. Huge quarrels though, those I remember. Chapter 16: Investigators from the guild

Chapter 16: Investigators from the guild

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± A week passed and investigators were dispatched by the guild. He¡­¡­ Those were the people that I knew very well. ¡¸¡­Why the hell are you here! And Nin as well! Why are you here too!? You belong to my party!¡¹ The party that has Kygras as the leader. Currently, there are 2 men and 4 women. But the two that joined recing me are not there. Twins also came. As always, they lived in their own world, not sparing me even one look. The twins were employees of the guild. They did all kinds of different work, from raidingbyrinths to training rookies. They would form a party with anyone, were they ordered so by the guild. ¡¸Are you okay? I heard thattely, you are having failure after failure?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up! Close your trap and go back to my party!¡¹ Kygras reached out to grab Nin¡¯s hand. Nin brushed it off, and clicked her tongue. ¡¸I told you, right? The church fully approved of my withdrawal from your party ¡ºIt would be a problem if something happened to you in the party of the hero that keeps on failing.¡»they said.¡¹ Kygras scowled, and strongly ground his teeth. Even I could hear the screeching sound. ¡¸¡­¡­Damn it! I¡¯m a hero?!¡¹ ¡¸But with you having nothing but failures the people that consider you as such are in the minority by now. Other heroes are doing much better. ¡¹ ¡¸Damn you¡­¡­¡­¡¹ It¡¯s not the time to be fighting. After breathing a pained sigh, I step in between Nin and Kygras. ¡¸Kygras. As I understand, you came to investigate thebyrinth. Then do that. I also won¡¯t be arguing with you. Got it? Nin, you too should stop at this.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me what to do you little shit!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please leave it at that, Kygras-sama.¡¹ The words came from a man with an emblem of the cross on his uniform, a sign of his affiliation with the church. The church¡¯s knight, Shugor. The man with a refreshing appearance, a powerful person who is said to be the closest one to being Nin¡¯s knight. I had a few conversations with him. Though they happened through Nin. A friend? In a way, he is a friend, but he is more of a friend of a friend, so it¡¯s a bit awkward. ¡¸Saintess-sama. And Rude-san. It¡¯s been a while.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s been a while.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m d to see that you are living happily together.¡¹ As always, he has a very refreshing smile. ¡¸We are not in that kind of rtionship.¡¹ ¡¸Now, now, I know. Currently, I¡¯m in Kygras-sama¡¯s party on the church¡¯s orders. Good grief, they are worried about Nin-sama¡¯s safety, but mine doesn¡¯t matter to them at all?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s quite a trouble.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, trouble it is.¡¹ ¡¸Shugor¡­¡­! Even you are going to make fun of me?!¡¹ ¡¸No way! It¡¯s just a joke.¡¹ Shugor chuckled. That¡¯s the type of guy he is. As he further narrowed his eyes, Kygras clicked his tongue. ¡¸Damn! Let¡¯s wrap up this investigation stuff right away! Then, we are going to regain my unjustly fallen reputation. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, unjustly it is!¡¹ ¡¸Of course it is! I will show those idiots up there!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s do our best, Kygras-sama! Let¡¯s do our best not to fail right away!¡¹ ¡¸We won¡¯t! You lot, hurry up and go!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s try hard. Well then, Nin-sama, Rude-san. We are heading to investigate thebyrinth, so until next time.¡¹ He smiled a sweet smile. ¡­¡­Somehow, the way he said it, sounded like there is more to it. Kygras left in a stride. But the way he walked was a bit strange. ¡¸¡­¡­Kygras seems to be pretty furious. Or rather, isn¡¯t his recovery speed too high?¡¹ ¡¸With his personality he probably didn¡¯t wait for the wounds to heal naturally. So quite possibly, there is some kind of after-effect. And the reason he is so furious is surely because he keeps failing at raids.¡¹ So he is being impatient. I already thought him to be a foul-mouthed guy when we still were in the same party, but now it went to another level. New girls were afraid. Can they cooperate sufficiently in such a state? ¡¸I hope he at least won¡¯t receive a major injury in thebyrinth.¡¹ ¡¸Are you worrying about him? Aren¡¯t you mad that he chased you away?¡¹ ¡¸As long as I can continue to raidbyrinths, I don¡¯t care which party I am in. Party formation is up to the party leader to decide. If they decide that I¡¯m no longer needed, I will leave. That¡¯s all there to it. It isn¡¯t something to drag on endlessly.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s not what I meant. He doesn¡¯t understand just how strong you are. And then he makes it someone else¡¯s fault, this is what pisses me off.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That can¡¯t be helped. Even I only understood my abilities recently. Kygras knew nothing after all. And now he came as an investigator from the guild. If it turned into a fight and he left, the me would be on us.¡¹ And it also takes time for a new investigator to arrive. The adventurers that caught on the rumor began gathering in the town. For the first time in a while, the town was bursting with people. It¡¯s a perfect chance to enliven the town. I don¡¯t want to waste this opportunity with my own screw-up. ¡¸Right. I just hope they will finish the survey without an issue.¡¹ ¡¸They are pretty skilled. There is no way they would just get done in.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. For now, let¡¯s visit the town¡¯s guild?¡¹ For now, it was only a tent, but the town got its first guild. A new inn is also being steadily built. I¡¯m a bit excited about how things will turn out in the future. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit sad that a tranquil atmosphere would be no more, but as the things were going before, the town had no future. What worries me is that the militia is getting busy. They are getting short-handed. For that, there is no other option but to consult with the lord. Going to the guild I check the situation there. ¡­¡­Well, it still has a long way to go. But anyway. A guild in this town. What a strange feeling. ¡¸Next we are going to look around the city, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Lately, there are scenes of adventurers fighting each other. Since the militia can¡¯t deal with that, I¡¯m patrolling the town. But even so, it¡¯s still on the peaceful side. A big part of that is the presence of the church¡¯s staff, that stays in this town because of Nin. The town seems to be peaceful today as well. ¡¸HEY YOU! Where do you think you are going?!¡¹ A deafening shout reached my ears. Yeah, the weather is pretty good after all. Some might have gotten a bit carried away. ¡¸HUUUH?! THE HELL WAS THAT?!¡¹ ¡¸YOU ARE THE ONE WHO BUMPED INTO ME!¡¹ Looking there, two rough-looking men were butting heads with each other. Literally. At that distance, a little push might lead to a kiss. I wonder if they would calm down if I did that? ¡¸Good grief, I didn¡¯t want hoodlums toe to this town as well.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s merely an argument.¡¹ ¡¸For now, let¡¯s check it out.¡¹ I hope it doesn¡¯t escte further. On a street filled with houses, two adventures were ring at each other. The kids that were ying nearby were trembling. ¡­¡­They might grow to detest adventurers. I can¡¯t allow that. Breathing a small sigh I then approach the two. The moment I took a step to approach them, an adventurer that stood nearby, grabbed my shoulder. ¡¸Gi-give it up¡­¡­ The guys arguing over there are from the famous ns. The fat guy on the right is Boo, the thin one on the left is Gary. The two of them are subleaders of ns. Rank A. They seem to be on super bad terms. You might not get away with mere injuries, so don¡¯t get involved.¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Children are crying. I¡¯ll just tell them that if they want to fight they should take it elsewhere.¡¹ ¡¸I-I don¡¯t care what happens, I warned you.¡¹ The adventurer let go of me. As I approached the two, their gazes turned to me. ¡¸Who the hell are you?¡¹ ¡¸Friggin country bumpkin. ying a guard?¡¹ ¡¸What happened? You are in front of private houses. Can you stop scaring the denizens?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s his fault! Suddenly ramming into me.¡¹ ¡¸As if! You are the one who bumped into me!¡¹ ¡¸Shut up you big oaf! A brainless pig that can only hurl itself at others!¡¹ ¡¸The hell did you say?! You damn weakling that can only fart some crappy magic!¡¹ ¡¸HUUH?!¡¹ They are no good. They are in no condition to talk. ¡¸Can you calm down? This ce has its own rules.¡¹ I said, raising my voice, to which they brought their faces closer to mine. ¡¸SHUT UP!¡¹ Yelled Boo. He then swung his fist. Dodging it with my torso I grab him by the wrist and twist it. Gary began casting something, but Nin deployed her spell before him, effectively restraining the mage. ¡¸Ou-ouch, OUCH? Let me go?!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯d ask that after trying to punch me out of nowhere? How about calming down?¡¹ ¡¸I, I¡¯m calm! Sorry, it was my bad!¡¹ ¡¸This town is a very quiet ce. It might be hard to keep it exactly that way, but please don¡¯t start fights for nothing.¡¹ As I let go of him, Boo lowered his head apologetically. However, the next moment he grabbed both of my hands. ¡¸YOU! Aren¡¯t you quite strong?! How about joining our n?!¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait! I was about to scout him! How about joining our n?! Unlike Boo¡¯s n, our leader is a beauty!¡¹ ¡­¡­There are a lot of happy-go-lucky guys among adventurers. However, this feels a bit nostalgic. It¡¯s not a bad feeling. ¡¸To hell with your beauty! What matters for a man are muscles! Our n leader is super muscr! What do you think?! ¡¹ ¡¸Muscles?! Coming from a fat blob like you it doesn¡¯t sound persuasive at all!¡¹ ¡¸HUUUH?!¡¹ ¡¸Stop that, what¡¯s with your sync anyway? Are you some kind of buddies or something? I¡¯m not interested in ns. Anyway. No violence in the town. If you, the guys at the top of adventurers currently in the town, are going to act like that, then other adventurers will start acting violently as well.¡¹ For now, they nodded, seemingly convinced. Such quarrels often happened at the guilds where adventurers gather. From the point of view of adventurers, it¡¯s not a fight or anything, but formon denizens, it¡¯s a huge uproar. Normally, I would¡¯ve overlooked this, but not in this town. ¡¸A-amazing¡­¡­ He so easily shut down Boo-san and Gary-san!¡¹ ¡¸Neutralizing Boo-san so easily, that adventurer¡­¡­Just who is he?¡¹ Spectators gathered before I even noticed. Well, this can serve as a good warning. As I surveyed the surroundings, Nin grabbed my hand. As she took a hold of my hand in a manner in which a lover would, I then felt a sweet smell of her hair. ¡¸Should we go to the next ce?¡¹ ¡¸Sa-saintess-sama?!¡¹ ¡¸Why is she in this town?!¡¹ ¡¸I-Isn¡¯t it because the hero is here?¡¹ ¡¸But, I¡¯ve heard somewhere that the saintess-sama won¡¯t be in the hero¡¯s party anymore?¡¹ ¡¸Then why?!¡¹ Turning to moring onlookers, Nin made a V-sign. ¡¸That¡¯s simple. That¡¯s because I¡¯m currently in the party with him.¡¹ She said with a smile, looking at them. ¡¸What did you say?!¡¹ ¡¸Party with saintess-sama¡­¡­ I¡¯m so envious¡­¡­!¡¹ What are they talking about? You are here just on a break. Nin pulled my hand and dragged me away from the still petrified people. After we put a bit of a distance from them she showed me a V sign. ¡¸And now it¡¯s an established fact.¡¹ ¡¸Idiot.¡¹ I poked her on the forehead. Isn¡¯t this just new troubles? Chapter 17: Preparations

Chapter 17: Preparations

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± ¡¸Kygras-sama¡¯s raid attempt failed.¡¹ Apparently, Kygras, who now is resting at the inn, was heavily injured¡­¡­ And it will now take him several months to fully recover. Thus, Nin and I were called to the militia¡¯s headquarters. Shugor, Feel and the twins were already waiting there. Other members took heavy injuries and were resting at the inn. ¡¸¡­¡­Mind telling the details of what happened?¡¹ ¡¸This time, Kygras-sama was to investigate up to the 10th floor. However, upon encountering the guardian of thebyrinth, he was defeated.¡¹ ¡¸The guardian? So the 10th floor was thest one?¡¹ Guardians stay on thest floor. So thisbyrinth has a lot fewer floors than expected? However, Shugor shook his head. ¡¸No. We met him on the 5th floor. We then used dungeon walk to escape.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A sentient guardian?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ A guardian is normally supposed to be at the deepest, the innermost part of thebyrinth. But asionally, there would be those that possess their own will, freely moving around the ce. Some guardians im to bear the names of great heroes. Some im to be great sages. It¡¯s not clear how things truly are, but all the information we obtain from them is nothing but the stuff that we didn¡¯t know before. This country made great advancements in some areas because we managed to gain information from the guardians of that sort. The technology of homunculus creation is among such. From that fact, the church took to call guardians servants of God. The guardian in question appeared on the 5th floor. This is what I was searching for. I might be able to learn the way to cure Manicia. The location of the magic tome¡­¡­ Or maybe there is an even better way. Until now I conquered a number ofbyrinths, but none of them had a sentient guardian. If I go there immediately, I might be able to meet them. ¡­¡­However, raidingbyrinths solo is impossible. ¡¸We have to find a recement, but finding a new person right now wouldn¡¯t be easy. Since there is a chance of confronting the guardian, we can¡¯t take just anyone.¡¹ Saying that Shugor shrugged his shoulders. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll go.¡¹ ¡¸Rude-san wille?¡¹ Shugor narrowed his eyes. ¡¸Yes. I can¡¯t do it alone¡­¡­ But if the twins, Shugor¡­¡­ And Nine as well, we should manage somehow.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Then, I will contact the guild!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t bother, just pass it as Kygras¡¯ aplishment. In turn, we are going into thebyrinth immediately, and©`¡¹ Nin made an angry expression the moment I said that. ¡¸You can¡¯t. You always, always prioritize what you want to do¡­¡­ Ignoring the evaluation. This won¡¯t be good for anyone. Shugor, please ry to them that I will participate as well.¡¹ ¡¸But I want to go immediately©`¡¹ ¡¸You want to meet the guardian?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ When I replied, the twins frowned. And curiously, decided to interfere. ¡¸I can¡¯t rmend fighting it.¡¹ ¡¸I agree with Onee-chan. It¡¯s not an opponent that humans should fight.¡¹ ¡¸Even so, I want to meet the guardian.¡¹ ¡¸Why?¡¹ ¡¸Are you an idiot?¡¹ ¡¸Shut up¡­¡­ I want to save my sister. My sister has been sickly since birth ¡­¡­I might be able to get a method to cure her. So, please¡­¡­ Can you cooperate?¡¹ After I said that the twins exchanged looks and sighed. ¡¸¡­¡­If we get an order from the guild, we don¡¯t mind going along.¡¹ ¡¸I agree with Onee-chan.¡¹ Their gazes had a hint of kindness to them. ¡­Could it be that they are sympathizing with my cause? Fine, it doesn¡¯t matter. If that will make them cooperate, I will even bow my head. ¡¸Thank you. ¡­I will treat you to somethingter.¡¹ ¡¸Then, how about a pie from the apples of this town?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll have the same.¡¹ This much would be easy. Shugor, that until now stood with a hand at his chin, pped hands. ¡¸With the saintess-sama and her knight participating, the permission surely would be given immediately!¡¹ ¡¸Stop right there. I don¡¯t remember agreeing to be her knight.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know. I¡¯m just kidding.¡¹ Shugorughed, with his eyes partly closed. I couldn¡¯t read this man from the moment we first met. Even now, I have no idea what he actually thinks. Still maintaining a cool smile, he pulled out a paper and began writing on it with a brush. We can take one more person. ¡­¡­There are several candidates. I turn my gaze to one of them, Feel. If she, who now stood with a difficult expression, would participate as an attacker, it would be reassuring. ¡¸Feel, can youe as well?¡¹ ¡¸M-Me?! ¡­¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t think I have enough power to fight alongside skilled adventurers¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You attack power is worthy of a B rank adventurer. That is enough. By ourselves, we wouldck offensive power.¡¹ ¡¸B-But¡­¡­ I¡¯m also not that quick, and unlike you guys, can¡¯t use magic.¡¹ The statement is typical of her modest self. Feel is sufficiently strong. But she has no confidence. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, you didn¡¯t know much about adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸Listen. It¡¯s not because S rank adventurers are S rank in every aspect that they are called S rank. Each of them has something that they excel in, which earns them S rank. So Feel can call herself a B rank adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸Is that how it works?¡¹ Feel tilted her head, to which Nin made a small nod. ¡¸That¡¯s how it is. I¡¯m proud to have S rank in healing magic. But in regards to offensive magic, I¡¯m only about B rank. And for closebat, I¡¯m only about D rank.¡¹ I¡¯m not sure if this is influenced by outer shell or skills, but even physical capabilities and abilities differ from person to person. Each person has their own strength, so it bes important how they will capitalize on them. ¡¸I am also the same. The magic I can use is only everyday utility magic, E rank at most. Closebat skills are C or maybe B. However, as a tank I¡¯m worthy of A rank¡­¡­ I think.¡¹ ¡¸In your case, it¡¯s S rank. With you present even a weak party would go up one rank¡­¡­ No, two ranks.¡¹ Commented Nin. Please, don¡¯t praise me so much. It¡¯s embarrassing. Then, Lilia, the elder of the twins, that usually doesn¡¯t take part in conversations, nodded. ¡¸I¡¯m not sure if he is that strong, but his strength is surely out of the ordinary. I didn¡¯t party with that many tanks, but the newly joined girls can¡¯t even begin topare. Or rather, I feel that without Rude I¡¯m directly facing a lot more monsters than before.¡¹ ¡¸I agree with Onee-chan.¡¹ Lily also agreed, after which the two locked eyes and then embraced each other. Shugor, holding thumbs up on both hands, repeatedly nodded. ¡¸If I taunt enemies and take on all of the attacks¡­¡­ I could show the ability of S rank. If meanwhile, Nin uses recovery magic, it would also be S rank, and if during that Feel focuses only on attacking, we could fight on A rank level. That¡¯s how parties supplement each other by exhibiting their greatest strengths. Being able to do everything alone is something that only some genius would be able to do.¡¹ If such a person existed there would be no reason for them to form a party. But I don¡¯t have such power. So to challenge abyrinth, I need a party. ¡¸In reverse, if I was in charge of offensive magic, Nin acted as a tank, and Feel used recovery magic¡­¡­ That would be an F rank party.¡¹ After I said all of that, Feel put a hand to her chin, seemingly deliberating, and then nodded. ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­? Then, it might work out with me?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, for now, that would take care of the offense. Shugor, please summarize all of the information that you managed to gather.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that. This is a pretty interesting party we got here.¡¹ Shugor looked over everyone. Nin held her head high. ¡¸Then, we only need the permission from the guild now.¡¹ ¡¸Pretty much. As usual, we should keep a watch, so no monsters would wander from thebyrinth outside.¡¹ Labyrinths that aren¡¯t under attack often have monsters going outside. This ruins the ecosystem, and most of all, it¡¯s a danger, so adventurers raidbyrinths. ¡­¡­However, if thebyrinth that we are about to raid is S rank, then reaching the end of it is next to impossible. It would take a legendary party of heroes to do that. I¡¯m a bit anxious about the future of this town. But¡­¡­ It¡¯s not the time to think about something so far in the future. For now, it¡¯s on the 10th floor. I hope we will be able to meet the guardian there. Chapter 18: Trial Party

Chapter 18: Trial Party

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The guild readily gave permission. However, a problem urred. And it¡¯s not about the party leader being listed as¡¸Rude¡¹. Feel¡¯s father, the leader of the militia, was forced to bed after straining his back. Thus, Feel was now required to lead the militia instead. In other words, she was now unable to participate in the raid. I prepared the recement. A clear day. Standing in front of the gates, I turn around to look at the assembled party. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be in your care.¡¹ Luna, who was called as a stand-in for Feel, made a courteous bow. I know just how high Luna¡¯sbat ability is. Shugor, Lilia, and I were in the vanguard. The remaining three were delegated to the rear guard. With this, we¡¯ve got a pretty good bnce. Though we had other candidates as well. Namely Boo and Gary, who were fighting a while ago. However, I asked the two to organize adventurers in the town. They dly epted my request. We walk through the field, heading towards the orchard. Next to me is Shugor. ¡¸My, it¡¯s nice to have so many girls in the party, right? A feast for one¡¯s eyes¡­¡­¡¹ He said carefree words as soon as we began walking. I¡¯m not good with such topics¡­¡­ ¡¸Wasn¡¯t the hero¡¯s party the same?¡¹ ¡¸No, no. Back then, we couldn¡¯t be sox. But now, Rude-san is with us.¡¹ Hees closer and whispers in my ear. Dude, you are too close. Having a guy breathing into my ear doesn¡¯t make me happy at all. If it were Manicia, I would¡¯ve been jumping in delight. I waved him away since it was annoying, but he narrowed his eyes, seemingly enjoying himself. Shugor¡¯s eyes went towards Luna. She seemed to be curious about many things, so walking while holding Nin¡¯s hand, she immediately would ask her about them. And each time her eyes would spark. ¡¸Such an innocent girl¡­¡­ Rude-san, is that your type?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing of the sort.¡¹ Nin spoke at length about edible herbs and monsters with tasty meat. Luna¡¯s eyes widened, listening with great interest while repeatedly nodding. And that is a duke¡¯s third daughter? ¡¸How beautiful¡­¡­ As expected, looking at girls bonding is so thrilling.¡¹ ¡¸It isn¡¯t bad, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸As expected, Rude-san, so you understand its charm! Wonderful!¡¹ Shugor is a bit of an odd guy. I contacted him a number of times, but ultimately I got to know him through Nin. A friend of a friend. Being alone with him I can¡¯te up with a conversation topic. But, it seems I¡¯m the only one who thinks that way. Being bad at talking with others, I still desperately rack my brain. ¡¸Shugor, how do you fight?¡¹ I threw a question at him. It¡¯s my first time grouping with him. There are a ton of things I¡¯d like to rify. ¡¸I can do anything, speaking in terms of the ancientnguage¡ºAlmighty¡». B rank in everything. So matching it to my enemies, I disy the ability of about A rank.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ It¡¯s nice to have such a person in a party.¡¹ Because the standard party size forbyrinth raids is six people. It¡¯s very reassuring to have a person capable of freely adapting to any situation. But it¡¯s rare for a person to be a genius at everything. I think Shugor¡¯s B rank in everything makes him even more amazing than some S ranks. We reached thebyrinth. Everyone turned to me. This time, I am the leader. Though I said that someone from the rear would be better than me, who is fighting in the vanguard, but Nin pushed it onto me, saying that asionally I should try this as well. I had no idea what should be said at such times, but for now, I made a fist. ¡¸T-Then, let¡¯s go?¡¹ As I stutter a bit, Nin let out augh. ¡­¡­I¡¯m trying over here, you know? ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡¹ I¡¯m not used to this. I breathe a sigh, trying to get rid of a burning sensation on my cheeks. ©– Labyrinths tend to go up like a tower. After stepping into the magic circle at the entrance we ended up in front of the stairs. The wall nearby had an inscription in the ancientnguage, stating¡º1st floor¡». I¡¯m not that proficient in the ancientnguage, but being an adventurer I can read this much. Climbing the stairs we reach the first floor. A vast grass-covered in. I heard about this from Shugor. When everyone arrives, the entrance to the stairway disappears. ¡¸So this is¡­¡­ Abyrinth.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Merely being inside thebyrinth exhausts the outer shell. It¡¯s the effect of the peculiar magic power ofbyrinths¡­¡­ Which reminds me, Luna. Do you have outer shell?¡¹ I said thest part almost in a whisper. ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s about 3000¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Got it. ¡­¡­Speaking of which, it¡¯s my first time entering inside abyrinth since I learned the effects of my skills. ¡¹ I wonder if I can take over the damage dealt by abyrinth itself as well. ¡­¡­I observed the things for a while, but it didn¡¯t seem like my outer shell was shedding any faster. Which means, there is no effect on this. Is it becausebyrinths were made by God? I don¡¯t quite get it. Luna restlessly looked around, then, quietly approached me. Her eyes repeatedly went towards the vanished stairs. ¡¸Why¡­¡­ The stairs disappeared? We won¡¯t be able to return like this.¡¹ ¡­¡­My, what a rare reaction. I guess for a person that never entered abyrinth, it¡¯s not strange not to know about this. ¡¸The exit is in a different ce. The one through which everyone can pass.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­Everyone can? Which means, not everyone can pass through the one we just went through?¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. We just passed through the magic circle, right? That magic circle can warp up to 6 people to the stairs leading to the next floor.¡¹ Luna tilted her head. ¡­¡­I¡¯m not that good with such exnations. ¡¸For example, if Luna and I were to use that magic circle at a different time. I would warp to entrance A, Luna would warp to entrance B. We certainly wouldn¡¯t warp to the same entrance.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So the entrance leading to the stairs in this area also leads to other areas?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s why the party size is limited to six people.¡¹ Since she seemed to have grasped it, I told her another thing. ¡¸For example, there are skills that allow you to teleport inside abyrinth, like Dungeon Warp and Dungeon Walk¡­¡­ Such skills can teleport up to 6 people max. Those skills are given by God, so thetest theory is thatbyrinths also were created by God.¡¹ ¡¸I, see¡­¡­?¡¹ Yeah, it looks like she didn¡¯t quite get it. ¡­¡­Although, I also speak a lot but don¡¯t understand the details quite well either. Exining this any further is impossible. She should ask Nin. ¡¸How about I give you a problem?¡¹ ¡¸A problem? Leave it to me.¡¹ ¡¸What do you think should be done to take on abyrinth with seven people or more?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Grouping up after entering?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But in the end, you will be able to conquer only that floor. Do you understand the reason for that?¡¹ ¡¸If the rules remain the same¡­¡­ The moment you enter the magic circle leading to the next floor, the group will be split once again. So they will have to regroup once again.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you are fast to understand. Labyrinths are vast. Walking through such an area while searching for each other would waste a lot of time. That¡¯s why the standard party size is 6 people.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. Thank you, Master.¡¹ I wonder if I actually did something master-like. After a nod, Luna looked over the grasnds. There should be a magic circle somewhere, leading to the next floor. A number of such magic circles appear on each floor, but after being used by a party, they move to a different ce. Quite a nuisance. ¡¸For now, shall we use Dungeon Walk to go to thest conquered floor, the 5th? I have the skill.¡¹ Dungeon Walk, irreceable for raids. There is no point in even considering raiding higher floors without it. Beating every floor from zero, and on foot, is something I absolutely don¡¯t want to do. ¡¸There was nothing but fieldzauruses on the floors from one to four, right?¡¹ That¡¯s how it was supposed to be ording to the information provided by Shugor. ¡¸Correct. Want to proceed after beating them?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I want us to ustom ourselves. It is the first time we are fighting as a party.¡¹ ¡¸That is a good idea. Then, I will use a detection magic.¡¹ ¡¸I also can use detection magic, let¡¯s do it together.¡¹ Magic is an imitation of skills. Casting it by yourself would bring only limited results, but by cooperating with someone else it can manifest effects rivaling or even surpassing those of the skills bestowed by gods. But it¡¯s hard to do without good affinity. The twins are good at this. That¡¯s because the wavelengths of their magic power are simr. ¡¸Joint spell with Rude-san¡­¡­ I guess in the future, after Rude-san bes famous, I will brag about this to kids.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think I will get that famous.¡¹ ¡¸No, no. No need to be modest. Whos magic will serve as the core?¡¹ ¡¸I think yours, Shugor is better at this. You are the main, I will follow up.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ We begin preparations for using the magic. Activation of detection magic is akin to sending waves around oneself. Shugor readied the magic. Magic power¡¯s wavelengths differ, depending on a person. One has to get as close as possible. Since my preparations were done, I signaled to him with my eyes. Shugor activated the detection skill, to which I match my magic. The detection magic locates monsters. But that is our limit. Apparently, with a skill one could learn the type of monsters and their strength. But this is enough. As expected of Shugor, with his bnced B rank. That is some high-quality detection magic. ¡¸As expected of Shugor. Being able to get precise locations with magic, that¡¯s great.¡¹ ¡¸Is it? Hehe, I¡¯m d to receive praise from Rude-san.¡¹ Shugor smiled. Lilia and Lily kept intently looking our way. ¡­¡­Hey, why are you always non-responsive, yet keep looking at such moments? After giving us thumbs ups, they went back to their own world. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t get it. While tilting my head in puzzlement, I proceed onwards. What we found was a fieldzaurus. The enemy is alone. But it¡¯s huge. No one among the current members would be afraid of a fieldzaurus. I convey the general flow of the battle in advance. ¡¸Don¡¯t think too much about coordination or cooperation. Just try not to hit your allies. ¡¹ ¡¸Rude-san, are you really fine with that?¡¹ ¡¸Well, for that you don¡¯t have to worry.¡¹ Luna, Nin, and Lily began preparing their spells. Since the fieldzaurus noticed us, I stepped forward. Covering behind the shield I taunt the fieldzaurus. I sessfully gained its attention. Shugor and Lilia took its nks and now were waiting for their chance to attack. The fieldzaurus let out a roar. Stomping on the ground, it began running. Coming right at me, it bit at me with its jaws. A strong shockwave hit the shield. The fieldzauruses that we fought outside aren¡¯t even aparison. The fangs are only some inches away. I bash the heavily breathing opponent that is trying to attack me with my shield. I make a huge swing with the shield. ¡¸Guah?!¡¹ The fieldzaurus¡¯ head turned upwards. I won through strength. Using that chance, Shugor and Lilia swung their swords. Shugor is using a longsword. Each attack is quite heavy. Lilia is using a very dynamic style with two swords. Making a lot of attacks in something simr to a dance. The fieldzaurus is staggered. ¡¸Nin-sama! Luna-sama! It¡¯s weak to ice attribute!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So you can do even such a thing.¡¹ While taking on the attacks upfront I say. Each monster is weak to a different attribute. To deal damage more efficiently it¡¯s best to expose such weaknesses. ¡¸Yeah, well, but imposing a few restrictions I can manage to activate it.¡¹ Shugor replied in an energetic tone. But his breath was heavy. Adding more taunts to the fieldzaurus, I hit it with the shield and the sword. I look at the casters. They gave me small nods. Their preparations were over. ¡¸Cast it.¡¹ As expected, taking an attack from the mages, the fieldzauruses¡¯ attention would switch there. So I release magic power from the magic stone. Adding my own magic power to the sword shining in blue I swing it with my all. The fieldzaurus is stunned. Now! The magic power towards the staggered fieldzaurus. Ice projectiles fell under its legs. That ice turned into pirs, that bloomed into spears of ice. Clean, almost transparent spears of ice impaled the fieldzaurus. It looks like the three worked together on this spell. The spear of ice that pierced the monster still continues growing. Light disappeared from the eyes of the fieldzaurus. And as soon as the ice disappeared, the monster vanished as well. Monsters killed inside abyrinth disappear like a fog. If one wants to get their meat, then there is no other option but to lure them outside. It left only a bit of raw materials and a magic stone as a drop. ¡­¡­Yeah, killing them doesn¡¯t pose any problem. Chapter 19: 10th Floor

Chapter 19: 10th Floor

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Since we could fight without a problem, we proceed to the 5th floor. The 5th floor that we reached through Dungeon Walk was the same as the first floor. We proceed through it, but for now, there are no signs on the guardian. Shugor walked next to me with a smile on his face. ¡¸As expected of Rude-san. You were a good match for the fieldzaurus¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸That much is, you know. If I couldn¡¯t do even that, then what¡¯s the point of me being here.¡¹ ¡¸No no¡­¡­ It¡¯s not ¡ºeven that¡». Normally, no one wouldpete with a monster head-on, considering our huge size difference. I heard stories, but I never imagined it to be like this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s my first time seeing a person like Rude-san, who would fight in such a foolishly straightforward way.¡¹ Heughed as if mocking me. Hearing Shugor, Luna, and the twins tilted their heads. ¡¸¡­¡­Master is not normal?¡¹ ¡¸Since Rude is using a shield meant for blocking, isn¡¯t that normal?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that how big shields are used?¡¹ As the girls looked slightly doubtful, Shugor shook his head. ¡¸Well, I expected this. Or rather, Lilia-san and Lily-san, you saw me tanking, right?¡¹ ¡¸Miserably running around.¡¹ ¡¸Nothing but dodging. How about blocking with your shield or sword for once?¡¹ ¡¸No! That is the correct way! Humans and monsters have different physiques. So humans fight while using their heads. Evade, evade! Use it to irritate the enemy! That¡¯s how a tank is supposed to be.¡¹ Shugor said, shrugging his shoulders. There aren¡¯t many tanks among adventurers. Probably about 10 percent? And from what I¡¯ve heard, all of them are evasion-focused. Kygras also was saying the same. Other tanks are evading attacks. So why aren¡¯t you dodging? Saying that it creates additional expenses. Well, I do dodge what I can, but ultimately, I don¡¯t have speed. And there is no way you would disy your real ability by doing what you aren¡¯t used to. ¡¸Ordinary tanks evade attacks to some extent, but Master is sticking to the enemy.¡¹ ¡¸Yup. That way it is easier to keep their aggro on me.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Luna-san, don¡¯t listen to him. Aaah, Nin-sama, please say something as well!¡¹ ¡¸Why? That is what is normal for Rude.¡¹ Shugor dropped his shoulder and started walking. ¡¸Which reminds me, the new girls that Kygras took, are they strong?¡¹ There were twopletely unfamiliar faces. So it got me a bit curious. ¡¸Well, you could say that. Butpared to the two girls that he invited earlier¡­¡­ They would be weaker. If I remember correctly¡­¡­ They were called Sasin and Sar, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So those girls left.¡¹ Nin muttered under her breath. A bit sadly. Sasin and Sar¡­¡­ The members that joined in my ce. ¡¸Yes. They werepletely terrified of the hero and eventually left, saying that their skills are still insufficient. And the guild didn¡¯t quite like that. Apparently, they were so scared that they took a break from adventuring for a while.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. I actually called out to them, but there was a lot going on.¡¹ ¡¸Seems so. I also only heard this from the people of the guild, so I don¡¯t know the details that well myself.¡¹ Shugor shrugged his shoulders. Nin cast a short nce at the twins. ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t you know the details better, Lilia, Lily?¡¹ But they looked like they didn¡¯t even hear her. ¡¸Nee-san, here. Your apple.¡¹ ¡¸My, an apple! When did you manage to buy it?¡¹ ¡¸Fufu. I wanted to surprise you, so I secretly bought it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you, Lily. Then, let¡¯s eat it together.¡¹ ¡¸No way. This is Nee-san¡¯s share¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸We will eat it together.¡¹ ¡¸Nee-san!¡¹ The sisters were happily having a meal. Nin¡¯s face stiffened, but she refrained from approaching them. They have their own world. It¡¯s better not to disturb them. Previously, we actually did that, and they snapped at us. ¡¸¡­¡­The guardian that Kygras¡¯ party couldn¡¯t beat, huh. Isn¡¯t his offensive power is quite high?¡¹ ¡¸That I ought to admit. But, during his previous raid attempt, he couldn¡¯t use even that properly.¡¹ ¡¸It was the same with me. Or rather, the moment he uses that skill, monsters turn to him, so I¡¯d even prefer if he restrained more in using it. Was it okay with you, Rude-san?¡¹ ¡¸It never bothered me.¡¹ ¡¸Which means that Rude¡¯s Taunt is just that strong. Rude, aren¡¯t you quite good at pissing others off?¡¹ Nin said in a bit of a teasing tone. While mildly irritated by that, I indeed have to admit that there are a lot of tricks to it. ¡¸Other than Taunt, there are plenty of factors that can get the enemy¡¯s aggro. For example, attacking the same ce over and over, attacking the opponent when they try to disengage¡­¡­ Such little things can actually be pretty enraging.¡¹ The same goes for humans. For example, were someone to chew with an open mouth. It would bother some, and some wouldn¡¯t care. Observing the opponent to find out what they hate. It¡¯s important to quickly determine that and then take advantage of it. Shugor nodded with a satisfied look. ¡¸It¡¯s hard to learn to imitate tank in just one or two days.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that applies not only to tanks. Every role has it¡¯s own difficult points. I for example also wouldn¡¯t be able to do so many things at once duringbat like you do, Shugor. Since I¡¯m basically a dumbass. Sticking to enemies while protecting my allies is the most I can do.¡¹ ¡¸And that alone makes our lives a lot easier.¡¹ Shugor made a refreshing smile, to which Nin and the others nodded. ¡­¡­Please, don¡¯t give me such kind smiles. I¡¯m not used to this. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s continue?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sure.¡¹ We make our way through thebyrinth. We pass through the 5th and 6th floors without any problem. On the 7th floor, we took a short rest and continued the exploration. The monsters that were appearing remained the same. But they gradually grew stronger. Luna¡¯s walking speed also fell. They said that homunculi don¡¯t have a notion of exhaustion. So perhaps the peculiar atmosphere of thebyrinth is making her feel something simr to it. ¡­¡­There is no need to go all the way to the 10th floor in one go. It¡¯s not unheard to spend a few days on it. As Luna breathed a huge sigh upon reaching the 8th floor, I called out to her. ¡¸Luna, are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ No problem.¡¹ ¡¸During the previous battle your movementscked sharpness. If you can¡¯t go on, we can do the remaining exploration on another day.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m still fully operational.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸What about your magic power?¡¹ Until now she continuously used magic. Magic power is the driving force for homunculi. It¡¯s a bit different, but¡­¡­ This can bepared to using your own life force to activate magic. ¡¸No problem. I regain more magic power during our walk between battles than I expend inbat.¡¹ ¡¸Well, fine then. I gave you a magic power restoring potion, right? Feel free to drink it any time you like.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged. I will use it when my magic power goes below half of the maximum capacity. Is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Also, let me know if you are tired from walking.¡¹ ¡¸I have no fatigue. So that is not a problem. Thanks for your concern.¡¹ She lowered her head in a bow. The twins are obviously fine, Nin also seems to be okay. Shugor is doing shoulder rolls, being busy with some warm-up exercises. ¡¸Let¡¯s continue.¡¹ After all, it¡¯s hard being a leader. ©– Stopping for a rest we proceed through the floors. And finally reached our goal, the 10th floor. Nothing changed from any other floor, but it¡¯s necessary to exercise some caution on the floors with round numbers. That¡¯s because unique monsters tend to appear on them. Unique monsters that drop better magic stones than ordinary monsters. At times they also might drop a piece of good equipment. As the church calls it, blessings from God. Investigation of the 10th floor would conclude the investigation request from the guild. Looking at the results higher-ups would either give thebyrinth a rank depending on already gathered information or decide that further investigation is needed. On that 10th floor, we attempted to locate enemies through magic but found nothing. The detection magic gave off only one reaction. One monster on a giant in? That is abnormal. Is it a unique monster? That reaction gradually grew closer. The three in the rear began preparations for magic, while we waited at high alert. And, a human-like silhouette appeared in our sights. A man. Dressed in something akin to a kimono, a dressing from the east. The man wearing katanas on his waist looked at us with a faint smile. Lilia and Shugor were the first that brandished their weapons. ¡¸The guardian!¡¹ Both of them shouted almost simultaneously. ¡­¡­This is the guardian? ¡¸Ooh, here I thought that the same folk came, not learning their lesson, but I see a few new faces.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­The guardian?¡¹ ¡¸Haha, indeed. The guardian overseeing thisbyrinth.¡¹ He can speak so coherently? Shock and excitement were mixed 1 to 1 within me. I already saw human-shaped guardians. But it¡¯s my first time seeing one that can speak like an actual human. He put one hand to his chest and smiled. ¡¸Wee, to mybyrinth, adventurers.¡¹ Then, he spread both hands wide and showed a childish smirk. Chapter 20: Guardian’s Power

Chapter 20: Guardian¡¯s Power

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± While others pointed their weapons at him. I took a step forward. The guardian furrowed his brows, looking a bit perplexed. Then, I frankly said what was on my mind. ¡¸Guardian, I want to learn a way to save my little sister.¡¹ For a moment he looked puzzled, but then donned a smile. ¡¸What a sudden question. You aren¡¯t alerted, seeing me?¡¹ ¡¸I am. But it looked like there is a chance to talk.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see. There are a number of new faces¡­¡­ What about those that came earlier? They died?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡­ Though heavily injured, everyone is alive.¡¹ As I told this to the guardian, who looked very worried, he breathed a sigh, seemingly relieved. ¡¸That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t like taking lives in vain.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡­¡­That¡¯s unexpected. I guess I shouldn¡¯t treat him the same as other guardians. The guardian put a hand to his chin and hummed. ¡¸Your little sister, you said? What do you mean by save? Is she in some kind of precarious situation? Or maybe, it is some kind of illness?¡­¡­ Unfortunately, I¡¯m not a doctor.¡¹ The conversation goes a lot smoother than I expected. ¡¸¡­¡­My little sister has been sickly since her birth. Do you know a method¡­ to cure that?¡¹ I asked, clinging to a faint hope. I kept raidingbyrinths only to find the magic tome. However, I can¡¯t keep gambling on that forever. So if even a guardian doesn¡¯t know¡­¡­ Meanwhile, the guardian was tilting his head, furrowing his brows. ¡¸Since her birth¡­¡­ huh. Magic stone defect?¡¹ ¡¸You heard of it¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Since she was born with it, I thought that there might be not a small chance of that being the case. At least to my knowledge. Humans are born bearing magic stones, but rarely there are times where it is damaged. In such a case, the body cannot remain in a normal state. As symptoms, one would be weaker, and skills might show defects.¡¹ ¡­¡­Indeed, it¡¯s simr to Manicia¡¯s symptoms. I didn¡¯t even think that it could be established so easily. ¡¸Is there a way¡­¡­ To fix that?¡¹ ¡¸You just have to remake the magic stone. The procedure is the same as with homunculus creation.¡¹ ¡¸You said, remake?¡¹ The guardian smiled with corners of his lips. ¡¸The magic stone contained in the human body bears all the information about that person. Take a strong magic stone, capable of epting that information, and transfer it there. Then transnt it into a homunculus with the same body as your little sister, and that¡¯s it.¡¹ The guardian said casually. ¡­¡­Doesn¡¯t that mean that Manicia will have to die?! ¡¸The result of that wouldn¡¯t be Manicia.¡¹ ¡¸Where is the difference? She would have her memories, and it is even possible to create the same body. Or even a better one. And since it would be a homunculus, the life span would no longer be a problem. She would be able to live as long as she has magic power. After all, that is what the homunculus technology is.¡¹ ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know. His gaze went to Luna. He might have noticed it. ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t homunculi exist to make human¡¯s life easier?¡¹ ¡¸Wrong. Originally, the technology to create homunculi was developed to allow human gain immortality.¡¹ ¡¸Immortality?¡¹ Going by the process described by the guardian, that indeed could be gained. ¡¸For humans, everything is decided upon their birth. But homunculus technology allows them to redo it. Furthermore, pulling out information from the magic stone might even allow them to acquire new skills. Well, it would depend on the magic stone used for the homunculus.¡¹ ¡¸Guardian¡­¡­ Were you a human in the past?¡¹ ¡¸The past¡­¡­ As one might expect, I don¡¯t remember it that well. But possessing such a technology, in the world that I knew, everyone lived using immortality, with the able bodies.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is there no other way to save Manicia?¡¹ I¡¯m not that knowledgeable about homunculus technology. However, that approach would probably go against thew. The state prohibits giving emotions to homunculi. And what he suggested is close to that. But¡­¡­ If that would allow me to cure her©`©` I might do that even if it would mean going against the country itself. ¡¸No, there is another one.¡¹ Donning a delighted smile the guarding put a hand into his bosom. And pulled out a piece of paper. Swaying under the wind, it had letters written on it. ¡¸It¡¯s a page from the magic tome that is said to be able to grant any wish.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That tome from the fairytales?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know if it is what you are imagining, but it is indeed a relic that would appear in wild dreams. Guardians in otherbyrinths also have them, if you keep collecting the pages, they will eventually turn into theplete magic tome. Using it, you should be able to save that Manicia. Of course, even one page will have some effect. It might make her situation better than it is currently.¡¹ ¡¸I see. ¡­¡­Can you yield it to me?¡¹ ¡¸Nope, no way I¡¯d do that.¡¹ Hahaha, the guardianughed loudly. Well, that¡¯s to be expected. No way he would just give away something so valuable. Even so, there is probably nothing that I can pay with. The guardian¡¯s eyes turn narrow. At the same time, the surroundings are flooded with magic power. ¡¸I will give it to you. If you defeat me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So that¡¯s how it goes.¡¹ A simple story. Taking out the shield I take a stance. The guardian slightly tilted his head and then stuck out his tongue. That instant, his body began changing. As if breaking a shell, a pair of hands appeared from his back. The body itself grew about two timesrger. The lower half of his body turned to something akin to a snake tail. ¡¸Let us have the best fight, humans.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sure.¡¹ If we win, I will be a step closer to curing Manicia. ¡­¡­I never had a more pleasant fight. The guardian reached out to the katanas on his waist. I also raise my shield and sword and confront him. ¡¸This right after I recovered from my injuries, I have no luck.¡¹ Nin shrugged and began working on her spell. ¡¸Sorry. I dragged you into this with my selfishness.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind it. And everyone else seems to be pretty motivated as well.¡¹ I take a quick look at them. ¡¸I won¡¯t forgive you for injuring Lily thest time.¡¹ ¡¸I absolutely won¡¯t forgive you for crushing Nee-san¡¯s outer shell.¡¹ As expected Lilia and Lily are brimming with motivation. Shugor, though he looks tired, also readied his weapon. ¡¸I will do my best¡­¡­ For Manicia-sama¡¯s sake.¡¹ And Luna is especially motivated. ¡­¡­She seems to cherish Manicia a lot. This makes me happy. What we have to do is no different than usual. Breathing out a small sigh I focus my sight on the guardian. I step forward. The guardian moved at the same time. As he crept closer, I used Taunt. A sentient opponent. I don¡¯t know if Taunt will work or not, but his gaze went to me. ¡¸AAH!¡¹ With a shout, the guardian swung the katanas downwards. His voice, that sounded like he lost all notions of sanity, waspletely that of a monster. I used my shield to block the swordsing at me from the sides. I get pushed backward. But I manage to block it. The attack is heavier than that of a fieldzaurus. ¡­¡­¡­Show some resilience. If we win, then the magic tome that until now remained nothing but a dream will be a bit closer to reality¡­¡­! I certainly will obtain it and see Manicia¡¯s smile! I want to make Manicia healthy enough to run outside. I swing my sword with those thoughts. The guardian, using the tail to support himself, evaded by pulling back the upper half of the body. There, Shugor made his attack. A swing from the longsword. Though the guardian managed to avoid that, Shugor¡¯s swords emitted magic. A fire arrow burns the guardian slightly. ¡¸Shugor! The katana ising!¡¹ ¡¸Kuh!¡¹ Shugor promptly tried to evade by jumping to a side but was blown away by the wind pressure. Such power. Taking a bit of damage I immediately use a potion to recover. The guardian moves to make a follow-up attack on Shugor. I use Taunt to interrupt him. As his attention immediately returned to me I held up the shield and charged at him. Repeatedly activating Taunt I keep the guardians focus on myself. Lilia moved from the nk. She swept down on the guardian from his dead angle. ¡¸You will pay for hurting Lily!¡¹ In an instant, a number of des appeared. That is one of her skills. Mincing the guardian¡¯s stomach, she at the same time ran out of breath. The price of using a powerful skill. Even so, it seems she still can move enough to dodge. The guardian turned from me to Lilia. I knew he would do that. Jumping in between him and Lilia I raise the shield. I had my share of joint activity with her. I¡¯m already used to this. I block the guardian¡¯s charge with my shield. The impact is so heavy that it seems threatening to break my arm. However, covering behind the shield I fend off the attack. ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Leaving that word alone, Lilia disappeared. She is looking for another chance. The mages finished their preparations. And it seems that the guardian noticed that as well. He set his sight on them. ¡¸Cast!¡¹ Abined spell of Nin and Luna came flying. A fire projectile hit the guardian. The guardian blocked it by hand. That moment the fire projectile erupted into a burst of mes. A chain of explosions. From his wrist to his arm, the explosions travel across the body. ¡¸Gy, AAAH?!¡¹ Emitting ice from his mouth the guardian froze his hand. However, the next moment a lightning bolt hit the guardian. Lily¡¯s spell. Lilia immediately assists, making it a joint spell. With the power of the lightning increased, the guardian staggers. Shugor rushes in. To prevent the guardian from shifting his attention there I repeatedly use Taunt while keeping myself in his sight. Shugor¡¯s sword hit the tail of the guardian. It tore off sturdy scales. The staggering guardian stabbed his katana into the ground. Consecutive attacks seem to be pretty effective? No¡­¡­ Wrong. I can see that he is gathering magic power. At the same time, Shugor shouted. ¡¸An earth magic ising! Last time we were done in by this and retreated!¡¹ ¡¸I see. Nin, get the recovery magic ready.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Got it!¡¹ Nin replied in a shout. It looks like she immediately realized what I wanted to do. ¡¸Everyone, attack him with your strongest skills. Just make sure to avoid getting hit in vital areas! I can protect you from everything else!¡¹ The three that didn¡¯t know about my skills looked a bit hesitant. However, they immediately began arrangements for their attacks. As expected of first-rate adventurers. Simultaneously with them going on the offensive, the ground shook. Like an earthquake. The ground split, sprouting a number of earth-made spears. Lilia and Shugor closed in on the guardian while evading those. However, the earth spears would still graze them, umting the damage. The endurance goes down. Gulping down a potion I¡¯m trying to counter it. Someone is taking damage. Slightly, but the pain is piling up. I clench my teeth, trying to keep myself from passing out. Though it¡¯s mitigated to a certain degree, the feeling of the whole body being pierced by spears is painful. But I¡¯m a tank. The shield protecting this party. Another wave of paines. The casters failed to evade earth spears. Stabbing my sword into the ground I lean on it, trying to endure it. Until now I never took such a huge amount of damage for such an extended period of time. The enemy¡¯s spell was still going. Just how long will it continue. Every second feels extremely long. If I lose my consciousness, the skills will be canceled and we will lose our chance for a counterattack. Endure it. I have to. Sweat runs down my cheek. A pain akin to having the insides of my body being shredded by a sword keeps assaulting my body. ¡­No good. I can¡¯t even drink a potion. The bottle that I pulled out from the item pouch on my waist fell from my hand. ¡¸Rude!¡¹ ¡¸Master!¡¹ I hear shouts. Then, a soft light enveloped my body. ¡­¡­Recovery spells that Nin and Luna cast together. As usual, the recovery volume is just abnormal. ¡­¡­Thank you. While grimacing from the pain, I re at the guardian. The guardian¡¯s spell ended following which Shugor and Lilia were repelled by katanas. A huge gap in his defense appeared after the attack. Thest push. If I have that¨D¨D! I kick off the ground. I close in on the guardian and put the skills into the sword. Life Conversion. I put all of the damage I umted this far into this attack! The sword emits a faint blue light. Which caught the guardian¡¯s attention. He swung at me with a katana, but I fended off the attack with the shield and swung down my sword. The sword stuck. At the same time, the light got a lot brighter, and the guardian was knocked away. Rolling on the ground he creates clouds of dust. And eventually, hepletely stopped moving. But then, he unsteadily tried to get up. No way¡­¡­ He still can stand? ¡­¡­But he should be pretty damaged. If only we attack him all at once©`! Quickly exchanging looks I charge at him. ¡¸Whoa, wait, wait, I give up. I will die if we keep going.¡¹ The guardian said in a silly tone. The body that turned into that of a monster gradually turned back to human. d in tattered clothes he sat cross-legged. With a smile, he raised both hands. ¡¸I surrender. Sorry, but I still want to have fun in thisbyrinth. I will give you what was promised, so can you spare me?¡¹ I guess we can consider this as our victory. And the moment I thought so, the strength left my body. Chapter 21: Start of adventurer life

Chapter 21: Start of adventurer life

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± ¡¸My, what a surprise, I didn¡¯t think that you guys would be this strong. Especially you.¡¹ Having said that, the guardian donned a smile. ¡¸Until now, no one was able to take so many of my attacks. You have quite an endurance.¡¹ ¡¸That might be true, but it was thanks to everyone¡¯s help that we defeated you.¡¹ If they were too slow to attack, if myrades didn¡¯t believe in me, we wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him. ¡¸Anyway, you fulfilled my condition. I will give you this magic page. If you chant the spell written there, it might slightly cure the magic stone defect that that sister of yours has? Well, no matter what the wound, this magic page should be able to fix it.¡¹ The guardian gave me the paper that he held in his hand. The paper felt ancient. It seemed that a bit of rough treatment could tear it right away¡­¡­ But there was a mysterious power to it. ¡¸What are you going to do now?¡¹ He is a guardian and I¡¯m an adventurer. For the sake of this town¡¯s growth, I don¡¯t want to destroy thisbyrinth. The reason is unknown, but with the destruction of its guardian¡­¡­ Which is supposed to be on thest floor, abyrinth would disappear from the world. The people that at the time were inside thebyrinth would be teleported to the vicinity of the area where thebyrinth was located. If thebyrinth disappears, then the chance for the town to develop would disappear as well. ¡¸If you let me go here, I¡¯d be happy to live as a guardian a bit more.¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­¡­ There is no problem?¡¹ I look at Nin and Lilia. The church¡¯s representative and the guild¡¯s investigator. Lilia tilted her head while Nin put her hand to the chin. ¡¸¡­¡­This is my first time encountering such a case. I remember hearing about a guardian that used the name of an old hero, but he turned into a monster¡­¡­ And was consequently exterminated.¡¹ ¡¸I think that if he will behave then there is no problem in leaving him alive.¡¹ Though they are considered to be messengers of God, many guardians are monsters. And there are plenty of people that don¡¯t believe in the church¡¯s teachings. Some even say thatbyrinths were made not by God, but by a devil. In response, the church offers the following view. God, despite being a god, might not be omnipotent. Is what they say. Compensation is required to bring the dead back to life. And part of it could be aplexyout of abyrinth or monsters inside. That could be still not enough to pay for the revival of the great heroes¡­¡­ Which leads to them reviving as monsters. The souls that failed to properly revive©`©` Guardians, that turned into monsters, have to hunt the living. ¡­¡­Most of thebyrinths are like that. The two looked at me as if saying that they are leaving the final decision to me. The guardian keeps rubbing his head on the ground. ¡¸Shugor, what about the investigation?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯splete. For it, we only had to learn what kind of monsters appear on the floors up to the 10th and what kind of materials could be found here. Knowing that we are good.¡¹ It¡¯s possible to assign an approximate rank to abyrinth from monsters that would appear up to this point. ¡­¡­In that case. ¡¸Can you make it so no monsters appear outside thebyrinth? There is a town near it, and it already suffered from the monsters wandering outside thebyrinth. I want you to get rid of that.¡¹ ¡¸I see. If that¡¯s all you want, then I¡¯ll do it.¡¹ I wasn¡¯t sure if he could actually do that. Turns out, he can. ¡­¡­With this, the town wouldn¡¯t see any further damage. For now, we won¡¯t have to worry about thisbyrinth. ¡¸This concludes the investigation, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yup.¡¹ Lilia stretched and looked at Shugor. He was carefully keeping records on this investigation. He then gave us a thumbs up. We then begin our preparations for a return trip. Before we noticed, the guardian disappeared, Nin held her head high. ¡¸I thought it would turn more difficult, I¡¯m d that everything ended without problems.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. And I¡¯ve got a piece leading to Manicia¡¯s recovery.¡¹ This part made me a lot happier than the investigation of thebyrinth. Stretching a bit, I see the twins approaching. ¡¸There is only one thing we have to say.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t forget the pie.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I understand. Then, let¡¯s go back.¡¹ With the twins being that free I couldn¡¯t help but make a half-smile. We then use the skill to leave thebyrinth. ©– ¡¸H-Hey! Rude¡¯s party came back!¡¹ One of the militia members shouted and then ran up to us. Then, grabbing my hand he sniffled a few times. ¡¸Thank goodness! You are safe¡­¡­! Everyone was so worried! After all, you went into thebyrinth where even the hero got defeated.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. But we are fine. And¡­¡­ We finished the investigation.¡¹ I show him the results of the investigation,piled by Shugor. With a bit of obfuscation where ites to the guardian. Were attacked, sessfully fended him off. That¡¯s pretty much it. ¡­¡­Shugor is kind. He even didn¡¯t mention the page of the magic tome that I received. As I was told, the twins saw nothing as well. ¡¸It¡¯s a pain after all¡¹they muttered, but I also pretended not to hear. Since there is no telling how the guild would treat the guardian. Looking at Shugor¡¯s writings, the militiaman raised his voice. ¡¸Rude came back,pleting the investigation!¡¹ ¡¸Luna-oneechan is also unharmed!¡¹ ¡¸Phew. Your skills are quite formidable, well, for now, I guess, congrattions?¡¹ ¡¸So he was pretty strong after all¡­¡­ That is some amazing adventurer hiding in such a town.¡¹ While some faces were familiar, there also were some unfamiliar adventurers. Many people gathered at the entrance of the town, each voicing their thoughts. Someone hit me on the head, shouting¡¸Ain¡¯t you pretty good¡¹. As soon as one of them showed such an attitude, others also joined with continuous attacks. Telling them to stop, I with a smile brush off their hands, and walk through the town. And arriving at the temporary tent, currently serving as a guild, we hand over the report to an employee there. ¡¸¡­¡­To think you would really do it.¡¹ The man that took the report, adjusted his sses, and looked over the report. ¡¸Sorry. Twins, Shugor. I want to return home for now. Can I leave the rest to you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Sure!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry.¡¹ ¡¸No no. Please go to your sister, she must be worried.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I will report to the militia headquarters. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ Having said that, Nin waved her hand and left us. Luna and I went towards the house. Checking the page in my pocket, I breathe a sigh. ¡¸That was lucky, Master.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, truly so.¡¹ Arriving home we saw a flustered Maniciaing out. She jumped to embrace me, so I caught her. I tightly squeeze her. That alone brought me to the seventh heaven. ¡¸Nii-san, are you injured?!¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine. And¡­¡­ I picked up a page of the magic tome inside thebyrinth.¡¹ I pull out the paper that I put into my pocket. Manicia¡¯s eyes went wide upon seeing that. ¡¸The magic tome¡­¡­ You mean¡­¡­ The one that you¡¯ve been searching all this time¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Collecting them should allow us to eventually fully cure you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Nii-san.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry. It might make you angry, but the biggest happiness for me is to make you able to move freely. So I will keep searching for the magic tome.¡¹ Patting her on the head I tell her what I think. Manicia tightly grabbed me. ¡¸¡­¡­Nii-san, you are an idiot. Were you alone, you could do what you really want.¡¹ ¡¸This is what I want to do. Sorry for being such a stupid brother. But¡­¡­ From now on I will also consider what to do after you are cured.¡¹ Manicia hit me on the chest. ¡¸Manicia-sama, I think Master¡­¡­ Truly treasures you. That¡¯s why©`¡¹ ¡¸Luna-san. We caused you a lot of trouble as well. ¡­¡­I know. I know my brother better than anyone.¡¹ Making a sigh, I gently brush Manicia on the head. ¡¸Anyway. I will keep raidingbyrinths. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a lot of fun after all. Fighting monsters.¡¹ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m lying, and I also want to put Manicia at ease. Manicia closed her mouth and slowly nodded. Then, I read to her the page that I had in my hand. Then, the letters shone up. And leaving my hand, the page flew towards Manicia. ¡¸¡­What is going on?¡¹ The page went inside her, and for a moment, Manicia swayed. Manicia opened her eyes wide. ¡¸A-Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes. I¡¯m fine. ¡­¡­I feel like my body is lighter than before.¡¹ Having said that, she then jumped in ce. Not once, but five times. Then, she coughed. ¡­¡­But even so, she managed to jump five times. ¡¸Manicia¡­¡­ You feel better¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes. ¡­¡­Only a bit. ¡­¡­Only a bit¡­¡­ But a bit of a movement is fine now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Manicia!¡¹ I hug her with all my strength. Though she says that it hurts¡­¡­ I keep holding her anyway. Thank goodness. Doing this wasn¡¯t a mistake. From now on, I will keep exploringbyrinths as an adventurer. Surely someday, I should be able topletely cure Manicia. ©– Two weeks passed since then. The traffic became a lot of livelier. The militia turned even busier, and I was doing nothing but assisting them. I won¡¯t be able to leave the town for a while. Today, I dropped by the guild, since they invited me. There, we saw a familiar face. Nin, who came with me, frowned. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that Kygras¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸He looks very angry.¡¹ With the guild¡¯s employee turning to us, Kygras also noticed our presence. ¡¸Rude¡­¡­! You little, how the hell did you beat that damn guardian?!¡¹ Looks like his wounds weren¡¯t fully healed, but he recovered enough to walk around. ¡¸Rude! ©`cough cough©` Hey! You damn! How did you¡­¡­¡¹ He grabbed me by the cor. ¡¸All I did was protect others.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Protect, you said?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­ After parting ways with you I understood the effects of my skills. ¡­¡­My skills allow me to take over damage dealt to others.¡¹ When I said that, Kygras¡¯ grip on my cor weakened. ¡­¡­Then, he bit his lip. ¡¸The hell, is that¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ Then¡­¡­ I¡­¡­¡¹ He kicked the ground with an annoyed look, and without saying anything, walked away. ¡­¡­That¡¯s a bit unexpected. After seeing him walk off, I go to the guild staff. ¡¸We¡¯ve been awaiting you, Rude-sama. A letter has arrived from the guild¡¯s headquarters, so I will give it to you. ¡¹ A letter? For what reason? I look through the letter given to me. The contents were about promotion. ¡¸What is this?¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, rank up? Good for you.¡¹ Leaned over Nin, who stood nearby. Rank up? Reading it from the beginning to the end, it looks like they are going to raise my rank. Promotion from F to D. ¡­¡­In one go. ¡¸Well, if they want to raise it, then I¡¯m notining.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Then, please present your guild card.¡¹ I gave her the guild card and after a short exchange, the woman returned it to me. The number of magic stone fragments on the card increased to three. The number of fragments equals rank. Starting with one at F, the number increases by one for every rank. Since we were done here I was about to leave, but then, Nin asked the receptionist. ¡¸Why was Kygras so mad?¡¹ ¡¸Ehm¡­¡­ Due to repeated failures, Kygras-sama was demoted from S rank to B rank. That seems to have angered him.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that great? He certainly wasn¡¯t S rank, and if he actually has the ability, he can climb back.¡¹ Yes. Kygras is still young. He should have plenty of chances to climb to S rank. As I looked in the direction where he went, Nin grasped my hand. ¡¸Then, Rude. Let¡¯s go back to patrolling.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yeah. Tell me if something happens. I will help to the best of my ability.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Thank you very much. Hearing such words from Rude-san is very reassuring.¡¹ The receptionist replied with a smile, after which we left the guild. Chapter 22: People’s Representative

Chapter 22: People¡¯s Representative

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Passing my arms through the sleeves of my only good shirt, I fasten the tie. I received just one suit of such clothes when I was living in the noble¡¯s house. Around one month passed since wepleted the investigation of thebyrinth. The season turned to summer, more kids were ying in the river now. The guild remained in the tent but grew increasingly active. The number of adventurers also increased, raising all sorts of problems. Especiallymon were fights caused by adventurers with bad attitudes. Today, to settle such problems andints, a conference was to be held in the town. ¡­¡­There, the lord also would be present. In that case, I thought, I should go in the best clothes I have and pull out these. ¡¸Come on, Nii-san. Straighten your back. And your necktie is crooked.¡¹ Manicia tightened my necktie. I¡¯m not too fond of this thing, it¡¯s hard to breathe in it. ¡¸Can¡¯t I loosen it a bit?¡¹ ¡¸Nope. You look cooler this way.¡¹ She lightly patted me on the chest. While I was genuinely happy about the praise, Luna came into the room. ¡¸Would this be fine as my outfit?¡¹ She put on a maid outfit. I bought it a long time ago for Manicia. As one would expect, I couldn¡¯t prepare formal clothes for Luna as well. So, it¡¯s been decided that she will participate¡­¡­ In a position of something like a servant. I¡¯m going to participate as a representative of the residents of this town. However, I¡¯m not that bright, and my wits are pretty much average. Topensate for that, we decided to have Luna participate as well. The expected participants are the militia, the church, the adventurers guild, and us. I just finished lunch, so I¡¯m a bit sleepy. After a yawn, Luna and I open the front door. ¡¸Then, Manicia, we will be going. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, take care.¡¹ Immediately after leaving the house, we encounter militia on patrol. ¡¸Rude, what are those clothes? PHAH!¡¹ ¡¸They look great on you. Pfft!¡¹ ¡¸You guys, stop mocking me. ¡¹ Grabbing the duo I rub my fists into their heads. Good grief. As the two kept tapping on my hands, still maintaining smiles on their faces, I released them. ¡¸You are going to the conference, right? Feel is going to participate as our representative.¡¹ ¡¸Feel, huh. Not her father.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It seems he wants her to finally act on her own. And it seems there is also some consideration involved, as she probably won¡¯t be that nervous with the current members.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, after all, we are going to have Nin and Shugor as the church representatives. ¡­¡­And for the guild, we are going to have Lilia.¡¹ On behalf of the militia Feel already met several times with the guild representatives. And apparently, she also met with the lord since the time she was only a child. So for her, he is something close to a distant uncle. ¡¸Well, even so, Feel is prone to stage fright. We are counting on you if something happens, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸I know. At that time, well, I¡¯ll at least try to say something.¡¹ Even so, constantly helping her also wouldn¡¯t do her any good. Parting with them, we arrive at the Militia Headquarters, and after taking a few breaths, step inside. Getting to the conference room, we see Feel and Nin already there. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Rude-san.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s been a while. Shugor, I heard thattely, you aren¡¯t resting at all, but you look pretty good.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just a front. What about you, Rude-san, aren¡¯t youing here pretty oftentely? Are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s pretty rough. I¡¯m not used to this after all.¡¹ We both smile wryly. Shugor and Nin were d in the church uniform. White clothes with the cross crest. Nin was sprawling on the table, twining her chestnut-colored hair around a finger. As always, it¡¯s hard to even imagine her being a duke¡¯s daughter. Seeing me, she put a hand to her mouth. ¡¸To think you had such attire.¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah. This is my only suit though.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s suits you surprisingly well.¡¹ Nin said with a smile. ¡¸Don¡¯t tease me.¡¹ I took a seat. Something is shaking to my right. It¡¯s Feel. She is trembling from nervousness. ¡­¡­Is she okay? ¡¸Feel?¡¹ ¡¸I have to report¡­¡­¡­ The things I have to report¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Feel, hey?¡¹ ¡¸Hya? A-ah, it¡¯s you, Rude. You were here. I-I¡¯m okay.¡¹ How am I supposed to believe that if you didn¡¯t even notice my arrival? ¡¸You don¡¯t have to to be so nervous, it¡¯s nothing but familiar members.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you shay so. I¡¯m not good with such staff. ¡­¡­I¡¯m about to throw up.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡¹ That¡¯s all I can say. After some waiting, Lilia appeared. She was in her usual in clothes. She seemed pretty drowsy, rubbing her eyes. Aplete opposite to Feel, doing things at her own pace. She also took a seat. Now we only had to wait for the most important person, the lord. Feel suddenly opened her eyes wide, as if realizing something, and blurted out. ¡¸His Lordship wille after touring through the town. ¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ He probably wants to know the current state of the town. For a while each of us killed time on their own, then, it became noisy outside. ©`©`So he arrived. ¡¸His Lordship arrived, everyone, please prepare!¡¹ Shouting, a member of the militia entered the room. Standing up from my seat, I now awaited the lord¡¯s arrival while being conscious of my appearance. I wonder what kind of person he is. In my mind, nobles have a pretty stiff image. Though the noble that picked me up was a pretty cheerful person, when he performed his duties as a lord he appeared quite stern. ¡­¡­I hope it¡¯s an easygoing person. And while I thought that, the door opened. Feel¡¯s father, after making a respectful bow, opened the way. Then, a person appeared, who looked like he was in his mid-thirties. With an extremely well-kept look, on his face, he had an innocent-looking, somewhat even childish smile. After ncing around the conference room, his smile became even stronger. And, ¡¸Heya! Everyone, I¡¯m counting on you today!¡¹ He made a surprisingly casual greeting. Beside him stood a woman with a cold expression. If I remember correctly, they said that he will participate with his wife. The two are almost pr opposites. While I was taken aback, others bowed, seemingly pretty used to this. I also hurried to lower my head. ¡¸Feel-chan, long time no see. How are you doingtely?¡¹ ¡¸Good. I¡¯m d that¡­¡­ Count Turi also seems to be doing well.¡¹ ¡¸Ha Ha Ha, no need to be so formal. Just keep it the same as I do.¡¹ With a smile, he proceeds to the farthest seat. There, his gaze stopped on Nin. ¡¸Oh, Nin-chan¡­¡­ Ah, no. Isn¡¯t it Ninsama-chan! Thest we met was at that ball, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It has been a long time since west met, your lordship.¡¹ ¡¸Nin-chan, stop teasing me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, yes. But even so, today I¡¯m participating as the church representative.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah, okay. And, ehm, the guild¡¯s representative¡­¡­ Ah, Lilia-chan! I¡¯ve been looking forward to this since they were saying that you are a very cute girl. Ough?!¡¹ Suddenly, the lord made a pained cry and crouched. The woman next to the count Turi stared down at him with an ice-cold stare. ¡¸Would you mind keeping your frolics in moderation?¡¹ ¡¸I, I know, I know. Look, everyone was so nervous, so I did it only out of concern.¡¹ Looks like the spouses are in a pretty good rtionship. ¡¸Haaah¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s get to the talking right away.¡¹ ¡¸Before that, there is another person, ah, no, two of them?¡¹ Having said that, he looked at me with a serious face. ¡­¡­It feels like I¡¯m being evaluated. Though I think there is nothing wrong with the way I look. ¡¸So you are Rude?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸And, that girl over there¡­¡­ Your wife? Maid uniform, huh. I see you¡¯re a man of culture as well. I also like it.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s different. She is¡­¡­ Something like a servant at my ce.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see. Rude, I heard a lot about you. The adventurer who is often assisting the militia, they say. And it seems that you also performed the investigation of thebyrinth this time. Thank you, man!¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡­ I just did what I wanted to do.¡¹ I just wanted to find something for Manicia, everything else is pretty much extra. I did nothing worthy of gratitude. ¡¸Rude also seems to be quite nervous. Everyone, be at ease. Here, I want to hear your opinions regardless of your status. Just say anything thates to your mind! ¡­¡­Ah, but if you go too far, I might get sad. So please don¡¯t be too harsh.¡¹ Count Turi said, shutting his eyes and pressing hands together. ¡¸¡­¡­Haah. Sorry about that. My husband is this kind of an idiot. Please think of him as a little child and address respectively.¡¹ ¡¸Wha, did you have to say that?! Anyway, if there is something you need to make the town better, feel free to tell me! I will cooperate to the best of my abilities!¡¹ ¡­¡­For now, I¡¯m d that the lord really turned out to be an easygoing person. Marking the start of the conference, we bowed to each other. Then, sitting down in our seats, we started the actual meeting. Chapter 23: Circumstances

Chapter 23: Circumstances

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± ¡¸Then, lets us begin the conference. I, Shisanti will oversee its course.¡¹ ¡¸Wouldn¡¯t it be better if those that wanted to speak just raised their hands?¡¹ ¡¸You, dear, be quiet, please. Well then, I¡¯m looking forward to your cooperation.¡¹ The count¡¯s wife, Shisanti-san, bowed. ¡­¡­She gives quite a scary impression. Shisanti-san looked at Lilia with a cold look. Lilia had a simr expression. They are a good match. ¡¸Then, please, representative of the guild, give us a report on the situation.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Lilia took a nearby paper and stood up. ¡¸As was reported before this. Currently, the guild is operating through the provisional tent and the partly finished building. It¡¯s expected that fully finishing construction will take some more time. The only requests we are currently handling are those issued by the country on delivery of fieldzaurus raw materials. The reason being, no presence of monsters other than fieldzauruses was confirmed in Avancier¡¯sbyrinth. Thus, all requests are limited to that. No new monsters appeared since thest report to the guild about the appearance of powerful monsters in the town¡¯s vicinity, so currently, the town doesn¡¯t appear too attractive to adventurers.¡¹ ¡­¡­That¡¯s true. I was pretty happy that the town will get livelier with the appearance of thebyrinth, but we still have a lot of problems to solve. Abyrinth, huh. I wonder if it should be remade into a more attractive one. ¡¸And, the number of guild staff is 10 people, all assigned to their posts. We believe that depending on the further development of the town, this number is up to change.¡¹ ¡¸So thebyrinth is not that great¡­¡­ Chee, unlucky.¡¹ Count Turi leaned back on the chair. ¡¸The one request we have to the lord is rted to the maintenance of public order among adventurers. The guild issued them a number of warnings, but the effectiveness of that seems to be limited. We believe that stationing a group of knights here would be more helpful.¡¹ The militia has no right to arrest. But knights do. With the number of peopleing and going getting this high, this is what I also wanted to ask. To ce several knights here, who can act in case of something. ¡¸Understood. I think the same suggestion wille from the people representative, so I will reply to it all together at the end.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. For now, this is all I have. If something elsees up we will contact youter.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. I appreciate your effort. Then, the next is©`©`¡¹ ¡¸The church representative, please.¡¹ Shisanti-san interjected, interrupting him. Count Turi dejectedly dropped his shoulders. A little child, huh¡­¡­ It might sound rude, but it does sound appropriate. ¡¸Yes. Well, we already reported beforehand and received permission. It has been decided that a church will be constructed in this town.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. With a church, the adventurers might be more willing to visit the town.¡¹ ¡¸And it seems that with the appearance of abyrinth, it is now possible to receive a divine revtion here. I already confirmed it on my side.¡¹ Divine Revtion allows us to see our own skills and the amount of outer shell. The reason is unknown, but ording to church, in sacrednds, close to God, it is possible to receive God¡¯s Revtion. After offering a prayer to a specially installed divine stone, the skills and the outer shell possessed by the person show up on that stone. Unlike appraisal, it doesn¡¯t reveal the precise effects of the skills, but thanks to this we can show our skills to a third party. After all, people can make all kinds of empty ims. Skills appearing there would be reported to the country, determining the rank of those skills. I got SSR through the rarity alone. If before my death they will get info on my skills, the evaluation will change to a more urate one. I wonder what will happen to my skills. ¡¸That is wonderful. If that is the case, is the church is going to station a number of its knights here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. However, they are guardians of the church. Of course, they will cooperate in case of emergency, but their main duty is protecting the church. Which does not include maintaining the public order.¡¹ ¡­¡­Sparks scattered between Shisanti-san and Nin. Shisanti-san surely wants to reduce their own expenses on knights, while Nin doesn¡¯t want them to push extra work their way. Meekly epting everything is stupid, one has to secure advantageous conditions. However, it differs a bit where ites to the church. Bad souls don¡¯t go to God, and collected by Devil, get remade into monsters. Is what they preach. Many believe their teachings, so the mere presence of the church in the town changes something in the consciousness of people. So they would serve as a fine deterrent anyway. ¡¸Is that all from the church?¡¹ Shisanti-san tilted her head, appearing to be contemting something. Nin replied with ¡¸Yes¡¹and sat back. ¡¸Well then, next we will hear people of the town. The Militia¡¯s representative, Feel-san, go ahead.¡¹ That moment. Shisanti-san¡¯s expression became just a little bit softer. ¡­¡­I thought her to be a scary person but looks like there is more to her. ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ Oddly enough when ites to Feel, she didn¡¯t fumble with her words. After taking several deep breaths, she lifted her paper. ¡¸The report from the militia. ¡­¡­Ehm, currently. The militia has a total of ten members. Ehm, and all of them work every day. When that is not enough anyway, we ask for assistance from people like Rude and Luna here, adventurers and people in retirement, to somehow do our job. For now, there are no huge issues like monsters attacking from the outside, so it is not that much of a problem, but we don¡¯t have enough numbers or strength left to handle an emergency.¡¹ ¡­¡­No surprise there. Even I assist them basically every day. ¡¸Thus, we would like you to increase the number of personnel and operational expensesing with that. That is all¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I would like to hear detailster.¡¹ With those words from Shisanti-san, Feel breathed a short sigh and returned to her seat. I¡¯m next, huh. Shisanti-san¡¯s gaze turned to me. The tenderness that was there moments agopletely disappeared. ¡¸Then, people representative Rude, please.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Getting up from my seat I overlook everyone. ¡­¡­I often talk with them, but looking at them now, they appear quite different. I understand why Feel would be nervous. ¡¸I will now announce the opinions of the citizens of this town.¡¹ Picking up the paper where they were listed I take a breath. ¡¸First, there are not enough inns. Currently, the adventurers, who were unable to get lodging there, created a tent camp in a certain part of the town. There areints about them being noisy during night time. Then, quarrels among those adventurers though they became less numerouspared to the beginning, but they are still verymon. People of the town©`©` Especially children, are scared of that.¡¹ That is the same as ever. The reason being, this town is after all a bit toofortable, in a bad way. If we had knights here the situation could change. ¡¸We would like to ask for the additional warning from the guild, and for knights to be stationed in this town.¡¹ ¡¸I will reply to that at the end.¡¹ Shisanti dered. After all, she is scary. Her re-like stare does not excite me. Looks like I react only to Manicia¡¯s look. So I¡¯mpletely normal it seems. ¡¸Next, this is the issue mostly rted to the guild. The local cksmiths and apothecaries have a request.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Lilia raised her eyebrows. ¡¸Since this town previously had no guild, they traded for materials directly. However, if the guild is going to oversee such dealing from now on, the interpersonal deals will pretty much disappear.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, probably.¡¹ ¡¸Thus, they want to get information on the prices and avability of ingredients as soon as possible. The apothecaries are already facing a severe shortage of ingredients.¡¹ ¡¸Roger. I will contact higher-ups, but I think that the situation with the deficit of the healing herbs will continue for a while. And they also can¡¯t be procured at thebyrinth.¡¹ ¡­¡­That¡¯s true. We can¡¯t do anything about that. ¡¸That is all I have.¡¹ ¡¸Please, excuse me, there is something I would like to report additionally.¡¹ As I finished, Lilia stood up. Shisanti¡¯s look became sharper. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸One of the reasons why the public order of the town is so bad is that there is no n. If there was a n wishing to make this town their base, adventurers should calm down a bit. Well, though it requires the said n to have some degree of power.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But this matter has to be considered carefully. It has to be a n suitable for this town.¡¹ ¡­¡­Indeed. n, to put it simply, an aggregation of parties. There is arge number of adventurers, and since the guild can¡¯t possibly look out for all of them, there is a system of ns. The difference from parties is that if the n bes recognized by the guild, they will receive mary aid. It seems that the sum is pretty considerable, so there appears to be arge number of adventurers wishing to be n leaders to lead afortable life in leisure. n, huh. A n can also change what kind of adventurers will settle in this town. In the past¡­¡­ When I only started out as an adventurer, I looked up to the ns. Even wished to have my own n someday. Taking care of new adventurers, deepening friendship with other ns¡­¡­ Such stuff sounded really fun. ¡¸Is that all?¡¹ Lilia nodded and returned to her seat under Shisanti¡¯s gaze. Shisanti breathed a short sigh and nced at a paper in front of her. I saw how she made a lot of notes during the talk. ¡­¡­I wonder what she is going to say. I¡¯m a bit anxious. ¡¸Let¡¯s see. We were already aware of many of those problems from the initial reports, but we appreciate youing to tell us about them like this.¡¹ Shisanti lowered her head, then turned to look at me. ¡¸Since it was just mentioned, there is something I¡¯d like to confirm¡­¡­ Rude-sam, do you have intentions of bing a n leader?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Receiving an unexpected question, I involuntarily made such a reply. Chapter 24: On Clans

Chapter 24: On ns

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± ¡¸Me? A n?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ording to our assessment, we believe that in this town, you might possess the biggest influence. The following will be said from a pragmatic side, so it might be a bit hard to listen. From what we¡¯ve heard, you originally belonged to the hero¡¯s party. Were we in addition to use the saintess name, and for example announced through the newspaper your skills and the great role you yed in the previous investigation, it would greatly improve the standing of the n as well as it will increase the number of people seeking to join it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Indeed, that might be true. I, a n leader. I¡¯d like to try¡­¡­ But the responsibility is too heavy. What if I fail? Besides, though Manicia got somewhat better, it¡¯s not like she ispletely cured. After thinking for a bit, I shook my head. ¡¸That¡­¡­ Is not realistic. For me, I¡­¡­ I have a different objective.¡¹ Shisanti-san first lowered her gaze and then gave a small nod. ¡¸Is that so? Then we will look for a n fitting for this town. However, we still have something we¡¯d like to ask from Rude-san.¡¹ ¡¸From me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. As embarrassing as it may be, but we are not familiar with this town, despite it being a part of our domain. With all the various sorts of ns existing, there are surely some that do and do not fit this ce.¡¹ Indeed, a lot varies from n to n. Shisanti-san continued. ¡¸We would like you to go to the city of adventurers, where many ns have their bases, and to judge them by yourself. Of course, we will cover the necessary expenses and will reward you for the efforts.¡¹ ¡¸That, I can do.¡¹ The city of adventurers, huh. I don¡¯t know much about it, but if I ask the adventurers currently staying in Avancier, it should work out somehow. ¡¸Understood. Then, we shall proceed in that direction. Then again, if you decide to make a n, please inform us. We will make the necessary arrangements.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understood.¡¹ The moment Shisanti-san stopped to take a breath, Count Turi interjected, bending forward over the table. ¡¸Rude, you won¡¯t make a n?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ehm. I¡¯d like to remain free in my actions. I have a little sister. I dive intobyrinths to save her.¡¹ ¡¸What? Is she sick or something?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. She was born sickly¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, I see. But you know, Rude. It¡¯s not like you will lose your freedom after creating a n?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that really so?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. For example, make only final decisions as the n leader, leaving all of the routine and mundane tasks to a sub leader. I¡¯m basically doing the same. Saying that I will take full responsibility while leaving the actual work to others!¡¹ ¡¸Thanks to that my workload is just that muchrger. And currently, Rude-san is alone.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, ah, ehm,¡­¡­ Well¡­¡­¡¹ Shisanti-san res at Count Turi. He tried to y it off, humming, then, looked at me. ¡¸A-Anyway. I will look for someone who can support you. After that, I¡¯d like to ask you about making a n again.¡¹ ¡¸Why are you insisting on this?¡¹ ¡¸Feel¡¯s dad often spoke about you. So he got me interested. You know, I actually came here a few times to see you? But at such times, you would always disappear somewhere, so we couldn¡¯t meet.¡¹ Count Turi puffed his cheeks. Shisanti-san breathed a sigh, clearly unamused with this behavior unbefitting his age. ¡¸That is half of it. In fact,ing here, I asked around about you. The townsfolk all praised you, saying that you are a very diligent and earnest guy. From now on, this town will have to deal with representatives of all kinds of positions. I saw that you will be able to get along with any of them.¡¹ That is¡­¡­ Overestimation at its best. ¡¸I¡¯m honestly happy about this evaluation. However¡­¡­ At the moment I can¡¯t consider it after all. Even if I made a n, I can¡¯t even say how much I will be able to do. I think it would be for the benefit of the town to ask one of the already existing ns.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. That¡¯s true. Okay, got it. I have no intention of forcing you into this. Then, case closed! Next topic! Ah, we are done already. It¡¯s my turn to speak. First, about the question of public order that all of you brought up.¡¹ Count Turi picked up a paper near him, and put more strength into his voice. ¡¸Currently, we are nning to post 5 knights here that are currently avable. With this, the number of adventurers rampaging as they please should go down.¡¹ Indeed, with even one knight present, they wouldn¡¯t be able to act as carelessly as before. But even so, that won¡¯t eliminate that behaviorpletely. Now, if only we had a n there. One with enough power to bring adventurers in line. ¡¸Well, doing nothing will bring no results, so we¡¯d like the guild to issue more warnings, as sternly as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ ¡¸And, Rude, this concerns the question you brought up, so listen well. For now, there arends in my domain with an excess of ore and medicinal nts. We are nning to gather ingredients from such areas. So can you discuss this with the apothecaries and smiths of the town? I will be leaving this to you, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ Lilia nodded. Next, having a satisfied look on his face, Count Turi turned to Feel. She jerked in surprise and straightening her back, froze. ¡­¡­Feel has such a stupid look on her face. ¡¸About the funding for the militia¡­¡­ We also consider increasing it. However, there is a question of how much is required. We shall discuss this matter another day to find the appropriate sum, I will be counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes.¡¹ ¡¸I also get that you don¡¯t have enough people. I will try to recruit people interested in this town, from other settlements. Will this do for now?¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes.¡¹ Feel keeps nodding, like a broken doll. Being done talking, Count Turi stretched his limbs without restraint. ¡¸Then, the difficult talk is over. My, I¡¯m so~ tired.¡¹ Count Turi sprawled over the table. Shisanti, who stood beside him, sighed in disapproval. ¡­¡­What a free-spirited person. The papers that Count Turi threw on the table all were written in the basic letters that the kids learn when they just begin the study. ¡­¡­Did Shisanti-san do it for him? ¡¸Everyone, thank you for today. For now, the discussion is over. We probably will have separate discussions with each of the representativester. We will be counting on you at that time.¡¹ With Shisanti-san announcing the end of the conference I finally was able to breathe a sigh of relief myself. Luna, who was sitting beside me, slightly lowered her head. ¡¸Master, you did well.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, thanks, you too.¡¹ ¡¸No, I was only listening.¡¹ That alone is enough. I¡¯m d that I didn¡¯te alone. I probably would¡¯ve been as nervous as Feel. Thinking so, it¡¯s amazing that Feel managed to get through without passing out. She looked so exhausted as if she was about to copse any moment now. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s have fun!¡¹ ¡¸Fun?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go and drink together! We already had everything prepared. There is a lot I¡¯d like to talk about. Rude, can you drink?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m not that good with alcohol.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see. Well, do as you please! Nin-chan, you are quite a drinker, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I like it.¡¹ Nin¡¯s eyes are shining. ¡¸As expected. What about Lilia-chan?!¡¹ ¡¸My sister is waiting for me, so I will be going back.¡¹ ¡¸Just bring your sister with you! Let¡¯s have fun together to deepen our friendship!¡¹ ¡¸If you bring something sweet I will consider it.¡¹ ¡¸Sure thing! My chef is already working outside. Which reminds me, Feel, can you hold your alcohol? I don¡¯t think we ever drank together?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m pretty strong.¡¹ Big, fat lie. As expected, Nin¡¯s expression stiffened, since she now knew the situation with Feel. Well, it¡¯s not like there is any real harm. No, there is, to me. Though there are some good sides to it, the eyes of people around hurt too much. Let¡¯s tell Count Turi about thister, secretly. And looks like Feel finally got freed of that tension, which does make me happy. ¡¸Then, we are drinking tonight!¡¹ His smile was so bright, that it even made me doubt if this was his real aim all along. Shisanti-san pped him on the head a number of times, but it didn¡¯t seem to bother him at all. Chapter 25: To each their own way of life

Chapter 25: To each their own way of life

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± A huge feast was held, involving the entirety of the town. Count Turi spoke with the citizens of the town with a frankness that didn¡¯t allow to even suspect a noble in him. Shugor and I observed that from a bit of a distance. ¡¸It¡¯s amazing how he can mingle with people like that.¡¹ The count kept gulping down wine with a satisfied look. His hair swaying in the wind. Since we were surrounded by the night, the whole thing looked incredibly picturesque. ¡¸Make you envious, right? Such a feat is impossible for me.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Aren¡¯t you pretty good at dealing with people as well?¡¹ Shugor is iparably better than me at socializing. ¡¸¡­¡­Is that how it looks to you? I¡¯m, you know¡­¡­actually quite wary of people.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, really? ¡­¡­No, you have to be lying. When we met for the first time you acted in the same way as now.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m rtively fine with men, but women¡­¡­ I¡¯m quite bad with them¡­¡­ The moment it was decided that I will enter Kygras-san¡¯s party I threw up a few times at home. ¡¹ Yeah, Kygras¡¯ party has a lot of female members. How surprising. I totally expected such a sweet and good looking guy to have a lot of experience with women. ¡¸M¡¯Lord, please do something!¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Please!¡¹ It¡¯s those two buddies from the militia, making a ruckus. Red-faced, they are pestering the lord. ¡¸I know, I know. I¡¯ll do something so militia members can have days off. Just hang in there a bit more.¡¹ Count Turi tries to calm them. That¡¯s probably his way of getting the actual opinions of the people under him. As I was looking at him, our eyes met. Then, Count Turi approached us. ¡¸Hey, Rude, and the church¡¯s knight, right? Are you having fun?¡¹ I enjoyed the food sitting on the ground. ¡¸Yes, thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸As a member of the church I¡¯m grateful to you for extending to us your invitation.¡¹ ¡¸Nah, no need to be so formal. Right now I basically just snuck my way into a bar, something like amoner.¡¹ Even if you say that. He is still a count. His standing is way different from ours. He is really nothing like a noble. Shugor and I smiled wryly after exchanging nces. Then, Count Turi lowered his head in a bow. ¡¸Thanks for today. And you are a really great help. The townsfolk told me a lot about you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I hope it¡¯s nothing weird?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. It¡¯s obvious that everyone trusts you.¡¹ The count donned a smile and sat next to me. Shugor, probably realizing something, hurried to escape. Count Turi made no attempts to stop him. Looks like he wants to talk with me. ¡¸Sorry about that.¡¹ He lowered his head, but I have no idea what is going on. ¡¸Eh? What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸About that n thing.¡¹ He shook his ss, making the wine inside spin in circles. Then, the count¡¯s expression stiffened, as he spun the ss too much, spilling the alcohol. ¡¸Suddenly being asked to do such a thing at your age, you sure would be troubled. I knew that, but went with it anyway, sorry.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ I actually didn¡¯t mind that at all. On the contrary, I was happy about the proposal. ¡­¡­n, huh. I¡¯d like to try, but I¡¯m really not sure. ¡¸You know, with my personality, you probably were surprised that I¡¯m not like a noble at all?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ehm, well, yes.¡¹ As one would expect, I was taken aback a little. The count dropped his shoulders a bit dejectedly. ¡¸I easily get nervous, you know. So I¡¯m not good unless I act in such a way. To begin with, I had no intentions of inheriting the count title¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, just five years ago I was an adventurer, you know?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s, no, I didn¡¯t hear about that.¡¹ I heard that we got a new lord. But I didn¡¯t hear the exact details. The count smiled. ¡¸There were a lot of circumstances involved. I was born as a fifth son of the count¡¯s house, of course, I had no rights on it. So at first, I became a knight through my parents¡¯ connections¡­¡­ But such stiff and formal stuff wasn¡¯t for me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It would appear that way.¡¹ ¡¸So giving up on knighthood, I lived as an adventurer. And I even managed to climb to A rank!¡¹ He said pridefully, pumping his fist in the air. ¡­¡­Indeed, there is no uselessness to his movements. And he seems to be in good form. ¡¸Well, and after I lived for a while as an adventurer, an envoy came from my family. The eldest son, who was supposed to seed the house, fell ill¡­¡­and died. So it turned to who will seed instead. Other brothers couldn¡¯t immediately take his ce due to various circumstances. So, it was proposed that the son of the eldest brother should inherit it instead¡­¡­ But, his son was only 8 years old at the time. So, as ast resort, I took over.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so? Isn¡¯t that a lot of trouble? Being pushed into a leader position out of the blue.¡¹ ¡¸Of course it is. I had no intention of seeding the house at all. I had no training for that, and after living as amoner for a long time, I had nothing aristocratic about me.¡¹ Count Turi shrugged and then smiled. Indeed, he appears more like an adventurer. ¡¸Well, on the other hand. People under me are doing their best. After all, I¡¯m in this only temporarily, until the son of the eldest brotheres of age. So in a way, it is better if I¡¯m not that good at my job. That would make things for his son easier as well. There is no telling when they will chase me out. So I¡¯m making preparations so no trouble will arise even if I were to be thrown out tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸You are too harsh on yourself. I think Count Turi¡­¡­ Is an amazing person.¡¹ I¡¯m not even trying to tter him. The fact that he is so confident in revealing his weakness, tells a lot about how strong he is. ¡¸Re-really? That¡¯s ttering.¡¹ Count Turiughed, scratching his head. Then, his expression turned to a somewhat serious one. ¡¸The reason I wanted you to make a n is that I was sure that you will certainly protect this town and that you also will look out for Verga, the son that I mentioned earlier.¡¹ ¡¸Me?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s my own personal request, so to say.¡¹ Looks like he is more worried about the future head than himself. That alone made me think that he is an admirable person. He might be the son of his brother, but that is still a stranger. But the count seems to love him as his own child. Then, having an amiable smile on his face, the count scratched his head. ¡¸And¡­¡­ I also would like to have a ce to go when I¡¯m thrown out of the count¡¯s house¡­¡­.¡¹ This humorous attitude and smile can probably be called his talent. ¡¸Sorry, I just keep talking about myself.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡­ I heard a valuable story. And I¡¯m also happy about your evaluation. ¡­¡­ Ehm, please, let me think about it for a bit more.¡¹ ¡¸You can think more than just a bit. Take as much time as you want!¡¹ His eyes sparkled as he held my hands. Then, Count Turi went to another group of people, drinking with them. I also stand up, and head to Manicia. She barely tried alcohol previously, but today she is having some of it. Being a lightweight, her face is already red. Every time someone says a thing, she shakes with augh. That sight was so adorable that I felt better from just looking at her. From time to time, Feel sneakily reaches out for the bottle, but Manicia ps her hand away in a swift motion. ¡¸Nii-san, don¡¯t just watch over there, join us.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll intrude.¡¹ Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me. Milena offered me a ss of wine. ¡¸Here, try it.¡¹ Usually, Milena doesn¡¯t drink that much, but today she drank enough to bring a blush to her cheeks. The doubts in my heart still weren¡¯t resolved. But brooding over it won¡¯t do any good. Taking the wine offered by Milena I gulp it down. A slightly burning sensation on my throat. Then, the hotness spread to my chest, and then to the whole body. ¡¸Rude, don¡¯t make such a difficult face.¡¹ Laughing with delight, Milena offers me another drink. Taking it, I drink it at a slow pace. As I looked at the town swallowed in wildughter, Manicia came up next to me. ¡¸Nii-san, I heard about the n talk.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸Nii-san, I¡¯m sure you are worried about me.¡¹ ¡­¡­Well, of course, I am. ¡¸I also would like to see what kind of n you will make. And also, if it¡¯s office work, I could be of help to you. So I really want to see it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t remain as your weak and frail sister forever. I will show you that I can work as well.¡¹ Manicia made a fist. Replying to her with a smile, I, as if entrusting myself to the night¡¯s wind, close my eyes. I have to consider the future. Chapter 26: Visitor

Chapter 26: Visitor

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Knock knock, came from the door. Who could it be at such an hour? The current time is about 4 o¡¯clock in the morning. Since Manicia was going to make today¡¯s breakfast, I woke up 3 hours earlier. Getting off the chair I head to the front door. If it was some kind of emergency, they wouldn¡¯t knock on the door like that. Slightly cautions, I slowly open the door. Outside stood a man in kimono. The same ruffled hair that turned white after losing all pigmentation. ¡¸Yo! Rude. It¡¯s been a while. I was lonely since you didn¡¯te to visit me since then.¡¹ The guardian of Avancier¡¯sbyrinth stood there with an innocent smile, one hand raised in a greeting. ©– Everyone is still sleeping. I¡¯d like to let him inside, but though he appears human, he is actually a guardian. If he suddenly transforms like he did before, it would be a huge mess. That being the case, I cannot allow him near Manicia, so I decided to talk outside. Unfortunately, it¡¯s raining today, but it can¡¯t be helped. Closing the front door behind me, I look at him. ¡¸What happened? Or rather, you can freely walk outside thebyrinth¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But sunlight isn¡¯t good for us. There is no way I¡¯d go outside on a sunny day. And I also would prefer to avoid openly strolling through this town. After all, I have done in a number of adventures inside thebyrinth.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really? From what I heard there are no fatalities inside thebyrinth.¡¹ It¡¯s not like it matters to me. In the end, they chose to challenge him on their own volition. ¡¸It¡¯s not like I killed anyone as well. I¡¯m generally not that fond of killing. After all, the defeated might get stronger ande back for revenge. Isn¡¯t that exciting?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, they would being for a kill, so it doesn¡¯t excite me at all. Were it me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at night.¡¹ ¡¸Really? So it isn¡¯t why you let me go?¡¹ Involuntarily, I take a distance. The guardian smiled. ¡¸I¡¯m just kidding. However, I¡¯m very interested in you. I¡¯m currently training, aiming to defeat your party the next time. Pleasee to y again. I will be stronger.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­If possible, I¡¯d pass on that.¡¹ I have no reason to fight him anymore. The guardian dropped his shoulders dejectedly. ¡¸That¡¯s sad. ¡­¡­Well, fine. There is another reason why I came today.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸The number of peopleing to mybyrinth¡­¡­ went down. Do you know anything about it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­¡¹ There are actually a ton of possible reasons. A major factor in that was also brought up during the conference yesterday. Thebyrinth has no appeal. One cannot collect any materials there, and the monsters are nothing but fieldzauruses. Moreover, I wasn¡¯t aware of this before, but this guardian goes after adventurers. They might be able to get out with their lives, but they surely would have no desire to go back after that. When I told that to the guardian, he opened his eyes wide, and then breathed a heavy sigh. ¡¸¡­¡­Thebyrinth has no appeal. That, that¡¯s not true. It has beautiful scenery overflowing with green.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just trees.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Trees! Isn¡¯t that enough? Try touching them, or rubbing your cheek on the bark, isn¡¯t that calming?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just that you are special.¡¹ ¡¸It, it¡¯s just an example! Using trees one can also practice iai!1 It¡¯s abyrinth after all! Given a bit of time, they will revive! A natural training location!¡¹ ¡¸That appeal is limited to you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Kuh, the adventurers those days are no good!¡¹ ¡­¡­This guardian is quite¡­ A unique man. Then, he put a hand to his chin. After muttering something for a while, he looked at me. ¡¸What did you mean saying that it¡¯s impossible to gather ingredients there?¡¹ ¡¸nts and minerals. And also, bugs or mushrooms that could be used for medicine. Also, treasure chests. Which reminds me, there was no mention of them on the report as well.¡¹ ¡¸Treasures, huh. One usually would recycle drops from adventurers for that. Making something from scratch¡­¡­ Would take a bit too much effort. However, for other things, if I get an understanding of the material that will serve as the base, I should be able to reproduce it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You can do that?¡¹ Involuntarily I lean to him, asking. The guardian donned a smile. ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s what abyrinth is. ¡­¡­And then, monsters¡­ So I need monsters other than fieldzauruses? I guess it would be better to make something new.¡¹ ¡¸New species? You can?¡¹ ¡¸Well, there are various ways. I can do it if I have a magic stone from a monster and some materials. Having a magic stone from a human I can create an even better monster!¡¹ ¡¸So it was you?¡¹ I grabbed his hand without thinking. ¡¸What are you doing all of a sudden? Can¡¯t wait to see the result?¡¹ ¡¸No. Earlier, a never seen before monster appeared near the town. Near the heart, it had a magic stone used for homunculi. ¡­¡­A magic stone from a human, this is what it means, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, no idea what you are talking about. Sorry, but I came here just a short while ago, along with thebyrinth. So it was someone other than I.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then what was that monster?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows. But, no matter which era, there would be people getting the same idea.¡¹ The guardian nodded to himself. No matter which era? ¡¸Can I ask you something?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What do you want to know?¡¹ ¡¸Are you a person from the past after all?¡¹ The guardian has the knowledge and the skills from the past, which are considered to be lost. The church considers the possibility ofbyrinths being a necessary sacrifice to bring a person back from dead. By preparingpensation in the form of abyrinth, the people that died in the past can be brought back to life, though in an iplete form. ¡¸I said it earlier. I have no memories of that. But there is some stuff that I just happen to know. Though it does feel a bit lonely since I don¡¯t know even my own name.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why I want to enjoy my only delight, battles. And I want to ask for your help in that, Rude!¡¹ I replied with a nod, as he smiled innocently. ¡­¡­If thebyrinth can be improved, there is no reason for me to refuse. After all, it also would lead to the development of the town. ¡¸Got it, I will help.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Rude!¡¹ The guardian jumped to hug me. Though he sounds and acts like a hothead, his skin is cold to touch. ¡¸Ah, how annoying. Get off me.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that. You hurt my feelings.¡¹ When I pushed him away, the guardian dejectedly separated from me. Good grief¡­ He is more human-like than some humans. It throws me off. ¡¸I¡¯d like to ask, are all sentient guardians like that?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I wonder. There are some that are just¡ºKill¡­¡­ Humans¡­¡­¡».¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You can get in touch with them?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s possible, more or less.¡¹ ¡¸It is¡­¡­? How? Are you exchanging letters or something?¡¹ ¡¸No. We have tools that allow formunication over a long distance. But, well, to establish a link, one first has to travel to thatbyrinth and meet the guardian. Which isn¡¯t really possible. But I know thatbyrinths have such a feature. And it¡¯s the same about other guardians, I just know.¡¹ Sobyrinths had such a feature? Though it¡¯s natural, there is a lot of what I didn¡¯t know. It¡¯s quite curious. ¡¸Let¡¯s get back to the main topic. I said that I will cooperate, but what exactly do I have to do?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing too hard. Just do as you please. If you have a monster you want to be put into thebyrinth, then catching and bringing it here would be the easiest way. If you want apletely new species, then bring monsters that will be used forbination. And, raw materials, was it? Just bring me samples, I will reproduce them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So such a thing is possible forbyrinths?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That much is easy. But all of it expends a peculiar magic power thatbyrinths contain. And when it runs out, no such feats are possible anymore.¡¹ ¡¸How much of that magic power is there?¡¹ ¡¸It is being collected proportionally to the time humans stay inside thebyrinth. You humans, lose endurance by staying inside abyrinth, right?¡¹ ¡¸We do¡­¡­¡¹ It¡¯s hardly noticeable, but with time it disappears little by little. ¡¸That lost endurance turns into energy for monster creation.¡¹ ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know about such conversion. If one can prove it, that alone would earn them a ce among the scientists. Or rather¡­¡­ Bringing this guardian to the proper ce would bring great gains. ¡¸Hm, what¡¯s wrong? Looking at me so intently, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹ Well, he is basically like a friend to me at this point. And he also doesn¡¯t appear like a killer. Quite contrary, he is about to be a great benefactor to this town. I¡¯d prefer to build a friendly rtionship with him. ¡¸In short, I should search for the stuff I want to be put inside thebyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Ah, but it¡¯s not a dump, you know. Don¡¯t just drag there anything you please.¡¹ ¡¸I know. For materials, is bringing one piece enough?¡¹ ¡¸No, if possible, bring a few. 4-5 would be great.¡¹ ¡¸I see. For starters, I will bring what can be gathered in the vicinity. And, I also have ns to visit the city of adventurers in the near future.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ It probably will cost a bit, but it¡¯s not like I have no savings. It will be fine. ¡¸Uwaa¡­ Such a heavy rain¡­¡­¡¹ Nin came out of her room with a sleepy look and muttering this, went outside. Scratching her unkempt chestnut-colored hair, she then looked at us, puzzled. ¡¸Ooh, the healer girl. That was quite an extraordinary healing power that you showedst time. I¡¯m d that I could meet you again. Looking closely, you are quite a beauty. Though, sadly, your chest is missing.¡¹ ¡¸AAah?! Eh¡­¡­ THE GUARDIAN?!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Aaah.¡¹ I wanted to part with him before everyone wakes up. Scratching my head I gave her a quick exnation, but Nin hummed, having a deep wrinkle in between her brows. ¡¸Rude, big chest or small chest, which do you like more?¡¹She then asked apletely unrted question. There is no way I could bring myself to say that I prefer huge breasts. Note: a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to a sudden attack Chapter 27: Everyone’s Thoughts Part 1

Chapter 27: Everyone¡¯s Thoughts Part 1

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The outside was humid. The wind touching the skin, of course, was a hot one, so I couldn¡¯t help but frown. I put the great shield on my back, but with the insufferable humidity, I¡¯m immediately tempted to take it off. The job that I¡¯m doing dailytely, street patrolling. Even on the days when the militia doesn¡¯t call on me, I still check the surroundings. That¡¯s because there is no end to small quarrels. To alleviate the discontent of the citizens I can¡¯t help but walk around, listening to theirints. ¡¸Ah, Rude-san, hello!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, hello.¡¹ ¡¸Rude-san, patrolling again?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes. What about you? Going to thebyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah. We gotta earn while there is still demand on fieldzauruses.¡¹ For now, they are a source of a pretty okay ie for C rank adventurers. After all, they don¡¯t appear anywhere near the settlements surrounding the ce. We have to make sure that those adventurers won¡¯t run away. And also, that new adventurers join them. For that, we are building a new inn. Considering the size of the town, it might be difficult to finish it in the near future, but we are working on it. In case we won¡¯t have enough people to make it function as an inn, we can even lend it as an apartmentplex. I¡¯m only praying that the number of adventurersing here will increase. With the new building under construction, there is also work on a bigger outer wall, to amodate the growth of the town. ¡­¡­Slowly, the town is changing. While slightly sad about it, happiness is bigger after all. ¡¸THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!¡¹ ¡¸HA?! DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM?!¡¹ The adventurers fighting among themselves. Breathing a sigh, I immediately headed there. Their expressions turn awkward after noticing me. Shisanti-san said that my name carries some weight in this town, and it does seem to be the case these days. Asking the two about the situation, I sigh. ¡¸Having rice or bread with breakfast, does it really matter¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­So-sorry. I got a bit excited¡­¡­¡¹ It¡¯s nothing but this sort of stufftely. It¡¯s nice that no kids were around. Though it¡¯s a dumb argument, but seeing two grown-up people shouting at each other can still be quite scary. And in order to prevent that, I can¡¯t ck on patrolling. Let¡¯s head to the next ce. Thinking so, I turned around and saw a familiar olddy nearby. ¡¸Hey, Rude.¡¹ Gardening seems to be a hobby of hers as she often shares vegetables with us. She smiled, having a hand on her crooked back. ¡¸Is something wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Can youe to my house? There is something I¡¯d like to say concerning the town¡­¡­¡¹ The voice didn¡¯t sound like her usual self. There was something in her expression, saying that this is important. ¡­¡­It might be something difficult to talk about at such a ce. I hope it¡¯s nothing serious. ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Looking relieved by my answer, the old woman smiled. I head to her house. Entering the old woman¡¯s house, signs of heated discussion entered my ears. Walking further into the interior I see elderly people sitting there. Nothing but familiar faces. Sitting the farthest from me was Old Man Buckle, the previous sub leader of the militia. Folding his arms he looked at me with a frown. And he was not alone in that. Many others had a simr stern expression. Though they appear pretty kind usually. Sharing vegetables, picked on their fields, checking on Manicia when I¡¯m not around. Since I knew how they usually act, the current situation was pretty puzzling to me. Making the most rxed expression I could manage, I tilt my head. ¡¸Is there some kind of a problem?¡¹ ¡¸Rude. There is something we¡¯d like to ask of you.¡¹ Old Man Buckle¡¯s intimidating tone felt overbearing. Perhaps because now he is working in the field daily, but he appears to still be in good shape. ¡¸A request?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t be beating around the bush. We are against the development of this town. We want to live quietly, as we did before.¡¹ It was so unexpected that I couldn¡¯t help but open my eyes wide in amazement. Looking over everyone, I see that though their heads are hanging down, they still nod in agreement. ¡­¡­I already discussed this once with the townsfolk. At the time, everyone was in support of the town¡¯s development. ¡¸Sorry, Rude. But with so many problems happening daily¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸We just want to have a quiet life.¡¹ Of course, I knew that it¡¯s not like there is absolutely no opposition. But I thought that the townsfolk would surely understand. With more peopleing into the town, life will be easier, richer. If we get more traffic from merchants, the town will be able to get many things that it couldn¡¯t until now. Old Man Buckle nodded and as if to summarize everyone¡¯s opinions said. ¡¸That¡¯s how it is. We want to live in peace.¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you the same? You came to this town concerned about Manicia, right?¡¹ Somemented, getting on board with what Old Man Buckle said. They are certainly correct. And I also like how peaceful the town was before. But without any change, the town will just keep getting more deserted. I already saw such ces,which are abandoned by humans, turned into habitats for monsters. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸Just listen to us. Nothing good wille from the development of the town. The crime will rise. Until now, we could leave our houses unlocked, and nothing would happen, but now it won¡¯t do. There is also no guarantee that something won¡¯t happen to Manicia when you are not around.¡¹ There was something in Old Man Buckle¡¯s words that I had to agree with. But I also wanted to refute him. I couldn¡¯t just openly say that he is wrong, but even so, we had a few ns to improve the situation. ¡¸Soon, knights will be stationed here. Eventually, the church will bepleted as well. ¡­¡­We are also going to search for a n, capable of organizing the adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But even so, the problems will still ur, no?¡¹ ¡¸n, you mean¡­ That, right? A gathering of adventurers? ¡­¡­Won¡¯t that bring more problems?¡¹ ¡­¡­Well, that is true, in a way. As long as people are living, there is no way topletely get rid of the problems. But even so©`©` ¡¸Rude, you should think it over. If you tell Feel, she will surely understand.¡¹ Old Man Buckle said in a very kind tone. I¡¯m much obliged to the people gathered here¡­¡­ So I can¡¯t reply to them in strong terms. I don¡¯t want to confront them. ¡¸Is there anyone else in opposition?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Perhaps it was hard for them to say it until now. I thought that everything was going smoothly. But, perhaps¡­¡­ I just failed to notice. ¡¸¡­¡­I got it. I will give it thought.¡¹ After a bow, I leave the house. The wind, that by now smelled of summer, felt very cold. ©– I kept going around, patrolling, but I just couldn¡¯t get my mind into it. As soon as I hear the arguing of adventurers, I can¡¯t help but get annoyed. ¡­¡­Aaah, damn. Today is no good. Perhaps I should return home for now, and get some of Manicia¡¯s healing smile. ¡¸Hey, Rude, what¡¯s with the long face? ¡¹ On the way home, Granny Gigi called out to me. ¡¸Granny Gigi¡­¡­¡¹ She was watering a flower bed in front of her apothecary. I wonder, when did I get here? Damn, I can¡¯t see a thing around me. Looking at me, Granny Gigi smiled. ¡¸You must be tired from working every day, right? Come inside for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸Just do it! I couldn¡¯t even get a word with youtely, with how busy you are. Now, go in, go in!¡¹ Granny Gigi came up to me and pushed me into the back. ¡­¡­If she is going to be so pushy about this, it¡¯s incredibly hard to refuse. Making a small nod, I step into her house, After passing through the shop, I sit in a chair. ¡¸Here, herb tea to remove fatigue. It¡¯s still hot, so be careful.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes.¡¹ I take a sip of the offered tea. I immediately felt like a load fell off my shoulders. Granny Gigi¡¯s herbal tea is as tasty as always. ¡¸It¡¯s delicious, thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Granny Gigi looked me in the face. ¡­¡­I wonder if it was so obvious from my expression. I¡¯m hesitant whatever or not I should tell her. Somehow, the idea of telling Granny Gigi sounded unbing of a man. Even so, thinking by myself¡­¡­ I honestly have no idea what I should do. ¡¸There is a thing troubling me. It¡¯s about the development of the town. I thought that there is a lot to it¡­¡­ Both good and bad.¡¹ ¡¸Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­ Kind of.¡¹ Granny Gigi gave me a sharp look, as if saying ¡¸keep talking¡¹, so reluctantly I told her. Granny Gigi breathed a sigh, and then leaned back on the chair. ¡¸I see. Good grief, that Buckle¡­ I¡¯ll give them a piece of my mind.¡¹ Granny Gigi rolled up her sleeves angrily. ¡¸¡­¡­Granny Gigi, you aren¡¯t opposed to the development?¡¹ When asked so, Granny Gigi¡¯s eyes went round, as if she didn¡¯t expect such a question, then, sheughed. ¡¸Of course not. Well, it¡¯s hard to say who is right here. But, even so, it¡¯s not up to us to decide.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you saying that it¡¯s up to us?¡¹ ¡¸Yup, up to you. It¡¯s something that young people, who will live much longer than us, have to decide. We are here for the time when you, young folk, screw up. So when you make a big mistake, we canfort you, saying that next time, it surely will go better. Though we can¡¯t actually do anything.¡¹ Granny Gigi said jokingly and then showed a gentle smile. ¡¸I¡¯m happy to see you, Rude, doing what you like. After all, I¡¯ve known you two for quite a long time. You might not like it, but I consider you both as something like my grandchildren.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m d to hear this. Manicia would be surely d to hear this as well.¡¹ Granny Gigi gave me a warm smile. ¡¸I think what important is what you want to do.¡¹ What I want¡­¡­? Thinking back on it, I was deeply entangled with the town before I noticed it. In a way, I was just going with the flow and was pulled into this. So I didn¡¯t have any hard determination concerning this. ¡¸I¡­¡­ I also want to take into ount everyone¡¯s feelings. Even so¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to see this town disappear. I like this town. ¡­¡­I want to keep living here.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But, you have to understand that there are times when you can¡¯t keep being nice to everyone. As a person leading others, there are times when you just have to do what has to be done. Rude, do you want to protect this town¡­¡­ or do you want to protect everyone¡¯s opinions? I will support you no matter what you pick.¡¹ Raising my head, I look directly into Granny Gigi¡¯s eyes. ¡¸I will protect the town.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Got it. Then, let¡¯s tell it to them right away.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Granny Gigi, thank you for the advice.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it. You are trying to shoulder everything yourself way too much. If you are fine with me, I¡¯ll always listen.¡¹ She scratched her cheek, looking pretty content. ¡­¡­She is always looking out for us. Chapter 28: Everyone’s Thoughts Part 2

Chapter 28: Everyone¡¯s Thoughts Part 2

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Together with Granny Gigi, I head to the house that I just visited. Old Man Buckle and others still were in the room. Old Man Buckle frowned seeing Granny Gigi standing behind me. ¡¸¡­¡­Rude, what is going on?¡¹ ¡¸I want to share my opinion on what we just discussed.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sure.¡¹ Everyone¡¯s gaze focused on me. Looking at all 10 members, I breathe a short sigh. From the side, Granny Gigi also was looking at me. I don¡¯t need to sugar-coat things. Probably no one would be pleased to hear what I¡¯m about to say anyway. I must give an answer that will betray their expectations. It¡¯s hard, but I have no choice. I will do what I want. ¡¸You said that you are against the growth of this town.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, correct. The town was stable previously. But with the appearance of thebyrinth, it¡¯s growing more and more unruly. Don¡¯t you have it hard every time, having to deal with this? The same goes for the members of the militia as well. We can¡¯t eliminate those problemspletely. But if we don¡¯t make it into a weing ce for adventurers, then it at least won¡¯t be worse than this.¡¹ ¡¸But this wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. It wouldn¡¯t solve the fundamental problem that this town has for a long time.¡¹ I say confidently, looking into the eyes of Old Man Buckle. He tightly closed his lips. ¡¸The problem of this town?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Do you think this town will continue to exist in the future?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸Buckle-san, you know it. You know that this town is in a slow decline.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ With my words, everyone exchanged nces after which their expressions turned awkward. In fact, they must¡¯ve realized it themselves. All of them turned to Old Man Buckle. He made a short sigh. ¡¸So, what do you want to do?¡¹ ¡¸Firstly, the biggest problem this town has¡­¡­ That the number of people here keeps decreasing. Young folk, especially young men, keep leaving for big cities.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Old Man Buckle made another small sigh. That hit the closest to the old man himself. Apparently, his child left the town in hopes of bing an adventurer. It¡¯s been more than 10 years since that happened. His son must be in his thirties or forties by now, living happily somewhere. ¡¸I want¡­¡­ To make this town more appealing than it is now. I want to treasure the calm and tranquil atmosphere of this town, yet, I want to make it into the one that people would want to visit¡­¡­ That is the kind of town I want this one to be.¡¹ It¡¯s nothing but my personal opinion. Those aren¡¯t words of the people¡¯s representative, but my own. Old Man Buckle closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened them widely. ¡¸Then, can you protect this town in the future¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡¹ He probably was waiting for the moment he could ask this question. Sitting the farthest from me he had a faint smile on his face. Where he sat it couldn¡¯t be noticed by the other elderly. He is also being relied on by others and has a lot going on. ¡¸I will.¡¹ ¡¸How? Presently, all kinds of problems are urring in this town. In the end, there is nothing you can do about it, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I alone am not enough. So I will increase the number of cooperators. I will create a n with enough power topel adventurers, and as its leader, will protect the town.¡¹ It¡¯s not an easy feat to protect something all by yourself. Hearing my reply the old man smiled softly. ¡¸I see. If you get it then fine.¡¹ Then, he turned to the others. ¡¸Everyone, that¡¯s Rude¡¯s intentions. He thinks of the town and the young folk. Don¡¯t you guys want to live together with your children and grandchildren? You won¡¯t be able to do that in a town that has nothing going on for it.¡¹ Everyone slowly nodded to Old Man Buckle¡¯s words. ¡¸If¡­ Rude is going to protect the town.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Indeed. We have about ten years left at best.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. If our children can happily live in this town.¡¹ Everyone agrees with the words of Old Man Buckle. Then, they lowered their heads. ¡¸Sorry, Rude-chan. It¡¯s not like we have anything against you, Rude-chan. It¡¯s just that all of this is really worrying.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I will do my best.¡¹ ¡¸Hm¡­¡­ If you say so, then we shall trust you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you very much.¡¹ Thank goodness¡­¡­ They understood. And I also managed to get their views. ¡¸Then, I guess it¡¯s about time for the old-timers to close their meeting. And I also have to apologize to Rude for the troubles that I caused. I will apany you home.¡¹ Old Man Buckle stood up and grabbed me by the shoulder. Then, we left the house together. Old Man Buckle¡¯s hands appear to be as strong as ever, I can tell that he is still training. Shortly after, Granny Gigi also came outside. We set out towards my house. Before I noticed it was already evening. ¡¸Sorry about that. It¡¯s not like everyone did that because we hate you. Please, understand that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, I know.¡¹ The smile on Old Man Buckle¡¯s face widened. ¡¸I think that you really will be able to protect this town. Both you and Feel are pretty good, but you are still a bit unreliable. From now on, you will have to do something. And at times, you will have to make unpopr decisions. Like now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ Though it is hard to speak against the expectation of those close to you. Some might havee to hate me from the conversation just now. ¡­¡­It¡¯s sad, but there is nothing I can do about this. We are only humans, so of course, our opinions will collide at times. ¡¸Well, don¡¯t mind it.¡¹ Old Man Buckleughed awkwardly. While we were having such an exchange, Granny Gigi pped the old man¡¯s back. Then, made a teasing smile. ¡¸Rude. Buckle has his own delicate position as well. His stern words just now weren¡¯t what he actually thinks.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, shut up, old hag.¡¹ Old Man Buckle¡¯s cheeks turned red. ¡¸No, you shut up, you geezer. Since everyone is admiring him because of what he did when he was young, he is having it hard at such times. He is the one who wants to appear nice to everyone the most.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare say anything more unnecessary. I¡¯ll drag you so hard that all of your wrinkles disappear.¡¹ The old man stretched his arm, but Granny Gigi casually dodged him. ¡¸Setting himself as a leader like that. He is in a simr position to yours Rude, but he is the one who is the most nervous here.¡¹ Granny Gigi said mockingly. Looking at her friendly smile, I can guess that when he was young he often got teased like this as well. ¡¸Hey, old hag! Don¡¯t you say anything more! Rude! Forget what you just heard!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay. I will make sure to carve it into my memory.¡¹ ¡¸Damn, I had it, I¡¯m going home!¡¹ Old Man Buckle turned around, looked a little bit embarrassed. It¡¯s not like¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know that Old Man Buckle had a lot of his own considerations to what he was saying. The smile that he showed in the middle of it most likely was to push me in the back. I walk home together with Granny Gigi. Midway, she looked the other way and stopped in her tracks. ¡¸Looking at you, I remembered the old days.¡¹ ¡¸The old days?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. You know, in the past I was working in an apothecary in a bigger town. There, I met a certain adventurer. This town is his birthce. And together, we settled here. He was, how should I put it¡­¡­ He had something strange around him, that attracted people around.¡¹ By that adventurer, she must mean her deceased husband. At times she would speak of the old days with a bit of sadness. ¡¸Oh boy. If I didn¡¯t get tricked by him, I probably would¡¯ve been married to some nobleman by now and spent my days in leisure.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I, see.¡¹ ¡¸But, well, I guess being able to meet you and Manicia because of it, can be counted as his only achievement.¡¹ Having said that, Granny Gigi turned to another road. ¡¸I have some other business to do, so I will be parting with you here. Good luck, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Saying that she was heading to the town¡¯s cemetery. After seeing her off, I return to my house. ¡­¡­I have a lot to do from now on. Stepping inside, There was a good smell that reached all the way to the entrance. ¡¸Luna, I¡¯m done with the cooking here. What about you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m fine as well.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I will arrange the tes. It smells like Nii-san is already home.¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­¡­ SMELLS?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Master. Wee back. The dinner is ready.¡¹ The three girls turned around. Each one wore an apron of a different color and pattern. ¡¸Nii-san, wee back.¡¹ ¡¸Rude, you arete. Were you on patrol? Even so, it took you quite a while.¡¹ ¡¸Master, for dinner we have a stew.¡¹ All three of them are looking at me with cheerful smiles. ¡­¡­I have to do my best to protect this peaceful life. Chapter 29: Break 1

Chapter 29: Break 1

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± I received an official request from the lord to head to the city of adventurers. Before that, I have to state the size of the group that is going there and an exnation on the calction of the fund that I¡¯m going to need during the trip. I wasn¡¯t that good with reading, but the document, that most likely was prepared by Shisanty, was easy to understand. Going through it from beginning to end I begin filling in the required fields. And also added an apology for declining to be a n leader earlier, as well as a whimsical passage about wanting to create a n after all. Since I was writing in the living room, Luna peered in with great interest. ¡¸Master, how do you read this letter?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, this is©`©`¡¹ Though from time to time she encountered some characters she couldn¡¯t understand, Luna could read to a certain degree. As I read the text aloud, Luna smiled, a bit amused. ¡¸Master, when will you head there?¡¹ ¡¸Soon. There are still some things that I have to do here.¡¹ I also want to do some work on thebyrinth before departure. Nodding, Luna went to the kitchen. It¡¯s about time for breakfast. Stepping out of her room Manicia nced at Luna¡¯s back and then sat next to me. ¡¸Nii-san, do you have a moment?¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸I just overheard a bit of your conversation, are you going to the city of adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. There is something I¡¯d like to learn about ns.¡¹ Talking with famous ns I¡¯d like to learn about the management of a n and a proper way for a n leader to conduct oneself. ¡¸About that, can you take Luna-san with you?¡¹ ¡¸Luna¡­¡­? Well, I think I can. But will you be fine?¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about? While you weren¡¯t here, I lived all by myself until now, didn¡¯t I?¡¹ ¡­Well, that¡¯s indeed true. I think someone from the town would¡¯ve checked on her every day, but generally, yes, she was alone. Since she now was better than in the past, there is no reason why she wouldn¡¯t be able to live alone. And then there is also Nin, though she became somewhat busytely. ¡¸Luna-san was worried about many things. At times, she would ask me about them. Maybe something will change if she goes to the city of adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That might be true. The city of adventurers has a lot ofmon homunculi. ¡­¡­Maybe she will get some thoughts after looking at them.¡¹ Living in this town she can be spared from that reality. Put to various uses, those that appear just like her¡­¡­ I guess, those of a simr kind as her. Looking at that, she might notice something. ¡¸That might be true¡­¡­ But including what you just mentioned, don¡¯t you think that she must see the people outside this town at least once?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ A difficult question. However, I recall how Luna acted moments ago. ¡­¡­That¡¯s right. There are a lot of things that she should know, them being good or bad aside. About adventurers, and about homunculi. To allow her to learn about those two things it might be a good idea to travel with her to the city of adventurers. ¡¸Luna.¡¹ ¡¸Master, what is it?¡¹ Still facing the kitchen she turned her head this way. ¡¸Want to go to the city of adventurers together?¡¹ Luna¡¯s eyes went wide when I asked her that. ¡¸¡­¡­Can I, really?¡¹ ¡¸Sure. It might be a good opportunity for you to learn about adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ After making a polite bow, she smiled bashfully. Returning to cooking, she looked happier than usual. ©– The date was set for the near future. However, before going there, I have to do something about the guardian¡¯s request. Improvement of thebyrinth that we discussed with the guardian. I want him to improve thebyrinth as much as he can while I¡¯m away, so I can witness the result. For now, what can be tested immediately is magic ore, medical nts, and raw materials from the monsters near the town I guess? I know their locations. Having been asked by Regil-san I went to get magic ore a number of times. Medical nts as well, though it would require a bit of a detour, I still can get them at the same time. Thus, I head to collect them. Though we couldn¡¯t spare many people on that, by making arrangements we were able to gather a party. Luna, Nin, Milena, and I, the four of us. I also wanted to call Feel, but she is busy now. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be good for both Feel and me to leave the town at the same time, thus, only the four of us. Moaning ¡¸Uhmm¡¹Milena stretches widely. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since Ist went outside. Ah, Nin-sama and Luna-chan, I will be in your care for today.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I look forward to working with you, Milena-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, same here. And you don¡¯t have to add sama?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, really? Then Nin it is! I¡¯ll be in your care!¡¹ Milena waves her hands. On her back, she carried a bow. That¡¯s her primary weapon. Just in case she also carries a dagger, but she isn¡¯t that good at closebat. Having gathered at the gates, we departed, seen off by militia standing on guard there. In a party, usually, the tank would be the one walking in the vanguard, but it¡¯s not something one should concern oneself with in the surroundings of Avancier. ¡¸Today we are looking for ore, herbs¡­¡­¡­ And a bit of monster extermination, is this right?¡¹ Milena, who was walking beside me, asked while looking at me. ¡¸Yeah. And for that I had Luna bring the rucksack today.¡¹ Luna lifted the rucksack somewhat happily and then snorted a bit triumphantly. ¡¸Is that a magic tool?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I borrowed one from the militia.¡¹ ¡¸Ah,e to think of it, they had a contact for one item.¡¹ Magic tools are magic apparatus designed to make people¡¯s everyday life more convenient. For example, magic cold storage, which can be found at any house these days, is one of those. And the one that Luna is carrying at the moment is called Magic Bag. Magic Bag is a magic tool that distorts the space inside of it, allowing the storage of objects beyond originally possible size. Its manufacturing method is extremely simple. It can be made by a person possessing Space Maniption skills by pouring their magic into the bag. In other words, we, adventurers, can have such magic bags by first having one made by a person with space maniption magic, and then, maintain them by having that person supply it with magic. As such, some even say that people that possess space maniption magic, have the easiest life in this world. Because that ability alone almost guarantees them a certain ie. However, depending on a skill, there is a difference in capabilities. The magic bag that I usually have on my waist is about 6 timesrger than a normal one. I don¡¯t put anything aside from potions in there, but I have 50 bottles with me at all times. Originally it could fit only about 8¡­¡­¡­ or at most 9 bottles. Thus, 6 timesrger. The one that we are using right now, should be able to fit 10 times more. I also wanted one like that, but as one might expect, I didn¡¯t have enough money to cover the monthly fee. The one I have right now costs 40,000 per month¡­¡­ And since I also have to stock it with potions, it¡¯s pretty tough, to be honest. And that is with the provider being a good acquaintance of mine, so the price is lower than the usual. But, most of such magic bags are small satchels. The reason for that is that with the size it also requires more magic, and bes harder to control. And above all, there aren¡¯t many people that would want to bring a huge bag intobat, so there is no demand. Even so, sometimes towns use such bags. Reaching the area with the herbs that we were looking for we begin collecting them. Medical herbs have all various sorts of names, but us adventurers, only know them as low, intermediate, and high grade. To make a strong potion, one has to provide herbs packing that much magical power. Thends with lots of magic power, naturally have more violent monsters. But ces such as this one, have hardly any rare nts. Quite contrary. Were one to find such a herb here, it would mean that the magic power properties of thend changed, so now, one has to be on their guard. Herbs are so important that there is even a saying, that if you are going to an unknown area, first, look for herbs there. Well, though it doesn¡¯t apply tobyrinths. As I exin all that to Luna, she nods with an impressed look. ¡¸Now, that¡¯s enough for herbs. As for magic ore¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Now it¡¯s my turn to shine.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹ Milena has a skill that allows her to discover magic ore. Magic ore is often buried under the ground, so one has to dig it up to find it. In ces where people often go for mining, it is said to be possible to find something even by digging randomly. But at such ces it¡¯s difficult. Magic ore is just the same medical herbs, the more abundant the magic power in the area, the finer the quality is. These days, ordinary ore is no longer used in weapon production. Everything is made of magic ore. After all, it takes at least this much to create a weapon capable of injuring monsters. We gather magic ore digging in the ces pointed out by Milena. ¡¸Hmm, all of it is F grade magic ore.¡¹ ¡¸Well, nothing we can do about this. Besides, this can also serve as fuel.¡¹ And things would greatly change if thebyrinth will be able to mass-produce it. ¡¸True. Ah, looks like there is something better over there. Rude, please.¡¹ I keep on digging, while Nin and Luna are gathering herbs. All of our findings go into Luna¡¯s bag. ¡¸Luna, are you okay? It isn¡¯t heavy?¡¹ The greatest fault of magic bags is that though they do reduce the weight, it still does slowly pile up. Though there is a difference in specs, but even with the reduction to 1/10 of the normal weight, it should be getting pretty heavy by now. I can carry it on the way back, but Luna only adjusted the bag and smiled. ¡¸It¡¯s fine for now. I can use magic power to increase my physical capabilities to a certain degree. ¡¹ I wonder if that is also homunculi¡¯s special trait? And while I was wondering about that, we discovered monsters. Goblins¡­¡­ And a whole pack of them. They seem to be yet to notice us, so we hid in the shadow of a huge boulder. ¡¸It would be annoying if they attack us on the way back. And I also wanted magic stones from monsters. Let¡¯s fight them?¡¹ ¡¸Right. It¡¯s going to be my first fight in a while. How exciting.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ Milena took the bow in her hands and took a stance. ¡­¡­To be frank, she is pretty clumsy. It¡¯s a bit worrisome, but I have no other choice but to trust her. Chapter 30: Break 2

Chapter 30: Break 2

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The number of goblins is seven. They aren¡¯t strong at all. A representative of monsters that an adventurer would have to fight at first. But even so, dropping your guard would lead to a painful experience. The most troublesome thing about goblins is their cooperation. They rarely attack alone. Even if there is such a goblin, it¡¯s either a trap or it was chased out by other goblins. I observe how the goblins would act. Their mugs are ugly enough to give some people a trauma. They seem to have noticed our presence, twitching their noses. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they find us. All of them are armed. They might have stolen it from humans somewhere. In which case, they might be stronger than ordinary goblins. Two goblins with bows, three goblins with swords, two goblins with axes. All of them have a small stature, but their power can rival adult adventurers. Goblins are lower rank monsters, but even so, by hitting vitals they can easily destroy an outer shell. I take a stance with my great shield that I carried on my back. ¡¸Rude, as usual, you are carrying this heavy thing without breaking a sweat.¡¹ Milena runs her hand across my shield. ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m already used to it.¡¹ ¡­¡­It was slumbering in a certain small arms shop that I visited in the past. Not many used shields, so I was able to buy it for a pretty low price. ¡¸Nin and Luna, prepare to use magic. Once you are ready I will jump in and gather their attention. Once they gather around me, your magic should hit their rear. ¡­¡­Milena, shoot at will, just be careful not to hit allies.¡¹ ¡¸Roger!¡¹ Milena, who in her own way, loved fighting, excitedly readied the bow. Nin, who began magic preparations, looked at me with an uneasy expression. ¡¸For you to say such a thing, I guess Milena¡¯s skill with the bow is pretty¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, her uracy is fairly low. However, there is a lot of power.¡¹ Therefore, she will approach after I draw the attention of the enemies, and shoot them up close. Though it¡¯s a bit sad that despite using a bow she would be at a distance no different from closebat. Each of the goblins had their weapons raised over their heads,ughing with glee. Looking at how monsters act while they are alive makes it a bit hard to hunt them, but it¡¯s useless to think about such things. Milena is rehearsing the movements of shooting an arrow while humming under her breath. In her imagination, those movements would give amazing uracy. But in reality, arrows fly nowhere near the target. ¡¸What? You have a rude look, Rude.¡¹ Milena nced my way. ¡¸Even I know that I suck at this. But I¡¯ve been working hard, training in my spare time.¡¹ ¡¸I know. So don¡¯t be so angry.¡¹ Milena¡¯s build isn¡¯t made for closebat. She has a lot of innate magic power, but at the same timecks talent for it. In such a case, a bow is the only method of fighting left for her. The bows have two ways of shooting them, using actual ammunition and arrows conjured with magic. Most people would shoot arrows from magic power, and when they want to raise the power, they would add a normal arrow to it. Since Milena had no training in archery, using an ordinary arrow she certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot straight. And being able to use them without a proper training in magic is a strong point of arrows made of magic power. ¡¸My spell is ready.¡¹ ¡¸We are going to cast a me circle with Luna responsible for the mainponent of the spell. Since we are going to cast it into the rear, it shouldn¡¯t affect those in the vanguard.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. When enemies notice us, begin preparations for the next spell. Then, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ Matching my movements with the magic cast by the two, I jump forward. Before goblins have a chance to recognize casters as enemies, I intercept them with ¡ºTaunt¡». ¡ºTaunt¡»seems to make the enemies field of view narrower, or rather, makes them incapable of seeing anyone apart from me. An orb of fire flew past me. Both goblins in the vanguard and goblins with bows pay no heed to the magic and ready their weapons. The magds near the goblin archers. From there, it burst into mes in a circr shape. In the center of it are two goblins with bows. Raising piercing shrieks they drop their bows. Those screams make the goblins in the vanguard turn around, as if they suddenly came back to their senses. Looks like the effect of¡ºTaunt¡»weakened. But as soon as I used ¡ºTaunt¡»again, the attention of every goblin but one returned to me. Looks like one has high resistance. The goblin archers were saved by the water magic cast by that one goblin, but burns all over their bodies are distinctly visible. Using¡ºTaunt¡»I face the goblins in the vanguard. As I Charge at them with the great shield, the goblins make full use of their nimble bodies and evade. I tried to sh at them, but a goblin blocked it with a sword. I managed to knock the goblin away through brute force, but it used that momentum to jump to the side and roll away from me. The goblins coordinate using nces and voices, that they alone can understand. Tracking these eye movements, I became aware of a goblin in my blind spot. Turning around, I push out the great shield. As I expected, a goblin was jumping at me. I repelled it, knocking it away with the shield, but it doesn¡¯t seem like it took much damage. I use¡ºTaunt¡»once again. By now, they shouldn¡¯t be able to see anything but me. The goblins with swords approach me from the nks. A goblin with an axe from the front. Behind me, goblins with bows are taking aim. They are quick to adapt. The goblin with an axe leaped at me, mming the axe on my shield. Taking the attack, I catch the goblin on the shield. Then, throw it at a goblin that was running at me with a sword. The sword of that goblin pierces into the side of the goblin with an axe. Its eyes go wide, then it stops moving. ¡¸Milena.¡¹ ¡¸Aye!¡¹ As I call for myrade, she jumps out without missing a beat. Approaching, she shot a magic arrow. Making a pleasant sound of cutting through the air, the released arrow flies towards me. Before hitting me, it disappears. Milena must have erased it. She became quite good at this. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Wa-wait!¡¹ Approaching even closer, she put her foot on the two downed goblins and shot them. No, that¡¯s a swordsman¡¯s distance. And we still have enemies remaining. Arrows came flying from the goblins in the rear, but I blocked them with the shield. Not paying attention to the enemies in the rear can lead to taking an unexpected attack. Goblins with swords went for a pincer attack. I bash the right one with the shield. Immediately, another goblin jumped at my exposed back. I didn¡¯t see it. But I can tell by the sound. Matching with the sound of it jumping off the ground, I turn around, shing with the sword. My sword shes with the goblin¡¯s. Knocking it away I activate ¡ºTaunt¡». The two scream, sounding pretty agitated. To provoke them even further, I teasingly motioned at them with the tip of my sword, after which the goblins rushed at me. The moment the two became preupied with me, a scream came from the enemy¡¯s rear. The goblin archers breathed theirst, burned with magic. Hearing their shrieks, the two goblins in front of me turned around. Using that chance I cut at them. shing from above, I then take a step forward to add a shield bash. As one might expect, goblins are pretty susceptible to damage even without skills. Three arrows shot by Milena hit goblins with swords and the ground. Thest one. A goblin with an axe turned to Milena. As expected, the attention went towards her, who defeated the most enemies. But it¡¯s toote. Since it¡¯s the only one left, we can just attack. As I use¡ºTaunt¡», the goblin turned to me for a moment. That instant is more than enough. Ramming into it, I then sh at it. Kicking the goblin in the back, I knock it to the ground. Fire Lance falls there. After burning the goblin to cinders the spell dissipated. The fight is over. We then collect magic stones and still unharmed parts of goblins. ¡¸As expected, saintess-sama is amazing.¡¹ ¡¸I just supported Luna¡¯s spells this time. I¡¯m not that good with offensive magic after all.¡¹ ¡¸Really? In other words, Luna-chan is amazing?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡­¡­¡¹ They were exchanging praises. ¡¸Milena, your uracy today is pretty good.¡¹ ¡¸Yup. I did my best with the training.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Eh? And that is the result?¡¹ ¡¸What? Saintess-sama, I know I¡¯m not as good as professional adventurers, but even so¡­.¡¹ ¡¸But you missed more than half of the time.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, I hit about half of the time!¡¹ Milena said proudly. Usually, even 20% is good for her¡­¡­ Anyway, what really surprised me, is when she stepped on monsters and then shot them. Previously, she didn¡¯t likeing so close to monsters. If she can do that, her uracy should go up. ¡­¡­Though it doesn¡¯t mean that she grew as an archer. Perhaps lured by the sounds ofbat, but this time, a slime came out. A lone monster. ¡­¡­Good timing, I just had something I wanted to try. ¡¸Luna, can I have a moment¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ ¡¸I wanted to check something about my Sacrificial Shield. Can you help me?¡¹ ¡¸Understood. What should I do?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I want to check if I can activate the skills on my own. So, it would mean that you will have to take an attack¡­¡­ Is that fine with you?¡¹ ¡¸Understood. This much is not a problem.¡¹ I¡¯m sorry. The enemy is a slime. It¡¯s not as dangerous as goblins. Is it a passive skill or can I activate and deactivate it at will. I wanted to test it on a weak monster. I wasn¡¯t able to switch it off during the time when I didn¡¯t understand its effects. However, right now, I feel somewhere inside, that I can deactivate it. Looking at Luna, I switch the skill off. ¡­¡­This should do it, I think. Slime slowly crawls closer. ¡¸Luna, please.¡¹ ¡¸Then, I will try it. ¡¹ Luna approached the slime. Looks like the slime recognized her as an enemy, shooting a liquid at her. The arrow-like projectile grazed Luna. ¡­¡­I felt no pain. The endurance also didn¡¯t decrease. ¡¸Next, I will activate Sacrificial Shield.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ After saying that, Luna took another attack. This time, I felt a stinging pain. ¡­I see. ¡¸Thank you. As I thought, I can deactivate it now.¡¹ With this, I can temporarily deactivate it when for example my recovery doesn¡¯t catch up. Since confirmation was over, we return the favor to the slime that went along with the experiment. After recovering the magic stone Milena stretched. ¡¸asionally hunting monsters is good as well. It¡¯s a good break from the usual work.¡¹ Break from the usual work? A rare phrase from the generally cheerful Milena. Perhaps something happened with the number of adventurers in town going up. ¡¸Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸No, not really. The shop is just so busy those days¡­¡­¡¹ Phew, she breathed a sigh. Indeed, Regil¡¯s store is the only one of its kind in the town, so adventurers frequent it. ¡¸All of the weapons made by Regil are of pretty fine quality after all.¡¹ If it can be bought cheaper than in a big town, then there would be people interested in it. ¡¸Yeah¡­ And my essories are also selling pretty well.¡¹ She said, bashfully, ying with her pink hair. ¡¸Oooh, really? Isn¡¯t that great?¡¹ essories are instruments aiding adventurers. They have to be custom-tailored and would exhibit their power reacting to the owner¡¯s magic power. The effect of essories is by no means huge, but it¡¯s still a lot better than having nothing at all. The essories made by Milena were sold at Regil-san¡¯s store. Equipping several at once is impossible. If one tried, the essories would interfere with each other, preventing them from showing their original effects. I also have one made by Milena. ¡¸Yeah, I am happy about that. But¡­¡­ Having something that you were making as a hobby now being seriously evaluated gives some mixed feelings. Can I really sell something like this?¡¹ ¡­¡­I get what she is saying. ¡¸But they are paying money for this. People wouldn¡¯t buy something they don¡¯t need.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. So, from now on¡­¡­ Well. I think of taking this seriously. ¡¹ As Milena twirled her hair, a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. ¡¸S-say something. That it¡¯s not like me.¡¹ ¡¸Why?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you know how irresponsible I am¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t that unlike my character?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true. I won¡¯t make fun of someone doing their best. Just try out what you want to do.¡¹ ¡¸But, you know. Isn¡¯t it an important life choice? What if I make a mistake?¡¹¡¹ ¡¸If it doesn¡¯t work out you will think about it then. If you keep thinking about what if, you won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡¹ It¡¯s easy to be worried if you think about the future too much. Milena, who was looking the other way, turned to me. ¡¸T-then¡­¡­ If it doesn¡¯t work out, will you be by my side?¡¹ She asked with upturned eyes. I almost choked, but Milena made an innocent-looking smile. ¡¸Take it easy, Rude. You are so shy.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m not good with this.¡¹ Milena stood up with augh. Time to return. On the way back, we have another encounter with monsters. Goblins. ¡¸O-okay! Rude, it¡¯s a monster! Time to fight.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ I breathe a sigh, trying to get rid of the blush on my cheeks. Then, I grip my sword and head towards the goblins. Chapter 31: Power Of the Guardian

Chapter 31: Power Of the Guardian

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± ¡¸Yo! Wee, Rude. Now. To enter my room, you have to fight me. What will you do?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can I just leave the materials and go home?¡¹ ¡¸No way! Don¡¯t say such a sad thing¡­¡­ Okay, today, I shall let you enter the halls governed by me.¡¹ ¡­¡­Room where a guardian lives? That has to be the innermost part of thebyrinth. I¡¯m about to step my foot into an area that probably no one visited before. It¡¯s a bit exciting. This might be childish, but I can¡¯t help but be a little nervous. He grasped my hand, the next moment I felt faint dizziness and immediately found myself in another location. The scenery changed. This room is hardly different from the one where I live. Or rather, isn¡¯t this actually my room? The only thing different was an unfamiliar puddle of water. Surrounded by stones, it reminded me of a small pond. ¡¸I don¡¯t quite understand what this ce is myself, but it seems to reflect my thoughts. In other words, I can alter it at will. Previously, it looked like this.¡¹ The moment he said that the room changed to something dreary. Only the pond remained, everything else disappeared. The room made of grey stone looked like a prison cell. The guardian pped his hands, and the room returned to its previous look. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, I had no memories. I didn¡¯t have a room I could use as a reference, so I just left it as it is, but then, I saw your home. That¡¯s nice, it¡¯s amazing. I¡¯d like you to properly show it to me some other day.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, but please disguise yourself, so you won¡¯t surprise anyone.¡¹ If adventurers see him, I won¡¯t be able to make any excuses¡­¡­ ¡¸Yes, sure. So, since you came here today, I guess it means that you brought what we discussed?¡¹ As his eyes were sparkling, I handed him the rucksack that I had borrowed in the town. Snatching it from my hands, he hastily pulled out the materials from the rucksack. Holding them over his head, he looks at them with shining eyes. ¡¸I see, magic ore and herbs¡­¡­ And also monster parts and magic stones. Yes, I can work with this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can I observe it for a bit?¡¹ I¡¯m curious, just how exactlybyrinths are being made. ¡¸Sure, why not. Then, behold.¡¹ The guardian puffed his chest with pride. What a childish guy. Walking up to the pond, he touched it with his hand. Then, what previously appeared like in water, instantly changed. Something is being shown there. The first floor is written there. ¡¸Is that the map of thebyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. For example, if I do this¡­¡­¡¹ The map had info on monsters, the state of trees, and other things. The guardian put his finger on one such tree and moved it to another ce. Then, he touched the terrain. And erasing a part of the first floor, that previously looked almost like a square, he changed the map. ¡¸Thebyrinth changes ording to this map. So the first floor now turned to such an interesting shape.¡¹ The guardian said with a smile, looking at the map of the first floor, that now resembled a gourd. He put his hand on the map. The view changed, now showing andscape from somewhere. For a while, I barely followed what he was talking about. The guardian looked at me and smiled with his eyes. ¡¸Wh-what is this¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸This is called a disy, and it can show images from distant ces. You see a map in the corner? The circle on it is the area that is currently being shown. The terrain was perfectly transformed, right?¡¹ Indeed, the terrain changed, with the image now showing adventurers, bewildered by that. It is said thatbyrinths can change theiryout from time to time. But I didn¡¯t know that it was done in such a way. ¡¸¡­¡­Does it mean that you can also send monsters to adventurers??¡¹ ¡¸Ooh, you cane up with some nasty stuff. Let¡¯s try it.¡¹ ¡¸N-no, wait, don¡¯t!¡¹ I rushed to stop him, but the guardian already moved a picture of a monster to the adventurers¡¯ location. I looked at the image while grabbing the guardian¡¯s arm, but no monster appeared. ¡¸¡­¡­What does this mean?¡¹ ¡¸It takes time for ced monsters to manifest. It also means that I can¡¯t send out a horde of monsters at once. Guidance is possible to a certain degree, but I don¡¯t want to bother with that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ I guess he means reshaping the terrain and setting arge number of monsters along the way. Anyway, I¡¯m d that he hates such micromanagement. ¡¸But considering that you earlier said that adventurers act at their own risk, you looked pretty panicked.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­This time it would¡¯ve be my fault after all. Also, though they are acting at their own risk, I also wouldn¡¯t want them to die for no reason.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Anyway, this covers the basics of abyrinth. Let¡¯s move to another room.¡¹ The guardian touched my hand, and we teleported to another location. This one was quite spacious. And, the sounds of monsters¡¯ footsteps were resounding through it. Fieldzauruses approached us. Three of them. And some more were visible in the distance. Perhaps out of fondness of the guardian, but they approached him, rubbing their heads on him. Patting them on the heads, the guardian looked my way. ¡¸It seems that everybyrinth initially has monsters of only one kind prepared. Here, it¡¯s these fieldzauruses. Ten of them in total. Each monster can be assigned to one location, creating a copy of the original there.¡¹ ¡¸Original? Copy¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. In short, I can duplicate monsters from here into any area of thebyrinth. Then, make them attack the adventurers, to gain more magic power. The images of the monsters on the map you just saw are that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. So that¡¯s the reason why no corpses remain in the dungeon?¡¹ ¡¸Most likely. Everything I told you is my own findings, so I can¡¯t tell how correct they are. It seems that part of those replicated monsters do remain in the world.¡¹ ¡¸And we humans, take them as blessings from God.¡¹ ¡¸God, huh. I guess this would mean that I¡¯m a god? Haha, how amusing!¡¹ The guardian loudlyughed, bending backward a bit. It seems that he found this very funny, since he spent a while in such a state, but then, he returned to his usual expression in one second. ¡¸Anyway. I can¡¯t spend the whole dayughing. First, I will restore the materials.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Restore?¡¹ ¡¸Revive the monsters using the raw materials as a base. Like this.¡¹ The guardian slightly pulled from the sheath the katana on his waist and touched the de with a finger. A small drop of blood appeared, which he then let dribble onto the magic stone lying on the ground. That instant, the ground on which the materials were lying shone. I averted my gaze since the brightness was too much to bear. When the light subsided, the goblin was standing on that spot. ¡¸This should do it. With this, a goblin can be manifested in a dungeon. But adventurers surely wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with just one goblin. So we should deploy a number of them at once.¡¹ He dropped more of his blood onto the parts that I brought. ¡­¡­Amazing. ¡¸Are these revived goblins the same as the ones that I defeated?¡¹ ¡¸Probably not. Were they the same, they probably would¡¯ve shown some reaction to you? The guardian extended a hand towards the revived goblins. The goblins made a perfect bow towards him, but to me, they only nodded. ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­ They seem a bit different.¡¹ ¡¸We still have goblin magic stones left. Let¡¯s make a different monster from them.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You mean, thatbination thing?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. The method is simple. We only have to shuffle magic stones and monster parts a bit. Want to try it, Rude?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m going to do that? Or rather, can I even do that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m a bit curious about what kind of monster will result from your blood and energy.¡¹ ¡­¡­Yeah, it¡¯s a bit interesting. Following his instructions, I pulled out the slime magic stone, a goblin magic stone, and parts of these monsters. I then dribble my blood on them. ¡¸Rude, you have god¡¯s armor, so why not just directly pour it there?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Understood.¡¹ I wasn¡¯t sure how I was supposed to do that, but when I tried to put my mind to it, I felt like a bit of my endurance disappeared. Following, a strong light appeared. ¡¸Ooh, looks like it worked.¡¹ When the light disappointed, the humanoid slime stood there. ¡¸Human slime¡­¡­?¡¹ E rank monsters. It can take the form of a human, but since it still remains a slime in appearance, it¡¯s immediately exposed. The slime looked at me and at the guardian, shifting between our shapes. ¡­¡­But it¡¯s still a slime. Since it¡¯s a liquid, it¡¯s extremely obvious. There is a species that can be considered a higher rank of this one, shadow slime. Being able topletely transform into a human it is A rank. They even have stories about them going around. Like the person walking in the rearguard being taken out without anyone noticing and reced by a shadow slime. Slime-type monsters can split their bodies. Adventurers often talk about thest remaining person in such a group barely escaping with their life, after the whole group got reced with slimes. ¡¸Eeh, it¡¯s not a new species?¡¹ The guardian showed obvious disappointment. When I nodded, he dropped his shoulders. The human slime slithered up to me and grasped my hand. Then, his shape changed. A female body. This figure¡­¡­ Manicia? ¡¸Human slimes can transform by using human memories, but this degree of detail is amazing¡­¡­¡¹ Isn¡¯t it exactly¡­¡­like the real one? Though I never saw her without clothes. Now, if only it wasn¡¯t a liquid I probably would¡¯ve frequented this room pretty often. That was pretty dangerous. Perhaps because I was it¡¯s creator, but the human slime seems to be awfully fond of me, touching me all over. ¡¸With this we can keep making monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Well, this time it just happened to go well.¡¹ Saying that he arranged the same materials that we just used in the opposite order, and dripped blood on them. When the light subsided, there was a small slime-like something, but it immediately melted into the ground. ¡¸When it fails, nothing remains. In that case, the painstakingly gathered ingredients are all wasted. But there is no other choice but trial and error.¡¹ ¡¸Well. I will leave that to you.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. So if I make a new species and post it in thebyrinth¡­¡­¡­ Would that attract even more adventurers?¡¹ I nodded, patting the human slime. ¡¸I think so. New species of monsters is a major event after all. It would need to be investigated. And everyone will surely be interested where their parts can be used.¡¹ ¡¸I see! Then, I only have to ce more and more monsters©`©`¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, and also. In your normalbyrinths, the difficulty goes up as you climb to the higher floors. So how about posting goblins on the first floor of thisbyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, as expected of an adventurer! And I also have to make areas where ore and herbs can be collected.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It would be better to hide such ces among the trees. Such discovery would probably raise their spirits.¡¹ Currently, the town has a lot of skilled adventurers. But if we keep improving on thebyrinth, it should attract adventurers of different ranks as well. The guardian began cing monsters, seemingly enjoying the process, while I observed the map. ¡¸¡­¡­Can you make something like a hidden passage or hidden rooms?¡¹ ¡¸Oooh! A secret passage! And then cing a treasure room there! That¡¯s nice! But since I have no treasures, let¡¯s put a monster there¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸N-no, please don¡¯t¡­¡­¡¹ Bringing up various ideas we keep improving on thebyrinth. This is pretty fun. And thebyrinth kept changing. ¡­¡­I will know how it affected things after I return from the city of adventurers. Chapter 32: Let’s ask about clans

Chapter 32: Let¡¯s ask about ns

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± --------------------------------------------------------------- I walk through the town with Luna. This time it wasn¡¯t for a patrol. I had business with certain adventurers staying in the town. Namely Boo and Gary. They are sub-leaders of the two biggest ns in the country. I might be able to learn a lot about ns by asking them. Hearing that they are still in the town, I head to the tents where they are based. Currently, we are severelycking in lodgings for adventurers, so a portion of them made a tent camp and are currently living there. We call it the adventurers district, but it is actually outside of the town. When construction on erging the town is finished, we are nning to make something like an adventurers district. With such thoughts going through my mind I walk between tents. Let¡¯s start with Boo. Thus, I first headed to where his n¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡», should be, but all I found there was another adventurer. He is in the middle of changing clothes, so it¡¯s a bit awkward. Luckily, it¡¯s a man. ¡¸¡­¡­Right now, Boo-san should be with Gary-san.¡¹ ¡¸Something happened?¡¹ ¡¸One of our n members seems to have gotten in trouble with a guy from¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡». So he went to confirm the situation.¡¹ ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»is a n to which Gary belongs. It is said that the reason for their strained rtionship might be the fact that both ns were established at almost the same time. It is a n¡¯s job to unify and organize adventurers. I think it would be best if everyone just got along, but the reality is a lot moreplicated. Once a year, the city of adventurers holds a festival at which the achievements of ns are being announced. This surely fuelspetition. If I remember correctly, ¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»got 1st cest year. The year before that it was ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡». The power of these two ns is prettyrge, the third ce iscking behind with quite a huge gap. Since it would be a problem if it develops into a huge brawl, I next head to ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡». Boo and Gary stood there in front of a huge tent. Adventurers around them were shouting stuff like ¡¸Do it!¡¹, trying to instigate a fight. But noticing me adventurers make ¡¸oh crap!¡¹expressions, and tap the shoulders of nearby adventurers. They act almost like the kids from the school¡­¡­ Since I stopped many fights among the adventurers present here, they learned my face by now. Noticing me, Boo and Gary frowned. ¡¸H-hey, isn¡¯t that Rude.¡¹ ¡¸I-it¡¯s been a while.¡¹ ¡¸You guys. I heard that you are fighting again?¡¹ ¡¸T-that¡¯s not true¡­¡­ Right, Boo?!¡¹ ¡¸Y-yeah!¡¹ The two awkwardly ce hands on each other¡¯s shoulders. And after a few seconds, the two let out ¡¸Eeww!¡¹scream. ¡¸What a stench! You friggin pig!¡¹ ¡¸Disgusting, you stink worse than my grandfather!¡¹ ¡¸How the hell can I stink worse than a guy that spawned a pig!¡¹ ¡¸Did you forget who you are talking to just because I was acting nice? At least call me a boar, not a pig!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down. Today I came because I wanted to talk with the two of you.¡¹ When I said this, the two exchanged nces and then stuck out their faces to me. ¡¸What is it? ns? Come to our ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»! We have a beautiful n leader, who is waiting for you!¡¹ ¡¸No no, join our¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»! That is the perfect ce for a man seeking to gain even greater power! Our muscr macho leader is waiting for you!¡¹ Going by those words alone, I would prefer to hear more about ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡». If they also announced her bust size, I might have even joined by ident. If¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»did the same I would¡¯ve gone home in disgust though. After finishing their lines they butt heads with each other. If they were doing this in the town I might¡¯ve thought about stopping them, but this is not the town. So I just gave them a disappointed look. ¡¸It is indeed about the ns. I wanted to ask if you two can arrange a meeting with your n leaders for me.¡¹ ¡¸Y-you really want to join us?¡¹ Gary asked with a surprised expression. Pushing him aside, Boo tackled me. ¡¸Then, first visit our ¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»! That will be enough!¡¹ ¡¸Keep dreaming! ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»are first!¡¹ ¡¸You are mistaken.¡¹ I say, interrupting the two. then, continue. ¡¸I want to create a n of my own. I concluded that this is the most important thing in protecting this town from now on.¡¹ When I said that, not only the two froze in ce, but every adventurer around, who was listening to our conversation, also did the same. Even Luna looked at me with a look of surprise. ¡­¡­Which reminds me, I never told anyone aside from the old-timers about this. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing. ¡¸I think that creating a n¡­¡­ Is not such an easy task. It might be a tall task for me, but I still want to try. After all, I have a perfect opportunity for that. ¡­¡­So, I wanted to ask your leaders for advice. I thought that they should be quite knowledgeable about this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­And so, you came to us?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, man. You want us to introduce to them the man that might possibly be their rival?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, yes.¡¹ ¡­¡­Well, indeed. It¡¯s basically the same as strolling into a famous store and telling them to reveal their secrets since you want to make the same thing. ¡¸Sorry about this. ¡­¡­Even so, there aren¡¯t many people that can be asked about this. ¡­¡­Is there something I can use as a reference? It¡¯s fine even if it is unrted to your ns.¡¹ Boo and Gary exchanged nces and then sighed. ¡¸What I really hate about you, is that I end up agreeing with you in such cases.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, this is the worst.¡¹ The two smiled. ¡¸Rude, don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡¹ Gary¡¯s smile turned into a grin. ¡¸Yeah, we didn¡¯t hear anything. We will simply introduce you as a new person, seeking to join a n. What you can steal from there is up to you!¡¹ Boo also grinned. ¡­¡­You guys. I can¡¯t help but be incredibly grateful to them. ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, and if you happened to like our n, don¡¯t hesitate to join!¡¹ ¡¸Dumbass, if he would like any n, then it would be obviously ours! And you lot! Listen well! Don¡¯t you dare get in the way of a man undertaking a challenge!¡¹ The two shouted at the surrounding adventurers. The adventurers around erupted in cheers. ¡¸Hey, Rude! Go for it!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t think an idiot like you, who would think about making a n at such a young age, exists! I¡¯m rooting for you!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, if I get kicked out of my current n, please take me in!¡¹ ¡¸Who would want such a guy!¡¹ ¡¸Ahaha! True that!¡¹ I make a half-smile, looking at the adventurers going crazy. ¡­¡­Such idiots were one of the reasons why I wanted to make a n. Just how great would it be to have fun like that with yourrades. ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, thank you. I¡¯ll do my best.¡¹ ¡¸Then. We will have to return to the city of adventurers. Are you ready to depart?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, tell me when you are leaving. I¡¯m ready anytime.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. We have a lot of duties to ry, so it¡¯s after we are done with that. Let¡¯s leave in three days time in the morning!¡¹ We discussed the details with Boo and Gary for a bit, after which Luna and I returned to the town. ©– Luna, walking at my pace, looked at me. ¡¸That was a surprise.¡¹ ¡¸What exactly?¡¹ ¡¸ns is that thing that was discussed earlier, right? At that time, you refused to be a n leader.¡¹ That¡¯s right. Recalling my conversation with Old Man Buckle and other elderly, I say. ¡¸Something happened after that, which made me change my mind.¡¹ ¡¸Something?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, looking at everyone, I thought, that I also have to do something.¡¹ A lot of things. ¡¸Feel is doing her best to inherit the position of her father. Milena also found what she wants to do, and wants to work hard on it. Even Nin is doing her duty as a member of the church, trying to improve rtions in the town. People close to me, all are doing something, to further their goals. ¡­¡­So I thought, I also should try a bit harder.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­And by that, you mean, create a n?¡¹ ¡¸It will be for the benefit of the town¡­¡­ And most of all, if I gather members on my own, negotiate with the guild¡­¡­ It should open manybyrinths for raiding.¡¹ That of course, if things go well. If not, then it would cause problems both to the town and to the count. And also to Boo and Gary, who agreed to help. Since I was afraid of that¡­¡­ I immediately refused when I was first asked about this. Pathetic. ¡¸Master, is that your dream?¡¹ ¡¸I guess, though I don¡¯t know how it will turn out yet.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­A dream. I¡­¡­¡¹ Luna muttered, as if deep in thought, and then made a smile. ¡¸If it¡¯s you, Master, then it surely will go well. ¡­¡­If it¡¯s fine with you, I¡¯d like to help as well.¡¹ Luna tightly grasped my hand. I smile in return. ¡¸Of course it¡¯s fine with me. After all¡­¡­ I¡¯mcking in many aspects. I¡¯d be happy if you could support me like Shisanti-san supports Count Turi.¡¹ I¡¯m not as cheerful and open as the count. But there also should be something that only I can do. For a while, Luna appeared to be in thought, holding a hand at her chin. Then, she tilted her head. ¡¸Does that mean that Master and I will be like a couple?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ As Luna gave me a puzzled look, I realized that my example wasn¡¯t that good. Ye-eah, right. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m confessing my love to her. Blood rushed to my head from embarrassment. I shake my head, trying to y it off. ¡¸N-no, no. Like a leader and a sub-leader, I want your help with a lot of things.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­Acknowledged, please leave it to me.¡¹ Luna nodded and clenched a fist. I breathed a sigh of relief, after which we continued our walk home. Chapter 33: To the City of Adventurers

Chapter 33: To the City of Adventurers

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Fastening the belt so it won¡¯t shift on my waist, I shoulder the great shield. That is pretty much all of my baggage, the sword, the shield, and the magic bag, that serves as a potion pouch. Inside the pouch are potions and the paper I received from the count. I was supposed to get him to sign this paper, to acknowledge the expenses of this journey. ¡¸Nii-san.¡¹ Manicia called and then she tightly hugged me. That surprised me a bit, but I hugged her back. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸I am. ¡­¡­But I won¡¯t see you for a while, so please allow me a bit of indulgence.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ I gently stroke her back. Running my hand across her slender back brings peace to my heart. She is the cutest in the whole world. Manicia separated from me a few secondster. Now it was my time to be sad. ¡¸Nii-san, please, be careful.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just an ordinary trip. Nothing is going to happen. Then, I¡¯ll be off.¡¹ Leaving the room with Manicia, I see Nin and Luna. It looks like Luna¡¯s preparations are perfect. Perhaps to protect from the sunlight, she is wearing a white hat. It¡¯s a good match with her grey hair. Her clothes also were a bit better than usual, enhancing her looks. Was it Nin, who coordinated it? As expected, she has good taste. Nin leaned on a chair and sighed. ¡¸If only I didn¡¯t have the church¡¯s job I would¡¯ve gone with you. They have a lot of good alcohol there.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s all you are thinking about.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that obvious? Well, while you aren¡¯t here, we will do some female bonding.¡¹ Nin looked at Manicia with a smile, to which Manicia replied, smiling with her whole face. ¡¸Yes, sure.¡¹ ¡­¡­Since they are girls, it should be fine, right? The twins surface in my mind. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll get quite seriously angry if you do something weird to Manicia, okay? As I silently stared at Nin, her expression became just a bit tense. ¡¸You reeally like your sister.¡¹ ¡¸Not really. Nothing out of ordinary.¡¹ With Nin¡¯s words, Manicia blushed and lowered her gaze. This makes it a bit embarrassing for me as well. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve left since I reconciled with Manicia. ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think it would be this hard to part. No, previously it was pretty depressing as well. Suppressing the desire to postpone the departure until tomorrow, I leave the house. Heading to the gates, I see a pretty huge crowd of people, who came to see me off. And it¡¯s not only citizens of the town. There were adventurers among them as well. Though I thought that there was no need for such a crowd, I also was happy about this. Milena, who was nearby, called out to me. ¡¸Rude, Luna-chan. We will take care of the stuff here. I will protect Manicia in Luna-chan¡¯s stead, so rest assured! That¡¯s how it was until now anyway!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m here as well. Leave it to us.¡¹ Feel, who stood next to Milena, knocked on her chest, looking pretty reliable. Indeed, hearing it from her, d in full-body armor, sounds quite reassuring. On the other hand, the fact that she lowered her helmet on her face, bothers me a bit. Is she nervous, since there are so many people? ¡¸Got it. I¡¯ll also do what I can.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we are counting on you, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸Do your best. And you Luna-chan, go and learn a lot about adventurers.¡¹ Luna bowed to Milena, who was waving her hand. We walk to the gates. ¡¸Oh, so you came.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry. Boo, Gary, did you wait?¡¹ ¡¸Not really.¡¹ Gary, who was squatting on the ground, stood up. Meanwhile, Boo is brushing the head of a lizard horse. Lizard horse is a crossbreed between dragon-type monsters and horse-type monsters. Having two of them is quite an impressive sight. Lizard horses possess amazing leg strength, so many use them for travel. ¡­¡­But the price is still outside the reach ofmoners. The fact that they have those, implies that their ns are doing quite well financially. My eyes meet with the lizard horse. Its eyes emanate a threatening pressure, typical for monsters of dragon species. Scales cover the body akin to natural armor. If it were to spread its wings, it could even fly, though to a very limited degree. So this is the means of travel that Boo and Gary said they will prepare. ¡¸Are we going on lizard horses?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Right, Boo?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. With the power of lizard horses, carrying two people is nothing. Now, the question is how are we going to sit¡­¡­¡¹ Boo and Gary looked at Luna. Both had an indecent feeling to their stare. These guys probably want to ride with Luna¡­¡­ ¡¸I will ride with Luna-chan, you, Boo, will ride with Rude, kay?¡¹ ¡¸The hell are you talking about! As if we can entrust her to such a gloomy and frail mage! What are you going to do if she falls?!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to ride in such a way! Or rather, fatass such as yourself can barely hold in the saddle on his own!¡¹ Both were butting heads. Luna put a hand to her chin, and after thinking for a while, tapped on her palm with a fist. ¡¸Then how about you two ride together? And I will ride with Master. Looking at how close you are, I think it would be best.¡¹ Luna proudly puffed her chest, as if saying ¡¸Fufun, I understood everything.¡¹. ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The two exchanged nces and then dropped their shoulders. Then, quietly got on the same horse. The lizard horse on which they sat, softly stood up. I head to another one and sit on its back. I rode horseback a few times, but it¡¯s my first time riding on a lizard horse. Holding Luna¡¯s hand, I pull her up. I have to say, this one is quite docile. It has a pretty intelligent look. ¡¸Guee¡¹it cried, so I patted it on the forehead. Looks like it¡¯s enjoying itself. ¡¸I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸Gyueh!¡¹ After letting out a weird cry, the lizard horse stood up. Slightly panicked, I grab the reins and then turn around to see Luna. ¡¸I heard that they are pretty fast, so be careful not to fall off.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged. Master, can I hold onto you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ It¡¯s pretty embarrassing, but I can¡¯t have her fall and get injured. Luna gently wrapped her hands around me. It¡¯s ticklish. She tightly pressed her body at me, which Boo and Gary looked at with envy. Let¡¯s go already. Their gazes should go away after we depart. With a swing of the reins, the lizard horse began running. Since Luna is glued to me, each jolt brings even more of my attention to her. ¡¸By the way, Master. You said that the guardian wanted toe, what became of it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I refused. Even if he ims that he wants to choose newrades by himself, you know.¡¹ Just as Luna said, the guardian showed up at my house earlier. And said that he wants to get new monsters himself. But, well. It¡¯s a city full of adventurers. Since there is no telling what could happen there, I refused. The lizard horse sped up. In response, Luna clung to me even harder. ©– The second morning of our journey. We arrived at the city of adventurers, Karde. As always, incredible traffic. Adventurers and the like filled every corner of the city. Ordinary folk could hardly be seen. That¡¯s to be expected, most of the people here are adventurers. The number of adventurers here is sorge, that people even say that it is enough to easily crush some small country. Even though a huge war force was gathered in the city, it wasn¡¯t seen as a problem. One of the biggest reasons for that was friendly rtionships between the country and its top ns. ¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»with headquarters in the east part of the city. ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»with headquarters in the west part of the city. Many ns exist in this city, but it is said that at least half is affiliated with either of these. Raising my eyes, there is a banner of ¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡». The west side most likely has a¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»banner. Compared to most cities in this day and age, the ce gives a wild impression, but that¡¯s what I liked about it. Buildings, ces close to each other, gave an impression of them being built without any n in mind at all, which again, was very fitting for adventurers. That¡¯s the kind of town we were now walking through. Luna, who was walking next to me, was curious about everything, asking me questions each time she saw something. Boo and Gary went off to their own ns to report about us. It seems that they already informed them in advance through letters, but received no response. For now, it was decided that we should meet up in the guild the next morning. I have no idea how things are going to turn out though. ¡¸It¡¯s an amazing city. It¡¯s built out of stone, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you are right. After getting used to the wooden architecture of Avancier it must a strange sight?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes. But, it has a good feeling to it.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a bit noisy, but I like it as well.¡¹ The street is filled with stalls, where merchants are trying to attract customers. The merchants¡¯ shouts, advertisements, and voices of adventurers, trying to haggle with them. Taking a proper look at everything on this street would easily take a few days. Seeing unusual merchandise stirs my childish curiosity, but right now we have a different goal. First, go to the guild and register Luna as an adventurer. It can be done in any huge city. Quite often, materials used for guild cards are not avable locally. Of course, Avancier didn¡¯t have them as well. The guild is located in the central part of the city. The only district with which¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»and¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»don¡¯t meddle. As we walk towards that area, someone calls out to me. It was an unpleasant voice with which I was familiar. Turning around, I see the guardian, covering his mouth with a hand. ¡¸Hey, Rude, I tagged along.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­¡­ How?¡¹ ¡¸I can tell the location of the monsters that Imand. And as you know, slimes can split.¡¹ With those words, a small slime appeared from my bag. ¡­¡­So he tracked me with this. ¡¸You¡­¡­ This is the city of adventurers, you understand this? Everyone here is raidingbyrinths with the goal of killing you, okay?¡¹ ¡¸That may be so. But isn¡¯t that fun?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haaah. Well, fine. Follow me.¡¹ Nothing can be done since he is already here. Making hime with us would be better than allowing inadequate solo action. The guardian squinted, seeing my dissatisfaction. ¡¸¡­¡­What about the name?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. Let¡¯s go with Marius. It just suddenly popped up in my mind.¡¹ ¡¸Got it¡­¡­¡¹ Is it going to be okay? This trip. Chapter 34: Reunion

Chapter 34: Reunion

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± As we arrived at the guild, Luna looked up in a daze. Opening her mouth like that, how cute. Marius, who stood beside her, also breathed a sigh of admiration. ¡¸The guild is huge. Will Avancier get something like this as well?¡¹ ¡¸No, Avancier¡¯s guild will be smaller.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? As expected, the city of adventurers is amazing.¡¹ Climbing up the stairs made of white stone we enter through huge doors that were left open. They probably can¡¯t close them without dying from the heat. Thanks to small windows andmps made out of magic stones, the interior is very bright. A wave of hot air envelopes us. Though it was in part due to it being summer, the actual reason was that the ce was overcrowded with adventurers. From time to time, a passing gust of wind would bring a smell of sweat. It can be pretty unsettling if you aren¡¯t used to it. Receptionist tables are lined up in front of the entrance. On the left side, the bulletin board with many requests and party and n recruitments are posted there. On the right side are the stairs leading to the second floor. The second floor has a dining hall that offers cuisine from fresh monsters, hunted on that day. It¡¯s still morning, but the ce seems to have plenty of people. From time to time a burst of wildughter can be heard. A few adventurers noticed us. Looks like there is no one who would know me. Some thuggish looking adventurers approached us, and stared at me and Luna, examining us. ¡¸Newbies?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m already registered, but she is only going to register now. And¡­¡­¡¹ What should we do about Marius? I nce at him. An innocent, almost childish smile can be seen on his face. ¡¸I came to register as well. It¡¯s okay, right? Rude?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸Then how about forming a party with us? We will teach you a lot of stuff?¡¹ He said, looking at Luna while licking his lips. Adventurers with their sights on Luna, huh. Making a wry smile, I shook my head. ¡¸We would like to learn, but we only came here for business, we have no intentions of staying in this city. Sorry about that.¡¹ ¡¸Heeh¡­¡­ Look. Girlie, how about forming a party with us? We will be gentle in our teachings.¡¹ ¡¸Are you speaking truly? How about teaching me? I¡¯m very curious about adventurers!¡¹ Marius jumped at those words, grabbing the man¡¯s hand. But the man shook off the hand of Marius, seemingly annoyed. ¡¸Shut up. We are not interested in dudes.¡¹ Marius muttered ¡¸Unfair¡¹and went away with a dejected look. ¡­¡­I¡¯ll exin to him what was going on,ter. The man once again turned to Luna, at which point she shook her head. ¡¸I want to be together with Master, sorry.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The adventurers frowned, not amused by the reply. As the adventurers began exchanging nces, an employee of the guild approached us from the reception. Seeing his face, I involuntarily froze. ¡¸Oh my. Are you going to cause new troubles?¡¹ ¡¸Ke-Kensei. N-no¡­¡­ We didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡­ Bye! Do your best, guys!¡¹ The adventurers dashed away, escaping. The person that approached us is a young man, with unusually long hair for a guy. His name is Kensei. In the past, we were in the same party. ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s been a while, Rude.¡¹ ¡¸Kensei? It¡¯s been a while.¡¹ I was about to extend my right hand to him but hurriedly switched to the left one. He made a half-smile and shook my left hand. ¡¸Master, this person¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. We worked together for a bit before. The name is Kensei. He is pretty skillful with a sword.¡¹ ¡¸And you couldn¡¯t handle a sword at all. They are¡­¡­ Yourrades?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Luna.¡¹ ¡¸Marius. A swordmaster, huh¡­¡­ I see.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Marius-san?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I just thought that I would¡¯ve liked to fight you.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I also would¡¯ve liked to fight you.¡¹ Marius kept staring at the man¡¯s right hand. ¡­¡­Perhaps he noticed something. I look at the clothes that Kensei is wearing. ¡¸Anyway, what are you doing here? And this outfit¡­¡­¡¹ He is wearing clothes issued by the guild to its employees. Kensei put his left hand to his chest, pointing to embroidery there. ¡¸I¡¯m working as the guild¡¯s staff. Well, I think eventually I will move to another city.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ Ehm, I¡¯m d for you.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Thank you. Anyway, how unusual, to see you in the city of adventurers. With everybyrinth here being already cleared, you hardly showed up around this area.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I actually have a lot of stuff to do here today.¡¹ When I said that, another person approached us. ¡¸Hey hey, to think we¡¯d meet again.¡¹ Sinanis forced his way through. The moment our eyes met, his expression became a bit more tense. ¡¸Sinanis¡¢why are you¨D¡¹ I was about to ask what he was doing here, but then remembered. He said that he was going to go to the city of adventurers. ¡¸C¡¯mon. To forget the location of your rival, how cruel©`¡¹ Before he could finish speaking, hisrades appeared, pushing him aside. ¡¸Ru-Rude-sama! It¡¯s been a while! I¡¯m so d to see you again!¡¹ ¡¸He-hey! I¡¯m talking! Don¡¯t interrupt me!¡¹ Sinanis raised his voice, but his party mates pushed him to the back anyway. They are just as usual. Seeing their interaction I can¡¯t help but smile. I look at Kensei. ¡¸At any rate, Kensei. Were you acquainted with Sinanis?¡¹ Kensei nodded. ¡¸Yeah. It was pretty much just after he became an adventurer. We met while I was still active. I taught him swordsmanship.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s how it is.¡¹ Sinanis grinned. So from Sinanis¡¯ point of view, Kensei is his teacher in the ways of adventurers. And I¡¯m a rival, huh. Bonds form in the weirdest ces. Having said that, he red at me. Then, pointed to his face with a thumb. ¡¸What¡¯s more important, Rude! Hear this and be amazed!¡¹ ¡¸Rude-sama, we were promoted to C rank!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ ¡¸I! Wanted! To say! That! Stop getting in my way!¡¹ Getting there at their age means that they are quite talented. Sinanis lost his fire, and folding his arms he turned away. ¡¸What a lively bunch.¡¹ Marius said,ughing. Just as he said, they are pretty amusing. However, Kensei¡¯s eyes looked just a tiny bit lonely. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Rude.¡¹ As our eyes met, he was tilting his head. By that time his expression looked cheerful again. ¡¸¡­¡­No, nothing.¡¹ I guess he wanted to continue his life as an adventurer. His outer shell got shattered, after which he received a wound to his right hand, which ended his career as an adventurer. ¡¸Rude, how about having dinner after this? I¡¯d like to hear what happened to Avancier after that.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sure. I also would like to celebrate your promotion¡­¡­ Let¡¯s go somewhere after we finish with Luna¡¯s registration. ¡¹ ¡¸Yeeah, it¡¯s your treat, right?!¡¹ What a brazen fellow. ¡¸Well, we are celebrating your promotion. I¡¯ll take the bill.¡¹ ¡¸As expected! We can eat to our hearts content¡­¡­! Guys, we are getting stuffed for tomorrow as well!¡¹ ¡¸Rude-sama, thank you very much!¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu, I¡¯m d that I didn¡¯t eat anything¡­¡­ I will be able to show my true power¡­¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Now, how much will I be able to eat¡­¡­?¡¹ Marius, I never said that I¡¯m paying for you as well. I stared at him, as he shouted thest, joining the cheers of others. ¡¸Kensei, what about you?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. My shift is about to be over soon, I guess I¡¯ll register the two over here and leave.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Registering as adventurers, huh. I am curious as to what is going to happen.¡¹ ¡¸There is nothing particrly curious. Nevertheless, you seem to be pretty skilled, and yet you didn¡¯t register at the guild until now?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I was training with the sword in the countryside.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I also used a katana in the past, but isn¡¯t it tough with a katana alone?¡¹ ¡¸Not really? Katana is such a weapon that©`©`¡¹ Marius and Kensei are enjoying the conversation. Meanwhile, Luna poked my elbow. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it possible for me to register as an adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸No problem. If you have magic power then you are good. Though if you want to put detailed information there, you would need a proof of ability from the church.¡¹ Some might have magic powers of simr wavelength, but none are the same. With the wavelength of the magic power of the guild card and the person matching, it can be used as an identification tool. Many people register for that alone. Even regr citizens. Anyone can get a card, as long as they can cover a modest fee. After a stretch, Kensei heads to the reception. We follow after him. The process of registration went without an issue. With this, Luna and Marius are new F rank adventurers. Receiving the guild card, she happily pressed it against her chest. I¡¯m d that I took her along. Seeing her bashful demeanor, I can¡¯t help but feel a bit of happiness myself. ¡¸So this is a guild card. This concludes my registration as well. That was simple.¡¹ Marius stared at the guild card for a while. Luna showed him her guild card as well. ¡¸Me as well.¡¹ ¡¸The number of this magic stone represents the rank. F rank¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t this the lowest possible? Aren¡¯t you dissatisfied with this?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine.¡¹ ¡¸How can you say that?¡­¡­ Ah, if only there was a way to quickly prove my strength.¡¹ One actually can take a practical exam during the registration. But having a low rank isn¡¯t much of an inconvenience. ¡­¡­And there also was a concern that Marius might overdo it. ¡¸However, it seems that if you perform a sessfulbyrinth investigation, your rank can raise in one go.¡¹ ¡¸What? I see¡­¡­ Then, well, so be it. Yeah, so be it.¡¹ Marius put his guild card into a pocket. Luna was still looking at it. ¡¸Anyway, it is quite unusual. For you to have a permanent party. Earlier, you were doing nothing butbyrinth raids?¡¹ Kensei said while arranging documents. ¡¸Yeah. But she was just like me¡­¡­ Lost. I¡±m here today because there was someone to save me. ¡­¡­So I thought that I¡¯d like to help her.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That¡¯s how it is¡­¡­ And I assumed she is your girlfriend.¡¹ ¡¸No way.¡¹ Kensei stuck out his tongue, mocking me. ¡­¡­Good grief. ¡¸Then. I¡¯ll put this away. After I¡¯m done with this, let¡¯s go somewhere.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Kensei disappeared into the interior. Then, a guild card appeared in front of my eyes. Held by a cute little hand. ¡¸Master, look at this. The guild card.¡¹ ¡¸Congrattions, Luna.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ She then pressed it against her chest again, embracing it. ¡¸Rude, do you know any good ces?¡¹ Sinanis and his group returned to us, after looking at the bulletin board. ¡¸No. I actually never stayed in the city for long. So I¡¯m not that familiar with it.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Then, let¡¯s go with the ce of my choice.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sure. What¡¯s more important, are there any good requests?¡¹ ¡¸Nope. Nothing interesting. I guess it¡¯s about time to go to a new town¡­¡­ Which reminds me, Rude. What did youe here for? You won¡¯t say that it was only to register Luna?¡¹ If that was the case, there are ces much closer, where it can be done. Sinanis looked at me with suspicion. ¡­¡­Hmm, what should I do? On one hand, there is no reason to tell him, on the other, there is also no reason to keep quiet¡­¡­ ¡¸I want to make a n. And this town offers a lot to learn about that.¡¹ In the end, I decided to tell him. After all, he is my friend, and well, a rival. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­n, huh. n¡­¡­ Hmm?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, about that n thing. We also were looking for one. But we have no intention of joining a famous one. So, err, well¡­¡­¡¹ Sinanis scratched his cheek. As he continued to hesitate, hisrades pushed him aside. ¡¸Sinanis wants to join your n, Rude-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t say that!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Will you join us, Sinanis?¡¹ ¡¸N-no¡­¡­ Damn. Well¡­ if you are that troubled with members, then I don¡¯t mind helping you out by joining.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then please do. I can trust you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­tch. Crap, this is unfair¡­¡­ Well, we will be in your care.¡¹ Sinanis lowered his head. ¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think that I would get new members in such a way. Standing with his arms folded, Marius observed the scene, then smiled. ¡¸Good for you, Rude. Getting new members. I¡¯m Marius. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah, sure.¡¹ Sinanis shook Marius¡¯ hand. Marius grasped Sinanis¡¯ hand with both hands, stroking it. ¡¸A good hand, you are using a sword a lot¡­¡­ How lovely!¡¹ ¡¸Stop that, you creep me out! Stop touching me!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, don¡¯t be like that, it will be fine¡­¡­ Hey, Rude? Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to hold a n tournament to find out who is the strongest? As a form of training¡­¡­ Mm?¡¹ ¡¸You just want to fight, don¡¯t you?¡¹ Marius turned away, trying to y it off. Good grief. Then, Kensei came back. ¡¸Sorry about the wait. Shall we go?¡¹ Kensei, now wearing his in clothes, touched the cor, adjusting it. He looked pretty good, grabbing the attention of nearby girls. Kensei, seemingly ufortable with the situation, signaled with his eyes to get moving. So this part of him hasn¡¯t changed from the past. ¡¸Then, everyone, follow me!¡¹ No idea if that was because he was that happy about leading the way, but Sinanis shouted energetically and then began walking. Chapter 35: Dinner Party

Chapter 35: Dinner Party

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Since everyone gathered, we head to the store suggested by Sinanis. Entering, it turned out to be somewhat colder than outside. It seems a magic tool is at work here, circting cold air through the room. The customers that came before us were led to their seats, so we had to wait for a bit. ¡¸Cold breeze devices seem to be pretty poprtely. The guild had them as well, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. But, it¡¯s not powerful enough to cool down the area used by the adventurers. Ah, but the staff room is cool.¡¹ Kensei said in an upbeat tone. ¡¸How envious.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m d that the Sun finally began to set.¡¹ ¡¸Marius-san, you don¡¯t like sunlight?¡¹ ¡¸A bit. I hate hot weather. It ruins the skin.¡¹ ¡¸Haha, I see.¡¹ Kensei and Marius are having a friendly exchange. Which reminds me, in the past, Kensei wielded a katana. In a way, it makes sense that these two would get along. ¡¸This ce doesn¡¯t have many visitors, but it¡¯s tasty and the servings are huge. I rmend it.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Well, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, you better!¡¹ ¡¸Wee. Table for how many?¡¹ The employee that finished guiding the previous customers, bowed to us and smiled. Straight back, very correct posture, and though they had a smile on their face, it appeared fake. A homunculus. As expected, since it¡¯s the city of adventurers, they would use homunculi at stores. I wonder how Luna will take it. She just stares at the homunculus intently with her lips tightly pressed together. ¡¸Seven people.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Then, I will lead you to your seats.¡¹ We follow the female-type homunculus. Reaching the table, we sit facing each other. Marius keeps looking around restlessly. ¡¸Quite an interesting ce. A meal, huh, a meal¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Which reminds me, what do you usually do about food?¡¹ I can¡¯t even imagine guardians eating. ¡¸Nothing, I don¡¯t need it. Well, though there is no loss in eating something. I feel the taste and can tell what is delicious and what is not. So I¡¯m looking forward to this.¡¹ He replied in the usual tone. Then, Sinanis tilted his head. ¡¸Can I take care of ordering?¡¹ ¡¸Sure. Go ahead.¡¹ ¡¸Kay. I¡¯m going to order a lot! It has been a while since Ist ate with senior adventurers.¡¹ Sinanis looked over the menu with a smile. The menu had pictures of the dishes depicted right next to them, so even without knowing the dish, one could to some degree imagine what it¡¯s supposed to be. They are quite considerate to the customers. Hiding my mouth with the menu, I look at Luna. ¡¸Luna, does that bother you?¡¹ I lower the voice so the others won¡¯t hear me. Or rather, with Luna and Marius, aren¡¯t there too many secrets to keep? ¡¸¡­¡­So it¡¯s normal for homunculi to work in such a fashion?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Just like Luna, I look at a certain homunculus. That homunculus, in skilled movements, cleaned the table, where customers were sitting earlier. Then, a man approached her. His face is slightly red. Is he drunk? ¡­¡­I have a bad premonition. The moment the homunculus finished cleaning the table and stood up with a cup in her hands, the adventurer bumped into her in a very unnatural fashion. Luna made a short gasp. The cup that the homunculus held fell to the ground. The water inside sshed all over the floor. It also sttered on the adventurer¡¯s feet, to which he made a frown. ¡¸You little! Where are your eyes!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, call the manager! Do you know how much my boots cost?! They are he expensive! ¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ The homunculus bows her head. But there is no change in her expression. Some other customers stand up, curious about what is happening. But the moment they notice that the problem is between a homunculus and an adventurer, they immediately sit down. Sinanis raised his head. And nced at the adventurer. ¡¸¡­¡­Sometimes there are such types. Trying to find an issue with a homunculus, they would try to slither their way out of the bill. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Shall we intervene?¡¹ A man, that appeared like an employee, was desperately bowing before the adventurer. It¡¯s not like I want to help them out of pity. It¡¯s just that Luna looks extremely sad. As I stood up, Marius, Sinanis, and Kensei, followed me. ¡¸Battle? A brawl? I¡¯m fine with either, should be fun.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll help if something happens.¡¹ ¡¸Likewise.¡¹ Sinanis smiled as if he hoped that things would go wrong. ¡¸Well, peaceful resolution is for the best.¡¹ Sinanis¡¯s party mates ran outside the store. Looks like Sinanis already gave them some kind of instructions¡­¡­ Well, it¡¯s about time to stop this. ¡¸Hey. Stop making a ruckus inside the store.¡¹ ¡¸HAAH?¡¹ As I called out to him, the adventurer turned around and red at me. Then, even more hostility showed in his look. ¡¸The hell are you?¡¹ ¡¸We just happened to see this. You bumped into the homunculus on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare make weird usations!¡¹ The adventurer shouted, scattering spit everywhere. Sinanis pointed to a certain area of the store. ¡¸Look over there. It¡¯s written that they ept no ims in regards to homunculi? Are you friggin blind? Ah, you must be actually blind, that exins why you didn¡¯t see a homunculus right in front of you. Sorry about that.¡¹ Don¡¯t provoke him, idiot. Kensei slightly smiled, hearing Sinanis¡¯ words. ¡¸You!¡¹ The adventurer reached to us with his hand, so I grabbed him by the wrist. The man scowled. He then tried to force his way out of my hold, but in turn, I applied even more strength. ¡¸Noints about homunculi will be epted. How about quietly paying up your bill and getting out?¡¹ ¡¸You¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you dare look down me¡­¡¹ It was at that moment. With a sound of the bell announcing that someone entered the store, a huge man appeared. ¡¸So this is the ce? Where the said troublemaker is supposed to be?¡¹ A deep, hoarse voice resounded through the store. No idea if it was a seasonal thing or if he was like that all year round, but he had no clothes on the upper part of his body. Several scars could be seen on his face and body, while the man, as if he was proud of those, donned a confident smile. Marius turned around and put his hand on the katana on his waist. Though he was smiling, his eyes had the same resolve as when he fought me. I was the same. It takes only one nce to realize that this guy is bad news. As if to further confirm my guess, Sinanis was opening and closing his mouth without a sound. I even began to worry if he is going to foam from his mouth Even Kensei, usually extremely calm, had his eyes opened wide. Sinanis nced at hisrades, to which they energetically shook their heads. Looks like there is some kind of exchange of information going on. The man stopped in front of us. ¡¸Are you the ones causing the trouble?¡¹ ¡¸N-no¡­¡­ W-we are¡­¡­¡¹ Bloodthirst filled the eyes of the man, after which Sinanis and the adventurer that started all this, fell on their behinds. Both were shaking in their boots. The man¡¯s and Kensei¡¯s eyes met. Kensei made a bow, then the man immediately looked at us and Marius. Then, smiled. ¡¸That¡¯s some guts you have. Detaining you is going to be regrettable.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t get what is going on, but it seems you came to catch me? I see, interesting, try it if you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Stop running your mouth, idiot. It¡¯s not us. It¡¯s this man, he started a scene by ming a homunculus. We just stepped in stop him since we happened to witness the scene.¡¹ ¡¸Oh? Is that truly so? If you lie¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Gosh-san, they are telling the truth.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see. My bad. Lately, there are a lot of idiots, trying to use any excuse they can to start a fight. So, old-man. If you have something to say, I will hear you out, what are you gonna do?¡¹ The man called Gosh-san looked at the adventurer, who was still trembling. The adventurer repeatedly hit his forehead on the floor. ¡¸P-please forgive me! I will pay the bill fully. Excuse me!¡¹ ¡¸Naah, wait a moment. Don¡¯t run away. And do not fret. I won¡¯t do anything. You¡¯ll just have to apany me to the n. Guild staffer over there, can youe with me to exin the situation?¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Then, everyone, I¡¯ll be off. I wille back if I get over with this fast. Just leave me a desert.¡¹ Winking to us, he then left with the man called Gosh. With the man leaving, the tense atmosphere returned to normal. ¡­¡­At any rate, the man had an amazing presence. I lend a hand to Sinanis, whose legs were still trembling. ¡¸Your acquaintance?¡¹ ¡¸A-Acquaintance?¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t know him?!¡¹ ¡¸Yup¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you for real? You are about to create a n and you don¡¯t know him?¡¹ ¡¸Who was that?¡¹ ¡­¡­Come on, stop hyping him up. ¡¸He is the leader of¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»!!¡¹ My eyes opened wide in astonishment. ¡­¡­The n leader that I¡¯m supposed to meet, huh. Chapter 36: S rank Adventurer

Chapter 36: S rank Adventurer

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Though Sinanis¡¯ words were surprising, they also sounded very reasonable. You won¡¯t be able to lead such a giant n without such an impact. ¡¸Y-you guys! Why did you call such a big shot?!¡¹ Sinanis looked at the two of hisrades. ¡¸Y-you told us to find someone from¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»or¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡», so when we were shouting outside, he happened to pass nearby.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No one aside from him was nearby, and we thought we should hurry.¡¹ Those two ns are upholding public order in this city. So it wasn¡¯t a mistake. Not a mistake, but¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯d like to fight that man. Hey, Rude, wouldn¡¯t beating that man make our n number one?¡¹ ¡¸Would be nice.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s try.¡¹ ¡¸It won¡¯t, idiots.¡¹ Though I also wanted to fight him a bit. This is where I agree with Marius. And with us now back at our seats, the whole incident is over. As our orders were carried, the manager brought a te by himself. Putting the dish on our table, he then bowed to us. ¡¸T-thank you. Thanks to you, it didn¡¯t turn into anything huge!¡¹ ¡¸The person of our trade was causing trouble. We might have words of apology, but nothing to be thanked for.¡¹ The trouble stirred by one adventurer influences others as well. I like my job as an adventurer, and one of the reasons why I interjected, was because I don¡¯t want others to look down on it. The manager walked away, smiling. Next, a homunculus brought the food. She, that female-type homunculus, bowed her head. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ Homunculi are expressionless. But I was very happy to hear these words. For some time after that, we calmly enjoyed our dinner. After a while, Kensei came back to his seat. Then, as if recalling something, Sinanis sighed. ¡¸What is it, Sinanis? Are you that annoyed with meing back?¡¹ ¡¸N-no! It¡¯s not about you¡­¡­ I just remembered Gosh-san.¡¹ Then, he breathed another sigh. Those words made me remember him as well. He had an incredible body. Now I can understand why Boo is so passionate with his invitations. ¡¸What about him?¡¹ Somewhat unsurely, Sinanis nodded to my question. ¡¸It was my first time seeing an S rank adventurer. So that is S rank¡­¡­ He looked insanely powerful.¡¹ Sinanis dropped his shoulders. And then, breathed a short sigh. ¡¸It is my dream to be an S rank adventurer. So I have to be like that? I can¡¯t help but understand how long the road ahead is.¡¹ ¡¸That might be true, but¡­¡­ There is a lot to S rank adventurers. The leaders of¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»and¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»are outstanding even by S rank standards. So you don¡¯t really have to©`©`¡¹ ¡¸No, someday, I will be just as strong!¡¹ He shouted, standing up from his seat. And here I thought that he was depressed. Girls that sat on his left and right appeared astounded and fed up at the same time. Yet, they had a hint of smiles on their faces. ¡­¡­A good party. While starting on the new dishes that he ordered, Sinanis tilted his head. ¡¸Rude. I¡¯ll tell you how we got to C rank.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. I¡¯m all ears.¡¹ He seems to be very eager to talk about it. When I replied, his smile became wider. ¡¸We were passing through the town called Archiss. A rural town, not as much in the sticks as Avancier though. Since they said that they don¡¯t have many adventurers around, we helped the folk in trouble. As we worked there for a while, that was acknowledged, and we became C rank adventurers. ¡­¡­If only you could see that deadly showdown with the ice golem. ¡¹ ¡¸Ice Golem? C rank monster. You killed it?¡¹ ¡¸Yuup. It kinda feels like we got over the wall, after that battle with fieldzauruses¡­¡­ We certainly became stronger than before.¡¹ He pumped his fist. He might soon overtake me if I keep taking things so easy. ¡­¡­I can¡¯t fall behind. Though I¡¯m practicing, I rarely get any realbat experiencetely. ¡¸So, Rude. What happened with you after that?¡¹ Sinanis probably wants to know. How it came to be that I¡¯m creating a n. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ I exined, omitting unnecessary details. About investigating thebyrinth. About adventurers in the town. I also gave a stern look to Marius, so he won¡¯t say anything extra. Though it seems he was way too obsessed with the women, who were seated at the nearby table, so this wasn¡¯t a problem. When I finished, Sinanis was pouting. ¡¸Damn it! You beat us to it again! You appear so chill, and yet doing all sorts of stuff here and there! Or actually, finally a D rank after all that? Couldn¡¯t they raise it higher?¡¹ ¡¸Skipping even one rank is unusual enough.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­ Ah, well. It¡¯s you we are talking about. You will get another promotion soon enough anyway.¡¹ Sinanis sighed and looked at Kensei, who until now remained silent, listening. ¡¸Which reminds me, Rude and Kensei-san, how are you acquainted? Can you tell us about it?¡¹ After making an amused smile, Kensei took a sip of juice. Then, cutting a bite-sized bit from the cake we ordered, ate it. He always liked sweet stuff. ¡¸We just happened to work together in a few dungeon raids. Hmm, about three years ago?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, roughly so. Well, and while working together, we became friends.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s how it was¡­¡­ Kensei-san is pretty amazing, but he was even better in the past, right?!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well¡­ Yeah.¡¹ Sinanis asked simple-mindedly. While I was troubled on how to reply, Kensei made a half-smile. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it so much. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s your fault, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but¡­¡¹ Sinanis, as if finally realizing, went¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡¹looking at Kensei¡¯s right hand. ¡­¡­He was strong. When we met, he was A rank, but it was often said that he soon will be S rank. But then, his party met defeat during the raid of a certainbyrinth. During that time, he covered for hisrades and had his right hand badly injured. Right now, the grip strength is enough only for everyday life, rendering him unable to use a sword. With that gloomy atmosphere hanging in the air, Kensei took a huge sip of the juice. Purposively making as much noise as possible. Then waved with his hand. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about such stuff! I already decided that as a staffer here, I will cultivate the strongest adventurers! It¡¯s my dream to then get the front page on newspapers, saying¡ºI raised them¡». Rude, you are also making a n, right?! In that case, I have full intentions of getting interviewed about adventuring with you!¡¹ He spoke a bit louder and more passionately than usual. ¡­¡­He changed. After he just received that injury, he was pretty obsessed with adventuring. He kept desperately training, to be able to fight even with one hand. No matter how hard others tried to stop him, he continued to train every day, until he was all worn out. ¡­¡­And now, he became a staff member, supporting many other adventurers. Everyone finds their own ways of life. I also have to do my best. With the dinner being over, we leave the restaurant. ¡­¡­Damn Sinanis and Marius. They ordered a lot. While Imented about the state of my wallet, we were already outside. Patting his full stomach, Marius appeared even somewhat anguished, in no state to move normally. He keeps trying to lean on my shoulder, so I walk while shaking him off. ¡¸Did you decide where you will stay?¡¹ ¡¸No, not yet.¡¹ ¡¸Then, want us to introduce you to the ce we are using?¡¹ ¡¸Hm, yes, please.¡¹ ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll be going home, so we are parting here.¡¹ Kensei said and went in the opposite direction from us. ¡¸I see. Let¡¯s go for a drinkter.¡¹ ¡¸Which reminds me, Rude. If you don¡¯t have enough staff to manage the n, I can help you. Well, it will cost you a bit though.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯lle to you, if things go well.¡¹ ¡¸Well, do your best. You should be able to do pretty well if you put your mind to it.¡¹ He said casually and donned a smile. Chapter 37: Room arrangements

Chapter 37: Room arrangements

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Going to the inn where Sinanis and his party stay, we rent two rooms. One room for Marius and me, and another one for Luna. And as we were about to head to our rooms, Marius grabbed Luna¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Then, the girl striving for life, go to the same room as Rude.¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ And pushed her into the back. Then, threw into the air and then caught the key that he stole from Luna without anyone noticing. ¡¸I prefer a single room. And there is also some stuff that I¡¯d like to do without anyone bothering me. Then, that¡¯s how it is! Enjoy yourself, youngsters! See you tomorrow!¡¹ What do you mean, enjoy ourselves! I was about to shout but held back. I didn¡¯t want to bother other guests. I tried to grab Marius¡¯ hand, but he already slipped inside his room. ¡­¡­Damn it. ¡¸Sorry, Luna. I will fix©`©`¡¹ Luna grasped my arm, looking anxious. ¡­¡­Speaking of which, she was pretty much like this since the incident with the homunculus. Perhaps Marius noticed this and did this on purpose. ¡­¡­Thank you, Marius. I will overlook the food bill you managed to rack up today. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. Can we stay together for a while?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes. Sure.¡¹ It¡¯s pretty likely what Luna is still shaken by that incident. ¡­¡­Even so, alone in the room with a young woman. Even though we were together back at home, for some reason, it gets me pretty nervous right now. Is it because it¡¯s just two of us? Crap, I¡¯m getting even more embarrassed. No no, Luna is a homunculus. Don¡¯t worry about it. Recall Manicia¡¯s face. Ah, she is so cute. As I struggled not to go into hyperventtion, we entered the room. Putting down the luggage, I twist my shoulders. I immediately felt a lot of weight lift off me the moment I removed the great shield. Stretching, I head to the chair near the window. ¡¸Luna, are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. For being willful.¡¹ ¡¸Is it about that homunculus?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ There are ces where homunculi are treated even worse. No better than ves, to say the least. There are even some that treat homunculi of the opposite sex as a certain kind of toy. Were Luna to see something of that sort, she would¡¯ve been even more depressed. ¡­It¡¯s probably for the best that we didn¡¯t encounter such a scene. ¡¸We, homunculi, are originally meant to be tools?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­ guess.¡¹ I wanted to deny that, but with them being used as such, there is nothing I can say. She closed her eyes, seeming sad. Until now, I never actually tried to ask her about herself. Previously, one thing was happening after another, so I was pretty busy¡­¡­ But now, I can have a proper talk with her. Is it my fault? If I treated her as a tool, then perhaps this wouldn¡¯t have happened. She might be suffering precisely because she had a taste of human life. ¡¸Luna, you don¡¯t have to talk if you don¡¯t want to. ¡­But can you tell me about your past?¡¹ ¡¸About my past?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes. I want to know where and how you lived until now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Luna lowered her gaze, seemingly in thought. But only a momentter. She directed her gaze at me. ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Luna put a hand onto her chest and began speaking. ¡¸I¡¯m from the neighboring country of Bloomceros. There, they had numerous homunculi manufacturing nts. I was born at one of them.¡¹ ¡¸Bloomceros has so many facilities?¡¹ I only heard rumors about them producing a lot of homunculi. ¡¸Yes. Bloomceros also producesbat homunculi. To raidbyrinths with better efficiency. I was manufactured as an examination homunculus, meant to checkbat homunculi.¡¹ ¡­¡­Doesn¡¯t sound like much of a pleasant story. From that, I pick up important keywords. ¡¸¡­¡­Examination homunculus?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. One can be made by copying information from the magic stone of a person with appraisal skill onto a homunculus magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That is an illegal production method.¡¹ ¡¸I think that it¡¯s most likely so. And it was apanied by many failures. Many homunculi died soon after being born, due to the copy being iplete. And some were born possessing the ego.¡¹ ¡­¡­The ego. That must be the reason why the information is wiped out during the creation process. If things go awry, the homunculus could get the same thinking as the human during their life, and act in the same way. ¡¸Since homunculi that don¡¯t obey orders are not needed, all of them are being erased.¡¹ ¡¸How did you survive?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I waste to awaken the ego. And even after it happened, I tried to hide that fact. At first, it was painful to live there. The fear of one day being disposed of kept haunting me. After all, I was a defective homunculus as well.¡¹ ¡¸Defective?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. My appraisal is imperfect. For the perfect appraisal, a mere look is enough. So I knew, that someday, they will dispose of me as well.¡¹ ¡­¡­How hard it must be, to live, constantly awaiting that moment. The life where you don¡¯t know what awaits you tomorrow. Since I lived in the slums previously, I could understand her¡­¡­ A little bit. ¡¸Homunculi that were born with ego were killed on the spot. However, disposal of purely faulty homunculi is carried out in the area where no evidence will be left. I was brought to that area, and then, escaped from there.¡¹ ¡¸Where is that?¡¹ ¡¸Abyrinth. We were thrown away at thebyrinth at the border of Avancier and the neighboring country. Everyone is given an order not to move, left to wait for the moment when monsters will kill them.¡¹ A terrible scenery came to my mind. Indeed, no matter how many were to die in abyrinth, all of them will be swallowed by it, leaving nothing behind. ¡­¡­A perfect ce for disposal. Homunculi are tools. But even so, this is just©`©` ¡¸I learned a means to fight from magic stones, so I managed somehow. Then, I escaped thebyrinth. Luckily, the people from the research facility, who threw me away were quite irresponsible, so when I got outside thebyrinth, no one was around. And¡­¡­ Then I met you, Master. ¡­¡­I¡¯m very sorry for what I did at that time. Even though you saved me, I attacked you out of my fear of humans.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t care about that. ¡­You learned how to fight from magic stones?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡­¡­Homunculi can extract information from magic stones and copy it to their own magic stone. Using that, I copied a number of skills andbat experiences while I stayed at the facility. ¡­¡­But all of them were deficient, so I couldn¡¯t make full use of them.¡¹ ¡­¡­I understand why they would want to produce homunculi forbat use. Will parties made up fully of homunculi eventually emerge? But if arge number of homunculi, just like Luna that have the ego, were to appear, would they act in the interests of humanity? ¡¸¡­¡­That is my past. Master, I¡¯m sorry for keeping silent about it until now.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s that I never asked about it, so don¡¯t worry. Thank you for telling me.¡¹ ¡¸I did so because it¡¯s you, Master. You treat me well. And that makes me very¡­¡­ Happy? I guess that is the word? Sorry. While I have emotions, I¡¯m don¡¯t understand them that well.¡¹ She doesn¡¯t have a clear understanding of what each emotion means. Just like a child. Probably confused, but Luna looked all flustered. ¡¸Humans also have such moments. ¡­¡­But, Luna, aren¡¯t you here because you wanted to live? That¡¯s honestly¡­¡­ The same for humans as well.¡¹ ¡¸Master¡­¡­ Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸If something happens, feel free to talk to me at any time. ¡­¡­We are pretty much a family after all.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ She lowered her head. She now had a very bright expression. ¡­¡­I wonder if some of her uneasiness went away. I¡¯d be happy if so. ¡¸Sorry for the questions. Tomorrow, we will have to get up early, so take your time to rest.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Master, I will say it anew, I¡¯m in your care.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Same here. Please, treat me well.¡¹ I lie down on the bed. Then, Luna tried to get under my nket ¡¸What, what are you doing¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸After talking about this, I remember the times when I was alone¡­¡­Can we sleep together?¡¹ I can¡¯t refuse her here, right after saying what I just said. ¡¸Y-yes.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, Master.¡¹ Using me as a recement for a hugging pillow, Luna closed her eyes. Since she is smiling like this, there is no choice for me but to bear with it. ¡­¡­I spent the night recalling all kinds of Manicia¡¯s expressions. Chapter 38: Challenge

Chapter 38: Challenge

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Morning. Before going to the guild we gather materials for thebyrinth. We bought all sorts of stuff, magic stones, herbs, monster parts, and so on. All of that was stored by using Marius¡¯ Space Magic. Though he apparently can¡¯t store too much, the things we bought today should fit. Since the time was just right, we headed to the guild with Sinanis and his party, but arriving there, found no Boo or Gary. Well, sometimes this happens. People can bete. They are sub leaders of the two biggest ns. They should have a lot of stuff on their hands. We wait for a while, but still no sign of Boo or Gary. ¡¸Hey, Rude. Maybe they won¡¯te? How about we take a request or something?¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t you say that there are no good requests?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care. Still better than sitting here.¡¹ Let¡¯s wait for a bit more, if they still won¡¯t show up, then this might be fine as well. And when I thought that, amotion arose at the entrance to the guild. When I stood up to check it, I saw Boo and Gary. They immediately noticed me and approached with somewhat dubious expressions. ¡¸H-hey Rude. D-doing well?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ As Boo asked this, a frown appeared on Gary¡¯s face. ¡¸W-well¡­¡­ I hate roundabout stuff, so I¡¯ll say it straight.¡¹ What could this be? Doesn¡¯t sound like good news. ¡¸Sorry! When I said that you want to join, she answered that you can do as you please! Sorry!¡¹ Gary said, putting his hands together in an apologetic gesture. Boo followed suit. ¡¸S-same here! If you want him to join, then he is free to do so, is what he said! Sorry, I thought this is a perfect n!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ So this is why they were sote. In the first ce, it is I who was trying to fool them, and it¡¯s not like n leaders personally check every new recruit. That¡¯s what subleaders and other subordinates are there for. Them bowing before me gathers a lot of attention. After telling them to raise their heads, I shook my head. ¡¸There is no need for you to apologize. ¡­¡­To begin with, I was the one lying. It could be that the n leaders simply saw through that.¡¹ ¡¸N-no¡­¡­ It was us, who arrogantly imed that we will arrange a meeting with the n leaders.¡¹ ¡¸R-right. Sorry. This, aftering to such a ce at such a busy time.¡¹ ¡¸I was the one who ultimately made that decision. ¡­¡­Thank you for what you did until now. I think I will go around, visiting various ns here.¡¹ As I said this, they once again lowered their heads. I replied with a wry smile, then. ¡¸¡­¡­Y-yeah. Well, if I were to advise you on a way that might possibly allow you to meet our leader. Try to stand out! F-for example, if you clear an urgent request, the leader should take an interest!¡¹ ¡¸Pig, what a dumbass you are! Where are they supposed to get such an urgent request?! And even if there were any, it¡¯s usually our ns that would take them!¡¹ ¡¸S-shut up! Rude! I will try asking acquainted n leaders! Maybe some will be willing to talk with you!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you. But there is no need to force yourself, okay?¡¹ ¡¸I, I will try as well!¡¹ Having said that, Boo and Gary left the guild. There is no need to get so nervous about this. ¡¸¡­¡­For now, I¡¯d like to discuss the future policy of our n. Sinanis and others¡­¡­ Well, just do as you please.¡¹ ¡¸We also don¡¯t have anything to do. Well, since it came to this, I guess we will raid somebyrinths.¡¹ Sinanis said, putting his hands behind his head. After parting with them, the three of us went to the bar on the second floor of the guild. ©– Getting to the seats we ask for a light meal. Then, we look at each other. Meeting the two biggest ns was our original goal. Nothing we can do about this now. At most, going around the town and observing how the biggest ns are maintaining public order. Even so, I wanted to meet them. I¡¯d like to know how I should conduct myself as a n leader. So I want to use them for reference. If it¡¯s the leaders of the two biggest ns, then they are obviously doing something right. Is what I thought, but as expected, things are not so easy. ¡¸Since there is nothing for me to do here now, I¡¯ll go back to Avancier. You don¡¯t mind, right?¡¹ ¡¸Sure. I think it¡¯s a good idea.¡¹ I replied while Luna made a small nod. Marius seemed like he was thinking of something. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Is there something else?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you see. In short, you have to do something shy enough that the n leader would want to see you, right? How about street performance then? I can swallow a sword if I try?¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I can, let me show©`¡¹ ¡¸Stop it.¡¹ Marius dropped his shoulders when I stopped him. ¡¸That¡¯s not the attention we want. The only option is to prove our skills as adventurers. The shortest way is rank. If I were a higher rank, I probably could¡¯ve called out to them.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, there is an even quicker method.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Raiding thebyrinth of this city?¡¹ Marius¡¯ face turned into a grin. That¡¯s reckless. Raiding thebyrinth here. Thest currently conquered floor is 48. If we reach floor 51, no one will be able to deny our ability. The reason is simple. The floor 49 will most likely have all the same monsters as the previous floors. But the 50th floor is different, there is a good chance that a new monster will appear there. And a boss ss at that. Until now, thebyrinth of Karde had boss monsters on floors 10, 20, 30, 40. In other words, if we defeat the boss that will appear on the 50th floor, no one will be able toin. On the contrary, news of conquering the floor that no one was able to breach for years will spread among adventurers in the blink of an eye, bringing us a lot of attention. But no one being able to do it until now means that it is just that difficult. Marius made it sound very easy, but I couldn¡¯t help but interject repeatedly telling him to hold it. ¡¸The 48th floor is that¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»and¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»just somehow managed to reach. Do you think we can get through on our own?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows. We won¡¯t know until we try? I¡¯m not that familiar with this n thing, but eventually, you will have to sh somewhere? No? Even if it¡¯s not in a direct physical confrontation. In that case, I think it would be better to show how different we are from others even before we officially found a n. And so, number one and number two are like this for ages? If you want to pass them, then you first have to ovee their leaders. Right, Rude?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Makes sense.¡¹ ¡¸And what¡¯s most important, I want to see otherbyrinths. I want to fight strong monsters!¡¹ So that¡¯s his real feelings. As he looks at me with shining eyes, I reply with a short sigh. ¡­¡­Indeed, if we want to ovee those ns, then we first have to show what sets our leader apart. If I¡¯m to make a n, I¡¯d like to aim for the top anyway. Not limiting ourselves to Avancier, but making a n capable ofpeting with the two biggest ns. There is abyrinth north of Karde. A few minutes on foot. Some adventurers are constantly at the entrance, preventing the monsters from going outside. But to begin with, there are too many adventurers raiding thebyrinth, so there is almost no threat of monsters leaving. ¡¸¡­¡­With the three of us? I think you¡¯d agree that this is unreasonable.¡¹ It¡¯s been a long while since I was on the 48th floor. Someone already conquered it long before us and we just went there through special skills forbyrinth travel. Currently, the two biggest ns can safely raid up to the 45th floor. ¡¸Rude, what are you talking about? We have those three youngsters, don¡¯t we?¡¹ Mariusughed. ¡­Are you kidding me? They are only C rank. To go above the already conquered floors we need at least A rank. And even that, most likely won¡¯t be enough. ¡­¡­Even my power might be insufficient. ¡¸This is too much for them.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not really true, right? Kids their age grow fast if you train them. And they have the potential to go higher.¡¹ ¡¸I know that. But that¡¯s unrted to the matter at hand.¡¹ There is no need to rush their training. Giving them proper guidance is one of the duties of a n leader. After all, they asked to join my n. ¡¸What are you talking about? There is no point to the power that can¡¯t be used when it is called upon. If we are going to do it, then it¡¯s now. This also will be a good opportunity for them.¡¹ Marius said with a serious expression. He clearly has some kind of goal in mind. ¡¸Do you have some kind of a n?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not even about a n, you humans have skills, right? We just have to awaken them through training. I can sense a certain power from them.¡¹ ¡¸You can tell?¡¹ ¡¸Well, vaguely. I could tell how powerful the humans that I fought are.¡¹ Is that a part of his power as a guardian? That doesn¡¯t really matter right now. ¡¸Train them to awaken? We, humans, don¡¯t know the method to gain new skills. Of course, there are various theories, like fighting a lot of monsters, or training in a skill that you want to gain, but no one knows if those actually work or not.¡¹ ¡¸All humans can acquire all skills. Skills are the power of mind. A sublimation of magic. What humans call skills, are abnormalities in the magic stone, with which the human is born.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸To put it simply if you desperately struggle to be what you want to be, your magic stone will respond. Their feelings and emotions will give them countless chances for growth.¡¹ ¡¸You sound well informed.¡¹ ¡¸I am. Or rather, this is what I can remember. No idea why I have this knowledge.¡¹ ¡¸If that is true, then there is indeed a point to trying this.¡¹ Today, let¡¯s leave it at us losing a chance to meet a n leader due to my insufficient ability. The influence n leaders have is immense. If a D rank adventurer were to lead a n, it would be a very bad look with adventurers, who know nothing about the situation. ¡­¡­I want B rank at the very least. This raid is actually more important for me than for meeting other n leaders. ¡­¡­I¡¯d like to at least give it a try. The 50th floor, still unbeaten by anyone. If we reach it, my power as a leader will strengthen. ¡¸¡­¡­Luna, Marius. First, we will head to the 48th floor. Then, we will think if we are going to take this challenge or not.¡¹ ¡¸As expected you are a man after all. Leave it to me, I will bring you to the 51st floor as your sword.¡¹ ¡¸I will do my best too.¡¹ We are going merely to scout. If things look bad, we will immediately run away. Chapter 39: Floor 48

Chapter 39: Floor 48

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± The three of us head to the northernbyrinth of Karde. First, we have to find the means to go to the 48th floor. ¡¸Labyrinth,byrinths, sounds like a lot of fun.¡¹ Marius walked beside me, humming under his nose. He keeps ying around, throwing his freshly issued guild card into the air. ¡¸Which reminds me¡­¡­ Is that going to be okay? You, raiding otherbyrinths?¡¹ ¡¸No idea. Well, I also have an outer shell. For the other side, I¡¯m a perfectly fine guest, no problem here. ¡­¡­Ah, but it¡¯s so hot.¡¹ Marius keeps fanning his face with one hand. ¡­Well, if he says that it¡¯s fine, then I have no other choice but to trust him. ¡¸Master, how hard is thisbyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸Karde¡¯s northernbyrinth is a well-bnced one. As they say, it can be used by anyone, from F to S. The lower floors have weak monsters, gradually introducing stronger monsters as one goes higher. ¡­¡­I tried to look into it, but there was almost no information on the 48th floor.¡¹ Though it is a bit unpopr with a certain portion of adventurers¡­¡­ Since the monsters there tend to be of an undead type, in other words, ghosts, skeletons, zombies, and such. ¡¸Anyway. There is no need to strain ourselves. Taking down the three of us is no easy task.¡¹ You never fought monsters frombyrinths, smartass. But being optimistic is indeed important. If one can¡¯t move freely due to nervousness, then it¡¯s simply counterproductive. ¡¸Right. I actually can use¡­¡­ Dungeon Walk magic. But I¡¯m not good at it and can bring 2 people at most. ¡­¡­Luna, can you assist me in casting?¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s about Dungeon Walk, then I can use it. I learned it after watching the skill earlier.¡¹ ¡¸What did you say?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you a genius or something?¡¹ She said that she can learn skills by copying them from other magic stones, but perhaps there is something simr for magic. Luna puffed her chest, looking incredibly smug. ¡¸Well, memorizing spells is nothing for homunculi. Humans can also cram and memorize them, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, yes. It¡¯s not something that can be learned instantly.¡¹ ¡¸Homunculi can copy information from magic stones. You, Rude, wouldn¡¯t forget something if you make a memo of it, right? It¡¯s the same here.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ Then, Marius¡¯s eyes shone up,pletely drowning out my amazement. ¡¸OOoh, is that abyrinth?! Isn¡¯t it quite simr to mine?!¡¹ ¡¸I never heard of abyrinth that would have an unusual entrance.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see. Then let¡¯s decorate mine a little bit. Wouldn¡¯t it stand out if I embed magic stones or something into it? ¡¹ ¡¸I think it would be better if you don¡¯t.¡¹ It might stand out, but it would look very creepy. Two adventurers stood at the entrance. On their waists, they had an emblem indicating that they belonged to¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡». ¡¸Excuse me. We¡¯d like to go to the 48th floor, can you take us there with Dungeon Walk?¡¹ Adventurers guarding the entrance also have the role of guides for adventurers challenging thebyrinth. The adventurers furrowed their brows. ¡¸48th floor? What is your rank?¡¹ ¡¸D rank. But we just registered¡­¡­ So we should have more ability than the rank would suggest.¡¹ ¡¸Hey hey. There are plenty of adventurers that die just like that. The 48th floor is not for you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, we just want to take a look. We have no intention of challenging it right now. Can you take us there?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t me me for thister.¡¹ After paying gold to the adventurer, we went to the first floor and then had him carry us to the 48th floor. It doesn¡¯t look that different from the first floor. But it feels a lot more ominous. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you just in case, but thisbyrinth has poisonous mist on the floors 30 and above. If you have no countermeasures then you will lose your outer shell to that alone.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That seems to be the case. Luna, can you try to use Dungeon Walk?¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Luna activated Dungeon Walk. The four of us went to the first floor. No problem here. ¡¸Then, bye. And, well, don¡¯t hold it against me if you kick the bucket.¡¹ He rushed to escape. We returned to the 48th floor with Luna¡¯s Dungeon Walk. The floor is covered in a purple mist. So this is the poisonous mist. ¡¸How is your outer shell?¡¹ ¡¸No problem.¡¹ ¡¸Same here. Which reminds me, you are immune to the abnormal status effects, right? Master?¡¹ ¡¸Aah, ¡ºIdiots don¡¯t catch cold¡»that type of thing?¡¹ ¡¸You are thest person I want to hear that from.¡¹ This unexpectedly solves the problem of the poison mist. Now we have to check what kind of monsters appear here and the situation on the floor. Marius stomped on the ground. ¡¸I see. They raise the difficulty by altering the footing. So there was such an approach.¡¹ ¡¸Adventurers aren¡¯t too happy about this. It¡¯s hard to fight and leaves shoes dirty. Though it is not a bad trick to raise the difficulty.¡¹ ¡¸So the guardian here might have no sentience. Well, it¡¯s only expected, since most don¡¯t have it.¡¹ That¡¯s probably true. Until now, I never saw one capable of such coherent speech. And most of them look like monsters. And none of them had pages of the magic tome. I feel like this floor was made to resemble a swamnd. There are mires here and there, making the ce quite hard to walk. But it¡¯s not like the whole ce is muddy. There is some solid ground, and it¡¯s important to be able to find it. Thanks to our outer shells we are quite suited for the investigation. We can press forward by sacrificing our outer shell. But there could be a reason why such an approach can¡¯t be taken here. Luna readies a spell to check the surroundings. I assist her, trying to locate enemies and the magic circle leading to the next floor. ¡¸The mud ahead of us shows signs of monster presence.¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯d probably show themselves when we approach. Rude, leave this to me.¡¹ I¡¯d like to know how strong the enemies are. And also, how strong he is in the human form. As I reply to him with a nod, he happily dashes off. The monster that came out was a skeleton. Bones floated up from the mud on the ground. The bones that rose one by one eventually formed into a humanoid. I wonder if this purple tint on ites from the mist or it¡¯s just that type of monster. The eye sockets of the skeleton shine with an ominous light. There, it had a magic stone embedded, which served as its source of energy. Then, the skeleton raised a hand, and a sword appeared in it. ¡¸Luna, just in case, keep the dungeon walk ready so we can go back any moment.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged.¡¹ The skeleton dashed, while Marius put a hand onto his katana. And, one sh. An attack so fast that I couldn¡¯t catch even a glimpse of it. And yet, it was blocked by the skeleton¡¯s sword. The skeleton staggered for a bit, but immediately regained its posture and swung its sword at Marius. Marius smiled with his eyes. Running his tongue across his lips once, he fended off the attack with the handle of the sword in the scabbard. Then, another instantaneous attack. That iai sh hit the skeleton in the temple. Marius hummed, somewhat impressed. That attack was probably aimed at the skeleton¡¯s magic stone. The skeleton, aware of its weak spot, dodged the fatal strike at thest moment. Putting the sword back into the scabbard, Marius froze in ce. Another skeleton appeared at his feet. It gradually formed from the splinter of the shed off bones lying on the ground. Do they multiply by taking damage? They have to be killed in one hit, or they will be a real problem. Additionally, another skeleton appeared. Now there are three of them. ¡¸Marius, shouldn¡¯t we help?¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, no choice. Aggro two of them, I will handle it in the meantime. Let¡¯s go!¡¹ Going forward, I use¡ºTaunt¡». Two of the enemies turn my way. Using the shield I block a sh from a skeleton. I felt like my arm was about to break. They are stronger than they look. Well, that¡¯s to be expected from the monsters on the 48th floor. I take a swing with the great shield, but the skeleton is not there anymore. As the skeletons attacked me from two sides, I, unable to fully evade the attack, took them, only making sure to avoid getting hits in vital areas. Then, immediately counterattack. The skeleton that took a hit with the shield fell to the ground. Since I held back, it shouldn¡¯t have produced any additional splinters. I hope there won¡¯t be any more clones¡­¡­ Then, Marius made his move. Let¡¯s leave that one to him. I then block a series of attacksing from the left nk. I counterattack, but once again, miss. It¡¯s fast¡­¡­ As the skeleton evaded my attack with a backstep, I charged at it and thrust at it with the sword. My aim is of course set on the magic stone, in its eye area. But once again, it evaded in thest moment. On top of that, the skeleton grasped my sword and pulled it with all its might. Since I didn¡¯t expect that, I also get pulled forward. I immediately put my strength into it and tried to yank it back, but the skeleton already let go of it. ¡­¡­This little¡­ To hold myself from going too hard after it, I bite my lip. The pain brought me back to my senses. Though my posture was a bit off, I managed to block an iing attack with the great shield. Sliding my sword on the ground I throw dirt at the skeleton. The skeleton easily avoided that. Marius approached us. His high-speed iai, that already took down other skeletons, hit this one right into the eyes, where the magic stone is located. The body of the dead skeleton sunk into the ground, disappearing from sight. No drop at all. ¡­¡­This monster is just the worst. ¡¸They are pretty strong.¡¹ Each of them are clever and have a certain degree of skill. And what¡¯s even worse, were one to deal with them in the wrong way they will multiply. ¡¸Ye©`.¡¹ Marius was about to say something but closed his mouth. A bump appeared on the ground, from which new skeletons appeared. This time, two of them. On top of that, space somewhat ahead of us distorted after which a monster teleported to our location. Specter-type, a ghost. It¡¯s the 48th floor, so it¡¯s probably a high ranked variation of a ghost. But I can¡¯t tell which one it is from its appearance. Spotting us, it emitted a ghost out of its body. I swing the great shield, charging it with magic power. Without that, the ghost will simply bypass shields and weapons. Being hit, the emitted ghost violently exploded. I don¡¯t have time to be staggered by the shockwave. A skeleton charged at me right away. Attacks by ghosts and the enemies spawn rate. As expected, we can¡¯t handle all of this with only 3 people. If we want to attack skeletons, the ghost gets in the way. And if we aren¡¯t fast enough, new enemies will appear from under our feet. More ghosts are gathering. That¡¯s about time. ¡¸Marius, Luna, retreat.¡¹ ¡¸Eeeh, that¡¯s where the fun begins?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to lose you here. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Rude! I¡¯m quite happy to hear these words!¡¹ ¡¸Stop, you are getting dirt on my clothes!¡¹ Luna approached, and activating her Dungeon Walk, brought us to the first floor. ¡­¡­I understood the reason why they can¡¯t get past floor 48. Really well. Chapter 40: Past Appraisal

Chapter 40: Past Appraisal

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Walking through the first floor to rx, we exchange our observations on the previous floor. ¡¸The numbers are too much. Good grief, can¡¯t guardians be more considerate towards adventurers?¡¹ Marius is right. That spawn rate is indeed a pain. It¡¯s probably about 30 seconds. So if we can¡¯t kill an enemy in 30 seconds, then we are in trouble. Fighting them one on one is one thing, but if they attack in a group as they did right now¡­¡­ And with ghosts added to the mix, handling them in time bes quite a task. It requires an attacker capable of instantly defeating an enemy. Marius fills that role. Now, we only need to make sure that his attack won¡¯t be blocked. Others will have to support him, so his attack will surely hit. ¡¸Poison mist, huh. Is it because of Rude that we took no damage from it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Probably.¡¹ Poison and toxin both count as abnormal statuses. This should eat up a lot of the outer shell over time. ¡ºSacrificial Shield¡»protected Marius and Luna from taking damage, while ¡ºHealthy Body¡»blocked any damage from befalling me. As a result, we have no problem with the mist. The mist probably makes getting stuck with the skeletons a lot more dangerous. ¡¸It¡¯s lucky that we don¡¯t have to bother with countermeasures for that.¡¹ Yes, the problem is those monsters after all. How are we going to handle ghosts? That is the question. ¡¸For now, let¡¯s search for what might be effective versus ghosts.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Coming and going between floors 1 and 48 we continued our investigation. Fighting until the evening, we then left Karde¡¯s northernbyrinth. Getting outside, we were weed with smiles by the adventurers that guided us inside. ¡¸You guys, so you were alive.¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s great. So, how was the 48th floor?¡¹ ¡¸Well. A tough one.¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha ha, putting on airs. It¡¯s far from just tough. Pretty much the only adventurers who can effectively fight on that floor are¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»and ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»leaders. If only there were other strong adventurers around, the new floor could have been reached. But no one shows up. Our leader mentioned how troublesome that poison mist is.¡¹ I see. So that was their main problem. ¡¸You are right.¡¹ ¡¸Which reminds me, I haven¡¯t heard much about himtely, but wasn¡¯t there an adventurer, who was given the title of a hero? We thought that he was just as strong as n leaders, but what is going on with him those days?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Which reminds me, the two leaders of the biggest ns also were granted titles of heroes, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yup. It seems there are a few others as well, but I don¡¯t know the details. Well, I¡¯m d that you guys were fine.¡¹ After replying with a nod to the adventurers, we head to Karde. ¡¸We might be able to handle the 48th floor somehow, but what monsters are awaiting us on the 49th floor?¡¹ Marius asked as we walked. A good question indeed. Our info is limited to the 48th floor. ¡¸If it¡¯s the same irresponsible guardian as I, then they might have the same monsters on the next floor. But I¡¯m not sure.¡¹ ¡¸If the 49th floor has the same monsters and structure as the previous one, then we might be able to reach the 50th floor without much trouble.¡¹ The real question here is what kind of guardian thisbyrinth has. If it¡¯s a non-sentient one, then thebyrinth could be self-managing. In such cases, simr floors be more numerous. On the other hand,byrinths with regrly changing positions of monsters andyout have a good chance of having at least a somewhat sentient guardian. Well, at least this is what Marius thinks. He actually has little idea of what is going on in otherbyrinths. ¡¸Master, we are going to meet up with Sinanis-sama¡¯s group and have them help in the subjugation? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡­¡­But Sinanis is a rational person. If we don¡¯t convince him that there is a sound chance of conquering these floors, he might not agree.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ From Sinanis¡¯ point of view, it will mean challenging a high rankingbyrinth. It should be a scary prospect. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine then. I already exined to you about the training. Now, if we only had a person with Appraisal skill.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What about Appraisal?¡¹ Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t tell him that Luna has Appraisal. Mariusughed. ¡¸Appraisal can reveal a skill that a person is closest to attaining. Though it seems that there is some kind of trick to it. If we use that, we will know which skills will be the easiest for them to get. Looking back on the previous actions it may also hint on possible actions that can unlock a skill. Repeating those actions should unlock the skill. Well, in short, it will make things a lot easier. It¡¯s a very valuable skill, so there is probably no one around with it.¡¹ Luna keeps ncing at me. It¡¯s your chance to surprise someone. I replied to her with a short nod, after which Luna raised a hand. ¡¸I have it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Whot?!¡¹ Marius was taken aback a lot more than I expected. Then he looked at me. After I confirmed it with a nod, his eyes sparked. ¡¸¡­¡­Oh my. This is wonderful! Then, then, acquiring new skills will be a lot easier.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­ Luna, can you see it? I don¡¯t think you mentioned anything like that when you checked my skills?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that because you have no talent? Young adventurers probably will have an easier time acquiring new skills than those of advanced age.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, who is of advanced age here? I¡¯m still twenty.¡¹ ¡¸What?!¡¹ Isn¡¯t he even more surprised than earlier? I tend to look older than my age, but it¡¯s no reason to act so surprised. As I kept staring at him, Mariusughed loudly. ¡¸Then the problem probably was in the way the girl yearning for life looked at your skills. As I said, it seems that there is a certain trick to it. No idea what is it though.¡¹ ¡­¡­Skills have various applications. For example¡ºHeal¡», in some cases it can restore more than just the outer shell. Depending on a person, it can be used to repair objects. Searching for such uses is one of the true charms that skills have. We heard a very important thing from Marius. Appraisal should allow us as a n to cultivate novices more effectively than others. ¡¸Luna, can you look for skills that I might acquire?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Let me try.¡¹ She tightly grasped my hand. Then, she had a very serious expression for a while. She might be unable to do it right away. ¡¸If you can¡¯t do it immediately, then it¡¯s fine, you can practice and try againter¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, let me try for a bit more. I feel like I see something different from usual¡­¡­¡¹ A frown appeared on her face. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing. We just keep walking while holding hands. We are getting near the city. I would prefer it if she let go of me before we enter it. ¡¸Oh, are you embarrassed?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not.¡¹ I re at Marius, who is looking at me somewhat mockingly. Luna kept her dead-serious expression, humming. ¡¸¡­¡­This might be it. I see a number of skills that you are yet to acquire, Master.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Re-really?¡¹ I¡¯m nervous and excited to the level where it¡¯s unbing of my age. If I have a chance to gain new skills, then, of course, I would like to get them. At the moment I have only one offensive skill. And if I can get recovery skills, like many other tanks, then I¡¯d like that as well. ¡¸I see a few, but all of them are quite far¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸The important point here is to have dissatisfaction with the current situation and desire to ovee it. But you, Rude, are perfectly fine with being a tank, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s true.¡¹ Of course, I have some desire to change something, but it wasn¡¯t a huge point of concern to me. Currently, I have no problems with raidingbyrinths, so I¡¯m not that troubled. On the other hand, it¡¯s very disappointing if it¡¯s holding me back from improving. ¡¸Well, you still have the future? After all, you supposedly aren¡¯t that old.¡¹ As Marius made a smug smile, I poke him in the forehead. And we finally arrived in the city. Flickering lighting provided by magic stones. So it¡¯s thiste already. ¡¸First, let¡¯s meet Sinanis and others. ¡­¡­I told him that we will meet up at the guild.¡¹ Entering the city, I look at the clock on the nearest building. Seven hours after noon. ¡¸In that case, let me guide you to Sinanis.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You know where they are?¡¹ ¡¸I have this one after all.¡¹ Marius showed a small slime on the palm of his hand. ¡­¡­He attached another one. ¡¸You know, this is called stalking.¡¹ ¡¸Do not fret. I only attached this to you and Sinanis.¡¹ As he said that, something flew off from my shoulder. As I grabbed it in the air, it turned out to be a smile. The small thing was striking poses on the palm of my hand, looking pretty happy. It¡¯s as small as a bug. Yeah, this is hard to notice. Chapter 41: Advice

Chapter 41: Advice

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Looks like Sinanis was on adventurers avenue. Maybe due to it already being evening by the time we got there the street was extremely crowded. There were stall-like shops here and there selling food. Grilled meat of monsters, huh. It can be eaten as you walk so you just end up buying it. ¡¸Master, they are selling a lot of tasty-looking stuff.¡¹ Luna seems to be interested. She keeps ncing around. ¡¸¡­¡­I nned to eat after we meet up with Sinanis and others.¡¹ ¡¸Meat is what a tired body needs.¡¹ ¡­¡­Well, it might be better to have a bit of something. We¡¯ve been running around in thebyrinth since the morning. Replenishing our energy is also important. We purchased three skewers at a nearby stall. As I bite on the sauce-covered meat, juices overflow in my mouth. So good. One skewer is not enough. After I remind myself that we are going to dine soon, we continue searching for Sinanis. Looks like they are in the direction of the weapon stores. Adventurers avenue has a few weapon stores lined up. Some ns focus mainly on crafting, offering their services to the public in this fashion. Famous ces have goods of better quality, but also much higher prices. So inevitably, the adventurersing to such ces are more skillful folk, with higher ie. We arrived at the store where they were right as they came outside. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s you guys. How it¡¯s going?¡¹ ¡¸There has been a lot of progress on what we discussed in the morning. So I thought I¡¯ll tell you.¡¹ ¡¸Heeh, really? Then, today, let¡¯s eat at the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Meeting up with Sinanis¡¯ group we head to the guild. Evening is the time when the guild is the most crowded. Many adventurers were calcting their earnings after the adventure. The second floor looked a bit better. But it will be soon overrun with adventurers as well. After somehow securing seats for ourselves, we head to order food. After being done with that, we go back to our seats. ¡¸So, Rude. Are you going back to Avancier?¡¹ Sinanis asked after we sat down. ¡¸No¡­¡­ We nned to update the record of abyrinth in this city.¡¹ Being told so their eyes opened wide. Sinanis forced a strainedugh. ¡¸Hey, hey, that¡¯s just absurd. Two ns challenged it not so long ago, and they couldn¡¯t get through?¡¹ ¡¸Today, we surveyed the 48th floor of the northernbyrinth. ¡­¡­We might be able to do it if your party helps us.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Are you serious?¡¹ ¡¸I am. Sinanis¡­¡­ and everyone. Will you help us breach new floors of Karde¡¯s northernbyrinth?¡¹ No tricks, no clever schemes. What matters is do they want to do it or not. If they don¡¯t, then they won¡¯t be able to get through the training. ¡¸¡­¡­You are actually serious. Do you understand that it¡¯s not like beating a couple of fieldzauruses? You are talking about updating a record, that was set many years ago before we were even born.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I know. But, we have to do it.¡¹ ¡¸To meet the leaders of the biggest ns?¡¹ ¡¸No. ¡­¡­This was a lesson for me. My name bears little to no weight. I have to make it impressive enough for adventurers to be startled when they hear it. To put it simply, I want to get the prestige necessary for a n leader. ¡­¡­For that, I want to set a new record in thatbyrinth.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Now I see.¡¹ Sinanis leaned back in the chair then nced at hisrades. His partymates were exchanging looks. Sinanis sighed and shook his head. ¡¸Rude¡­ We won¡¯t be of much help to you. As pathetic as it may sound right after we said that we will join your n.¡¹ ¡¸Of course I don¡¯t mean that we are going immediately. Firstes some training.¡¹ ¡¸Even so¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rude, on this let me do the talking.¡¹ Marius interjected. He looked serious. Let¡¯s leave it to him. ¡¸Hey, mischievous cool boy. I¡¯m fully aware that we can¡¯t bring you there immediately. That¡¯s why we are going to train.¡¹ ¡¸Even if we train for a bit, we are the ones who best understand that this won¡¯t instantly make us stronger.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. This training is going to make you stronger only versus skeletons of the 48th floor. Of course, it¡¯s not like itspletely useless for anything else.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What does that mean?¡¹ ¡¸We already fought on the 48th floor, and after judging that this can be handled, came with this talk to you. I already grasped the skeletons¡¯ swordsmanship. I will teach you how to fight. If I keep fighting you with the same swordsmanship as the skeletons, then even you will get used to it whether you like it or not, right? And you also seem to have talent.¡¹ Being praised like that, Sinanis rxed a bit. ¡­¡­Just as Marius said, all of the skeletons seem to have the same style of swordsmanship. If Sinanis learns their movements, then he will be able to fight adequately. And we also have Luna¡¯s Appraisal. Though we didn¡¯t tell them about this yet. ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸As for the magic, there is the girl that yearns to live. If you need a target dummy for practice, then feel free to beat up Rude to your heart content.¡¹ Hey. Marius said in a half-joking manner, pointing at me. Sinanis looked at hisrades. ¡¸I¡­¡­ Well¡­ I get what you feel, Rude. ¡­¡­I also would like to do something for the reputation of the n leader¡­¡­ So¡­¡­ Well¡­¡­ I¡¯ll do my best with the training. But it might not be enough anyway. Rude, are you sure about this?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yeah. I know. If it looks impossible, then we will stop there, I have no intentions of doing anything rash. And you aren¡¯t the only ones who are going to train.¡¹ We also should be even stronger. I was well also reminded by the skeletons howcking I am. I have to get rid of my ckness and retrain myself. ¡¸All of us have to be stronger. Can you take it as a chance for growth and train with us?¡¹ When asked, everyone nodded in agreement. As I breathed a sigh of relief, Sinanis smiled. ¡¸Well, as an adventurer, you know. I also have that desire to leave my name in history! Reached the 51st floor, doesn¡¯t that sound nice? I¡¯ll do it!¡¹ Sinanis dered excitedly. And looks like his shout reached the ears of nearby adventurers. Drinks gushed out of their mouths as they burst intoughter. ¡¸¡­¡­Hey, hey, don¡¯t say something this dumb.¡¹ In response, Sinanis stood up from his seat with an angry look. ¡¸Huh? What was that?¡¹ ¡¸Reaching the 51th floor? Haha! There is no way you can do that!¡¹ Other adventurers, who heard their words, began whispering to each other. Looks like they are trying to understand who we are. ¡¸Shut up. We wouldn¡¯t know unless we try, right?¡¹ ¡¸We do know! Even¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»and¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡», the strength of which everyone admits, even they can¡¯t do that. Kuh, AHAHAHAH! You were serious? What a dumbass! AHAHAH!¡¹ ¡¸For real! What is your rank?¡¹ Sinanis frowned as his face turned red. I grab his shoulder to hold him back. ¡¸The highest one is C.¡¹ As I gave them the answer they wanted, they burst into even louderughter. ¡¸As if such scrubs can beat the record!¡¹ ¡¸Come on, don¡¯t be so mean! Let them dream while they are young!¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, they can¡¯t do it anyway! How about I pay for your dinner for making meugh so hard? You know, as a B ranked adventurer!¡¹ The surrounding adventurers keepughing non-stop. In turn, Sinanis furrowed his brows. I grabbed his hand and shook my head. It¡¯s us who are saying absurd things. The adventurers left, but from time to time some would stillugh, looking at us. ¡¸¡­¡­That damn baldie¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sinanis, you should learn to have more control when dealing with others. If we can do it, then it¡¯s all fine, if we can¡¯t then they arepletely right. All you have to do is to prove your ability. And no one will be able to say a thing.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­ For them to mock the goal of our leader¡­¡­ Ah, no, they just pissed me off!¡¹ Sinanis kicked the floor, looking frustrated. ¡¸What, you rascal. Aren¡¯t you pretty fond of our leader?¡¹ ¡¸The hell you talking about!¡¹ Marius, you really didn¡¯t have to dig into something that I pretended not to hear. Marius narrowed his eyes, looking very smug. In turn, Sinanis turned away, shifting his gaze to me. ¡¸Rude! We absolutely must do it! We must show them!¡¹ ¡¸Sure. I¡¯m counting on you, everyone.¡¹ Sinanis¡¯rades sat with vexed frowns on their faces. In the end, it could¡¯ve been for the best, since it gave them additional motivation. Chapter 42: Respective training.

Chapter 42: Respective training.

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Moving from the dining hall to the inn, I have everyone gather in my room. ¡¸What are we going to do, Rude?¡¹ ¡¸I trust the three of you, so I¡¯m going to tell you something very important.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What is it?¡¹ Sinanis narrowed his eyes. I tell them about Luna¡¯s ability, about which I kept silent until now. ¡¸Luna has Appraisal. Though she can use it only while touching the target.¡¹ The moment they heard the word Appraisal all three of them had their eyes opened wide. After spending a while in this petrified state, Sinanis finally changed his expression to a more tense one. ¡¸Tha-that¡¯s a top-ss skill even among SSR skills? And Luna-san has it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I do.¡¹ ¡¸Ca-can you try it on me?¡¹ Luna nced at me. ¡¸Then, let me hold your hand.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yea¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What are you blushing for?¡¹ ¡¸Shuu-p.¡¹ Indeed, a shade of red appeared on Sinanis¡¯ cheeks. Luna touched his hand, then, closed her eyes. ¡¸Sinanis-sama, you have a skill ¡ºStubbornness of Swordsman¡». 1851 endurance.¡¹ ¡ºStubbornness of Swordsman¡», huh. If I remember correctly, it made fighting easier when using a sword. But, it had a demerit as well, preventing you from skillfully using any other weapons. It is a pretty good utility skill, SR rank. ¡¸Y-yes¡­¡­ Correct. ¡­¡­So you really have it.¡¹ Sinanis looked at me with shock in his eyes. ¡¸And it seems this ability has some secrets to it.¡¹ ¡¸Secrets?¡¹ ¡¸It can reveal what kind of skills you can acquire.¡¹ ¡¸So, so you mean, we can aim for certain skills and get them?!¡¹ After I signaled to Marius with my eyes, he stood up with a smile. ¡¸Yes. Exactly so. Acquiring a skill is basically engraving experience for it into your magic stone until it finally manifests itself. In short, the development of the magic stone, sometimes, prompted by some kind of anomaly. So if you, rascal, keep faithfully wishing to flip girls skirts, you will be able to attain such a skill.¡¹ ¡¸Wh-what did you¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sinanis, is that what you want?¡¹ ¡¸No-no, that¡¯s not true!¡¹ In reply to my question, Sinanis shook his head with all he got. ¡¸What? You don¡¯t? Oh, you rascal, don¡¯t tell me that you are into men?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I prefer to see girls!¡¹ ¡¸Thought so!¡¹ Some dubious looks gathered on the two. Sinanis puffed his cheeks. ¡¸¡­¡­Anyway, we will be able to target specific skills that we want to some degree? Ehm¡­¡­ With Luna-san¡¯s Appraisal, we will be able to tell how much is left to get a specific skill, did I get this right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. So I thought about immediately checking what skills we can get and continue to work on their acquisition. ¡¹ Signs of expectant hope appeared in the expressions of Sinanis¡¯ group. We might get new skills. If I were in their ce I probably would¡¯ve felt the same. ¡¸Anyway, first, we have to try. Let¡¯s start with Sinanis. Sinanis, how do you want to fight from now on?¡¹ It should be easier to acquire skills for something that the person himself wants to do. ¡¸I want to be an attacker! Strong enough to crush any enemy, that¡¯s the kind of adventurer I want to be!¡¹ ¡¸I see. Luna, can you check his skills?¡¹ Luna once again touched Sinanis¡¯ hand. Then, she furrowed her brows. ¡¸W-what¡¯s wrong? Is my hand sweaty?¡¹ ¡¸No, err¡­¡­ I just saw a massive number of skills, and can¡¯t tell which is which©`©`¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s to be expected.¡¹ Marius nodded. ¡¸Didn¡¯t I say that humans can gain every skill? So there should be many skills he can get, even if some of them are still far. Check some of the nearest skills. There is probably only one or two of them that he can get within a week.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Please wait a minute. I¡¯ll memo them.¡¹ Luna began writing letters on a nearby piece of paper. After writing a skill name she drew a line. In such a fashion she wrote several names. ¡¸Luna, what does this mean?¡¹ At first, she wrote three skills, then, drew long lines from them. The skills branched from there akin to a tree. All of them had effects simr to the initial written skills, gradually bing stronger. ¡¸After the skills that immediately can be acquired, other skills are stretched in such a way. What could this mean¡­¡­¡¹ Marius picked up the paper, then, ced a hand to his chin. ¡¸No idea.¡¹ Why did you have to make such a face then? Well, it can¡¯t be helped. He doesn¡¯t have the Appraisal skill after all. I stare at the paper written by Luna. It¡¯s only my guess, but isn¡¯t this a skill tree? Which skill will be avable with future growth? Each of the first three skills has a number of skills following them, but what follows these skills, are always the stronger version of the initial skills. Just looking at this is giving me a headache. I¡¯m not good with this sort of mentalbor. ¡¸This¡ºTaunt¡», isn¡¯t this the skill that Rude and other tanks use?¡­ So I can learn it as well¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Even if you do, isn¡¯t it useless for you?¡¹ ¡¸Even so, why¡ºTaunt¡»?¡¹ Luna tilted her head in puzzlement. Then, Marius hit his palm with a fist. ¡¸Remember that amazing taunt that he used during the incident with the homunculus? Isn¡¯t it because he does that on a daily basis?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true!¡¹ ¡¸No, you actually do.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you do.¡¹ Sinanis tried to deny, but hisrades refuted him with serious expressions. That¡¯s true. The first time I met him I also thought that he was an annoying fellow. Sinanis choked on his words, and then dropped his shoulders and groaned. What about other skills? Katana Mastery and Chain sh. Katana Mastery¡­¡­ Should be a skill that improves one¡¯s ability with a katana. He is close to getting it? Sinanis frowned, seeing the words Katana Mastery. ¡¸Katana Mastery¡­¡­ It¡¯s probably that?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s probably because he practiced in secret, admiring Kensei-san.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, as I thought¡­¡­¡¹ Hisrades murmured. Hearing that, Sinanis stood up. ¡¸Shuddup! Hey, Rude! What do you want from me?! Offense?! Support?!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like to ask you to be an offensive support. Support to ensure that Marius¡¯ quick draw hits the enemy.¡¹ At the moment we have no idea how effective Sinanis¡¯ attacks are. In that case, I¡¯d like to make sure that Marius, who we know can reliably take down skeletons, will be able to hit with his attacks. ¡¸Got it. In that case, I will¡­¡­ Eh, aren¡¯t all of those skills useless for that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You are right. Luna, are there any other possible skills?¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged. I will look for more distant skills.¡¹ Luna once again touched Sinanis. She then once again began writing. More branches appeared. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s about it.¡¹ The number of possible skills increased to 10. Sinanis sunk deep into thought for a while, looking at that paper. Marius peeked at it from the side. ¡¸Rude, can you leave this rascal to me? I¡¯d like to discuss it with just two of us.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Sinanis! Remember it already!¡¹ I think it¡¯s a good idea. The cooperation during the battle would be actually happening not among six of us, but mostly between Marius and Sinanis, two attackers. In order to boost it, it would be better for them to learn what each of them is capable of. ¡¸Got it. But don¡¯t do anything too absurd.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know. Then, let¡¯s go, Rascal-kun.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, damn it! I will force you to learn my name today! Then, I¡¯ll be off with Marius. Make sure you work hard as well!¡¹ Sinanis left the room with Marius. Then, the sound of a door closing nearby. Probably to Marius¡¯ room. ¡¸Then, next is Arika.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I¡¯ll do my best!¡¹ Arika strengthened her back. She is a mage. She is wearing a hat with big fields and a ck mantle. It seems to be a bit too big, since sometimes it would slip down, cowering her eyes. At such times she would panically put it back. Luna wrote down skills on a paper in the same fashion as she did earlier. She looked at me with an expectant gaze. ¡¸What should I do? When I¡¯m with Sinanis I usually was on offense and healing magic.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like you to focus on healing this time. I think I already exined my skills to you. In short, I¡¯m taking damage for everyone. So clutch moments, when healing can¡¯t keep up, happen no matter what.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Then, should I practice with Luna-san?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess. Luna is pretty good with magic. I think there is a lot one can learn from her.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to teach?¡­¡­ I will do my best.¡¹ Luna clenched a fist. But she looks a bit nervous. Generally, homunculi merely follow orders. So it¡¯s probably her first experience at this. But if she is going to help with n work, then there will be a lot of such opportunities in the future. It¡¯s best if she gets used to this. Crossing out a few skills, Arika looked at me once again. I also take a look at the paper. It seems there are a few skills that can strengthen healing magic. I also see ¡ºHeal¡»among the listed skills. Skills should have better effects than magic. And there are also means ofbining magic with skills to raise the effectiveness of recovery. ¡­¡­This is a difficult one. Arika looked at her possible skills and put a hand on her chin. She can discuss it with Lunater, but before that, there is one person remaining. Looking her way I¡¯m met with a cool,posed look. ¡¸Next is my turn?¡¹ With brown hair cut at shoulder length and eyes so blue that they feel almost cold. Her name is Rafan. Perhaps having some dragonborn¡¯s blood in her, but dragon scales could be seen on her neck and wrists. The part that set her apart from humans the most is her tail, that was now swaying from side to side. By the way, she is also the one who ordered and ate thergest amount of food the other day. In Sinanis¡¯ party, she, who is now sleepily rubbing her eyes, has a position simr to that of a tank. And she is also the one who I¡¯ll have to train. ¡­¡­I¡¯m pretty nervous about this as well. Chapter 43: Let’s build a plan

Chapter 43: Let¡¯s build a n

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Luna breathed a small sigh and then looked at me. ¡¸Then, next are Rafan-sama¡¯s skills.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, please.¡¹ Luna put her hand on Rafan¡¯s hand and began reading her skills. As one would expect of a tank, she has ¡ºTaunt¡». And it seems she also has a skill called ¡ºShield Bash¡». Infuse the shield with the power of god and attack enemies with it. If you are lucky, you might be able to instantly KO the opponent. A great skill. ¡­¡­I wonder if little moments of envy can lead to acquiring the said skill. But I shouldn¡¯t envy others. One shouldn¡¯tpare oneself to others. I lived with that creed for a long time, so it might be impossible for me for now. These are all the skills she currently has. The skills that she can acquire are generally rted to tanking. Which one should she take? That is the question. ¡¸Leader-san, what should I do?¡¹ ¡¸For now, I think I will take the role of the tank. I¡¯d like you to act as a sub-tank and take care of one opponent in the meantime.¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me. That is an easy task.¡¹ She fights with a buckler in one hand and a longsword in another. If she can handle basicbat using these two, it¡¯s enough. ording to my n, I will take care of multiple opponents, while Rafan will take care of one. Meanwhile, Marius and Sinanis will cooperate and take them down one by one. ¡¸Then, I will discuss the skills with Arika-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Rafan, good luck.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, same to you.¡¹ Arika and Rafan parted by waving hands to each other. I¡¯m a bit worried if Luna will be able to properly teach Arika, but I don¡¯t have time to worry about them. That¡¯s because I hardly have any idea how to train Rafan myself. I never taught anyone. Teaching the sword to kids that have no experience at all is the most that I did. The parties to which I belonged until now were mainly focused onbyrinth raids. Those were people that to some degree already mastered their fighting style. Though we exchanged opinions, one-sided coaching never happened. I already spent the entirety of the past night, thinking about this without much sess. Though in part it¡¯s Luna¡¯s fault since she was using me as a hugging pillow. ¡¸Do you have a skill that you want?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing in particr.¡¹ ¡¸What would you like to do inbat?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ Never thought about it. I will leave it to you, Leader-san.¡¹ ¡­¡­Easy for you to say. There is no guarantee that their development here won¡¯t impact them in the future at all. I can¡¯t take responsibility for her future. I¡¯d like to take into ount her desires as much as possible. Let¡¯s start with some questions. ¡¸Rafan, why you became an adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸I wanted to get stronger. ¡­¡­A long time ago, I took a trial of Dragonification, but failed.¡¹ Her race has the power called Dragonification. Temporary release of dragon power for a boost in strength, something like a racial skill. ¡¸I see. And how is it after bing an adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fun, I guess. I¡¯m getting along with Sinanis, and get to eat a lot of tasty stuff every day. And it seems that there is plenty of fun ahead.¡¹ Looks like she is optimistic about the idea of a n. That¡¯s a relief. I take a good look at several skills. ¡¸My personal opinion, I would like you to acquire more defensive skills.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, got it. For example?¡¹ ¡¸A skill that boosts defense. Protection Shield.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What kind of skill is it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a skill that creates something akin to a barrier. Depending on the amount of magic power put into it, it will protect you from enemy attacks for a short time.¡¹ She said that she is enjoying her current role in the party. In that case, we should just work in that direction. This skill will be useful to her even after she returns to Sinanis¡¯ party. Even I want it. ¡¸Now we have to train for it?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Right. It¡¯s not like we won¡¯t be going for other skills at all, but I think the priority should be on Protection Shield.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ Rafan made a small nod. Then, she picked up the paper with the list of skills. And carefully looked at it. Are there other skills that she wants? ¡¸Is there a skill that caught your interest?¡¹ ¡¸No, not really. Is this all?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡­¡­I guess.¡¹ Since we were only meant to decide on skills, it¡¯s not weird to finish this fast. Even so, it does feel a bit too fast. Is it that? Am I too bad atmunication? Should I talk about something else? ¡­¡­No, Rafan doesn¡¯t seem to be the type that¡¯s fond of idle talk. There is probably no need to prolong this conversation with just the two of us. ¡¸F-for now, let¡¯s check on the others?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Yes, this is too much for me. So I decided to seek help from the other two pairs. Leaving the room together with Rafan, we head to Marius¡¯ room. Originally, Luna was supposed to use this room alone. The talk of the two could be heard even outside the door. ¡¸Their discussion sounds pretty passionate.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ I slowly open the door a bit. Sinanis sat on a chair ced right in the center of the room. Marius looked at him from the bed. ¡¸Wow, won¡¯t I be the strongest if I master all these skills?¡¹ ¡¸Well, certainly stronger than you are now. But, even if you master all of them, even better skills still exist. You should keep that in mind.¡¹ ¡¸I know¡­¡­ Hey, Marius. Can I¡­¡­ Learn katana as well?¡¹ Marius raised his brows. Does Marius want to teach a katana to someone? I¡¯m certainly looking forward to teaching a fellow tank, but¡­ Marius tilted his head. ¡¸Hmm. You already tried it, right? It requires high concentration for attacks. In a way, it¡¯s close to the way one would fight with magic. Can you do that?¡¹ ¡¸Magic¡­¡­ I¡¯m not good at it. Using my head so much is not for me.¡¹ ¡¸Then give it up. Didn¡¯t that swordmaster tell you the same?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You mean Kensei-san? He did. As he said, a katana is not suited for everyone. But even so, I want to be able to use it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I think that a straight sword suits you better though. From what I saw, you are pretty good with it.¡¹ After saying that, Marius stood up. Coming our way he swung the door open. ¡¸Right, Rude? Isn¡¯t this Rascal pretty good with the sword?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah.¡¹ ¡¸Rude and Rafan? Are you already finished?¡¹ Sinanis turned around to face us. Rafan replied with a small nod. ¡¸Yeah. What about you?¡¹ ¡¸Well, for the most part. Then, only Arika and Luna-san are left, huh. I can¡¯t even imagine them talking. I hope Arika isn¡¯t causing Luna-san any trouble.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think you should worry about that.¡¹ I nod to Marius¡¯ words. Rejoining with the two we go to the next room. Apparently, Arika and Rafan are staying there. As expected, we, the guys, can¡¯t open that door. Rafan softly opened the door. ¡¸Hey, are you finished?¡¹ Rafan asked. Then, it sounded like the two ran up to the door. Coming closer, we saw Arika hugging Luna. ¡­¡­What happened here? ¡¸Luna-oneesama, I will follow Luna-oneesama forever!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Err, umm. I will follow Master until the end¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then I will follow him with you!¡¹ ¡¸Erhm¡­¡­ Master?¡¹ Luna looked at me, seeking help. I also can¡¯t treat this as someone else¡¯s problem. Because without my knowing it somehow turned into both of them following me for the rest of their lives. ¡¸What happened¡­¡­ Arika?¡¹ Asking Luna did nothing since she was just as confused and bewildered. Arika raised her head, and then looked at Luna with sparkling eyes. ¡¸Luna-oneesama instantly solved all of the worries that I felt when I constructed my spells. All of those jumbled feelings that I carried for a long time, just disappeared¡­¡­ This must be love!¡¹ ¡¸All this from her solving a worry¡­¡­?¡¹ Personally, I¡¯m d that the two who I was the most worried about are getting along, but¡­¡­ I also wanted Luna to have more human contact. No, this turn of events does seem a little bit strange, but it still can be considered a part of her learning. Learning about humans. Arika energetically pulled Luna¡¯s hand. Luna, twisting her lips, looked at me, pleading for help with her eyes. That¡¯s an interesting sight. Chapter 44: Magic

Chapter 44: Magic

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ The next day. We began practicing ording to the results of the discussion we had yesterday. Coming to the training ground set up by the guild, we get to our respective training. Not many people could be seen around. Most adventurers won¡¯t go out of their way to use this ce. They usually use actualbat for training. Defeating a monster also makes the outer shell grow, so it¡¯s quite efficient. For the most part, adventurers here are those that came to practice magic. Many adjustments have to be made where ites to magic, force, structure, area, and a lot more. The buildings around also provide shade. Well, though it¡¯s a mere constion. Especially for Marius and Sinanis, considering how much they are going to move around heatstroke is a real danger for them. Before I start training with Rafan, I first watch the other two pairs. I wanted to observe their teaching methods, in case I can use them as a reference. First Marius and Sinanis. They immediately started training from simting realbat. Today Marius is using a straight sword instead of his katana. ¡¸Guh¡­¡­ Aaaa!¡¹ Marius yelled. ¡­¡­Is he trying to imitate a skeleton? As Marius keeps crudely swinging the sword, Sinanis is fending him off. But he keeps getting pushed back until finally, Sinanis¡¯ sword flew into the air. ¡­¡­As expected. Rafan, who was also looking at them, tilted her head. ¡¸What is that fighting style?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the one that skeletons use. It seems Marius memorized it during our trip to thebyrinth yesterday.¡¹ Marius¡¯ training method is exactly the way he described it earlier. Getting Sinanis used to the swordy that the skeletons use. Memorizing patterns should make dealing with them much easier. ording to Marius, after remembering this we can try to do some realbat training on the 48th floor. I agree with that idea. At the moment, Sinanius won¡¯t be able to handle even a single skeleton. But learning their tricks, he should be good enough as a support. ¡¸I suppose they use the same moves, but won¡¯t the strength behind them differ?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that. Marius is probably attacking with the same strength as skeletons.¡¹ ¡¸How?¡¹ ¡¸I took plenty of attacks from skeletons as well. So I understand their strength pretty well by now. Yesterday, we sparred with Marius a couple of times and managed to urately adjust the strength.¡¹ It seems Marius is really good with such tuning. ¡¸¡­¡­Both you and Marius-san are amazing.¡¹ ¡¸No, I just gave him feedback. It¡¯s Marius who does that fine tuning, so he is more amazing.¡¹ Even monsters on the same floor had a degree of individual difference. We split the skeletons, that we dealt with this time, into five groups, and Marius perfectly grasped the levels of strength of each one. ¡­¡­His talent is terrifying. Though I can¡¯t tell if it is rted to him being a guardian. ¡¸¡­¡­With such a method it might be possible to make one stronger versus skeletons in a short period of time.¡¹ ¡¸Right? We can leave Sinanis to Marius.¡¹ Well, to begin with, I was pretty sure that their training will go fine. The only thing I¡¯m worried about is if Marius will push it too far. If they keep training like that, Sinanius should be able to help Marius even without acquiring new skills. Next are Luna and Arika. It looks like they are practicing magic. The so-called joint spellcasting. Merely casting a spell together is not that difficult, but as soon as ites to raising synchronicity things get a lot more difficult. Since Nin is not around, there is no other choice but to rely on the two for healing. Even if they can¡¯t get on the same level as Nin, if they at least get near it, it should be fine. ¡¸Rafan, attacking or healing, what does Arika do better?¡¹ ¡¸Attacking, I think.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ That sounds a bit worrisome. Asking someone who is specialized or likes attacking to heal, there are good chances that they won¡¯t be too much into it. Magic is heavily influenced by the state of mind and mentality. I hope Arika won¡¯t be healing against her will. A bit anxious, I looked at her. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s cast another joint spell. ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Luna-oneesama!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ehm, err. ¡­¡­I¡¯ll start.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will do my best!!¡¹ Luna constructed the spell, Arika then followed her lead. ¡¸Ehm, you are too close.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying, Onee-sama! The closer we are the higher the efficiency of our magic should be! First, we are ought to be more intimate!¡¹ Rafan looked at them with a wry smile. I probably have a simr expression. ¡¸Rude-san, you are rtively good at magic, right?¡¹ Rafan asked. ¡¸Well¡­¡­ I can do the bare minimum.¡¹ ¡¸What is it like? You know, we aren¡¯t good at magic.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Which reminds me, yeah, that¡¯s how it was,¡¹ Many among dragonborn are bad at magic. As far as I can tell, Rafan is a child of a human and a dragonborn, but even so, she can¡¯t use magic as humans do. What is it like, how do I even answer this? ¡¸First, do you know what a magic circle is?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. You are supposed to form it in your head and then adjust it, right? Dragonborns can¡¯t do that.¡¹ ¡¸Right. First, one has to form the base of the magic circle, the circle itself. Then, engrave the magic you want to use there.¡¹ Force, range, speed, attribute¡­¡­ And so on. A very precise set of parameters can be listed on the magic circle. After finishing with that, pour magic power into it, making the described phenomenon manifest into the real world. Anyone can use magic, as long as they are able to construct a magic circle. ¡¸Yes¡­ I heard about this. It involves the use of ancient letters, right?¡¹ ¡¸Originally, yes. By now, they are tailoring it to the use of modernnguage as well.¡¹ ¡¸Really? I really don¡¯t know a thing about magic.¡¹ Well, studying something you can¡¯t use is pointless after all. That¡¯s not wrong. To use magic one has to analyze ancient letters. Thebination of those ancient letters turns the magic circle into magic. The skillful application of ancient letters greatly improves the effectiveness of magic, but most can¡¯t use magic in such a way. Premade magic circles exist in this world, merely reproducing them inside your mind is enough to use magic. Many cast magic by looking at the magic letters engraved there. But since they aren¡¯t tuned for the individual, all of the personal specifics, like unique attributes, the efficiency of mana conversion, and so on, are being thrown out the window. Then again, various people have problems with various magic letters, and by omitting them, they can achieve higher power or efficiency. ¡¸Rude-san, what kind of magic you can use?¡¹ ¡¸Utility magic, somehow. I¡¯m not good at offensive or healing magic.¡¹ ¡¸I see. There are a lot of utility spells, right? For example, boosting defense or attack of allies, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m not that good at spells directly influencingbat.¡¹ Even so, I tried to adjust magic circles through trial and error, to somehow make it usable. Adjusting magic circles, in other words, rewrite them for yourself. For example, since I can¡¯t handle offensive magic, I would try to remake the magic circle, omitting the characters rted to it. ¡¸Speaking of which, Rude-san. For magic, there are spells exclusive to the church and knights, right? Will our n be able to do something like that as well?¡¹ ¡¸I wonder. If we find an ancient magic circle in abyrinth, then possibly¡­¡­¡¹ There are spells that knights and the church keep to themselves. Knights mostly control capture and restriction type magic circles, while the church has exclusive healing spells. Some ns also have such a monopoly on certain spells. From time to time people find documents with new magic circles or yet undiscovered ancient characters. The one who discovered them bes their owner, and the only person to teach that magic. That¡¯s how the knights, the church, and ns get a monopoly on spells. It seems that in the past they had strict regtions on that, but it¡¯s not the case anymore. In the end, people would still bring such secrets outside, trying to sell them for gold, making them avable to the general public, maybe not to everyone, but if you have gold, the possibility is there. ¡¸Ah, damn it, I¡¯m tired! Let¡¯s have a break!¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. Rest is also important. Rude, if you are free, then how about a spar with me?¡¹ Marius and Sinanis spoke, walking our way. As they walked our way, Sinanis, covered in sweat, put a salted candy into his mouth. One of the items that are said to be essential in raidingbyrinths. It doesn¡¯t give any buff or anything but is necessary to maintain a healthy condition. ¡¸I¡¯m going to train now as well. ¡­¡­And also, Marius. I have a question for you.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ I then whisper, so Rafan and Sinanis won¡¯t hear me. ¡¸Can that magic page, that you gave me, be used on someone else as well?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s a bit special. It went into the body of your little sister, right? That magic can be used only inbination with that page.¡¹ ¡¸That really surprised me. If you knew it would go into her body, then at least warn me beforehand.¡¹ ¡¸HA HA HA, sorry, sorry. I was looking forward to your reaction.¡¹ This fellow. I remembered when we spoke of magic. If I made a copy, wouldn¡¯t it allow for use of some kind of healing magic? But it had no magic circles or anything simr to it. Well, if he says that it¡¯s some kind of special magic, then I guess there is no helping it. Rafan enviously looked at Arika and Luna. Arika jumps to hug Luna every time their joint spell goes well. Luna shows no displeasure at that. Though she seems to be a bit confused. ¡¸Do you want to learn magic?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ An aspiration, huh. She has been staring at Luna and Arika for a while. ¡¸¡­¡­Well. I think you have your own unique talents. So it¡¯s fine to just focus on polishing them. To be honest, I also hardly can do anything other than tanking.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I know, but I want to use it at least once. I can use neither dragonofication nor magic. ¡­¡­Nothing but things I can¡¯t do all around.¡¹ Rafan dropped her shoulders. ¡­¡­She has her own worries, huh. I hope that training can relieve some of those worries. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s start as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ During the battle, I want Rafan to take care of a single skeleton. I pulled out the sword and took the same stance as Rafan. Chapter 45: I’ll say it once again

Chapter 45: I¡¯ll say it once again

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ ¡¸Okay, I got the general idea. It should be okay.¡¹ Hearing my words Rafan tilted her head in puzzlement. Her eyes expressed clear nervousness. No, there is no need to get that tense. I had Rafan demonstrate her ability. Rafan¡¯s strength is perfectly adequate for a C rank tank. Or rather, she is quite strong for a C rank adventurer. Properly trained she should have no problem with keeping the aggro of one skeleton on herself. ¡¸Rafan, what I want you to learn during this training is wless aggro management.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Okay. Sounds good. Pulling just one monster is also a duty of a tank.¡¹ Rafan¡¯s expression became more tense. Could it be that this rang some bells with her? For example, were a party to discover a pack of goblins, if they have a capable tank, then exterminating them one by one bes possible. Taunting just one enemy, luring it away from the group. If she bes capable of such a feat, it would allow her party to safely exterminate packs of enemies even without a mage. Adventurers that have some degree of skill, often say, that they would like their tank to be able to do this. ¡¸And also, I want you to get enough technique as not to take hits when you are dealing with one skeleton.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Does that mean that I should undergo Marius-san¡¯s training?¡¹ ¡¸No. We will be training directly on the 48th floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Are you in your right mind?¡¹ Rafan¡¯s look changed. As she looked at me with a somewhat reproachful stare, I gave her a nod. Then, began exining that this is by no means reckless or useless. ¡¸First of all, if we can, we all should take our training to the 48th floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­And why is that?¡¹ ¡¸Our aim is to reach 51th floor. We still have 3 floors to go. In that case, it obviously would be better to get a first-hand experience with the monsters of those floors.¡¹ ¡¸Right.¡¹ ¡¸But it is apanied by danger, as such Marius chose to emte abilities of the skeletons himself.¡¹ ¡¸Then why are we going there?¡¹ ¡¸Us, tanks, have to take on multiple enemies while alsobating the environment. We have to keep in mind the way enemies cooperate, the rhythm of their attacks, adjusting to them and the situation.¡¹ The same can be said about attackers as well, but it impacts tanks to a greater degree. That¡¯s because other than keeping track of multiple enemies, we also have to keep track of our allies. ¡¸That¡¯s why we should be training directly on the 48th floor. Then, there is the reason why we can do it somewhat safely. My skills.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That Sacrificial Shield thing?¡¹ It seems she remembers what I told them during our fight with the fieldzauruses. ¡¸Yes. I can take damage in your stead. So you can focus on handling the enemy. During thest investigation, I understood that as long as I don¡¯t go on the offensive I can hold back the skeletons. As a specific course of action, I will focus on defending you, aggroing extra opponents, in case more than one shows up. And if they grow in number, we will pull back to the first floor, and rest there. That¡¯s the gist of it.¡¹ ¡¸What about teleportation inside thebyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸I can handle up to two people with my magic. Let¡¯s at least try?¡¹ Rafan put a hand to her chin, and after a bit of deliberation made a nod. ¡¸Indeed, with this n, it should be fine. And even if something goes wrong, we can immediately go back with your magic.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s try.¡¹ Rafan nodded, after which I notified Marius and left the guild training ground. We head to the entrance of thebyrinth that we visited yesterday. Reaching there, we are greeted by two adventurers. One of them was the person that guided us to the 48th floor, and another one whom I didn¡¯t know. That adventurer first stared at us for a while, then suppressing what appeared like a sudden fit ofughter, hit another adventurer with his elbow. ¡¸You, aren¡¯t you the one from yesterday! Leader of that party with big mouths!¡¹ As he said that, Rafan, who stood beside me, showed an obviously displeased frown. She looks just as eager to jump at him as Sinanis. ¡­¡­What an aggressive girl. She just didn¡¯t stand out until now, because Sinanis kept rampaging on his own. Holding her back with one hand, I lead her inside thebyrinth. ¡¸So, Big mouth-san. Did youe to update the record?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you can say that.¡¹ ¡¸With the two of you?! HAHAHA, are you okay in the head?¡¹ Looks like the rumor has spread quite far among the adventurers. But I don¡¯t think that it is bad. In case we manage to beat the record, that boast will turn into reality. Which in turn will be proof of my strength. The blue scales on Rafan¡¯s neck keep flickering. A simr thing happens with dragons as well, which indicates their anger. This is bad. And as I hurry to stop her, ¡¸Hey, cut the crap. Sorry about this, you two.¡¹ The adventurer, who guided us yesterday, spoke up. He didn¡¯t seem to have any faith as well, but at the same time, he also wasn¡¯t looking down on us. This seems to have calmed down Rafan a bit. Nodding to him, we walk past the adventurers. While still hearing a ridiculingugh behind my back, I climb the stairs leading to the first floor. Then, Rafan blocked my way. She intently looked at me with her golden eyes. ¡¸Why are you not angry?¡¹ An usatory tone. She might just bite me if I give her the wrong answer. ¡¸It¡¯s not like it doesn¡¯t bother me at all.¡¹ ¡¸Then why?¡¹ ¡¸We are the ones who are supposed to prove our strength. Yes, we surely can show how strong we are right then and there, proving them wrong, but isn¡¯t that what a small fries would do?¡¹ Rafan furrowed her brows slightly. It doesn¡¯t seem like that convinced her. So I decided to continue. ¡¸And also¡­¡­ This is going to be more and more the case from now on, but there is a heavy responsibility on me. A single action of mine can affect the reputation of the n. The n to which all of you belong. I¡¯d like it to be a good one.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Rafan closed her mouth and lowered her eyes. It¡¯s not like I want her to agree with this. But I also want her to be aware that there is this line of thought as well. Agreeing with it or not is another matter entirely. ¡¸Can I be honest?¡¹ ¡¸I listen.¡¹ She touched the scales on the back of her neck a few times. Then, breathed a short sigh and said. ¡¸Sinanis and Arika were admiring you, but I didn¡¯t see why. Of course, it¡¯s not like you are a bad person, and you also have some amazing qualities as an adventurer, but nothing that would make me want to join your n. ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­ I knew that you did it because of Sinanis.¡¹ In that aspect, Arika is way more enthusiastic about joining our n. Rafan merely happened to be in the same party as them, and that¡¯s all. ¡¸But, hearing you, I decided, I think I will follow you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m d to hear that. Honestly. Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸But it doesn¡¯t mean that I will stay forever. Just like ns choose people, I¡¯m also nning to choose my n.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sure, I understand. I¡¯d like to make it a n which you wouldn¡¯t want to leave.¡¹ Rafan nodded. Adventurers joining ns have to report it to the country through the guild. That report finalizes their admission to the n, making them officially a part of it. Since my n is not established yet, Rafan and the others are nothing more than temporary members. And there is no guarantee that they won¡¯t give up on me after this raid. I have to do my best. ¡¸Once again, I will be in your care.¡¹ She said and lowered her head. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing if she is going to be so formal about this. ¡¸Yeah, same here.¡¹ I then shake the hand that she offered. Then, we teleport to the 48th floor. Chapter 46: Skeletons

Chapter 46: Skeletons

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Arriving on the 48th floor we walked for a bit. As one would expect, Rafan seems to be nervous about facing monsters on this floor, as she keeps her shield up, continuously ncing around. ¡¸Skeletons appear by crawling out of the ground. As for the ghosts, they seem to drift from somewhere when they notice a fight.¡¹ ¡¸I know, but it¡¯s still scary.¡¹ Rafan said while trying to keep a calm expression. For now, it would be nice if at least one skeleton would show up. The 48th floor is as creepy as always. The purple fog is blocking the vision. Even if we want to confirm our surroundings, the fog prevents us from seeing anything past a few meters ahead. And the muddy terrain additionally decreases the speed. Rafan¡¯s ears suddenly shook. Though not to the level of elves, dragonborn¡¯s ears differ from those of humans. Then, she shook her tail. ¡¸There is, something?¡¹ ¡¸Skeletons, probably.¡¹ I tried to use Detection Magic on my own, but the uracy wasn¡¯t that great. But Rafan seems to be able to sense nearby enemies, though only vaguely. She has no search or detection skills, so it¡¯s probably something like dragon senses or intuition. She then took a stance with her longsword and the buckler. Earlier she said that she isn¡¯t strong, but considering that she can wield a two-handed longsword with one hand, it¡¯s probably not the case by human standards. Following the direction in which her golden eyes are looking, I cast a search spell. This time I found a monster. However, the enemy also noticed us. That¡¯s my fault for not being skillful enough. Proficient users don¡¯t alert enemies with their detection spells. The rattling sound of bones. Judging by the footsteps, there is only one enemy. ¡¸Rafan, for now, try to fight it.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ She replied with a tense face. Is she nervous? We should consider going to the lower floors if skeletons of the 48th floor will prove to be too much for her. Rafan shuddered as the skeleton emerged from the mist. ¡¸No need to be afraid. As long as you focus on defense you should be fine.¡¹ If things go south we can escape via already prepared Dungeon Walk. However, Rafan seems to be nervous¡­¡­ Or better said, stiff. Her face keeps growing paler. Is she afraid to face a tough enemy? The battle started. Rafan blocked the skeleton¡¯s attack with her shield. But she was pushed back, staggered. She can¡¯t be called petite by any standards. Probably due to the blood of dragonborn in her veins, but she is way taller than an average woman. Even so, the skeleton manages to push her back through brute force. However, she quickly recovered. Hitting the ground with her tail, she regained her bnce. The sword keeps shaking in her hands. ¡¸Rafan, don¡¯t attack. They multiply.¡¹ I warned her beforehand. But since it seemed like she was about to act driven by her fear, I warned her once again. A bit surprised, Rafan nodded. Kicking off the ground the skeleton dashed. Is this disregard for problematic terrain a special feature of those monsters? Rafan took a big step forward. But she got herself stuck in the muddy ground. Some momentster it seems that Rafan noticed her mistake, and looked at her feet. ¡­¡­This environment is a problem after all. The sword of the skeleton struck Rafan¡¯s shoulder. Rafan winced, perhaps expecting the pain that should¡¯vee with it. Well, I received it instead. It hurt, but not that much. Lightly scratching my shoulder I call out to Rafan. ¡¸Rafan, don¡¯t panic so much. Pay close attention to your surroundings.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes¡­¡¹ Rafan takes a careful look at the skeleton. And with the passing of time, another skeleton showed up. ¡­¡­This is one of the main reasons why I picked the 48th floor this time. I also had to gain enough strength to withstand the onught of the monsters of this dungeon. I have to train Rafan, but I also had to get stronger myself. Although, it is pretty harsh in terms of money since we have to rely on potions for recovery¡­¡­ ¡¸I will take care of the other one. Tell me if you can¡¯t handle it. We will pull out immediately.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine.¡¹ Fending off the skeleton¡¯s attack I nce at Rafan. She was out of breath, almost hyperventting. Blocking the attack of her opponent with her shield she staggered. Being also stuck in muddy dirt, she then fell unsightly to the ground. ¡¸Rafan!¡¹ I immediately use taunt. The skeleton that was attacking Rafan turned my way. At the same time, Rafan got back to her feet. Her face covered in dirt and eyes on the verge of crying. ¡¸I can¡¯t do it anymore! Skeletons are too scary!¡¹ Her usually cool andposed expression distorted, and tears flew through the air. Dashing to me along with the skeleton, she jumped at me before the skeletons got their chance. Eh? As she tightly hugged me, the only thing I could do was feel bewildered. Her chest isrger than I thought. ¡¸W-What¡¯s wrong, Rafan?¡¹ ¡¸I-I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t deal with skeletons! I¡¯m too scared to fight them!¡¹ ¡¸But why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t fit with my character!¡¹ The hell is that?! Not caring about what is going on, the skeletons charge at us. I spin on the spot while still holding her. Just making sure to avoid critical hits, I take attacks with the outer shell. Then, I counter with a kick, sending one of the skeletons tumbling on the ground. Then, another skeleton appears from the splinters. For now, we should retreat. Activating Dungeon Walk, I brought us to the 1st floor. ©– On the 1st floor, the fog is not as thick as on the 48th. But purple ground littered with trees didn¡¯t make for pleasant scenery anyway. Rafan sat on one of the dead trees lying on the ground. Making a few dryughs, she then raised her head, revealing a depressed expression. ¡¸I¡¯m afraid of skeletons. I can¡¯t do this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is there any particr reason for that?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ For a while, she remained silent, then spoke while trembling. ¡¸A long time ago, I was attacked by a skeleton¡­¡­ Since then, I can¡¯t stand them.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸There was a treasure chest, in the cave near my hometown. When I opened it, a skeleton popped up and grabbed my hand¡­¡­¡¹ Though it wasn¡¯t abyrinth, it seems that there are other idiots, aside from Marius, with simr ideas. A trauma, huh. But if she wants to be an adventurer, she has to ovee her weaknesses. That¡¯s because there is no telling where and when you might get attacked or ambushed by a monster that you can¡¯t deal with. I guess that¡¯s what we will have to focus on during this training. ¡¸¡­First let¡¯s start from getting used to skeletons. I¡¯ve been watching you during the previous fight, but you kept up with the attacks, if you weren¡¯t so afraid it would¡¯ve been fine.¡¹ ¡¸Is that¡­ really so?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. You are way better than I originally thought. Now you only need the spirit to go with it and we are all set.¡¹ Perhaps feeling relieved to hear those words, but Rafan¡¯s expression became a bit less tense. The 1st floor also has skeletons, so we decided to fight here first to get Rafan used to them. The location is a bit different from earlier. No monsters in sight. Walking around while probing the surroundings with search magic we managed to locate one skeleton. It¡¯s surely a different type from those that we just fought, but it¡¯s something. ¡¸Let¡¯s start from familiarizing you with skeletons.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What are we going to do?¡¹ ¡¸I will pin down the skeleton. You will touch it, and get used to it.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a dog.¡¹ But it¡¯s not like we have better ideas either. The skeleton noticed us, so I used taunt on it. Dodging its sword I swing mine. Of course, I had no intention of hitting it. I stopped inches before hitting it, but the skeleton already moved to evade it. I immediately tackled it. Grabbing the skeleton I pin it to the ground. The skeleton trashes around, but I use my weight and strength to nullify that resistance. In such a state a skeleton from the first floor has no chance of moving me aside. ¡¸Rafan, here you go. The skeleton is restrained. Touch it.¡¹ I grab the head of the skeleton and show it to Rafan. Rafan¡¯s cheeks were twitching as all color drained from her face. Sweating, she slowly reached out to touch the skeleton. And then, poked it a few times. Her expression still remained very tense. ¡­¡­We have to make her get used to this. Chapter 47: Pairs

Chapter 47: Pairs

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry for not telling you about my fear of skeletons.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. You can just get used to them from now on. If you are nning on making it as an adventurer, you have to get to the level where you can fight an enemy even if you aren¡¯t good with it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ I will do my best to ovee it.¡¹ Rafan clenched her fists. ¡­Thank goodness. My drastic measures didn¡¯t scare her. If she is taking things positively, then it¡¯s probably going to be okay. Leaving thebyrinth by evening, we head to the town. Going back to the guild we found the four others still at the training ground. Marius seems to be in a good mood. Sinanis doesn¡¯t even twitch. ¡¸Oh, Rude and the dragon girl. I see you made it back in one piece. How did it go?¡¹ ¡¸Aah, well¡­¡¹ Rafan pulled my sleeve. ¡ºPlease don¡¯t tell them about it¡»is what her eyes seem to be saying. ¡­¡­So she was hiding it from her own party as well. I don¡¯t n on hurting her pride. ¡¸Well, it might be impossible right now, but I think Rafan should have no problems with her role.¡¹ ¡¸I see. d to hear that.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, what up with Sinanis lying over there?¡¹ ¡¸Apparently, he is tired.¡¹ Marius doesn¡¯t seem to be tired at all. Well, no way Sinanis can keep up with him and his inexhaustible stamina. ¡­¡­Sinanius probably did his best as well. ¡¸Da-Damn it¡­¡­ I can¡¯t lift even one finger¡­¡­ Rude! Please, carry me to the inn!¡¹ ¡¸Can I pass on that? You reek of sweat¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t say that and help me! Please, Rude!¡¹ He shouted, moving only his facial muscles. ¡­¡­No, I¡¯m tired as well, you know? I was pinning skeletons to the ground. Like a viin would push down a cute girl, I was forcibly holding down skeletons. That¡¯s quite tiresome. In a way, it served as good training, since I had to use the muscles that usually don¡¯t see that much work. ¡¸I can drag you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll get all dirty! Crap¡­¡­ Someooone¡­¡­¡¹ Shouldn¡¯t getting dirty be thest of your concerns in such a situation? I call out to Luna, who is being hugged by Arika. ¡¸Luna, Sinanis wants someone to carry him. Can you do something with your magic?¡¹ ¡¸I can. I can make him float by using wind magic. But the control is a bit difficult, so he might spin a bit.¡¹ ¡¸No way! I can¡¯t trouble Luna-san with this!¡¹ Sinanis jumped to his feet. As expected, he didn¡¯t like the idea. Marius smiled slightly. ¡¸Ooh, looks like we still can continue our training.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no¡­¡­ Damn¡­¡­ My legs are shaking¡­¡­ At most, I can walk¡­ Yeah.¡¹ So he was skipping the training because it was too hard. Well, Marius probably knew it anyway. Since he kept silent about this, I guess it means that the training is over for today. ¡¸¡­¡­You seem to be awfully considerate towards Luna-oneesama.¡¹ Arika gave him a stern look. ¡¸I¡¯m considerate towards everyone! Or rather, aren¡¯t you clinging to Luna-san too much?! Come on, get off her!¡¹ ¡¸I have permission from Luna-oneesama. Right, Onee-sama?¡¹ ¡¸T-That is, well¡­¡­ Ehm, Master¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it fine? And you look good together.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Two beautiful girls together make for a pretty good picture.¡¹ Don¡¯t drag me into such conversations. Go to Shugor with that. I think he likes that sort of stuff. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not a demon myself, Rascal-kun. I will lend you my shoulder. If you want, you can even follow the girls¡¯ example and call me Onii-sama?¡¹ ¡¸No way, how gross!¡¹ ¡¸Ha Ha Ha, no need to be shy.¡¹ Marius chased after Sinanis. ¡­¡­Aren¡¯t you guys energetic? If anyone is to call me Onii-sama, then I¡¯d prefer it to be Manicia. No, I¡¯m fine with Onii-chan as well, like in the old days. ¡­¡­Will she call me like that again? ¡¸They seem to be getting along.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m d that everyone grew closer.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­O-Onii-sama?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What are you doing?¡¹ This startled me. Rafan furrowed her brown hair and scratched her cheek awkwardly. ¡¸N-no¡­¡­ Everyone is getting along, and only us¡­¡­weren¡¯t much like that. I don¡¯t want to lose.¡¹ What a weird ce to show apetitive spirit. ¡¸In our case, we are of the opposite sex. So we can¡¯t take the same approach as them.¡¹ We can¡¯t go about this as Marius and Luna. Even so, Rafan didn¡¯t seem convinced. For dinner, we decided to go to the second floor of the guild. The adventurers that noticed us exchanged sneers. Aren¡¯t we quite famous? Though it bothers me a bit, I have no intention of going out of my way to start something. Theughing adventurers also aren¡¯t saying anything. After dinner, we head to the public bath. That¡¯s the best ce to wash away the exhaustion from the whole day of exercise. After washing my body I soak into the bath. The temperature is just right. The feeling of fatigue being washed away from the body. ¡¸Hey, Rude. How was Rafan?¡¹ Sinanis came closer, half swimming through the bath. It¡¯s fine since there are no other people around, but stop sshing near me. ¡¸Yeah. She is a serious girl. And quite a good tank.¡¹ ¡¸Obviously. After all, it was I who invited her to the party. She kept taking solo requests all the time.¡¹ ¡¸Really?¡­¡­¡¹ Yeah, she doesn¡¯t look like a person who would proactively seek contact on her own. ¡¸That was a good choice. Making it as a solo adventurer is pretty hard.¡¹ She easily could have retired due to a serious injury before ever meeting us. ¡¸Well, I just wanted a tank. I actually was looking for morerades. To think that we will enter a n before finding anyone else.¡¹ ¡¸Are you¡­¡­ Against it?¡¹ ¡¸Nope. ¡­¡­And I also think that sticking with you will make things a lot more fun.¡¹ He submerged half of his head underwater. Then, as I smiled, he turned the other way. He might be a little embarrassed. ¡¸Even so. You are very muscr. You seem to be well-trained, Rude. ¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t you the same, Marius.¡¹ Though he isn¡¯t as muscr, Marius has a well-toned body. Sinanis looked at his stomach and arms and then gave us an envious look. ¡¸I¡¯d like to get like Rude as well.¡¹ ¡¸No, you should strive for Marius¡¯ build. No matter how you look at it, you aren¡¯t the type that relies on brute strength.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that might be true, but¡­¡¹ It might be because I entered the bath before everyone else, but I feel a bit dizzy. ¡¸I¡¯ll get out.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, wait for us outside.¡¹ I know, I know. After changing, I leave the baths. Thanks to magic tools this area isfortably cool. For someone who just left the bath this is too good. From time to time, the doors leading to the baths would open and let out a stream of hot air. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to leave outside. As I kept waiting, Rafan came out of the bath. Faintly red cheeks. The simple clothes that she is wearing, revealed scales on her neck, gleaming with a captivating glitter. A group of men nearby noticed her and exchanging a few whispers, approached. But Rafan gave them a displeased re with her blue eyes. Noticing fangs of a dragonborn, they shuddered and went towards other women. Seeing me, Rafan approached with a soft smile. ¡¸Rude-san, you are fast.¡¹ ¡¸You too.¡¹ I had the impression that women take their time in the bath. That was true for both Nin and Manicia. Luna is the type to stick to the minimum necessities, but she probably got caught by Arika. ¡¸I have the blood of dragonborn, so even merely rinsing is enough.¡¹ ¡¸Ooh.¡¹ Then, she took her time today? I sat on a nearby sofa. ¡¸Rude-san, about today¡­¡­ Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸I mean skeletons¡­¡­ You stuck with me for the training.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it just normal to help preciousrades if they are in trouble? And well, we need you to clear the 48th floor.¡¹ She is a valuable member of our n. If a n member is in trouble, helping him is only natural for a n leader. At least I think so. Rafan smiled a bit bashfully. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m not as strong as other dragonborn. And I also was mocked for being afraid of skeletons.¡¹ ¡¸Everyone has a thing or two they are afraid of.¡¹ ¡¸Even you, Rude-san?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ Myst taste of fear was when a well-endoweddy walked past me and I identally followed her with my eyes, which was noticed by Manicia, who came with me for shopping. That was truly terrifying. It¡¯s not like I had any interest in her. My eyes just reflexively followed her. No, honestly. ¡¸What are you afraid of?¡¹ ¡¸I have a certain friend, who can be as scary as a demon. That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That must be a pretty amazing person, to be able to scare even Rude-san.¡¹ Usually, she is a cute and kind girl though. Especiallytely, since shees to get spoiled. That makes me extremely happy. ¡¸One just has to gradually get used to it. I will be at your side, protecting you until then.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, thank you. I will definitely be able to beat skeletons.¡¹ Having said that, she swung her tail. After I waited with Rafan for a while, everyone else came out of the baths as well. After which we returned to the inn and went to sleep. Chapter 48: Start of subjugation I

Chapter 48: Start of subjugation I

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ The week of training has passed. Each team made sufficient progress. Today, we are going to challenge thebyrinth. Stocking up on water, salty candy, and other necessities required for lengthy exploration, we head to thebyrinth. Arriving at the entrance we see the same adventurer that was making fun of us a week ago. Noticing us, he said something to another adventurer that was with him. The other adventurer is the one that we see quite often here. He simply nced at the other adventurer and breathed a sigh. ¡¸What brings you here today, big mouths?¡¹ ¡¸Subjugation.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, no way you can do that!¡¹ We walk past them. After all, we already knew that this was going to happen. As we entered the first floor, Sinanis shook his fists in the air. ¡¸That dumbass, making fun of us! He really pisses me off!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it. Depending on the results we produce today, their view of us might immediately change. At the very least, I¡¯d like to reach the 49th floor this time. Luna, please.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged. I will teleport us to the 48th floor.¡¹ Luna activated the spell and the next moment we were on the 48th floor. Upon opening my eyes, my whole field of vision is filled with purple fog. Concentrating, I confirm that it doesn¡¯t damage my outer shell. ¡¸No one is taking damage, right?¡¹ Everyone closed their eyes, confirming their outer shells, then nodded. We already checked for this when we came here with Rafan or Marius and others, but just in case. ¡¸After what I studied about the 48th floor, and it¡¯s pretty amazing that we are taking no damage from this.¡¹ Rafan muttered. ¡¸I guess. Without any countermeasures, one would lose about 100 points of outer shell every 5 seconds, right?¡¹ Sinanis said while ncing over himself. ¡¸Yeah. So one of the party members has to keep up a barrier at all times. So challenging thisbyrinth the party will have only 5 people avable for fighting.¡¹ The difficulty is greatly different for us since we don¡¯t have that limitation. We can raid this floor in the same fashion as any other. With this, the first obstacle is cleared. The next one isbat with skeletons. Walk for a bit and as expected, a skeleton crawled out of the ground. ¡¸First, Sinanis and Rafan will fight on their own. I want to see how well they will fare. Marius, you finish the skeleton off before the next one will appear.¡¹ ¡¸Roger. Let¡¯s give it a shot, Rascal.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, finally a real fight. Well, let¡¯s consider this a warm-up.¡¹ Sinanis made a broad grin and pulled out his sword. I also take a stance with the greatshield, ready to join thebat at any moment. The skeleton noticed us. As Rafan used Taunt, the skeleton approached her She is biting on her lips. ¡­¡­But, she isn¡¯t trembling. As expected, after dealing with skeletons every day, Rafan got used to them. The skeleton leaped at Rafan, but she blocked the attack with the buckler. And she is not pushed back. Her bnce greatly improved during this week. As the one that guided her, I feel nothing but delight about her growth. I can¡¯t suppress my smile. As a parent, who is happy about the child¡¯s growth, I nce at the others, to see their reaction. ¡­¡­Well, they don¡¯t know how Rafan was at the beginning, so there is no particr amazement. Sinanis charged. For a moment, Rafan¡¯s and Sinanis¡¯ eyes met. After which Rafan took a step back. As expected of an actual party, they have good coordination. Sinanis swung his sword, which the skeleton immediately evaded. But Sinanis nimbly changed the trajectory and made another swing in the opposite direction. Though its stance was ruined, the skeleton tried to swing the sword. Sinanis¡¯ attack was a feint. Its only purpose was to bait an attack from the skeleton. Sinanis pulled back his sword and dodged the attack. With that overreaching attack with a poor posture, the skeleton¡¯s stance waspletely ruined. ¡¸Slower than I expected. ¡¹ Sinanis muttered somewhat surprised. What did he just say? Indeed, Sinanis is keeping up with the skeleton. Easily fending off everything thrown at him, he then takes distance. As I nce at Marius, I see a self-satisfied smile on his face. ¡¸During our training I was attacking faster than actual skeletons. And looks like it proved to be effective.¡¹ ¡­I see. So the speed of skeletons are now nothing special for Sinanis. Sinanis counterattacked, matching the moment when the skeleton took a big swing. Staggered, the skeleton raised both of its hands overhead. Marius kicked off the ground. His katana flew towards the defenseless eye sockets of the skeleton as if it was sucked in there. After easily dispatching a single enemy, Marius put his katana on his shoulder. ¡¸Rascal should have no problems with skeletons of this floor.¡¹ Sinanis is more than perfectly able to fight on this floor. He read all of the enemy attacks. Rafan, breathing in a calm manner, also seems to be okay. Meeting eyes with me she slightly swung her tail. ¡¸Rafan, good job. A fine disy.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ She scratched her cheek, smiling a bit bashfully. I¡¯m d that she is also pleased with the results. Since we confirmed that they can fight here, it¡¯s time to start the subjugation. ¡¸Let¡¯s proceed with subjugation. Luna, Search magic, please. I will assist.¡¹ ¡¸No, please leave it to me, Rude-sama! I will show the perfect synchronization with Luna-oneesama!¡¹ Arika dered, raising her hand. Luna made a short nod and immediately began deploying her magic. There, Arika poured magic power. Her magic power immediately changed, bing closer to that of Luna. ¡¸¡­¡­Magic power transformation?¡¹ ¡¸Probably.¡¹ A skill that allows manipting the nature of one¡¯s own magic power to a certain degree. This greatly changes the effectiveness of assisted spells. Last time we checked she had nothing of this sort. With the activation of their spell, Luna looked at us. ¡¸We sense no monsters nearby. We also were unable to locate the magic circle leading to the next floor.¡¹ ¡¸Luna, could it be that Arika acquired a skill that allows to change her own magic power?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and also Heal.¡¹ She is the one that grew the most¡­¡­ Rafan also acquired a skill, ¡ºProtection Shield¡», but that¡¯s it. And Sinanis got nothing. But his own strength definitely grew. I was worried that Luna might have trouble with teaching others, but she is way better than me. While being slightly depressed about that thought, I proceed ahead. Two skeletons spawned and along came a ghost. ¡¸I will take one skeleton and the ghost. Luna and Arika, get rid of the ghost with your magic, Rafan, and Sinanis, follow Marius¡¯mand and get rid of another skeleton.¡¹ The most annoyingposition. As I taunt two enemies, the ghost immediately throws a specter at me. While I blocked the ghost¡¯s attack with the shield, the skeleton jumped at me from the side. Showing off its smile, unique only to fleshless skeletons, it swung its sword at me, which I block as well. I also can¡¯t fall behind others. Restraining the sword of the skeleton with my own I used the greatshield to carefully push the skeleton to the ground, as not to create any splinters with unnecessary damage. Caught in the muddy ground, the skeleton fell to the ground just like that. The other skeleton was already taken down, with Rafan keeping its attention on herself. As expected, they are fast. Sinanis hurried to my aid. I keep blocking specters thrown by the ghost with my shield. Furious explosions ur, but this much is not enough to break my greatshield. Now, when we understand the capabilities of our enemies, there is no need to be nervous. Mental disposition greatly changes the flow of the battle. When fighting unknown enemies one can¡¯t help but be anxious. But now, I confront them withposure. A spell was cast at the ghost. As it was too slow to realize that, the ghost was swallowed up by the magic. Engulfed with mes the ghost dissipated. Impressive firepower. Luna excelled at magic, to begin with, but with the help of Arika the power increased even higher. ¡¸Luna, you probably will be able to defeat ghosts even with less amount of power.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged. Next time I will hold back.¡¹ The knocked down skeleton got back to its feet and took another swing. Arge sweep from a low stance. But I simply stomp down this attack aimed at my legs. With me stepping on the t of its sword, the skeleton froze. It tried to pull back the sword, but I put even more weight on it. Finally giving up, the skeleton tried to hit me unarmed, but I caught the attack with one hand. And then red at the skeleton. For a moment, the skeleton appeared to be seized by something that looked like a shudder. Then, from the side, came Marius¡¯ katana. With the magic stone shattered, the skeleton crumbled to the ground. ¡¸Luna, don¡¯t pause, we must keep going.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. No magic circle in the vicinity.¡¹ As one would expect, finding one on this extremely vast floor is no easy feat. Even if 5 skeletons appear at the same time, it will only change the number of the enemies I will have to tank, without much actual difference. With healing magic and potions there is no danger of my outer shell even being shattered by them. ¡¸Rude, you seem to emit a lot more pressure than before.¡¹ Marius said, walking beside me. ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Previously, you appeared somewhat like a retired adventurer, as if you looked at things from the position of an observer, but now, you have that passion, like our Rascal over there.¡¹ ¡¸It didn¡¯t ur to me that I changed this much.¡¹ ¡¸Well, then it might mean that this is how you were originally. Which is all for the better, if you stay the same our next battle would be no fun.¡¹ Mariusughed with glee. ¡¸Master, we discovered the magic circle.¡¹ Hearing Luna, Mariusughed. ¡¸Hey hey, are you serious? Isn¡¯t this way too easy?¡¹ ¡¸Well, considering how much we worked for this.¡¹ Pulling out a single salty candy from the pocket I throw it in my mouth. Refreshment for the exercise I just had. Other teammates are also using supplements to restore their stamina. Meanwhile, Marius kept smiling, looking at the magic circle. ¡¸The 49th floor, huh. I can¡¯t wait to find out what kind of monsters are awaiting us there.¡¹ ¡¸No, it would be a problem if something other than skeletons and ghosts were to pop up.¡¹ ¡¸Ha Ha Ha, don¡¯t be like that.¡¹ Stepping into the magic circle, we are teleported to the 49th floor. This floor looked simr to the previous one. And after walking for a bit, we encountered a monster. Our first battle on the 49th floor. A skeleton. The question is how strong is it. ¡¸Marius, Rafan, Sinanis, please. I will keep attention on our surroundings.¡¹ ¡¸Roger.¡¹ The three head towards the skeleton. Meanwhile, more skeletons appear. Sinanis and the others took care of the first in the same fashion as on the previous floor. ¡¸¡­¡­Rude. It¡¯s way stronger than its friends from the previous floor. My hands went numb.¡¹ To me it looked like Sinanis was parrying attacks, turning them aside, but perhaps it was closer than it appeared. I taunt three of the newly appeared skeletons. ¡­¡­I feel like they are appearing even faster than before. ¡¸Sinanis, can you press on?¡¹ ¡¸Of course!¡¹ ¡¸Then we are going to cut our way through the 49th floor!¡¹ I raised my voice. Since this floor has the same monsters as the previous one, there is no need to hesitate. ¡¸Marius, make sure you finish them properly. For now, I will keep the attention of those two.¡¹ We press on, killing every enemy blocking our way. At times I had to deal with 6 enemies at the same time, but this is no different from usual. I keep aggro of 5 enemies, meanwhile, Rafan takes care of another one. The burden on me grows heavier, but it¡¯s not enough to bring me down. Though I took a few hits, Luna and Arika were able to keep up with healing magic. Before long Marius reduced the number of enemies enough for the girls to find the opportunity to use Search Magic. Drops of sweat showed on Luna¡¯s forehead. Then, her eyes opened wide and she shouted. ¡¸Master, we got a reaction for the magic circle over there!¡¹ Luna¡¯s voice resounded as our time spent on the 49th floor was approaching 3 hours. Finally. ¡¸Dash towards the magic circle! No need to fight them!¡¹ I shouted when the magic circle came into sight. Chased by the skeletons, we jumped into the magic circle. They stretched their arms towards us, but the moment we pped them away, the magic circle activated. Chapter 49: Start of subjugation II

Chapter 49: Start of subjugation II

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ After teleporting we started to climb the stairs leading to the 50th floor and were finally able to take a breather. Until now we already took several breaks, when we had a chance. But due to the spawn rate of the skeletons, we couldn¡¯t take adequate rest. I take a sip from the sk that Sinanis¡¯ party brought. ¡¸Hey, Rude. Do you think there is a boss on the next floor?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Who knows.¡¹ Considering theyout of thisbyrinth, the possibility of a boss waiting on the 50th floor is extremely high. Or rather, we came this far under that assumption. ¡¸If it seems like we can beat it, we will fight, but for the most part, we are here to recon. If it looks bad we immediately escape and work on new countermeasures.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Well, we got this good. What¡¯s left is to push as far as we can.¡¹ Looks like Sinanis found extra confidence along the way. While appearing bold, he is pretty level-headed. At the same time, it can be even said that he is a bit cowardly. Perhaps it is because of that cowardice that he keeps making bold statements. In a way, it feels like he came to a certain line, but is afraid to step over it. If he keeps challenging stronger opponents, like now or that time with the fieldzauruses, he might grow stronger. ¡¸We did it, somehow¡­¡­ But to be honest, it wasn¡¯t easy at all.¡¹ Rafan said, wiping sweat from her brow. Compared to her, Arika, who stood beside her, appeared quite nonchnt. ¡¸Being in the vanguard looks like a lot of trouble¡­¡­ We, the rear, didn¡¯t fight at all, so for us, it¡¯s like a walk in a park.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s probably because of the high effectiveness of Rude-san¡¯s taunt. Monsters didn¡¯t even look at those in the rear.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Since Rude-sama is protecting us, we can calmly focus on using magic.¡¹ Well, that¡¯s my job after all. And spellcasters are especially influenced by their state of mind. I have to be dependable. After taking plenty of rest, and making sure that everyone recovered enough, we proceeded up the stairs. ¡¸Then, onwards to the 50th floor.¡¹ Each step I take on the stairs resounds through the air. Stepping into the unknown has a certain excitement to it. And after we climbed all the way to the top. We saw scenery not so different from the two previous floors. Theyout of thisbyrinth just never changes. Though it¡¯s a bit anticlimactic, we can¡¯t drop our guard because of this. With me as the vanguard and Marius as a rearguard, we cautiously press forward. But not even a single skeleton would show up. ¡­¡­This is suspicious. ncing back, I see the way too delighted Marius. Must be nice to be you, not thinking about anything at all¡­¡­ Putting my hand to the forehead I say to Sinanis and the others. ¡¸Not even a single normal monster. Good possibility that there is a boss.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Luna, for starters, look and see, keep the spell ready to get us out any moment. If by some chance this will prove too dangerous, run away while I stall for time, leaving without me. After I confirm that everyone managed to escape, I will retreat as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, acknowledged.¡¹ That¡¯s why I learned Dungeon Walk. It is because it is a tank who will be asked to act as a rearguard during the retreat. Now, what wille out? If it¡¯s a boss monster, I hope it¡¯s not too powerful. Well, no way that would be true. After we advanced through the 50th floor for a bit, the ground in front of us began swelling up. ¡­¡­Skeletons? But considering the size, it probably isn¡¯t. Pitch ck bones. The air felt heavy from merely looking at them. Those bones must be very tough. Eyes shining with blue light and a magic stone where it¡¯s heart should be, resembling the skeletons we faced so far. The enemy is d in something like a dirty coat. Riddled with holes, it looked as if he just came back from a battlefield. He swung a sword he held in his right hand. The long and thick ck sword cut through the air. If I were to give this one a name, I guess it would be Dark Skeleton. Marius¡¯ smile grew even wider upon seeing that sh. ¡¸I¡¯d like to put him in mybyrinth. I hope he can be recreated from the magic stone.¡¹ ¡¸If we manage to take him down I¡¯m taking the magic stone to the guild.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know. So, Rude. How are we going to defeat him? He seems to be a hell of a master.¡¹ Marius looked at me, clearly eager for a fight. Letting them fight is the easiest way to gauge the ability of that skeleton. ¡¸Marius. If it looks dangerous I will intervene.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah. Well, sorry if I defeat him on my own.¡¹ You are wee to do it. If you can. As Marius stepped forward, we fell back to avoid drawing the attention of the Dark Skeleton to ourselves. Dark Skeleton¡¯s blue eyes fixed on Marius. He probably recognized Marius as an enemy. Dark Skeleton raised his sword to the level of his head. ¡­¡­It¡¯s quite long. The stance is somewhat simr to what the skeletons of the 48th floor had. If he uses the same style then the previous experience will prove useful. And as theplete silence dominated the space, Dark Skeleton kicked off the ground. He¡¯s fast! It took him only a split second to close the distance with Marius. Dark Skeleton swung the sword from the overhead down. Marius blocked that attack with the katana that he slightly pulled out of the sheath. But he is pushed back with the sh. Dark Skeleton took another swing before Marius managed to recover. Another sh from the overhead position, which was followed by a thrust, probably aimed to corner Marius. And©` It seems Marius was waiting for that opportunity. Until now it used the same style as other skeletons. Which means that the next move will leave him wide open. Marius immediately pulled his katana and shed at Dark Skeleton, but Dark Skeleton managed to pull back his sword and block the attack. ¡¸Wha?!¡¹ Marius pouted. But the smile didn¡¯t leave his face. ¡­¡­He is enjoying this. He has adaptability. Dark Skeleton leaped away, and once again pointed a sharp stare at Marius. He is fast and agile. And there is something like ck fog oozing from the body of Dark Skeleton. Is it supposed to give some sort of status ailment? There are a lot of such monsters in thisbyrinth. There is a good possibility that he might do something simr as well. ¡¸Marius, we are going to reveal all of his cards. We will attack while observing him.¡¹ ¡¸Kuh, just a bit more! Can you let me fight him alone for a bit more?!¡¹ ¡¸No, you are a valuable war force, I don¡¯t want to waste your strength on this. It¡¯s only my guess, but it probably will be a long fight. We need your power, please, bear with it.¡¹ ¡¸Got it¡­¡­¡¹ Marius twisted his lips in a frown. As we switched to action, Dark Skeleton turned his gaze our way. Before he could decide on a target on his own, I threw a Taunt. For a moment, the blue eyes of Dark Skeleton shone with red light. Then, he pointed his sword at me. The ck fog swirling around his arms turned even thicker, and the next moment, he disappeared from our sight. As if he melted into darkness. I use the greatshield to block the attack that came from my right. It¡¯s pretty heavy. He kept pressing, increasing the strength. Some might say that going along with this contest of strength is stupid. For a moment I weakened my strength, and then pushed back with full force. After receiving a bash from me, Dark Skeleton immediately stepped back and fixed his stance. ¡¸Sinanis, try to attack him from the right.¡¹ Making full use of his speed, Sinanis shed at Dark Skeleton. The attack scratched his left hand, sending ck splinters into the air. Upon touching the ground they turned into lesser ck dark skeletons. This again? The number of new skeletons was two. But the aura they had about them was nothing like that of the skeletons on the previous floors. This is what I wanted to confirm. Dark Skeleton charged at me the moment I tried to issue new instructions. I blocked his sword with the shield. The thrust is quick and precise. And I have no intention of simply taking it head-on. Turning around, I shift it aside. But Dark Skeleton didn¡¯t miss that and immediately pulled back. And swung his leg at me. I receive that kick with the sword. ¡­Quite an impact. And he doesn¡¯t have muscles, how does this even work? ¡¸Rafan, pull one lesser dark skeleton.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ ¡¸Marius, Sinanis. Take care of it as you did with normal skeletons.¡¹ If we can do that, it would leave only the question of how are we going to take down Dark Skeleton. I aggro Dark Skeleton and a lesser skeleton. Theirbination attack can even make one suspect that they share the same mind. Covering for each other they keep shing at me, cornering me with each attack. Lesser skeletons are somewhat inferior to Dark Skeleton in their fighting ability. I can push through them through brute strength. But Dark Skeleton is different. I¡¯m quite sure that taking even one hit would mean opening myself to a chained attack that will take a huge chunk of my outer shell. That¡¯s how impressive his swordsmanship is. That¡¯s how threatening he is. But this sense of danger, almost burning my skin, is also nice. Sinanis and the others took down their lesser dark skeleton and came to my support. They easily took care of another lesser skeleton. This leaves only the main one. ¡¸We can do it! This Dark Skeleton is not that strong for a boss!¡¹ This is obviously not true. He wields his sword skillfully, and each blow is heavy. Only I and Marius can take that. But I said this anyway, to boost morale. Sometimes, this is what is required from a leader. In fact, Sinanis and the others are brimming with enthusiasm. Once again, Dark Skeleton shed at me with his longsword. Chapter 50: Start of subjugation III

Chapter 50: Start of subjugation III

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Probably a whole hour passed since the fight began. Can¡¯t tell how urate that number is since measuring time isn¡¯t my main priority at the moment. If I ask Luna she might even be able tell how many seconds have passed, but asking that will probably only make us feel even more exhausted. The fight with Dark Skeleton was still continuing. Taking turns fighting in the vanguard, we gradually deal damage. Usually, unless the difference in power is too great, it¡¯s prettymon to fight boss ss monsters for an hour or two. At times it even takes a whole day. Dark Skeleton shows no signs of weakening or exhaustion. Not sure if it¡¯s because he is a monster or bones, in any case, pretty enviable from our point of view, as our fatigue keeps piling up from the long fight. Luna pulled out a potion and took a sip. The rear is also busy with casting all this time, so it¡¯s only natural that it will begin to get to them as well. Still, we couldn¡¯t make up our minds on retreating. The reason being, the fight was going better than expected. If the opponent was clearly stronger, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to retreat. But right now¡­¡­ Marius unleashed his sword from the sheath. His prided iai, but this time the trajectory was slightly different. Dark Skeleton already grew used to it by this point, so Marius changed it on purpose, to confuse the enemy. If I was attacked by that I also probably wouldn¡¯t be able to react in time due to the initial surprise. Going past the sword that Dark Skeleton raised up to guard himself, the katana went towards his chest Shards of the magic stone fly into the air. Dark Skeleton¡¯s weak points are his eyes and heart. Damaging his magic stone is probably the way to go, but it¡¯s pretty sturdy. It¡¯s probably working in the same way as our outer shells. We surely dealt it some damage, but there is no telling how much. If his movements slowed down, or like it happens with some monsters, he entered some kind of enraged mode, we could make a judgment on that. Arika and Luna are drinking water. During that time I defend from Dark Skeleton¡¯s attack especially carefully. Everyone is using recovery items when a chance shows. Then, Dark Skeleton stepped back. Pulling back his sword he is gathering magic power into it. He is going to release a chain of wind shes. A technique somewhat simr to the skill ¡ºsh¡»that humans can use. ¡¸I will erase some of them.¡¹ ¡¸I will block a few.¡¹ ¡¸If they will get through anyway, I will take it. Ready recovery magic.¡¹ Marius put the katana back into the sheath and took a simr stance. Rafan closed her eyes, as if in prayer. The shes are iing. Marius released a few shes of his own, negating some of them. Those that went through anyway, were blocked with Rafan¡¯s¡ºProtection Shield¡». Then, I blocked those that broke through the barrier with the shield. The shockwave staggered me. Even so, the impact isn¡¯t that bad, since it was greatly lessened by myrades. ¡¸I will tank him. Marius, use this time to recover. Rafan, protect the rear, Sinanis, attack when I give a signal. Luna and Arika, prepare support magic.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Roger.¡¹¡¹ ¡¸Master, I¡¯m nervous about the attacks. I will buff Sinanis-sama with wind magic, to improve his evasion.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. Sinanis, attack as soon as you receive the buff.¡¹ ¡¸Rude-sama, I will cast a buff for defense.¡¹ ¡¸Got it, please do.¡¹ Everyone understood their tasks and immediately began executing them. It reminds me of parties that worked together for long years. Sinanis and his teammates also look a lot more confident. Such reliablerades. And what¡¯s even more important, they are following my instructions, putting their trust in me. On the other hand, it also means that if something goes wrong then it was my screw up. While it¡¯s apanied with a heavy responsibility, the position of a leader is quite fun. Stepping forward I repeatedly use Taunt. I dodge a vertical sh from Dark Skeleton at thest moment. It was immediately followed by a horizontal sh, which I block with the shield. Gradually retreating I pull him to a different location. Sinanis observes from the side, waiting for his chance. Then, he noticed a buff. At the same time, I also was surrounded by mysterious magic. ¡¸Sinanis, do it.¡¹ He made a short nod and immediately leaped at the enemy. Like a wolf on its prey. Using that short opportunity, Sinanis shed at the enemy. With the attack hitting Dark Skeleton in the chest, it once again sends red splinters flying. Staggered, he sunk to the ground for a moment. But then, his blue eyes immediately shone. His head turned to Sinanis. He might be extremely pissed, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Protecting them is my duty, Sinanis put his all into that attack, believing in me. I get close while using Taunt. And then sh at Dark Skeleton, making sure he notices me. As one would expect, Dark Skeleton wouldn¡¯t just take an attack without doing anything. If he sees my sword he surely would act. As expected, Dark Skeleton ignored Sinanis, and turned to me. Taunt probably affected this as well. Breathing a small sigh I concentrate. During long battles, one has to know when to rx and when to exert oneself. Humans can¡¯t maintain 100% concentration all the time. I¡¯m taking it easy when others are pressing with attacks. Sinanis is also getting better at understanding when he should concentrate. Sinanis fell back and took a sip from his sk. At the same time, Arika was using water magic to refill other sks. Marius was pouring water on his head. After pping his cheeks with both hands he looked able to return to battle at any moment. Then, next, we should¡­¡­ The moment I thought that my leg sank into the ground. Mud. Damn it. Sweat ran down my cheeks as an instant realization of the situation shed in my head. The battle dragged for so long that I made a mistake I usually would never make. Instantly the brain made the decision. If I break down, then the copse of the whole party is imminent. ¡¸Luna, immediately get ready the magic for escape!¡¹ The next second after I shouted that, I was hit by Dark Skeleton¡¯s sword. What followed was the pain and loss of almost all of my remaining outer shell. Almost all. Recovery magic was immediately cast on me. The follow-up attack that I expected wasn¡¯ting. Raising my head I see Rafan, Sinanis, and Marius fighting Dark Skeleton. Beside me was Luna, helping me to stand up. And at the same time, pushed a salty candy into my mouth. ¡¸Rest for now! You kept fighting non-stop!¡¹ Sinanis shouted, jumping around the boss. Failing thending he nted his face into the mud, and thenughed, covered in dirt. ¡¸You are the one to pass thest judgment. But you¡¯ve been charging that attack all this time. You aren¡¯t going to say¡ºI¡¯m too tired tond it¡»now, right?¡¹ Both Marius and Sinanis were buying time, smiling. ¡­¡­Indeed, I kept giving priority to the rest of myrades and forgot to take it myself. Taking water from Luna I¡¯m trying to regain some of my stamina. My head cooled down a bit. The body also feels a bit lighter. I look towards Marius and others. The attacks of Dark Skeleton grow more and more furious. Looking from a distance, I now see that the Dark Skeleton is very badly damaged. ¡­¡­Is he getting impatient? A sense of panic could be felt from his attacks. As if he was pressed for time. Which might mean that he doesn¡¯t have that much strength left. While Sinanis is more agile than ever. I can clearly see that his perception is getting better. I recovered enough tond thest attack for sure. ¡¸Thank you, I can return to fight.¡¹ ¡¸Then, we will open the path. Rude, finish him.¡¹ Marius looked at Sinanis, to which he responded with a nod. Rafan and Sinanis fell back, while Marius charged. He shes at Dark Skeleton in fast motions. All of the attacks were light, almost as if he was provoking him. However, as if enraged by that, Dark Skeleton shed down at Marius. Marius evaded by jumping to the side. Right after that Sinanis closed the distance. Before Dark Skeleton regained his bnce, Sinanis got him in the left eye. Dark Skeleton staggered, bending back, and then made another downward sh. Sinanis blocked it with his sword but was pushed back. Marius followed with iai. The sword of Dark Skeleton is up in the air. The magic stone in his core area is exposed. Receiving a buff from Luna I rush to him. ¡¸Do it, Rude!¡¹ Marius shouted. The blue eyes of Dark Skeleton shone faintly. Did he realize his defeat? Charged with the skill, my sword hit him without any resistance. Piercing through his chest it shattered the magic stone. The body of Dark Skeleton slowly dissipated, leaving behind two magic stones. Both of quite high purity. I picked them up from the ground, both stones transparently clean. Thebyrinth that was enveloped by absolute silence suddenly turned very loud. ¡¸Rude! We did!¡¹ Marius jumped at me, putting his hand around my shoulders. How annoying, right after the battle. I tried to push his hand away, but this time even Sinanis did the same. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m tired. Let me rest.¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about! This is the time to cheer!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Rude!¡¹ They roughly p me on the shoulders. ¡­¡­I¡¯m happy as well. Evading their hands I reply with a smile. Chapter 51: Setting out

Chapter 51: Setting out

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ We managed to reach the 51st floor, but as one would expect, with the tension gone the fatigue immediately got to us. We escaped back to the 1st floor before the purple worm that appeared on the 51st floor could attack us. After getting there I check the potion pouch. Only three bottles left. That was close. Each of them is a pretty high-quality potion. This expedition cost us a lot, but it also brought great results. Leaving thebyrinth we see the same two adventurers. ¡¸Oh, big mouths. You look tired. Do you think you can reach the 51st floor like that?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we just did. Which reminds me. You two are guides for thisbyrinth, right? There is a new highest floor now. Want to go to the 51st floor right now?¡¹ ¡¸The idiots are running their mouths again!¡¹ The manughed, holding his sides. The man beside him carefully studied us. ¡¸¡­¡­You really reached it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. We did. This is the magic stone of Dark Skeleton from the 50th floor.¡¹ With those words, I take out the magic stone from the bag and show it to him. The adventurer seems to have immediately realized the quality of the magic stone, which greatly surprised him. His eyes opened wide, while the adventurer, that was making fun of us, spoke up. ¡¸W-what the hell are you talking about! Even our leader couldn¡¯t breach the 48th floor?! There is no way some low-rank adventurers could get past it!¡¹ ¡¸As I said, we will bring you to the 51st floor. Don¡¯t you have the duty to report to the city onbyrinth updates? After all, some wouldn¡¯t believe the words of us 6 alone. I want one of you toe with us.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Stop screwing with us! Did you hit your head there?¡¹ ¡¸Stop it. ¡­¡­Got it, I will verify your im. Shall we go?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Well, if it¡¯s only two of us, then even I alone is enough. Everyone, rest here.¡¹ Marius¡¯ face was saying that he wanted toe as well. It¡¯s almost as if he thinks that I¡¯m going to sneakily have a couple of fights on the 51st floor. I don¡¯t have the energy for that¡­¡­ I teleport to the 51st floor, taking the adventurer with me. ¡¸T-this is¡­¡­ Really the 51st floor?¡¹ Surprised, he closed his eyes. He is probably trying to confirm it through skills. Then, he suddenly opened them wide. ¡¸It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s really¡­¡­ the 51st floor. Just how did you do it¡­¡¹ ¡¸Raid and subjugation, nothing unusual. I¡¯m going to be a n leader. I have to be able to do at least this much, right?¡¹ I said, a bit mockingly. To which he, still looking astonished, smiled. ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s an amazing adventurer we got here. I will apany you to the guild as a witness. This is thest day anyone calls you a big mouth.¡¹ ¡¸That would be nice.¡¹ Together we returned outside. Then, the man, who was guarding the outside, rushed to us. ¡¸H-hey! It was a lie, right?!¡¹ ¡¸No, these adventurers really reached the 51st floor. I will apany them to the guild as a witness. During that time please keep to your post.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a lie! Why are you even going along with this charade! Those guys©`©`¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what might happen to you if you keep going like that?¡¹ The adventurer looked at the man sharply, after which he leaked a scared voice. After which we head to the guild. Next to me is Marius. Shaking his almostpletely white hair, he looked at me. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it nice, Rude? No one is going to call you a big mouth anymore?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sure. That wasn¡¯t pleasant.¡¹ ¡­¡­I even feel somewhat refreshed. Though it wasn¡¯t to the same extent as Sinanis, I also wanted to shut them up. I don¡¯t want to listen to what the people, who gave up from the beginning, are saying. ¡¸What are you going to do after returning to the town? Announce it for everyone to hear?¡¹ ¡¸That might be fun as well.¡¹ ¡¸Y-you are pretty bold.¡¹ ¡¸Not really. I wasn¡¯t like that before.¡¹ ¡¸Ha Ha Ha, I see. Well, I like the way you are at the moment.¡¹ Marius said, beaming with a smile. Can¡¯t say that I¡¯m happy to hear this from a man. Even so, Marius has a big part in us currently being able to do some absurd stuff. ¡¸Thank you. I¡¯ll be counting on you as a n member.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. You can rely on me. I will do my best as your right hand, left hand, right leg, and left leg! I¡¯d also like to take my time with rising new disciples.¡¹ Marius seems to be fond of teaching others. Meanwhile, we reached the guild. By now the sky turnedpletely dark.¡­¡­We¡¯ve been in thebyrinth for quite a while. Kensei, who was preparing to go home, waved his hand upon noticing us. ¡¸What brings you here at such an hour. Which reminds me, you said something about raiding, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, we reached the 51st floor.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Eh?¡¹ Kensei opened his eyes in amazement. As we showed him the magic stone that we found, he narrowed them, focusing on it. ¡¸In-Indeed, it¡¯s my first time seeing such a stone¡­¡­ Was it dropped by a monster from 50th or 51st floor?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. A skeleton with ck bones dropped it on the 50th floor. He was as strong as a boss monster.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I also went to the 51st floor and confirmed this. I thought that their words alone might not be epted.¡¹ When the adventurer that came with us said this, the smile on Kensei¡¯s face became even wider. ¡¸Once again, you pulled off something very interesting, Rude. Hey, someone! We had an amplifying magic stone, right? It¡¯s an emergency so bring it here!¡¹ As Kensei said this, guild employees tilted their heads, puzzled. Surrounding adventurers reacted in the same way. Amplifying Magic Stone is a magic stone that makes the sound louder. In this noisy guild, it would be sometimes used to issue warnings. Kensei grabbed that magic stone and poured magic power into it. The amplifying stone shone faintly and projected Kensei¡¯s voice. ¡ºInforming all adventurers. Just now, Adventurer Rude and hisrades reached the 51st floor.¡» The adventurers froze up. Everyone is bewildered by the contents of the message. Simrly, the employees of the guild also froze up. ¡¸Who is Rude?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it that guy? That one with a big mouth?¡¹ ¡¸Reaching the 51st floor¡­¡­ For real?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it just a lie? There is no way some nobody can do that.¡¹ There was no one who readily believed Kensei¡¯s announcement. But the adventurer that came with us took the amplifying stone from Kensei. ¡ºEverything said is true. Adventurer Rude, who is called big mouth by some, has taken me to the 51st floor. He made a breakthrough that no one was able to aplish for long years.¡» After saying that the adventurer gave the amplifying stone back to Kensei. ¡¸H-Hey¡­¡­ That man is an adventurer from¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»!¡¹ ¡¸And it¡¯s Marcus-san! The one entrusted with monitoring thebyrinth!¡¹ ¡¸H-He wouldn¡¯t lie! T-They really set a new record?!¡¹ ¡¸W-We must tell everyone in the town!¡¹ ¡¸S-So those adventurers¡­¡­ Weren¡¯t just big mouths?¡¹ The uproar spread among the still confused adventurers. ¡­¡­Since I was too tired, I told the guild that we will give them details at ater date and returned to the inn with everyone. ©– The rumors spread all over the town in an instant. After a day, the whole town was talking about nothing but this. Though a full day has passed since we returned from thebyrinth, I still felt the fatigue from that raid. ¡­¡­Am I getting older? Sinanis and others, who were way more tired than I, are full of energy by now. Today, I came with them to the guild. We were done with the business yesterday, but it seems that the leaders of the two biggest ns want to meet us. I also thought that I¡¯d like to at least take a look at them. In a way, they are my seniors. We arrived at the guild. Which immediately sparked amotion. ¡¸H-Hey. Those are they adventurers that set the new record.¡¹ ¡¸A-As expected they have a special aura to them.¡¹ ¡¸You frigging liar! Just the other day you were making fun of them along with everyone!¡¹ In the back, behind the noisy crowd, sat Gary and Boo. Beside them sat a man and a woman with an air of pressure to them. ¡­¡­Their respective n leaders. Erasing the frown that was on her face moments ago the female n leader turned to us with a charming smile. ¡¸So you are the Rude, that made the breakthrough. ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»will wee you.¡¹ She is the leader of ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡». Long ears, characteristic to elves, and a big chest. It¡¯s hard to take my eyes off it. I heard that she is quite a beauty, but the rumors turned out to be true, even though it¡¯s not rare for such rumors to be exaggerated. I almost nodded to her invitation involuntarily. ¡¸Did we meet somewhere?¡¹ The other one is the leader of¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡», who sat there, exposing his well-trained physique. His outstanding physique dwarfed other adventurers, making them appearpletely insignificant. As I overlooked the surroundings, my eyes met with some of those adventurers. They immediately turned away. ¡­¡­It¡¯s been like this since yesterday. The adventurers that were making fun of me are avoiding me. I was kind of hoping that I will get a cool nickname¡­¡­ But s, no luck. Marius smiled. He was reaching out for his katana, so I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. ¡¸I want to fight.¡¹¡¸Stay quiet.¡¹ Marius drooped his shoulders after we exchanged such messages through nces. ¡¸Nevermind. Which n are you going to join? It¡¯s naturally mine, right?¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying, you musclebrain. Rude, we also have many lovely girls. I¡¯m sure everyone will be happy about you joining us. Myself included.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, hey. The hell are you doing you elven hag, you are over 100 years old, hands off kids. Won¡¯t you consider your age already?¡¹ ¡¸Aah? I¡¯m only 100. In human terms, it¡¯s about 30?¡¹ ¡¸Too old either way.¡¹ ¡¸HUUUUUH?¡¹ The leader of¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»snorted, while the leader of¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»scowled, refuting him. ¡­¡­Their rtionship might be better than I thought. Both of them looked at me. ¡¸So?¡¹ ¡¸What are you going to do, Rude?¡¹ Silence fell upon the guild. ¡­¡­Everyone is waiting for my answer. This might be important even for regr adventurers. What the adventurer, that reached the 51st floor, is going to choose. It might influence the power bnce between the ns. ¡­¡­But I already decided where I stand. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­¡­ Going to create my own n. So I cannot join either of your ns.¡¹ Adventurers gasped at my reply. The leaders exchanged nces and then smiled with their lips only. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that you came here only to announce bing our rival?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess that sums it up.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t like that in the beginning. But since we got so much attention, I might as well use this chance to advertise our n. In a way a tank would. The n leaders exchanged nces once again and then burst into augh. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you an interesting fellow. Do you best so that it won¡¯t end into an empty boast.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, I¡¯m looking forward to this. Don¡¯t regret refusing to join uster.¡¹ ¡ºWhite Tiger wsughed boldly. ¡¸Yes, of course.¡¹ I replied with a smile to their jeers. Chapter 52: Newspaper reporter

Chapter 52: Newspaper reporter

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ ¡¸Then, Rude-san. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you today.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yea. Same here.¡¹ Headquarters of Avancier¡¯s militia. I came there for a meeting. Wearing the same outfit I usually wear for official meetings, I get to the seat. On the opposite side of the table is a beastkin female¡­¡­ A reporter from the capital¡¯s newspaper. After ncing at my face, she began writing something. Looking at the paper in front of her I saw that she was drawing my face. Though she keeps it simple, she is pretty good. I heard that there are skills that allow drawing portraits that look exactly like the person. And also that owners of such skills often be newspaper reporters. The reason why she came here today is simple. ¡­¡­She heard that the long-standing record was finally broken. I returned to Avancier after finishing the subjugation and talking with the n leaders for a bit. The reporter smiled at me with a friendly, innocent smile. ¡¸Please, don¡¯t be so nervous. It¡¯s not like your words will be put into the article exactly as you say them. I will edit it nicely.¡¹ As she said jokingly, her tail swayed left and right. Her words relieve my nervousness a bit. After all, it¡¯s my first time doing anything like this. Rather, wouldn¡¯t it be weird if I wasn¡¯t nervous? It is the newspaper from the capital. Though it takes time for it to reach every corner of the country, nheless, it¡¯s still a newspaper read by every person living here. And it will contain an article about me. With a portrait on top of that. ¡­¡­I won¡¯t be able to do anything funny anymore. As I took a deep breath, Nin, who sat beside me, narrowed her eyes. It wouldn¡¯t be too much to say that she was ring. ¡¸Don¡¯t be fooled. Anything goes for their folk as long as they can grab attention. They can greatly exaggerate or even distort they story if it suits them.¡¹ ¡¸Oh no, Saintess, how can you say such a thing.¡¹ ¡­¡­Apparently, Nin had a few such interviews. She was interviewed both as a saintess and as the third daughter of a duke. So she showed no signs of nervousness at all. Looking at how she usually behaves it¡¯s not hard to forget that she is a duke¡¯s daughter, but after all, she is a noble. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯m counting on you today, Rude-san.¡¹ I nodded, as the reporter beamed with a smile. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s start from the rtionship between the two of you!¡¹ ¡¸What about thebyrinth?¡¹ ¡¸Love stories are a lot more popr than that stuff that no one beside adventurers would read! The third daughter of a duke and a saintess, every man in this world dreams of her!¡¹ ¡¸Okay, the headline should be like this. Announcement of the engagement.¡¹ ¡¸OOOh, really?!¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not. ¡­¡­We were in the same party. That¡¯s all.¡¹ I interject, so they won¡¯t get carried away and make up a weird article. That aside, it seems my words caught the attention of the reporter, as she narrowed her eyes, looking at me. ¡¸The same party¡­¡­ You were previously in the hero¡¯s party? As far as I¡¯m aware the saintess never entered any other party.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes, Kygras¡¯ party.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that ex-hero. These days we don¡¯t hear about him at all. Well, it works for me as well, so it¡¯s fine, Stripped of his title as a hero, he disappeared, never seen by anyone since that day, would make for a fine article, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ So they heard nothing, huh. But that¡¯s him we are talking about. He is surely continuing as an adventurer somewhere. ¡¸Rude-san, what were you doing in the hero¡¯s party? Were you an attacker? Tank? Or maybe healer?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a tank.¡¹ When I replied, the reporter opened her eyes slightly wider and then proceeded to write in her notes. ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s unusual. People like toin that tanks are in and don¡¯t stand out, so there aren¡¯t many of themtely.¡¹ She said bluntly. Don¡¯t say such a thing in front of a tank. Some might get seriously pissed by that. ¡¸That¡­ Might be so. Yet, it is a necessary and rewarding role. Having one or not can decide the life or death of the party.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, I see¡­ Were you fighting as a tank during thest raid as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. With the help of my friends©` n members, Sinanis and Marius, and adventurers named Arika, Rafan, and Luna, we were able to seed in this raid.¡¹ I mentioned Luna the veryst on purpose. That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t want to bring additional attention to her since she is a homunculus. I smile a bit, recalling the moment we reached the 51st floor. Then, the reporter tilted her head ¡¸n, you say?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m going to create a n, based in this town.¡¹ ¡¸Could it be that the saintess is going to join it as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s quite interesting! What is the name of the n?¡¹ ¡­¡­That¡¯s what I still haven¡¯t decided yet. I¡¯d like something cool, on par with¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»and¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡». ¡¸We are yet to decide. This is something we are going to consider in the future.¡¹ But no good namees to mind. Let¡¯s ask the otherster. Maybe they can give me some ideas. ¡¸Is that so? It would be better if I could mention it in the article, so please decide on it while I¡¯m still around.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. For how long are you going to stay?¡¹ ¡¸3 days, I guess? I suddenly got an urge to investigate the town itself as well!¡¹ ¡­¡­That could be a great advertisement. Well, it¡¯s not like I want to get a bunch of people, but even so, I¡¯d like to find members that can be the core of the n. For that, it would be better if we get noticed by as many people as possible. ¡¸Could it be, that you went to the city of adventurers to get under the banner of¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»or¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»?¡¹ Simrly to noble houses, ns can have main ns and branch ns. That¡¯s probably what her question means. There is a plus of being able to use the name of the main n, but there is also a minus of having to consult with them on every important decision concerning the n. ¡¸No. I had no such intentions. ¡­¡­I went there to hear thoughts of the two leaders on ns and the proper disposition of a leader.¡¹ ¡¸Oooh¡­ Is that so? That¡¯s unusual, so you aren¡¯t going to ally with either of them?¡¹ ¡¸Well, probably. ¡­¡­I also told the two n leaders about my ns on making the n that will surpass them.¡¹ When I said that, the eyes of both Nin and the reporter went wide. ¡­¡­Well, can¡¯t me them if they think that was impulsive and reckless. ¡¸You¡­¡­ Did you say that to the faces of the leaders of the two biggest ns? Wow, nice.¡¹ Nin smiled, amused. Well, she is quite warlike after all. ¡¸¡­¡­And here I thought of exaggerating the story a bit and writing that you said something like this. Did you tell this to them directly?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. ¡­¡­You can say it was my way of hardening my resolve. If you don¡¯t have at least this much determination, you can hardly be a good n leader.¡¹ The eyes of the reporter narrowed. ¡¸Is that to protect this town?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ Bing a n leader in such a town will surely bring you the adoration of its citizens.¡¹ ¡¸Prestige or adoration are not what I¡¯m looking for. ¡­¡­I just want to protect this town, that¡¯s all.¡¹ The reporter wrote something once again. I wonder what she¡¯s writing, I can¡¯t see it from here. ¡¸So you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t need anything else?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I guess you can say that. I simply wanted to create a n. Getting an opportunity from the Count¡­¡­ I decided to give it a try.¡¹ ¡¸Ooh¡­¡­ I see, I understand now.¡¹ Well, if there is something that I desire¡­¡­ Then I guess it would be for Manicia to say ¡ºOnii-chan, you are so cool.¡». The reporter nodded with a satisfied smile. After that, we talked about what happened in thebyrinth. ¡­¡­But she wasn¡¯t as interested as when we were talking about the n. ¡¸Yes, that is thest of my questions. Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Same here.¡¹ I shook the hand she offered me. I wonder what kind of article she will write. While a bit nervous, I¡¯m also looking forward to it. Chapter 53: Feel’s naming sense

Chapter 53: Feel¡¯s naming sense

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ n¡¯s name, huh. Lying on the bed in my room, I think about the n name, the topic that was also brought up by the reporter. There has to be something. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Nii-san?¡¹ Manicia entered the room and sat beside me. ¡¸Well, you see. I was thinking about the n¡¯s name.¡¹ ¡¸Which reminds me, you wanted to make one. If there is anything I can help you with, I will assist.¡¹ She looks extremely happy. It might be because I said that¡ºI found what I want to do.¡». ¡¸Then, I¡¯d like to ask for your advice. I can¡¯t think of any good n name.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­ Are there any rules or traditions for the names?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d say no.¡¹ From what I¡¯ve heard, there is even a n called¡ºChummy Busters¡». Many ns borrow letters from the ancientnguage. It makes the name appear a bit cooler. ¡¸Manicia, do you have any ideas?¡¹ ¡¸Eehm¡­¡¹ Manicia looked around in thought. Damn it, Manicia seems to be troubled. I¡¯m such a bad brother. This deserves capital punishment. ¡¸How about words that will represent you, the n leader?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Maybe something alluding to a shield? And the n is also meant to protect this town, right?¡¹ ¡¸Are you a genius?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true.¡¹ No, she is a genius. Taking Manicia¡¯s advice into ount, I begin thinking anew. Shield, shield¡­¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything cool that would¡¯ve involved shields. After I spent some time on this, Luna came into the room, carrying theundry. She was wearing a maid outfit. Luna is often wearing it when she is working at home. Looks like she likes it. I also had other worries besides the n. That was the fact that Manicia refused to even try maid clothes. I wonder if saying that she will then have matching clothes with Luna will prove effective? I actually bought another outfit in the city of adventurers. I tried to suggest it to her, but she refused, saying that it¡¯s embarrassing. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡¹ ¡¸A n needs a name, right? So I¡¯ve been thinking about it.¡¹ ¡¸But aren¡¯t you pretty good at giving names? Like you did with me?¡¹ She happily sped a fist in front of her chest. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s because I merely took a part from an already existing name. So it¡¯s not like I thought it up myself. But well, there is no need to get this worked up just because it¡¯s a n name. Luna went to the kitchen, beginning meal preparations. We head to the living room to help her. Then, Nin emerged from her room with a sleepy face. ¡¸Aah, I want to sleep.¡¹ She doesn¡¯t look like a nobledy of a duke¡¯s house at all. Since she just woke up, her voice is lower than usual. The amazing bed hair, tells a lot about the way she sleeps and her personality in general. She then sat next to Manicia. ¡¸Nin-san, you have an amazing bed hair.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right. Well, it will fix on its own before long.¡¹ ¡¸Let me help you. You can¡¯t appear in front of other people in such a messy state.¡¹ Nin brushed it with a hand, trying to fix it, but the unruly hair just sprung back. Manicia brought a hairbrush and began brushing Nin¡¯s hair. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to be a saintess anymore. You know, men just keep whispering behind my back? That I have no chest and so on.¡¹ ¡¸Of course, you don¡¯t have a chest after all. Don¡¯t let it bother you. Ah, please don¡¯t move. I can¡¯t brush you like this.¡¹ They are like sisters. I¡¯m d that they are getting along. Nin is busy with the churchtely. Perhaps due to that, but it seems like she regressed a bit, bing more childlike. They finally finished the work on the magic stone capable of disying God¡¯s Revtion, and with that, many adventurers areing to the church. ¡­¡­Well, though for the most part, it felt like they came to see the saintess. From time to time I can see her getting cramps on her face since she has to smile so much. From my point of view, she looks like she is about to explode in anger at such moments. Nin came back to her senses by the time Luna brought breakfast. ©– My life didn¡¯t change that much after I came back from the city. I keep patrolling the town, all the same, assisting the local militia. At times Luna mighte with me, but that¡¯s it. But now, Luna often stays in her room. Also, the fieldzaurus egg, that we picked up earlier, began shaking more often. I don¡¯t know how long it takes for a monster egg to hatch, but it seems that it¡¯s about time. ¡¸Oh, is that Rude. Are you on your own today? That¡¯s rare.¡¹ ¡¸Good morning, Rude-san.¡¹ ¡¸Good morning, Rude-sama!¡¹ It¡¯s Sinanis¡¯ party. They came back to this town with us. ¡¸Morning. Going to take a quest?¡¹ ¡¸Probably. It seems that there is an increase in the sightings of goblins. So we are going to investigate and exterminate.¡¹ ¡¸Goblins, huh. Don¡¯t drop your guard just because you are dealing with goblins.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know. I¡¯ve been fighting nothing but bones and Marius. I have to get the usual feeling back. So I¡¯m going to crush them with my all!¡¹ Sinanis said, pumping his fist. Well, considering how cautious he is, there probably should be no problem. ¡¸By the way, have you guys thought up of any ideas for the n name?¡¹ I asked them to think about this when we were getting on the carriage to the town. Sinanis made a low groan. Arika and Rafan averted their gazes. ¡¸No ideas here. None at all.¡¹ ¡¸Same here¡­¡­ I¡¯m not good with such stuff.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m extremely sorry! I gave it a serious thought, but couldn¡¯te up with anything!¡¹ Arika repeatedly bowed. ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine. As the n leader, I will take responsibility ande up with the name.¡¹ ¡¸G-Go for it! I can only root for you! But I¡¯m going to do that a lot!¡¹ ¡¸Me too¡­¡­ We believe in you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll tell you if I think of something.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. Then, take care not to get hurt.¡¹ Sinanis and others headed to the gates. ¡­¡­Yeah, ns are not that simple. As I walked through the town, a person, d in full armor appeared. That must be Feel. She was walking in full battle gear through the streets that were filled with a lot more people than before. Apparently, she is too shy to walk through such crowds unless she does this much. ¡¸Feel, good morning.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Good morning, Rude. ¡­¡­Something happened?¡¹ ¡¸No, nothing.¡¹ She raised the visor a bit, looking somewhat relieved. Something happens almost daily as ofte, so she appears to be getting nervous. I understand her. But what I noticed is that there is no point in dwelling over it, it will only wear you out. ¡¸Rude, are you on patrol as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. How are thingstely? The town seems to be a lot calmer than it was before I left.¡¹ ¡¸Well,pared to that, sure. One of the knights arrived in the town ahead of his group. Thanks to that the adventurers in the town act with more restraint now. As one would expect, the possibility of knights taking action serves as a good deterrent.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. So there is no need for a n anymore?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not the case. If we had a n then adventurers would behave even better. And what¡¯s even more important, if we have some kind of a serious incident, the n would be able to take the lead and rally other adventurers.¡¹ Feel looked at me expectantly. Walking beside her, I smile wryly. ¡¸I¡¯m going to Milena¡¯s ce. Want to go with me, Rude?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I wanted to visit themter. Let¡¯s go together.¡¹ I asked Regil-san to repair my greatshield and the sword. I used them quite a lot in thebyrinth. ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Feel turned her gaze to the street leading to the smith. A huge crowd, as always. Especially because he is the only cksmith we have in the town. Naturally, adventurers would crowd there. Turning pale at that sight, Feel lowered the visor. ¡¸Feel. I¡¯m having trouble with finding a good name for the n, do you have any ideas?¡¹ ¡¸n name, huh. Anything is okay, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah¡­¡­¡¹ Then, I recalled the name of the dog that she has. An old dog that she has had for a long time. The name is Nyanpee. Apparently, Feel was the one who gave it that name. I don¡¯t think that asking her is a good idea. ¡¸Is there anything you absolutely want to be associated with the n? A word or an object¡­¡­¡¹ I don¡¯t know what kind of expression she is making, but she seems to be very motivated abouting up with a name. Well, since I already asked. ¡¸I asked Manicia about this earlier, and she said that a shield might be good, firstly it represents me, the n leader, and secondly, it represents the will to protect the town.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Manicia gets this well. How about¡ºShieldie¡»?¡¹ Feel said, full of confidence. Can¡¯t she take it more seriously? It¡¯s not a pet. ¡¸Thank you. I will use it as a reference.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me again. I have other good picks as well.¡¹ Feel said happily. Running from that conversation I hurry inside the cksmith store. The ce was lively and crowded on a level that waspletely unimaginable before. Until now most of the clients were militia after all. So Regil-san ran the ce basically as his hobby. Numerous adventurers were browsing weapons and essories. Most of the adventurers that looked at essories were female. Even so, 80% of customers are men. Milena is dealing with the customers, running back and forth. Waiting until things calmed down a bit Feel then called out to her. ¡¸Milena, is everything alright?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no problem.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Fine then.¡¹ The cksmith gets especially many people. And more people also means more trouble. Noticing Feel the adventurers became quieter. Feel also had to step up a few times to stop brawls between adventurers. There is hardly anyone who doesn¡¯t know her by now. After all, she has a hell of presence, walking around in full te armor at all times. Chapter 54: Collecting stuff

Chapter 54: Collecting stuff

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ ¡¸Rude, what brings you here? Do you need something from Father? Or maybe¡­ Me?¡¹ She said in a teasing tone, putting a finger to her cheek and then winking. ¡¸Both, I guess. I entrusted Regil-san with some of my equipment. And I wanted to ask you if you happen to have some good ideas for the n name.¡¹ ¡¸The n name?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ As I exined to her the situation just as I did with Feel, she put a hand to her chin. ¡¸Hmm, I don¡¯t know much about n names, but ns also have banners, right? Why don¡¯t you go with your shield then?¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ Interesting idea.¡¹ ¡¸What? Did you forget about that? Then leave it to me, I¡¯ll make a nice one.¡¹ She puffed her chest. n banner, huh. ¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»banner has a dragon and fangs. ¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»looked like a scratch from a tiger. My greatshield, huh. For starters, let¡¯s get it back from Regil-san. And as I was about to head to Regil-san, I felt the intense gaze of Feel on me. As if she was saying ¡ºDo you have a problem with the name that I suggested?¡». ¡­¡­At times, honesty can bring unexpected problems. My only reply was a wry smile. ¡¸Milena, Regil-san is inside?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. And he also said that he is done with your greatshield.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. I¡¯m going in.¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ After that short reply from Milena, I went into the working area. Today the furnace wasn¡¯t burning so it wasn¡¯t hot. Even so, a number of unfamiliar weapons were lined up at the stone wall of the forge. The greatshield was among them, right near the entrance. It was visibly damaged after continuous fighting, but now not even a scratch could be seen on its shiny surface. I do the necessary maintenance, but it can¡¯t bepared to the work of a professional. After all, he has the skill for that. Due to hot summer weather, Regil-san was topless. Since no one ising to the forge he probably wanted to use that chance and stay as cool as possible. Even so, he was covered in sweat, so from time to time he would stop his work and wipe himself off with a towel. Right now, he is working on repairing a sword. As he is focused, it seems he is yet to notice me entering the room. Probably amission from one of the adventurers. There also were a few items not made by Regil-san. Only after I came closer Regil-san finally raised his head. ¡¸Oh, Rude. Did youe for the shield? It¡¯s over there.¡¹ He pointed at it with his finger. I received my shield shining the same way as when I just bought it. ¡¸Thank you. Regil-san, did you make arrangements with the guild?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah, all kinds of them. The matter of trade in materials also was settled. I should be able to get them rtively cheap, so that¡¯s something. After all, we now can get magic ore from thebyrinth!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, really?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. And also herbs. Granny Gigi was overjoyed. All of it is of the lowest grade though. But higher floors might have even better stuff!¡¹ Regil-san said happily. For now, we made only the most inferior materials avable, but it seems it worked well. To answer their expectations we have to set up magic ores and herbs of higher grades. I¡¯ll have to speak with Marius about thister. He actually ditched all of the newly purchased materials at my home. I¡¯ll have to bring them to him. ¡¸Regil-san, can I ask you something?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m having trouble with picking the n name. So I¡¯ve been wondering if maybe you have any good ideas?¡¹ ¡¸n name, huh¡­¡­ You are a tank, so why don¡¯t you just go with Silver Shield or something?¡¹ Regil-san said, pointing at my greatshield. ¡­¡­Silver Shield, huh. ¡¸Well, no idea how that stuff works. There are smiths that give names to their weapons and armor, but I hate that stuff.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­¡¹ When Regil-san mentioned the silver shield I remembered. That¡¯s what the tag for the shield was at the store where I bought it. ¡¸That¡¯s how it is, so don¡¯t ask me. Better ask young guys. They will probablye up with something nice.¡¹ But it didn¡¯t look like Sinanis had any ideas. ¡¸Got it, thank you for the input.¡¹ ¡¸Sure. Don¡¯t do anything rash!¡¹ He probably became worried after seeing how battered the shield was. I¡¯m actually trying to be careful here. But even so, let¡¯s keep in mind that there are people who worry about me. As I returned to the store, the number of female customers was higher. Many of them were gathered near the counter. Peeking there, I see that it has nes, bracelets, and trinkets decorated with magic stones. Though their effects are not that great, these are still tools meant to support adventurers, yet all of them have quite a cute design. Even so, adventurers tend to prefer effectiveness over fashion¡­¡­ Seeing such pieces is pretty unusual. The ne with a red magic stone, that I have on me, also often gathered envy from female adventurers. ¡¸Milena, this one is so cute.¡¹ ¡¸Right? I¡¯m quite happy with how it turned out. I can sell it cheap now.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I¡¯ll buy it!¡¹ Female adventurers keep taking essories one after another. ¡­¡­So they care about looks more than effectiveness. Well, it¡¯s not like essories have that much of a major impact. So such an approach is probably not a problem. More and more female adventurers gather. Milena keeps happily selling them essories. Meanwhile Feel moved to the corner, and froze in ce near a set of armor that was disyed for sale. Is she trying to use it for camouge? Quite splendid. I didn¡¯t notice her at first. ¡¸Feel. I¡¯m done here, want to go back to patrolling?¡¹ I have no business here anymore. Feel dropped her shoulders, startling nearby adventurers that just came in. ¡­¡­They probably thought that this is just an armor. ¡¸Y-yeah¡­¡­ To think there would be so many visitors¡­¡­ I guess I lost another ce where I could rest¡­¡­¡¹ I reply by smiling wryly. Our next stop is the guild. The building is also nearly finished. Unlike the one in the city of adventurers, the guild in Avancier is built out of wood. With its design, it blends nicely into the townscape. But it seems like they are not ready to operate at full capacity yet. The temporary tent seems hectic. The usuallyzy twins are running back and forth. They are busy dealing with numerous adventurers that came to visit the guild. Feel came closer and called the twins. ¡¸Lilia, Lily. How are things in the guild?¡¹ ¡¸We are really busy. All of a sudden it¡¯s now possible to collect materials in thebyrinth, so we are getting many requests for that, and there are also new monsters¡­¡­ To be honest it¡¯s such a pain.¡¹ Lilia replied. ¡¸Same here¡­¡­ I want to ditch everything and just go somewhere¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Please, don¡¯t say that.¡¹ Feel said with a wry smile. ¡­¡­There is something in their tone, did she manage to get on good terms with the twins? I¡¯m so touched by this amazing growth. ¡¸The militia and the guild seem to be working well together.¡¹ ¡¸So, you are going to make a n after all, Rude?¡¹ Lilia asked, tilting her head with a nk face. ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Do your best and reduce our workload.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please do.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, I¡¯ll try. That aside, just when did you two be friends with Feel?¡¹ Other members of the guild also tried to talk with Feel, but she remained just as nervous as before when dealing with them. ¡¸She made a cake for us!¡¹ Lily said with a sparkle in her eyes. Lilia took Lily¡¯s hands. ¡¸It was really tasty. It can be even said what that is the only reason why we work.¡¹ ¡­¡­So she bought them with food¡­ Cooking is Feel¡¯s hobby. And she is quite good at it. She also happens to be the one who is teaching Manicia. ¡¸Well, whatever, as long as you are getting along.¡¹ ¡¸Rude, one small question.¡¹ Lilia forcefully pulled my hand and whispered into my ear. Did you really have to do this? ¡¸Did something happen with the guardian?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why do you ask?¡¹ ¡¸We talked about problems with monster variation and resources, and the next thing, it¡¯s all fixed. I thought you might have something to do with this.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I do. I talked about this with the guardian¡­¡­ Marius. And as it turned out, there was a way to fix this.¡¹ ¡¸I see. It smells like trouble, so I will pretend I didn¡¯t hear that. If you can, add some fruits there as well. I¡¯d prefer something sweet.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that how you pretend not to hear?¡¹ Lilia and Lily exchanged nces and went away. ¡­¡­They are as close as always. ¡¸Feel, where are you going next?¡¹ ¡¸My patrol ends here. I already visited the church and the spots where adventurers gather.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. Then I will go back home as well.¡¹ ¡¸Okay. Thank you foring along. ¡­¡­It was fun.¡¹ ¡¸Same here. Then, see youter.¡¹ I waved my hand and parted with Feel. Chapter 55: Marius’ Goal

Chapter 55: Marius¡¯ Goal

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ For now, let¡¯s bring the luggage to Marius. Coming back home I grab items that Marius left there. I check the contents, just in case. Yeah, there is no mistake, it belongs to Marius. He bought quite a lot. Apparently, he sold off magic stones and materials that he managed to obtain in the process and bought other magic stones and materials with that money. Magic ores and herbs, and also parts of monsters that he hunted on the way. And then some more magic stones and materials from stores. ¡­¡­He was very enthusiastic about possible monsters that might be born frombinations of those parts. He even got a whole bunch of C rank magic stones. Getting my equipment in order, I depart for thebyrinth. Indeed, there are more adventurers than before. Noticing me, they approached. ¡¸Ah, Big Bro Rude! Are you going to explore thebyrinth?!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, wanted to take a look at things.¡¹ I ended up sounding a bit evasive since I couldn¡¯t possibly say that I was going to meet the guardian. ¡¸I see, please don¡¯t get injured, venturing alone.¡¹ The adventurers that I often see in the town called out to me one after another. Some of them are so bad with words that they can easily cause a dispute, while others could make one worry about their future career as adventurers. A great variety. Eventually, my n is also bound to get quirky individuals. Will I have to organize them on my own? I can¡¯t help but feel uneasy. Well, since I decided that I¡¯m gonna do it, I have to. I have no intention of backing out. Entering thebyrinth, I arrive at the first floor. Did theyout change? There are more trees now. Under those trees were herbs and ores. ¡­¡­He did quite a good job of concealing them. After wandering through the floor for a while, a magic circle appeared in front of me. Inside it was a small human slime. It tries to beckon me closer with gestures. Though its body was made out of a transparent liquid, it still had the form of Manicia. If it¡¯s a trap then it¡¯s way too nasty. The strongest possible trap against me. I¡¯ll absolutely fall for it¡­¡­ As I step inside the magic circle prepared by Marius the human slime sticks to me. It startled me a bit. Then, I noticed that my clothes are drenching wet. The trap activated, and I felt like I was floating. I was thrown into the air. Looking down, I saw the ground. ins, simr to those of the first floor. ¡¸Hey, Marius!¡¹ I yell in anger, spotting the small silhouette of Marius in the distance. Then, the body of the human slime that teleported with me suddenly swelled up. And then, enveloped me. In that state, I fell to the ground. Since the human slime absorbed all of the impact, I felt nothing. Being enveloped by the human slime didn¡¯t feel that bad. This water-like body might be nice during summer. If only I could bring it back home with me. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ When I said that, the human slime shook its body happily. Pushing the slime aside, I get up. Normally, slimes kill their prey by swallowing it up and then dissolving it. Once caught, escape is not an easy matter. But this human slime was pushing me out on its own. When I stepped onto the ground, the slime shifted back into human form. Sitting down at the nearby seat, I shout to Marius. ¡¸Hey, Marius¡­¡­ That¡¯s quite a greeting.¡¹ ¡¸Did you enjoy it?¡¹ ¡¸I almost had a heart attack.¡¹ ¡¸Ha Ha Ha. I was thinking about the games that humans might enjoy. I¡¯m trying to make a floor that can provide various entertainment in exchange for outer shell. This was one of the ideas.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Stealing outer shell in such a way, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Right now, adventurerspete for everybyrinth, right? So I thought another approach is necessary, the one that doesn¡¯t involve monster extermination. Maybe even ordinary people wille to visit thebyrinth.¡¹ ¡­¡­Something simr to what is happening at the cksmith. With Milena beginning to sell trinkets, they are now getting many female customers. Exploring new venues and ways to bring in customers is important for the survival of a business. So Marius thought about thebyrinth as well. To be honest, considering that he lived among humans, I thought that he might abandon his position as a guardian and live as a human. That¡¯s what I was hoping for. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Rude?¡¹ ¡¸No, I just thought that you are a guardian after all.¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah. I want to fight the strong as a guardian. But at the same time, I¡¯m also a member of your n. I will keep gathering energy in thisbyrinth, and use it to spawn, strengthen, and create monsters. And using those monsters I¡¯m going to train your n members, as well as have duels myself. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it an amazing n?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ ¡¸As a part of that, I want to invite ordinary people to gather energy more efficiently. Do you think it will work?¡¹ Hmmmm¡­ ¡¸¡­¡­Initially, surely not.¡¹ ¡¸Mm! Why!¡¹ Perhaps not expecting such an answer, Marius raised his voice. ¡¸That¡¯s becausebyrinths have a certain established image to them. Most people considerbyrinths to be something scary and dangerous.¡¹ It would be impossible to change that right away. If it can be done, then perhaps through adventurers, that learned of such a ce and brought someone close to them from among ordinary people, who in turn would bring someone as well. It might work with Marius¡¯ n. ¡¸I see¡­¡­ Well, it can¡¯t be helped. ¡­¡­By the way, you aren¡¯t injured, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. The slime saved me.¡¹ As I patted it on the head, bubbles appeared in the watery body of the slime. Is it its way of expressing joy? ¡¸Which reminds me, Rude. What brings you here today? I didn¡¯t expect you toe here out of your own volition. Are you looking for a fight?¡¹ ¡¸A delivery. You left the materials in my room.¡¹ ¡¸Ooooh! Yeah, now I remember! I bought some tasty stuff for the monsters!¡¹ The eyes of Marius and the slime sparked. ¡­¡­Are monsters going to be eating that as well? One of the floors of thebyrinth in the city of adventurers had a monster with a head that looked like a certain fruit. And they make cookies there, from the fruits that that monster drops. Marius liked them, so he bought a few as souvenirs. ¡¸Heey, guys. The souvenirs arrived,e over here!¡¹ Fieldzauruses and goblins gathered, obeying Marius¡¯ shout. As Marius threw cookies to them, they enjoyed them with great delight. But as one would expect, it was nothing considering the size of fieldzauruses. So I do the same. ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t this pretty entertaining as well? ¡¸¡­¡­I didn¡¯t think they will like the cookies this much.¡¹ I was certain that monsters prefer human flesh. But they seem to be quite omnivorous. After a while, Marius, probably recalling what they actually taste like, began eating the cookies himself. The monsters raised a wail. I don¡¯t understand what they are saying if they are saying anything at all, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s meant to be something along the lines of ¡ºUnfair, we want more!¡», Meanwhile, Marius looked at them with a smug grin. ¡¸Rx, I¡¯m going to mass-produce them. You will have your share.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You can reproduce even cookies?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, if I use energy.¡¹ ¡¸Fruits?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Okay, reproduce those cookies¡­¡­ And well, I guess I can ce them somewhere in thebyrinth. Oh, a cookie-bearing tree, that surely will gather attention!¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t do that in areas where adventurers go¡­¡­ That¡¯s clearly too strange.¡¹ I¡¯ve never seen such abyrinth. It will gather attention, but those cookies are very famous in the city of adventurers. It is bound to puzzle some people. Setting an already finished product is not desirable. If possible, it would be better to set just a fruit tree. Marius dropped his shoulders. ¡¸Is that so? Anyway, Rude, about the n to attract ordinary people¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ ¡¸First, I want to increase the number of floors to 20. Then, I want to make the 20th floor into one that humans can enjoy. Free-fall with slimes, for example, ces to eat, inns, and so on. The floor that one can use by paying with outer shell.¡¹ Marius dered, pumping his fist in the air. Chapter 56: Formation of the Clan

Chapter 56: Formation of the n

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ ¡¸So as long as I provide afortablebyrinth for adventurers I should have no problem gathering energy.¡¹ ¡¸But doesn¡¯t that pose a problem to the operation of thebyrinth? I mean, don¡¯t you have a duty as a guardian to defeat intruders?¡¹ ¡¸No, not really. Just having adventurers stay in thebyrinth for a while will provide enough energy for thebyrinth to function.¡¹ Indeed, from what I heard so far, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡¸So I want to entertain adventurers to make them stay for as long as possible. That¡¯s why I want to make this floor. ¡­¡­The most basic thing I can put there would be restaurants or food stalls.¡¹ ¡¸I think there is one huge problem to it though.¡¹ ¡¸What? Too much energy will be spent on preparations? Don¡¯t worry about that.¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about¡­¡­ Be it food or be it entertainment¡­¡­ If you want to provide such services, you will need some sort of a guide capable of talking with humans?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah!¡¹ Marius frowned. Then, grabbed his head. Looks like he is seriously troubled. ¡¸You didn¡¯t think about that?¡¹ ¡¸N-no¡­¡­ I knew that I would need humanoid monsters, but¡­ No, really. The magic stones that I purchased in the city of adventurers are those of subi andmias. So it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t think about this at all!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Subus? And Lamia?¡¹ ¡¸If trained, they might learn to speak¡­¡­ But, yeah¡­ The only hope is evolution, huh.¡¹ Marius groaned and grumbled. After that, he sunk deep into thought. A goblin nearby tried to use that chance, reaching out for cookies, but was met with a quick nce from Marius. The goblin probably thought that his sneaky maneuver was exposed, and shook his head in terror. ¡¸Hey, goblin, can you speak?¡¹ Marius asked, tilting his head. The goblin sighed, looking relieved, and then hit himself in the chest. ¡¸Gob gobbu!¡¹ And said, full of confidence. No, you can¡¯t speak at all. And in the first ce. ¡¸Let me just tell you, I¡¯d be pretty creeped out if a goblin served me with that fiendish mug. As for Subi and Lamias¡­¡­ While there are some pretty looking ones, there are also some pretty monster-like ones as well, right?¡¹ Just try and put aprons on goblins and make them do customer service. Some might even faint. The goblin opened his mouth in surprise and then dropped his shoulders. One of the fieldzauruses put its forefoot on the goblin¡¯s shoulder as ifforting it. ¡¸Well, you are right.¡¹ Marius nodded with a sigh. Hearing that the goblin became even more depressed. ¡¸¡­¡­Well, when ites to looks, I do have some ideas.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, really?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, don¡¯t we have this? As cute as a real human.¡¹ Marius pointed with both hands to the human slime. The human slime immediately took the shape of Manicia, as if bragging. Don¡¯t you dare serve customers looking like that. I¡¯ll die of envy. ¡¸Looking back at it, when we made the human slime, it took more energy than usual. This means, pouring more energy increases the chances of getting a good monster. Combining that with the right magic stones and it should be possible to aim for certain monsters to some degree¡­¡­ Probably. I want to give it another tryter.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ Beautiful monsters certainly do exist. There are even rumors of adventurers specializing in them. At times, one can even encounter humanoid versions of usually non-humanoid monsters. ¡¸And I also would like to entrust monster creation to you if possible.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Why?¡¹ ¡¸There are strong emotions involved with the monster creation process. You might be able to create more cute monsters like this slime. I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then you probably better not ask this of me.¡¹ ¡¸Why?¡¹ ¡¸Chances are, they all will look like clones of Manicia.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You damn siscon. Well, it¡¯s probably going to be fine? So, just imagine your perfect woman and help me with the creation. Resolve yourself by the next time youe here.¡¹ He has no intention of listening to me. ¡­¡­Well, if he is fine with failure, then so be it. After that, Marius began unpacking the materials that I brought, lining them up. His eyes are sparkling. He is just like a kid. ¡¸Look, Marius. I came here to ask for advice.¡¹ ¡¸Is it about love?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about the n name.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah, now that you mention it, there was something like that. Does it even matter? A name is just a token, a code designated to call that thing. Just pick something easy to pronounce.¡¹ Yeah, and I wanted to hear your ideas on that. This name will probably follow me all my life¡­¡­ No, it might even continue to exist for generations after my death. I don¡¯t want to pick anything weird. ¡¸Well, if I were to give you advice, while names are indeed nothing but tokens, they are often with consideration to special traits of the object. For example, the firstborn getting the name reflecting that they were born first. That¡¯s how I¡¯m naming monsters in mybyrinth for example.¡¹ ¡¸Special traits, huh. I asked others, they said I should pick something rted to shields.¡¹ Marius nodded a couple of times. ¡¸That¡¯s a good idea. ording to my memories¡­¡­ Can¡¯t tell to what age they belong, there was a man in silver armor, who used a silver shield. They said that he could protect hisrades from any attack. ¡º¡­¡­Of silver shield¡», or something, can¡¯t recall his name.¡¹ ¡¸Silver shield, huh. ¡­¡­Maybe this shield is the one that he was using, huh.¡¹ The shield that I¡¯m using was found in a treasure box inside abyrinth. Him dying inside abyrinth and having his gear absorbed by it, and then recycled as loot¡­¡­ Is not that far fetched. Silver shield, huh. Not bad. ¡¸Thank you, I will think about it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, no problem. Well then¡­¡­ To secure as much energy as I can, I should get rid of ineffective parts. Rude, mind helping me?¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ The creation of new monsters is on hold for now. As he said, he still had some things to consider in rtion to the 20th floor. And while we were going through the ten already existing floors, it suddenly urred to me. ¡¸¡­¡­Who was managing thebyrinth when you weren¡¯t here?¡¹ ¡¸Everyone. Well, they did a passable job.¡¹ ¡¸The changes to theyout also were done by monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Good grief, changing things as they please. As the guardian, I¡¯m a bit angry about this.¡¹ ¡¸Come on, it¡¯s fine, right? They just wanted to help.¡¹ When I said that, the monsters looked at me like I was some god that descended to save them. Meanwhile, Marius folded his arms, a bit sullen. If only I were to tell you the truth, Marius. People actually liked those changes. ©– The next day. I caught the reporter, who was soon to leave the town. ¡¸Did you decide on the n name?¡¹ I reply with a nod, as she looks at me, full of curiosity. ¡¸I think I will go with¡ºSilver Shield¡».¡¹ The reporter¡¯s eyes went towards my shield. ¡­¡­I thought about this a lot, but in the end, this is pretty obvious, probably the best choice. ¡¸Ooh, I see. So this shield is the symbol of the n?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. All my life until now I dedicated solely to protecting others. So I can¡¯t do anything else. But I have confidence in this, and I don¡¯t want to forget about that as a n.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I hope you will achieve sess.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸I will also help you where I can. After all, even your lord asked me to do this.¡¹ Giving me a wink, she then hopped onto the carriage. ¡¸Bye, please allow me to interview you again after your next achievement.¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ ¡¸And be sure to contact me if there is any progression in your rtionship with the saintess.¡¹ Leaving a very extra line she left. Entering the living room upon returning home, I met eyes with Nin, who was resting there. She then grabbed a piece of paper that was lying on the table, and waved it in front of me. ¡¸Looks like your application got approved.¡¹ ¡¸Well, we have to thank the count for that.¡¹ ¡¸You think? Formerly a part of a hero¡¯s party, finishing the investigation of thebyrinth that hero Kygras failed, the rmendation from a saintess, and breakthrough of thebyrinth at the city of adventurers. It would be weird if they didn¡¯t approve it.¡¹ ¡¸Did you tell them something as well?¡¹ I sit on the chair next to her. Her smile became wider. ¡¸Of course. There is no way I would miss out on something this fun.¡¹ ¡¸You, you really like ruckus. ¡­¡­Thanks.¡¹ ¡¸So, will you let me join as well?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t mind. But what will the church will say?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows? I never heard of any rules concerning that, so it should be okay? If not, well, I can just leave. So, I¡¯ll be in your care, Rude.¡¹ Sinanis, Arika, Rafan, Luna, Nin, Marius, huh¡­¡­ There are no rules that prohibit a certain sort of people from joining ns. For example, monsters. There are even ns that specialize in handling them. If we want, we can even register every monster under Marius as members of our n. ¡­¡­In that case, monsters would make up more than half of the total members. It would make for a very puzzling situation. Well, a lot happened, but with this, the n is finally officially established. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m looking forward to what ising next.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I get what you mean.¡¹ Nin and I exchanged smiles. Chapter 57: Birth

Chapter 57: Birth

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Cracks are gradually spread across the egg. Luna, Manicia, and I were watching it together. This is the egg that Luna picked up. She was warming it up every day, and finally, it is about to hatch. Luna nervously looked at the egg. Manicia was the same. ¡­¡­Both of them were very enthusiastic in looking after the egg. Can¡¯t say that I don¡¯t understand them. Eventually, the cracks became bigger and the eggpletely shattered. ¡¸Pfyew!¡¹ An energetic cry resounded. From there, appeared a little bipedal dragon. Fieldzaurus. Perhaps because it is just a newborn, but its body was only slightly green. And there is also nothing that could be called scales. But its legs were thick and strong, from which one could see how it soon will be as splendid as its parents. Using its typical for fieldzauruses small front legs, it scratched its head. Restlessly looking around like this, it looks pretty cute. As I nce at the girls their eyes are sparkling. Luna pulled my arm. ¡¸It, it hatched! Master!¡¹ ¡¸Y-yeah¡­¡­ Anyway, for starters, wipe it.¡¹ The hatchling that until some moments ago was inside the egg, was now covered in the liquid from inside the egg. That¡¯s usually the case with most of the little monsters. It seems to protect them from bacteria. Luna then wiped it with the towel that she prepared beforehand. The fieldzaurus closed its eyes, clearly enjoying it. Then, it proceeded to eat the eggshell. ¡¸Is, is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No idea. But there are cases where eggs have some nutrition to them. Let¡¯s just let it be.¡¹ And it is also said that fieldzauruses can survive in any environment. It seems to have the power to change anything, be it evenplete trash, into energy. ¡­¡­So it wouldn¡¯t have stomach problems from eating some eggshell. Wrapping the fieldzaurus in the towel, Luna took it into her arms. Perhaps loving the sensation of the towel but the hatchling rubbed on it. ¡¸It¡¯s sooo cute, right, Nii-san?¡¹ ¡¸Y-yeah.¡¹ Manicia, overjoyed over this, is also very cute. I observed Manicia and the fieldzaurus for a while until they calmed down. ©– After half a day the fieldzauruspletely calmed down, and now was running around the house. ¡­¡­For now, it¡¯s fine, since it is still small, but monsters tend to grow very quickly. Before long it will be just like those that we defeated outside the town. ¡¸Luna, did you decide on the name?¡¹ ¡¸The name¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. You are basically the parent. You should give it a name.¡¹ Calling it Fieldzaurus forever is a bit¡­ If we are going to part with it, then there is no real need to give it a name, but it most likely will continue to live with us. We can even put it into the n. I actually like the idea. ¡¸The name¡­¡­ What should I pick?¡¹ ¡¸No need to stress too much over it.¡¹ As I said this, Manicia nodded in agreement. ¡¸You made it hatch, Luna-san. You should give it the name that you would like. I¡¯m sure the little one would like that as well.¡¹ Manicia encouraged Luna, to which she made a small nod. For example, there is an option of taking another name as a reference, just like I did with Luna. Luna put a hand to her chin, thinking, and looked at the fieldzaurus, that fell on its backside after hitting the head on a table leg. ¡¸Phi?¡¹ The fieldzaurus tilted its head, looking at us cutely. Luna let out a short ¡ºAh¡»and then donned a triumphant look. ¡¸I will name it Phi.¡¹ ¡¸Phi, huh. Not bad.¡¹ ¡¸Far from that, it¡¯s perfect, Luna-san.¡¹ Hearing Manicia, Luna happily picked Phi off the ground and hugged it. ¡¸Your name is Phi. Let¡¯s get along.¡¹ ¡¸Phi!¡¹ Phi squeaked happily. It might have a better understanding of our speech than expected. Jumping off Luna¡¯s hands, Phi once again began darting around the room. The little monster is so full of energy. This is a bit of a problem. ¡¸You probably should take it on a walk.¡¹ ¡¸You are right. I¡¯d like to show Phi outside. Phi, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡­If she doesn¡¯t introduce it to the townsfolk it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. And seeing it in this cute form might also lessen the possible scariness of its adult form in the future. ¡¸I have to prepare lunch so I will wait here. Please go the two of you.¡¹ Leaving the cooking to Manicia we leave for the walk. I¡¯m a bit worried about sending Luna alone. Together with Phi, we leave outside. Met with the typical summer heat I reflexively frown. But it didn¡¯t seem to bother Phi at all, and the moment we stepped outside it jumped, full of energy. ¡¸Phii! Phiphii!¡¹ It then began running around. We follow slightly behind, making sure that Phi doesn¡¯t cause trouble. ¡¸So even monsters can be this cute when they are small.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ After walking for a while we met the militia. The usual duo was strolling through the town. ¡¸Phii¡­¡­¡­?¡¹ Phi squeaked a bit scared, seeing humans. Running back to us, it began rubbing on Luna¡¯s leg. As Luna picked it off the ground, the duo walked up to us. ¡¸Oh, Rude, what is that thing?¡¹ ¡¸Looks cute, you two finally made a kid?¡¹ As if it can be born from humans. ¡¸It¡¯s a fieldzaurus.¡¹ ¡¸Fi-FIELDZAURUS?!¡¹ As expected from someone who had to face them. With that shout, Phi shrank even further. Seeing that Luna frowned. ¡¸Ah, sorry, Luna-chan. ¡­¡­But, is this thing going to be like that? I can¡¯t even imagine.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, really. But you know. Your mom was saying the same. She said that you were so cute, and yet turned out like this.¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah¡­¡­ Wait! What did you just say?! I might not be cute, but I¡¯m very cool right now! Right, Luna-chan?!¡¹ ¡¸Eeeh, well, yeah.¡¹ Luna made a short, hesitant nod. I told her before that being friendly is important. Looks like she remembered that. ¡­¡­I heard some saying that people are the cutest when they are still babies. Phi might also grow up to be cheeky. The duo, looking satisfied, ced arms on each other shoulders and went on with their business. Phi was shaking a bit, looking at the street full of people. Is it scared of crowds because it was just born? As Luna put it back on the ground, Phi began making circles around her. Then, at times, it would do the same around me. ¡­¡­While it is afraid of people, it seems to like running outside. Well, we just have to gradually familiarize it with everything. Then, Nin approached us from the other side of the street. d in the church¡¯s uniform, she fanned her face with a hand. Noticing Phi, a spark appeared in her eyes. ¡¸No way! Is this a fieldzaurus? You made it hatch?!¡¹ Her breathing got rough. Is she that excited about this? Perhaps scared by that, Phi hid behind Luna. Did her pressure get to Phi? Shocked, Nin looked at me. ¡¸Ru-Rude¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s afraid of me?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­ Yeah, probably.¡¹ ¡¸Why! I also slept with it a few times to warm it?! It can¡¯t be¡­¡­ I held you so tightly, did you forget about me¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Or maybe you held it a bit too tight¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Huuuh?¡¹ Nin gave me a sharp look. Yup, just look at yourself. Do you have a right to be surprised? Nin dropped her shoulders and then brought her face close to Phi. Phi looked back at her, while still hiding behind Luna. Nin showed a warm smile. ¡¸Let¡¯s be friends¡­¡­ Eehm, Phi?¡¹ Looks like she heard how Luna was calling it. Phi looked at Luna and then at Nin a few times. As Luna took Nin¡¯s hand, Phi timidly approached her as well. ¡­¡­I see. Since it thinks Luna is its parent, it thinks that people trusted by her are okay. With a few pats on the head from Nin, Phi calmed down a bit and began rubbing on her. Nin looked bashful. It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw her make such an innocent smile. Lately, with the amount of work she did for the Church, most of the time she had a look that could scare most run-of-the-mill hoodlums. ¡¸I wonder what Phi eats. I will buy something on my way back.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I think¡­ It will eat anything? It¡¯s a monster, and on top of that, Phi is a fieldzaurus.¡¹ It shouldn¡¯t be that different just because it¡¯s still small. And most importantly¡­¡­ I remember how they ate about anything at Marius¡¯ ce. ¡¸Got it. I¡¯ll be in the church. You can call me anytime if something happens. And you can call me if nothing happens as well?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t want to work?¡¹ ¡¸Is it that obvious?¡¹ Nin waved a hand and then fixed her cor. Luna took Phi in her hands. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go and greet everyone.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Phi seems to be pretty calm in Luna¡¯s arms. Chapter 58: Introductions

Chapter 58: Introductions

Wuxia.Blog Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Walking through the town, we introduce Phi to everyone. While the militia make very tense expressions, after hearing that this is a fieldzaurus, they are still making an effort to ept Phi with smiles. The people that don¡¯t have much contact with monsters also wee Phi, treating it almost as if it was some dog or cat. With this, they probably wouldn¡¯t be that afraid even when Phi grows up. Meanwhile, clouds keep gradually covering more and more of the sky. A mereck of sunlight makes a huge difference. Phi, perhaps worn out by the hot weather, had its tongue sticking out of its mouth. We head to the militia headquarters. We are still yet to greet Feel. From what we heard from other militia members, she should be training at the headquarters today. Lately, she was too busy with patrols and everything and couldn¡¯t get enough free time. So now, she is taking a break from all of that. Along with the deployment of the knights began the construction of the permanent residence for them. It seems they also want to make it usable by the lord. Or rather, originally, the current militia headquarters was supposed to be that ce, but since the lords rarely visited the ce and the town had no knights stationed, several generations ago it was loaned to the town by the lord of that time. Back then, they had no extra resources to construct another building. And since many years of it being used by the militia wore out the building, they decided that it is a good opportunity to build another one. ¡­¡­And they also began making something for our n. For now, they are building something of a simr scale to an inn. When we growrger, we can have a bigger building made. So they are building it with that in mind, so when the timees, the old building can be easily converted into an inn. Basically, our n has the local lord for the backing. It¡¯s not that unusual for a noble to support a n. It gives nobles additional war potential in case of emergency, and more routes to procure materials and ingredients. Gaining support from a famous noble can be a huge boon for a n. ¡ºck Dragon Fangs¡»and¡ºWhite Tiger ws¡»are both backed by the three of the greatest noble houses. Though it doesn¡¯t seem like their ties are that strong. Those noble houses are also split into factions and often squabble among themselves. And their fights are much more sinister than trivial brawls and rivalry among adventurers. And of course, it influences the ns in its own way. So I have the perfect conditions to manage the n. If I can¡¯t bring it to the top with this, then it is my fault. I have to do my best. Heading to the courtyard of the militia headquarters we find Feel swinging a sword. Not wearing her usual armor, she lets her blonde hair freely sway in the wind. As expected, even she wouldn¡¯t train in full te armor in such weather. With each swing of her sword, small droplets of sweat flying through the air. ¡¸Feel, how is it going?¡¹ ¡¸Rude, and Luna¡­¡­ and¡­¡­ What is this cute creature?¡¹ Feel stopped her swings and grabbed a towel. Luna took one of Phi¡¯s front legs and moved it as if waving to Feel. Probably getting the idea, Phi waved the other leg on its own. ¡¸It hatched from the egg of fieldzaurus. The name is Phi.¡¹ ¡¸Pretty close to mine, huh. ¡­¡­Or rather, is this going to grow into that? That¡¯s scary.¡¹ As expected, the gap is surprising for those that faced an adult fieldzaurus in battle. Since the courtyard was originally designed to be used by nobles, it was a ce that could provide some degree offort. As we sat on a nearby bench, Feel disappeared inside the building. A short whileter, she came out carrying a box. On top of the box was a water balloon, probably meant to protect it from this heat. I guess some kind of a dish? ¡¸I had a day off today. So I made a cake.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So that¡¯s why you were going so hard at exercise.¡¹ ¡¸N-not really, why would you say that?¡¹ Feel shook her head, slightly panicking. Luna slightly tilted her head. Phi mimicked the motion. Feel¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red. ¡¸It¡¯s too embarrassing to talk about this myself! Rude, can you exin this?¡¹ ¡¸No, if you don¡¯t want you don¡¯t have to talk about this.¡¹ ¡¸No, keeping secrets is no good. Humans grow by facing their past!¡¹ ¡¸And yet, I have to be the one to exin this?¡¹ ¡¸Kuh, I, I got it. I¡¯ll say it myself. ¡­¡­And it is also something that I have to exin as the senior, so my mistakes won¡¯t be repeated.¡¹ You don¡¯t really have to steel yourself so hard to talk about this. Feel put the box with the cake on her knees. Then, coughed once, clearing her throat. ¡¸Actually, cooking is my hobby.¡¹ ¡¸I heard about this from Manicia-sama. And that you also taught cooking to her.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, this brings back memories. ¡­Okay, but this is not about that. My hobby is cooking, and I made sure to take care of what I cooked myself.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ And it was very lonely, I guess?¡¹ ¡¸N-no, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡­ Well, it¡¯s not like you are wrong, but¡­¡­¡¹ Luna, don¡¯t rub salt into the wound. Seems like Luna also realized that she said something that she shouldn¡¯t, as she closed her mouth, tightly pressing her lips together. ¡¸Do you realize what will happen if the amount of food you eat were to increase?¡¹ ¡¸You will get fat.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and so I did¡­¡­ I was way more¡­¡­ Round back then¡­¡­ So now, I always train with a sword before I eat.¡¹ When we first met she was just a bit chubby. And as a result of earnestly training with a sword to lose weight, she gained her current strength. That is a secret backstory to her abilities. ¡¸Luna, you shouldn¡¯t drink and eat too much. Phi, the same goes for you. Once you gain weight, getting rid of it is not that easy. ¡¹ ¡¸Understood. However, I¡¯m homunculus. All of the nutrition is converted to magic power, so there won¡¯t be any changes to my constitution.¡¹ ¡¸Kuuu, how envious!¡¹ Feel shouted angrily. ¡­¡­The prelude dragged out a bit too much. ¡¸Feel, we should start with the cake already. With this weather, the water bag won¡¯t save it for long. It will melt.¡¹ ¡¸You are right. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s dig in.¡¹ Opening the box revealed a fruit cake. If Lily and Lilia learn that we ate this without them, they will probably be very mad. Then, Feel cut it with the knife she brought. I took a piece with my hands and took a bite. Sweet. A nicebination of sweetness and refreshing sourness spread through my mouth. Luna also took a bite and smiled with a blissful delight written on her face. Phi, who saw that, squeaked, making it known that it wants to try it as well. Feel pinched a piece of a cake, and brought it to Phi¡¯s mouth. And Phi instantly snatched it from her hand. Using that chance, Feel patted Phi on the head. So this is how she tamed the twins. ¡¸So cute. Can¡¯t believe that this will turn into that.¡¹ Looks like Feel recalled the fight. Well, I agree with her on this. If they stayed this way forever, everyone would¡¯ve wanted them as pets. After we spent some time enjoying the cake, people came into the courtyard. The usual inseparable duo from the militia. They came with frustratingly radiant smiles, which could make up for the heat of the sun that began to hide behind the clouds. ¡¸Hey, Rude! There is a guy, who is iming to be your n member, saying that he wants to see you, so we brought him here!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, to think you already got newrades, aren¡¯t you quite resourceful! Why won¡¯t you keep it up and make the strongest n in the world? If you do, I might even consider joining as well!¡¹ ¡¸Won¡¯t you ruin everything by joining?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not true! Hey, man, Rude is over there!¡¹ The duo waved their hands to someone behind. The visitor, who was wearing a conical hat with big poles. raised it a bit by using an index finger, revealing his face. With a mask covering half of it, he smiled upon seeing me. Instead of his usual outfit, he was wearing the same clothes I was wearing earlier. He probably made all of that using energy. The sky waspletely covered in clouds by now. That¡¯s why he came out, huh. Marius. As usual, hees when he is least expected¡­¡­ ¡¸I had something to discuss, so here I am. I visited your home, but they said that you aren¡¯t there.¡¹ ¡¸Tell me that you areing beforehand¡­¡­ No need for surprises.¡¹ ¡¸Well, can¡¯t say that I¡¯m not doing this on purpose.¡¹ He grinned. While Feel tilted her head in puzzlement, Luna made a bow. Putting a hand to my brow, I looked at him, beaming with a smile.

Chapter 59: Feel and Marius

Chapter 59: Feel and Marius

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ Sending the chummy duo back to work, I was now facing Marius. We sat down on another bench, in a distance from Luna and Feel. After taking a bite of the cake that Feel offered him, his eyes shined up. ¡¸Human world has so many delicious things.¡¹ ¡¸Which reminds me, you don¡¯t have to eat, don¡¯t you?¡¹ He mentioned this earlier. Even so, as I remember, he would often be eating something. ¡¸Food is a necessity for humans, but it¡¯s not limited to that. You surely can survive without eating sweets and cakes, right? Even so, most humans try them at least once in their lives. Not for survival, but for pure enjoyment.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true.¡¹ In short, he does it because he likes it. ¡¸Rude. About that little monster. Is that a fieldzaurus?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It was born from the fieledzauruses, that we think wandered outside from yourbyrinth.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so monsters that came outside can do such a thing. So the clones that came outside can maintain their existence. That¡¯s interesting.¡¹ Interesting or not aside, it is quite bizarre. Thanks to Marius we learned a lot about the inner working ofbyrinths. Labyrinths keep real monsters inside, but every monster loitering inside is but a mere copy, created with energy. And yet,ing outside they gain flesh, and the ability to live outside as normal. Or even make kids. Labyrinth might actually be gifts from god. I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m an ardent believer, but with all things considered, I can¡¯t help but think so. ¡¸So? What brings you outside?¡¹ ¡¸I just thought up something amusing.¡¹ He grinned. I have a bad feeling about this. Even so, he intently looked at me, bringing his face closer and closer, as if in a silent shout ¡¸ASK ME WHAT!¡¹. Pushing him away, I reluctantly do exactly that. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸We are going to get many new recruits, right? So I thought that we should test them. We have to measure their strength, right? Since you can only use shields you might have a problem there. That¡¯s where Ie to the rescue! I¡¯ll sh them down in an instant!¡¹ ¡¸Then no one will be able to join us. ¡­¡­But a test, huh.¡¹ We don¡¯t know if we will even get enough people to be picky. And in the first ce. I was nning on epting everyone with the exception of clearly suspicious people. But before I could say that, Marius grasped my hand. His eyes are serious. ¡¸Rude, I want to help you.¡¹ ¡¸And your real motive?¡¹ ¡¸I want to fight.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Can you use anything aside from katana and sword?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m sufficiently proficient with other weapons as well.¡¹ ¡¸I expect many newbie adventurers toe to join my n. Among them, most likely will be those with incredibly lowbat ability.¡¹ Experienced adventurers would most likely already be in a n. The adventurers currently in the town also belong to one n or another. And after leaving one n, there is a period of time when one cannot join another one. A measure to prevent leaking of information. ¡¸I don¡¯t like tormenting the weak.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t take everything in the direction of fighting. I wanted you to teach them. Like you did with Sinanis.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then you can rely on me. I shall be the teacher, and eventually, my disciples will challenge me¡­¡­And at that time they will say¡ºWhat! Teacher, you were abyrinth guardian?!¡». ¡­¡­Isn¡¯t that pretty interesting? Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll do it.¡¹ That actually was a pretty huge concern for me. I don¡¯t have enough skill to teach sword. ¡¸¡­¡­Thank you. Coaching adventurers is one of the purposes of ns. It is very reassuring if you are willing to take up that role.¡¹ With Marius in charge of training, I would have nothing to worry about. ¡¸So you are thinking that far.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ For now. Marius came closer and hugged me. Since he has a low body temperature, this isn¡¯t that bad in summer. ¡¸¡­¡­So, Marius. About the exam thing, we have no ns of doing anything of that sort at the moment.¡¹ ¡¸What? Are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m going to look at the character, but I have no demands for the ability.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ So I came for nothing, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Well, even if we agreed to the exam, it wasn¡¯t something to rush.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you see. I thought that I have to move as fast as possible, or the job might be taken by someone else.¡¹ ¡­¡­He found a very weird reason to worry. Then, I felt something moving on my shoulder. Turning there I saw the human slime. Just when did it¡­¡­ Then, it did something resembling a salute. Since Marius couldn¡¯t find me, it surely wasn¡¯t with me. The human slime, huh. I wonder if it can be used in the future¡­¡­ Formunication with n members. ¡¸Marius, can you lend the human slime to me?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see. ¡­¡­ Well, the human slime likes you more than me, so I don¡¯t see why not. Right, Human Slime?¡¹ The human slime jumped on my shoulder. ¡¸Is it¡­¡­ Happy?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, very happy. I will deliver the main bodyter.¡¹ Then, he pped once, as if saying that his business was over, and looked at Feel. ¡¸Who is thatdy?¡¹ ¡¸Feel. She is the one who made that cake.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then I should thank her. And she also seems pretty capable.¡¹ ¡¸She is a bit shy, so be careful.¡¹ I warned him since he seemed very eager to talk with her, but he immediately stood up. ¡¸Thedy with the beautiful de. How about having a bout with me?¡¹ ¡¸W-what is this, all of a sudden?¡¹ Shy Feel intentionally kept her distance from Marius, stepping back. However, Marius didn¡¯t seem to care and kept approaching her. Meanwhile, Luna stepped forward, seemingly intent to protect Feel. Seeing that Feel shook her head, and also stepped forward. Trying to protect Luna in turn? It was an instant of growth for Feel. ¡¸I take it you want to fight me?¡¹ Her expression turned tense. As she switched into her so to say work mode, her gaze became a lot sharper. ¡¸Feel, don¡¯t force yourself. He is pretty strong.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t straight up tell her that he is a guardian, so that¡¯s the best I could do. A visible tremor ran through Feel¡¯s body as she gave me a surprised look. She is not good at being put on the spot like that. She visibly shrank, and dragged her feet on the ground, while her expression became miserably tense. ¡¸Do not fret. I can¡¯t show that much power in my current condition.¡¹ As the moodpletely changed, suggesting that a fight is about to break out, Feel kept ncing at me over and over in confusion. Being so lost she looked extremely cute, so I thought about watching for a bit more, but she will be very angry if sheter learns that I thought something like that. ¡¸Marius. You are done with your business for today, right? Stop teasing her.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, I¡¯m dead serious.¡¹ ¡¸Even so. Feel is busy today. It¡¯s her rare day off, don¡¯t ruin it. If you keep it up, I will have to rethink your position as an instructor.¡¹ ¡¸T-that is unfair, Rude. ¡­¡­Okay, okay. Thedy with the beautiful de. Some other day then.¡¹ ¡¸S-sure. Y-yes, s-some other day.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so you are willing to duel me?! Then I will be looking forward to it!¡¹ Having said that, Marius turned around. He probably wille back soon enough, to bring the human slime. After he left, Feel grabbed my arm with apletely pale face. ¡¸I, I identally replied swayed by the atmosphere¡­¡­ W-what should I do¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, nothing I can do here.¡¹ Feel opened wide her eyes, and then dropped her shoulders. Marius is really itching for a fight. And since she agreed, he might show upter. Chapter 60: Pressure

Chapter 60: Pressure

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ A certain day¡¯s morning. I found it hard to breathe, as I felt something pressing on my face. Something soft. But certainly not breasts. Sad to say, none of the girls in this house have bosom bountiful enough to cover one¡¯s face. I reached for it with my hand, and my hand sank. When I opened my eyes, something flowed into them. A liquid. The thing sitting on my face was a slime. I panicky began thrashing around. At this rate, I¡¯m going to suffocate. Perhaps this is its aim all along. If this could be used for assassination it could be unstoppable¡­¡­ While I thought that, the human slime seems to have noticed what is going on and moved off my face. Being able to breathe once again, I red at the human slime. ¡¸¡­¡­What are you doing all of a sudden?¡¹ The slime shrank dejectedly. But after that, began jumping in ce. Before I noticed, it grew in size to about the size of a human head. As we used water magic on it from time to time it eventually grew this big. I wonder what will happen if it merges with the main body. The human slime desperately was pointing at something, trying to shape the liquid that the body consisted of into the shape of a finger. Which reminds me, I can¡¯t talk with it. Marius has his power as a guardian, which is probably the reason why he can converse with monsters. Just what is the human slime trying to say? It is pointing in the direction of the orchard. For that, there could be only one exnation. ¡¸You want apples?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ The human slime silently drew closer to my face. I¡¯m just kidding. ¡¸You got a message from Marius?¡¹ It nodded. What might this be about, for Marius to go out of his way to contact me? Some kind of urgent matter perhaps? That, or maybe this is rted to the matter of bringing the main body of the human slime here. ¡¸So, is Mariusing over here? Or should Ie to him?¡¹ The human slime raised one hand, gesturing for me to wait. Then, taking Manicia¡¯s appearance it folded its arms and closed its eyes. The pose suggests that it is in thought. Then, it opened its eyes and began fervently pointing to the orchard. ¡¸So I should go?¡¹ It nodded. ¡¸Got it. Can you ask if this can wait for after breakfast?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ It repeated its action from a short while ago and once again nodded. So it¡¯s not urgent. Then don¡¯t wake me up by almost suffocating me to death. I¡¯llin to him when we meet. And I also have to give him news about thebyrinth. Perhaps because of the new adjustments that he made aftering back, but the reputation of thebyrinth improved among the adventurers. Still, manyints remained. At the moment I had the twins gather such information for me. So I can inform Marius. And I also bought a few extra magic stones at the guild. Most of the stones he bought at the city of adventurers were C or B rank. Creating monsters from them will take a lot of energy. Marius didn¡¯t think of that, so he is still unable to start making new monsters. In my opinion, to attract new adventurers more efficiently, we should add D rank monsters. I bought 4 stones in total, and all were brought by adventurers from different towns. I¡¯m looking forward to what kind of monsters we will get. After changing my clothes and eating breakfast I head to thebyrinth. I go alone, as always, but today, human slime also tagged along. For some reason, it shrank in size and now looked like it always did when I found it riding on my shoulder. ¡­¡­Slimes really have no constraints here. When we reached the orchard, the human slime, that was hiding in my pocket, moved on top of my shoulder. Swaying left and right it appeared to be in a good mood. ¡¸Having fun?¡¹ It nodded. From time to time, human slime would touch me with its cold body. ¡¸Can you get a bitrger and wrap around my neck?¡¹ Then, it wrapped its body around me just like when it almost choked me to death in the morning. Nice and cold sensation. This is great. In this hot season, it can even charge money for this. I enjoyed this feeling for a while, but eventually, the slime absorbed enough heat. Yeah, the world is not that convenient. I discover a few goblins. Upon finding them, I go through an effort of defeating them. It¡¯s rare to see them near the town, but the militia isn¡¯t hunting themtely. ¡­¡­When did they multiply so much. Sinanis¡¯s group even got a request for their extermination. It¡¯s extremely rare for adventurers to hunt monsters of their own volition. They will keep waiting until the guild puts up a request. If attacked, they will fight to protect themselves, but there is a huge gap in reward between killing monsters per request and killing them on your own. From my point of view, getting new requests is not such a bad thing. Since it will increase the probability of adventurers sticking around. Ideally, I would like to have a constant flow of different requests. Even so, allowing goblins to cause damage to the town, bringingints from the townsfolk is also a problem. A delicate bnce has to be found. I should contact the guildter. Thanks to having the human slime with me, it didn¡¯t feel as boring as going alone. Entering thebyrinth, I was immediately greeted by a trap. I guess Marius was watching from the control room. Step on it, and the next moment I stood right in front of Marius. A bit dizzy, but nothing serious. ¡¸Hey, Rude. Sorry for calling you so early in the morning.¡¹ Marius weed me with a warm smile. ¡¸I was very surprised to find the human slime sticking to my face. A very effective way to wake someone up.¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha ha, d to hear that.¡¹ Marius stood near a pond, the surface of which showed all kinds of information, rted to thebyrinth. ¡¸So, why did you call?¡¹ ¡¸You wanted the human slime, so I thought I¡¯d hand it over to you.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, as I thought. ¡­¡­Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸No problem.¡¹ Yet, this posed a certain problem. ¡¸Marius. I can¡¯t converse with the human slime. ¡­¡­In the end, the only thing I understood is that you wanted to contact me. Is there a way to improve on that?¡¹ ¡¸Now that you remind me, that¡¯s true¡­¡­ Well, if a human slime evolves, you might be able to talk with it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Evolve¡­¡­? Such a thing is possible?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, with the energy collected so far. In fact, look at that.¡¹ In the direction he pointed stood a goblin. However, that goblin was not an ordinary goblin. Larger than normal, it also seemed smarter. Looking closely, it was the appearance of a goblin leader, the one that leads other goblins. Until now there were no such monsters. ¡¸I evolved that goblin leader. Pretty impressive monster for an E rank, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. So even such a thing is possible¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Next, I¡¯m nning to further evolve a goblin leader, and create a goblin capable of ruling over other goblin leaders, then, ce it on one of the floors. Gradually increasing the strength of the monsters with floors will make things more convenient for adventurers, right?¡¹ ¡¸Looks like you¡¯re beginning to understand the feelings of adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸But of course. After all, I¡¯m something of a first-rate adventurer myself! And also, from time to time I¡¯m sneaking out to Avancier, to gather information.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sneaking? Until a short while ago you were actively looking for fights with adventurers? Won¡¯t they recognize you by silhouette alone?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m using a disguise, so it¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸Disguise?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, like this!¡¹ With a p of his hands, his appearance changed. A conical hat, and a half-mask. His red eyes peeked at me from the depths of the mask covering his face. Brushing away his shoulder-length white hair he smiled. The same get-up in which he came to see me yesterday. ¡¸I¡¯m looking forward toing to the n gathering in this appearance, and then p, removing the disguise, and saying¡ºActually, I¡¯m a guardian¡»in front of everyone.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s just a joke. Then, let¡¯s get to evolutions right away.¡¹ Marius grinned. Evolution, huh. I wonder what wille out of it. Chapter 61: Evolution

Chapter 61: Evolution

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± _______________________________________________________________ At the moment, we are on the floor where monsters are managed. Looking around, I spot a few monsters that I haven¡¯t seen here before. And the number of goblins went up considerably. ¡¸Things progressed a lot since myst visit.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I used umted energy on evolution. And it is another reason why I called you here today.¡¹ Evolved monsters, huh. But the only evolved monsters I see are goblins. That is certainly because they were the cheapest to evolve. ¡¸It can be said that goblins are the starting point for all of the monsters. They have many evolution paths open for them. If there is a surplus in energy, then growing monsters from goblins might be the best approach. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Goblins are amazing, huh.¡¹ Hearing those words, goblins around us puffed their chests with pride. If only they weren¡¯t this ugly. ¡¸Anyway. Let¡¯s try evolving the main body of human slime. ¡­¡­But don¡¯t get your hopes too high. I¡¯m pretty low on energy at the moment.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ You¡¯ve been evolving and creating a lot of new goblins.¡¹ The number of goblins grew quite a lotpared to before. Since I knew that he needed the energy to create monsters, his hardships were obvious to me. ¡¸Well, that is so, but¡­¡­ There was something else that took a lot of energy.¡¹ Suddenly, a very vague reply. ¡­¡­What is it? Suspicious as heck. Under my gaze, he turned aside, pretending to whistle. What is this obvious farce? ¡¸You were doing something aside from evolving monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Well, first of all, I increased the number of floors to 15. This should make the dungeon even more appealing to adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah.¡¹ It¡¯s not like this expenditure is aplete waste. There was no need for him to make such a scene over this. Meaning, there is something else. As I kept looking at him, Marius¡¯ eyes began to swim. ¡¸You spent it on something else as well, right?¡¹ ¡¸And I also tried a few traps. Well, nothing that will lead to instant death, only some that can confine a person for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Are traps made from scratch?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. For example, I made a tentacle trap, upon stepping on it, tentacles burst out and restrain the person. I wonder if any girls will step on it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What is it Rude? Are you curious?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No way, idiot.¡¹ I am interested. But, I don¡¯t want Marius to poke fun at me because of that. ¡¸Then, I went further and improved that trap into the one that tears clothes.¡¹ ¡¸WHAT?!¡¹ ¡¸Are you curious?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Crap, he is mocking me. Folding my arms I turn the other way. As I tried to dodge the question by remaining silent, Marius broke intoughter. ¡¸Well, and thene treasure chests.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Treasure chests, huh. A very exciting thing for an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸I understand that feeling very well. They should boost the expectations of adventurers. That¡¯s why I was practicing. And ended up using quite a bit of energy¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­What did you make?¡¹ Marius smiled. Just what did he make? Utility magic tools that can support people in their daily life. Items infused with magic, that can be used by adventurers. It is the possibility of finding something like this in treasure chests hidden insidebyrinths that make them so attractive. However, perhaps because guardians were aware of that, rooms containing treasure chests often hadrge numbers of monsters guarding them. It¡¯s Marius we are talking about. He probably made a weapon. But what is its form, what are the powers? Some weapons are said to have powers rivaling skills. And while I was letting my imagination run wild, Marius pointed to himself. ¡¸This hat and the mask.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ His confident expression stiffened. Then, he waved his hands. ¡¸T-this mask, this hat, and this outfit¡­¡­ Aren¡¯t they unbelievably cool?! Making those took half the energy I umted so far.¡¹ ¡¸Half? Half for one or two magic items?¡¹ ¡¸H-hey. You seem more intimidating than usual. You are almost as serious as when I mentioned the cloth melting trap.¡¹ ¡¸Stop this nonsense. I was hoping¡­¡­ For magic weapons.¡¹ Disappointed, I drop my shoulders. Can¡¯t be helped. ¡¸Yeah, my fault, I didn¡¯t bring you anything to disguise yourself. Well, I understand. I will cooperate so you can make a weapon next, so if there is anything you need, ask me.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, got it. I also was nning to try creating a magic weapon next. And also, creating items purely from energy is quite difficult. So I wanted to practice first.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? You only got half of the mask, so it seems to be true¡­¡­¡¹ It probably involved some very borate and precise process, which I can¡¯t even imagine. ¡¸Ah, no, that¡¯s by design. Looks cool, right?¡¹ Can I somehow retract that feeling of respect for his efforts that I had moments ago? ¡¸Well, it¡¯s true that it was difficult. A lot of energy was wasted by failures. But it¡¯s fine now, I got the grasp of it. Probably.¡¹ He said, proudly showing off the mask. Probably his best piece of work, huh. Well, certainly, it¡¯s not bad. And it¡¯s kind of cool. Just a bit, just a tiny bit, but I might want such a mask for myself. Though there is probably no opportunity for me to wear it. A long time ago, when we still lived at the noble¡¯s house, I remember going to a festival with Manicia. They were selling masks there, which we bought, even though we didn¡¯t wear them. Manicia liked those fruits in caramel they sold there. She looked so cute eating them. I miss those times. I¡¯d like to go to a festival with her again. ¡¸Well then. That¡¯s enough about the usage of energy. Let¡¯s get back to the main topic. Evolution.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­ Ipletely forgot about it.¡¹ He got me distracted with all the stuff he brought up. The human slime also appeared bored, left without attention it created puddles of water here and there, with which the goblins were ying. Such an idyllic scene. When I turned my gaze to it, the human slime began morphing from its round shape. The magic stone, that could easily be seen through the body of liquid, was flickering. ¡¸The evolution is a simple thing. Simply touch the monster you want, and pour magic power and energy into it. Give it enough to trigger evolution, and that¡¯s it. It should be able to grow from that.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Now, let¡¯s start with the human slime.¡¹ He patted me on the shoulder. What? Am I going to do that? Marius grinned. ¡¸Congrattions, I just shared a bit of a guardians power with you.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Just like that?¡¹ I involuntarily retorted. Marius began openlyughing, holding his sides. ¡¸Well¡­ Lately, there is so much to do in thebyrinth, that it¡¯s getting a bit bothersome.¡¹ ¡¸So?¡¹ ¡¸Rude¡­¡­ I believe in you.¡¹ ¡¸Believe my ass, you are just gettingzy.¡¹ Marius made a nk face, feigning ignorance. ¡­¡­Ah well. ¡¸Touch and pour energy, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ As I beckon the human slime with my hand, ites closer, seemingly intrigued. Having the same appearance as Manicia, it began bashfully scratching its cheeks when I patted it on the head. So cute. I want to take it home. Ah, that¡¯s what I came here for in the first ce¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m going to pour energy to evolve you now.¡¹ The human slime hit itself on the chest. I pour energy¡­¡­ It feels close to pouring magic power. Then, the slime twitched in surprise. I can tell that something is going into it. I can sense something simr to our outer shells from it. So calling this a power stolen from us wasn¡¯t that much of a stretch. As I kept at it, the human slime began slightly shining after a while. For a moment it intensified, but then calmed down. No particr changes in appearance. The human slime pped its mouth. I can¡¯t hear the voice. But in my head, I hear something like thoughts flowing in. Looks like it says ¡ºPlease take care of me¡». ¡¸This seems like telepathy.¡¹ A skill that allows you to pass your words to someone at a great distance. But since it works only one way, it¡¯s a bit tricky to use. Also, not many have it. Merely having this skill guarantees a nice position with the government. And installing such people in each city, it allows rying messages between them. A human slime can split, so this might be used in the same way for telepathicmunication. Looks like Marius got some kind of message as well, as he was now nodding his head. ¡¸Perhaps with a bit more growth, it might be able to talk more fluently.¡¹ ¡¸This is enough. Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal, just a bit of my gratitude to you.¡¹ Then, human slime began slowly morphing again. Then, it changed the appearance of its head to mine. But this time, it looked like a real human head instead of liquid. Both me and Marius were stunned. Chapter 62: Gradual Growth and new monsters

Chapter 62: Gradual Growth and new monsters

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± That face was unmistakably mine, looking as simr as if I was looking in the mirror. And¡­¡­ Then I look below the face. There¡­¡­ It looked the same as before, a liquid. This is what made it so uncanny. As the body of the human slime sunk to the ground, turning into a puddle, the head fell to the ground. Human slime then grabbed the head and morphing a new head of liquid began rubbing its cheeks on it. Can you stop ying with my face? ¡­¡­Actually, isn¡¯t this already a shadow slime¡¯s domain? ¡¸I see¡­¡­ An interesting change.¡¹ Mariusughed amusedly. ¡¸Yeah, interesting¡­¡­¡¹ The human slime¡¯s thought flowed to me. ¡ºHead alone is no good?¡»is what it seems to be asking. Though it wasn¡¯t put into words, I managed to get such a message from the received emotions. Well, not exactly, but¡­¡­ ¡¸Well, looks like now you can talk with it.¡¹ Looks like Marius heard that as well. ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah. What¡¯s left is how do I contact others? Should I add some words at the end of the message?¡¹ ¡¸Probably. The obvious choice would be adding ¡ºOver¡»at the end of the message.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll try various options.¡¹ What remains is to whom should I give clones of the slime. I¡¯d prefer people I can trust. Luna, Manicia, Nin, Sinanis and Marius for sure. Then, I probably should also give one to Feel, so we can get in touch with the militia. Milena also might want one. There are many adventurersing to the cksmith. Even if she isn¡¯t going to use it to contact me, having some means to contact Feel in the case of an emergency should be reassuring. As for anyone else, well, I¡¯ll think about itter. ¡¸That¡¯s all you needed, right? I¡¯ll get back to developing new monsters. Will you help me with that?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sure.¡¹ Marius began arranging magic stones on the ground. ¡¸What are we making today? Subi? Or maybe Lamia?¡¹ ¡¸No, I think I¡¯ll leave those stones forter. And I also don¡¯t have that much energy at the moment.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Sorry, and I made you use it on the human slime.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? Aren¡¯t you my nmate? Don¡¯t mind it. And I¡¯m recovering it bit by bit from thebyrinth, so don¡¯t worry.¡¹ ¡¸Fine then.¡¹ The monsters should bring new adventurers. Which should be good for the development of the town and thebyrinth. As for the human slime, it honestly could¡¯ve waited, as the ability wasn¡¯t something that I needed right away. ¡­¡­But if he has enough energy, then fine. Recalling what I brought with me today, I gave the package to him. ¡¸I bought a few parts and magic stones in town. Should be of D rank monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Ooh, thanks. ¡¹ Marius began working on monster creation while humming a melody under his nose. A magic stone, parts, magic power, energy¡­¡­ Andbining those together, a new monster is produced. ¡¸Shuuroro.¡¹ A ghost-type monster cried out. The face is a bit cute. Reaching out to it with my hand, I was able to touch it. Just as one could expect from that nket-like form, it felt just like that to touch. ¡¸It has substance, is it a ghost?¡­¡­ It¡¯s a D rank monster then.¡¹ When I said that, Marius dropped his shoulders. ¡¸Is that so? Aah, it took quite a lot of energy, but it didn¡¯t get humanoid form¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Were you hoping for something like a banshee? Is there anyone who will be happy to meet that?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m pretty sure. The world is filled with all kinds of people.¡¹ I wonder if that¡¯s true. I guess I¡¯ll ask guys in the townter. Ghost-type monsters have various abilities at each respective rank. To put it simply, with growth in ranks they be more incorporeal and invulnerable to everything but magic attacks. There are some that can only be hit by skills¡­¡­ Anyway, they are a huge pain. And then, there are some with weird attacks, like those that appeared in thebyrinth of the city of adventurers. Marius keeps trying, but putting ingredients together doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you will get a monster. One failure follows another, wasting magic stones, monster parts, and energy. Atst, he grabbed the two remaining magic stones. ¡¸Only two stones left, huh. ¡­¡­I¡¯d like to get a good one from these.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, life isn¡¯t that easy. But even if it¡¯s no good this time, I will bring new materials next time.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Thank you, Rude. Next time, when I get spare energy, I¡¯ll make an item for you. Or we can buff what you already have.¡¹ ¡­¡­So he can even do this. This makes my imagination run wild. Marius put a hand on a magic stone. And just like before, a new monster was born. An orc. The monster that is one tier higher than goblins. And it is one head taller than me. While it had a pig face, it still had something dignified to it. It even was already armed with an axe. Must be because of its species. That¡¯s probably an Axe Orc. It¡¯s not unusual for monsters to have a weapon or item creation skills. But well, since created items are made from the magic power, they will vanish when it runs out. And since the performance is directly linked to the user¡¯s ability, there is no telling how good the weapon might be. It¡¯s not rare for such weapons to break when magic power runs low or when one cannot maintain their cool. The axe orc seems to be pledging allegiance to Marius, as it keeps standing on one knee. ¡¸Created monsters seem to possess a certain degree of intelligence and on top of that seem to be emotionally attached to the guardian.¡¹ I saw axe orcs in the open, and they weren¡¯t this docile, and what is more important, they were incredibly stupid. While this orc acts almost like a knight. Of course, I have no idea what it¡¯s actually thinking, but it doesn¡¯t appear stupid at all. ¡¸Not really. ording to my knowledge, some monsters don¡¯t get attached to the guardian.¡¹ ¡¸But for now there seems to be no problem. And what does that change? They won¡¯t listen to orders or something?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not sure. But that¡¯s interesting in its own way, no?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is it? Isn¡¯t it easier if they are obedient and loyal?¡¹ ¡¸No, no. Gradually gaining their loyalty and getting them attached is what is interesting.¡¹ I don¡¯t really get it. Marius looked quite amused, perhaps imagining such a situation? I check the map of thebyrinth with Marius. At the moment, the first five floors of Avancier Orchard Labyrinth are filled with goblins and slimes, and then fiedlzauruses from the 6th to 10th floor. Here and there magic ores and herbs are installed. They seem to respawn in set intervals, but to be honest there are too few of them. Since the number of adventurers keeps growing, the herbs will soon be a huge deficit. ¡¸Is it possible to bring ores and herbs that are collected in this verybyrinth here?¡¹ ¡¸No. They have to be created naturally. I already tried this.¡¹ I see. He already said that it is impossible with monsters, so the principle is the same. ¡¸I see¡­¡­ It¡¯s quite rare forbyrinth monsters to drop magic stones, but sometimes it does happen. Then what?¡¹ ¡¸I guess, since it had a magic stone, it was that much closer to having a real body. I don¡¯t have aplete grasp on allws ofbyrinths, but it seems that the system that spawns monsters periodically goes in a bit of overdrive. The resulting monsters are slightly stronger than normal and drop magic stones. But it¡¯s still no good. It¡¯s different from real monsters.¡¹ ¡¸Is it different from unique and rare monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. What I mentioned is a phenomenon that can happen on any floor, with the monster born being just a bit stronger than usual. While unique and rare monsters are apletely different thing, an abnormality urring on specific floors. In mybyrinth, rare and unique monsters can be found only on the 5th and 10th floor. Not sure about the 15th floor since I¡¯m yet to ce any monsters there.¡¹ I think it will get a unique monster as well. I guess it¡¯s amon feature for everybyrinth. ¡¸For now, let¡¯s decide on spawn points for the new monsters. Though the axe orc is going to be lonely¡­¡¹ ¡¸How about grouping the orc with goblins?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s probably the best we can do. What¡¯s left is to get a bit more ore and herbs. Now, if only I can get enough energy to create monsters from the stones that I bought, and we should be able to do a great restructuring.¡¹ A smile was hanging on his lips. I¡¯m also looking forward to that moment. It¡¯s oddly satisfying, somewhat simr to that gradual growth of adventurers, upgrading equipment with the earned coin. Gathering materials, gathering monster parts and slowly upgrading. ¡­¡­Before I got to my current equipment, that¡¯s pretty much how I lived. Recalling the past, gave me a bit of a nostalgic feeling. Chapter 63: Influence

Chapter 63: Influence

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± Plenty of time should have passed since the article about me was published in the capital¡¯s newspaper. I asked for the date of the issue, so it certainly should be the case, unless something happened, and it didn¡¯t make it into the issue. Anyway. It will take time before it reaches our town. At this point, Ipletely stopped caring about that and patrolled the town as usual. Then, a carriage stopped nearby, and a few adventurers alighted from it. Adventurers seeking to challenge ourbyrinth? They are young. Paying no heed to them I was about to return to patrolling when one of them had her eyes open wide and then dashed to me. ¡¸Y-you are Ru-Rude-san, right?!¡¹ ¡­¡­While surprised by the question, I nod. Then, she smiled. Other adventurers that got off the carriage were also ncing at me. ¡¸I, I saw the newspaper! I was looking for you all this time!¡¹ Then, she suddenly showed a newspaper, almost shoving it into my face. The first page had my portrait and the interview. ¡­¡­From first nce, there seem to be no strange points. That¡¯s a relief. That must be the reason why the attention of the newly arrived adventurers was gathered on me. After I looked at the girl and the newspaper for a while, a very friendly smile appeared on her face. ¡¸I was looking for you all the time since west met! I¡¯m so d that we were able to meet like this!¡¹ ¡¸Since west met?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Ah, you probably don¡¯t remember since it was three years ago! I¡¯m Lilifell! Nice to meet you!¡¹ ¡­¡­Lilifell. Three years ago¡­¡­ I tried to remember something, but nothing came to mind. In any case. Making a crowd here will get in the way of arriving carriages. ¡¸¡­¡­Let¡¯s talk while we walk.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Other adventurers also were looking our way, but no one else tried to talk to me. But does this mean that all of them saw the newspaper?¡­¡­ If so, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing. I walk with her through the town. Lilifell nced around with great interest. ¡¸Three years, huh¡­¡­ Are you an adventurer now?¡¹ She looks very young. She didn¡¯t even look 15, the age at which she could start her career as an adventurer. Lilifell puffed her cheeks and put hands on her hips. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯m 15 already. I registered not so long ago, and was thinking which n should I join when I found out about your n!¡¹ ¡¸In other words, you came to join?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Lilifell nodded energetically. ¡­¡­I had no intention to be picky, so there is no problem with epting her on the spot. But there is something that bothers me. ¡¸I met you three years ago?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I¡¯m from Pokkin Vige! It isn¡¯t that strange that you don¡¯t remember me. I was still small back then.¡¹ She is still pretty small though, but I probably shouldn¡¯t mention that. ¡¸¡­¡­When I was seventeen, huh. Pokkin Vige.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. In that vige¡­¡­ Well, I was still young back then. Led by childish curiosity I wandered outside and was attacked by monsters. Coincidentally, you happened to be passing by and saved me, thanks to that I was able to grow like this!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the girl from that time.¡¹ The vige on the northwest of this continent. The temperature stays low all year round, so it¡¯s prettyfortable even during this season. But winters are extremely cold. A long time ago I stayed in Pokkin Vige while working on requests from the guild andbyrinth raids. A certain dragon would appear at that vige during summer and autumn. While the dragon was peaceful, the monsters afraid of it woulde near the vige, at times attacking it, so the request was to protect it from such attacks. During that time, children went to y outside the vige and were attacked by monsters and they were consequently saved by us. ¡­¡­She probably was one of those children. I don¡¯t remember most of the details anymore, but the vige itself is a pretty nostalgic memory to me. ¡¸Then I thought that I also want to be such a dependable adventurer! So looking up to you I¡¯ve been searching for you all this time, Teacher! And then, what a surprise! You are in the newspaper!¡¹ She said happily. ¡­¡­I see. And thus, she came to this town. ¡¸Ehm, is there some kind of exam to enter the n?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­¡­ Well, I¡¯m interested in the character, but that¡¯s it¡­¡­ We won¡¯t be choosing based on ability.¡¹ For starters, I want to boost numbers and increase our presence as a n. This should enhance the position of the n and improve its standing in the town. For a while, I walked through the town along with Lilifell while going through the newspaper. Then, two adventurers blocked my way. While one of them had a bad look, the other one had a very amiable smile. Both of them seem to be pretty young. They likely just started their careers. ¡¸Ehm, Rude, san.¡¹ The man with the bad look spoke up awkwardly. He talked looking into the ground. Is he afraid of strangers? ¡¸I¡­¡­ I want to join the n. Ehm¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, about that.¡¹ ¡¸I too, I guess.¡¹ The young man with an amiable smile joined in. But he sounded a bit cheeky. ¡­¡­Oh. I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d get three new recruits just like that. Can¡¯t be helped that all of them are so young. Most adventurers already belong to one n or another. To move from one n to another one has to wait for half a year. It would take at least six months before experienced adventurers would be able to join us. So if anyonees, it would be newbies for the most part. I want to smile from how happy I am, but as a leader, I have to remain solemn. ¡¸Then, we are going to have a simple interview. But don¡¯t worry too much, I just want to know the kind of person you are.¡¹ The man with scary eyes twitched and straightened his back, so I added the second part since he seemed to be panicking. Even so, he still appeared nervous. ¡¸Is that so? My name is Timeo, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡¹ The smiling young man said and slightly lowered his head. He had a gentle smile, yet he had a look as if he was observing me. He also seems to be from a well-off family. He could even be the youngest child of some noble house. ¡­¡­No, in that case, he probably would¡¯ve chosen the path of a knight. ¡¸I, I, I¡¯m Rinkin. Nice, to meet you.¡¹ He has a deep voice and a tough-looking face¡­¡­ And yet sounds very timid. This won¡¯t do. I shouldn¡¯t judge people by their appearance like that. ¡¸I¡¯m Lilifell! We are going to join at the same time, so please be nice to me!¡¹ Greeting the two Lilifell bowed her head. Rinkin kept repeatedly lowering his head, while Timeo made a short sigh. ¡¸I have no intentions of getting familiar with weaklings.¡¹ Hearing Timeo, Lilifell puffed up her cheeks. ¡¸What does that mean?¡¹ ¡¸Despite how things might appear to you, I already received invitations from other ns. And since I don¡¯t want to deal with all those troublesome rules and seniority, I decided to check on this n, since it was just founded but has some name recognition to it.¡¹ ¡¸Nmmm¡­¡¹ Lilifell puffed her cheeks up even further, clearly irritated. ¡¸Now, now, don¡¯t fight. Just as ns choose adventurers, adventurers also have the right to choose ns. Nice to meet you, everyone.¡¹ I interject between the two, and tried to calm them down, as things didn¡¯t look that great. ¡­¡­They are pretty quirky. But it¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing. ¡¸Want to visit our n building?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I want!¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m free, so I¡¯ll take a look.¡¹ Each of them reacted differently but agreed toe. The building of our n, which by now was mostly finished, is not that different from some inn, but it¡¯s only a temporary ce. Luna and Manicia are working on preparing things there. ¡­¡­And when they join, I also would like to Appraise their skills. ¡¸Which reminds me, do you have a certificate of your abilities?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I do. Here.¡¹ Timeo presents it to me. Certificates of abilities are issued at the church and have abilities and the outer shell inscribed on them. In a way, this is an ID, warranted by the church. Meanwhile, Rinkin went pale, while Lilifell beganughing nervously. ¡¸I, I don¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡­ Don¡¯t have one as well¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t make such faces, it¡¯s not the end of the world. Let¡¯s go to the church.¡¹ So taking them with me, I headed to the church. Perhaps, just a little bit, but I think my feet felt lighter than usual. Chapter 64: Strengths of the three

Chapter 64: Strengths of the three

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± We head to Avancier¡¯s church. Though in in appearance, today it once again was filled with people. Masses that came to offer their prayers to the god¡­¡­ Or so they would im. In fact, most adventurers came to take a look at the saintess. As for that saintess herself, in other words, Nin, though I drop by the church asionally, she seems to be sticking to working behind the scenes. Several pirs are supporting the ceiling that looks like the inverted bottom of a ship. Benches are installed on the left and right sides at even intervals. In the middle, a bit farther from the entrance stands a statue of the god. The stained ss surrounding it created a beautiful pattern. Among them was also one that depicted a figure that is thought to belong to the god. People are lining up to pray before the statue. A bishop is watching over the process. From time to time a nun woulde and say something to the bishop. Amon church the likes of which can be found anywhere. But having been built just recently, it¡¯s very neat and tidy. The reason why they managed to build it so fast was that they had talented mages assisting in the construction. But we didn¡¯te here to pray to this statue. We came for the stone tablet installed in the courtyard. When we asked a nearby nun about it, she immediately guided us to it. Going through the corridor and entering the courtyard we saw a few adventurers there. We take ce at the end of the queue. It will probably take around 20 minutes. Meanwhile, I check Timeo¡¯s certificate. Timeo 1234 ¡ºSwordsmanship¡»¡ºWizard¡¯s Secret Technique¡» ¡ºSwordsmanship¡»is R, and ¡ºWizard¡¯s Secret Technique¡»is SR rarity. ¡ºSwordsmanship¡»is a skill that improved one¡¯s prowess with a sword. ¡ºWizard¡¯s Secret Technique¡», if I remember correctly, is a skill that allows to use magic without preparation. But it had some restrictions to its use. It depends on a person, but it should have a cooldown time between activations. ¡¸¡­¡­Timeo. How muchbat experience do you have?¡¹ ¡¸Well, a reasonable amount, a long time ago. But I spent more time practicing than in actualbat.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ It¡¯s quite unusual for someone to have both swordsman and caster type skills. That¡¯s because doing both of those at the same time is said to be extremely difficult. Mages have to focus on their spells when they are trying to use magic. In that case, bad cases of tunnel vision are almost unavoidable. Even I, when I use some everyday utility magic, barely notice what is going on around me. So there is almost no one fighting in the magic swordsman style. Only asionally, someone with skills to ensure they can keep a check on their surroundings would attempt it. ¡¸Can you fight as a magic swordsman?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that much, easily.¡¹ ¡­¡­Amazing. If what he is saying is true, then it exins why other ns would scout him. The line advanced, and Lilifell went before the stone tablet. Then, as she prays, the light falls upon the tablet, forming letters, revealing her outer shell and skills. ¡­¡­Here we can get only the gist of things, no actual details. A church knight, who observed the process, writes it all down. ¡¸Thank you, that¡¯s enough. This is your ability certificate.¡¹ Taking it, Lilifell returns to us. ¡¸Teacher, please!¡¹ I don¡¯t remember taking you as a disciple. Though I¡¯m not going to deny it aloud. Taking the certificate I take a quick look. Lilifell 840 ¡ºTaunt¡» I nodded after ncing at the paper that said nothing but that. ¡¸Do you have anybat experience?¡¹ ¡¸I do not! But I trained back at the vige!¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸Please let me join! Please don¡¯t reject me!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t even think about rejecting you.¡¹ This outer shell is pretty good for someone without anybat experience. Lilifell grasped my hand and looked at me as if she was about to cry. Rinkin also went through the same steps and got his ability certificate. ¡¸¡­¡­Here, it is. P-please.¡¹ Rinkin 156 What I saw instantly made me worried. An extremely low outer shell. Well, it¡¯s not that bad for an ordinary person. Nheless. For an adventurer, it¡¯s very low. On top of that, no skills. I nce at the katana on his waist. ¡­¡­Well, even so, I¡¯m not going to refuse him on the spot. ¡¸¡­¡­Rinkin.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, after all, I¡¯m too weak, right? I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not going to refuse you because of that. We have a master of katana. If you diligently train under him, you should be able to make it as an adventurer. But that will require your own effort. So you better be prepared.¡¹ For now, I¡¯ll just tell him that. Now, that we know how skills can be acquired, I was of the opinion that the initial abilities don¡¯t matter that much, as long as the person has enough motivation. So I¡¯m not going to judge merely on the presence or absence of skills. Rinkin nodded. A strong determination could be seen in his eyes. ¡¸For that, I¡¯m ready.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Good to hear that. ¡­¡­Then, let¡¯s go to the n building?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Lilifell replied energetically. Leaving the church we head to our base. Opening the door of our mostly finished headquarters we see Manicia and Luna who are cleaning the ce. The two noticed us. Manicia, wearing an apron, turned to us. ¡¸Nii-san, what brings you here at such an hour?¡¹ ¡¸They want to join our n. For now, I think about going into thebyrinth with them tomorrow. We are going to gather here, so I¡¯m showing them the way. ¡¹ ¡¸I see. I¡¯m Manicia, and I n to do office work here. Rude is my older brother. I look forward to working with you.¡¹ ¡¸My name is Luna. I¡¯m working as both an adventurer and an office worker. Nice to meet you.¡¹ ¡¸N-nice to meet you too!¡¹ Lilifell replied, nervously. Everyone else also did short introductions. Luna and Manicia shake hands with each one of them in order. As I looked at Luna she replied with a short nod. ¡­¡­I agreed with Luna on this beforehand. That in case new members join she will look at the situation with their skills. After shaking hands with everyone, she made a bow. ¡¸I will clean another room.¡¹ She probably went to write down the skills. She just saw the skills of 3 people at once after all. She has to write them down before she forgets them. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, she is so beautiful, right, Teacher?¡¹ ¡¸You mean Manicia? ¡­¡­I think she is more cute than beautiful? ¡¹ ¡¸Well, Manicia-san is good looking too, but I meant Luna-san. Such neat and lovely features, almost like a doll! Could it be that she is your wife?!¡¹ ¡¸No, Lilifell-san, she is not. She is a maid.¡¹ Manicia said with a very stiff face. Is she jealous of Luna? As a brother I¡¯m happy, but it¡¯s about time she stops hiding behind me. But indeed, Luna is pretty and cute. That I admit. At times she startles me. I turn back to the trio. ¡¸This ce is going to be the headquarters of our n. For starters, your three and three people from the n are going to dive into thebyrinth. For a while, you three will probably have to act together.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rude-san. Are you sure?¡¹ Timeo took a step forward. His face clearly says that he isn¡¯t that fond of the idea. After that, he gave Lilifell and Rinkin a mocking look. ¡¸You may call it acting together, but there is a world of difference between me and them. Of course, I¡¯m not going to im that I should be working with you instead, but even so¡­¡­¡¹ Lilifell frowned at his words. Rinkin was trying to stop her, but she looked as if she was going to explode. ¡¸, Of course, I know that. But you all are still under review. For now, we are going into thebyrinth. Tomorrow. If you have any questions there, feel free to ask them. That¡¯s all. Dismissed.¡¹ Timeo nodded, and after shrugging his shoulders left the building. He is a tricky one. From my point of view, it¡¯s even cute that he is that cheeky. But for Lilifell, who is about the same age, that probably was very irritating. ¡¸Teacher. I hate that guy.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be like that. There are all kinds of adventurers. And if we were to believe his certificate, he is indeed strong. You might be able to learn from him.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Uuuh, got it.¡¹ Dejected, Lilifell dropped her shoulders. I hope she will be able to learn from this. And Timeo also might be able to learn from interacting with them. In a way, being able to get along with all kinds of adventurers is also a sign of a first-rate adventurer. Lilifell and Rinkin also went outside. At about that time, Luna came back. Opening the door to the room, she quickly looked around. ¡¸They already left.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. That¡¯s good. Master, I wrote down the skills they can acquire right away.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, thank you.¡¹ She handed a memo to me, looking both happy and bashful. Manicia hurried to us and peeked into the paper in my hand. Chapter 65: Six People

Chapter 65: Six People

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± ¡¸Everyone weren¡¯t in a situation that would allow to acquire new skills right away.¡¹ With those words, Luna gave me a piece of paper. Lilifell was the first one on the list. For her skills¡ºErase Presence¡»and¡ºSubstitute¡»were the closest possibilities. Lilifell was aiming to be a tank, just like me¡­¡­ But she got those skills, huh. ¡ºErase Presence¡»is a skill that makes it harder for enemies to detect the user. ¡ºSubstitute¡» is a skill that creates s substitute, that takes the damage in your stead. ¡ºErase Presence¡»is not a skill for a tank. ¡ºSubstitute¡»is often used by evasion-type tanks. ¡ºSubstitute¡»can be useful for a tank. I¡¯m not sure how much the activation will cost, but the skill will negate the attack no matter how powerful it may be. Suppose one uses 100 outer shell to create¡ºSubstitute¡», even if the attack would¡¯ve depleted more than 100 outer shell it will simply break Substitute and that¡¯s all. ¡ºClone¡»has simr activation conditions, but it creates a copy of oneself, making it fight. So they arepletely different in nature. Acquiring this would be useful for a tank. ¡­¡­But thebination of¡ºSubstitute¡»and¡ºErase Presence¡»is more suited for the attacker-type adventurers. Use Erase Presence to carry out sneak attacks, and in case of counterattacks, take them with Substitute. Then again, Erase Presence and¡­¡­ Anyway, there are a lot of different tactics for which it can be used. ¡¸We probably should talk with Lilifell about thister.¡¹ Well, in the end, it all depends on the person. If she loses motivation from being forced into a certain fighting style, then what¡¯s the point. ¡¸Next one is Timeo-sama.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see.¡¹ He has multiple avable skills. Enhancement skills of all kinds, and attack skills of every attribute. Each of them is indeed useful, but there was something that stood out even more. The skill called¡ºBird¡¯s Eye¡». It¡¯s a skill that allows one to see the surroundings from above. A skill truly suitable for a leader. ¡¸¡­¡­Timeo is indeed gifted with excellent abilities.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I think so as well.¡¹ Luna made a nod. He can now fight as a magic swordsman because he had a wide field of vision to begin with. And because he kept fighting while relying on it,¡ºBird¡¯s Eye¡»is now the closest one to get. ¡¸Thest one if Rinkin-sama¡­¡­ For him, there is nothing that can be acquired in near future.¡¹ Even so, she has written down the closest skills. ¡¸Possibly because Rinkin-sama previously used many kinds of different weapons, but various skills were emerging bit by bit.¡¹ ¡¸Most adventurers look for a weapon that suits them the best. That¡¯s probably the reason?¡¹ ¡¸It might be.¡¹ ¡­¡­Well, I got the general idea. There is probably no other choice but to have Marius train Rinkin from zero. Timeo probably should be ced into a leadership position, so he can acquire¡ºBird¡¯s Eye¡». The question is Lilifell. This requires some discussion. She doesn¡¯t have to go full tank. Some people fight in semi-tank positions, just like Rafan, when we were heading for the 51st floor, supporting the main tank. If she gains any offensive skills in the future, it might mean that this path suits her better. ¡¸For now, let¡¯s contact Marius.¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re looking for Hyu-chan it¡¯s in that room.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hyu-chan? Manicia, did you give it a name?¡¹ What a lovely name. Is my sister a genius? ¡¸No, it was Luna-san. Though it was I who suggested that she gives it a name.¡¹ ¡¸I apologize if I was imprudent. But I thought it would be more convenient for it to have a name.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true. Yeah, it¡¯s a cute name. Thank you, Luna.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes.¡¹ Luna¡¯s eyes sparkled. Yes, it¡¯s a good name. It seems Hyu-chan heard us since it slimed through the door. In the human form. In Manicia¡¯s form. Damn it. ¡¸¡­¡­¡­Which reminds me, Nii-san. Why does Hyu-chan take my form from time to time?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­¡­ That is because, eh. Isn¡¯t it because Hyu-chan wants to look like you?¡¹ Hyu-chan tilted its head in Manicia¡¯s form. ¡ºIt¡¯s because Master pats me if I take this form¡»could be heard. Don¡¯t say anything extra, I was screaming with my gaze, pointed at the slime. ¡¸Hmm, is that so? So as long as it looks like me, you will pet it, even if it is not me.¡¹ Hyu, you¡­ Stop broadcasting to everyone. ¡¸¡­¡­No, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just that Hyu helps me a lot.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹ Luna intently stared at Hyu. That stare even looked somewhat envious. Manicia, who noticed that, folded her arms. ¡¸Nii-san. You aren¡¯t giving me enough attentiontely. Pat mine and Luna¡¯s heads. If you do, we will forgive you this time.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, okay.¡¹ Isn¡¯t it basically a reward for me? I pat their heads. Luna blushed, while Manicia looked delighted. ¡¸¡­¡­Will this do? If we keep this up it will get embarrassing even for me.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm, well, fine. Then, Hyu-chan as well, here.¡¹ Manicia picked up Hyu, which took a spherical form. I brush the head (?) area, or where I think it would be. ¡­¡­Yeah, it¡¯s nice and cold. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s so nice, right? Can we keep it in the house when it¡¯s not needed for the n?¡¹ Looks like Manicia liked it as well. ¡¸Well¡­¡­ I don¡¯t particrly care¡­¡­ Let it stick where it wants.¡¹ ¡¸Hyu-chan is very capable. It sucked up all of the trash, without leaving even a speck.¡¹ ¡¸Is that really okay?¡¹ ¡ºIt¡¯s okay¡»replied Hyu, making a peace sign. ¡­¡­Well, I¡¯m not sure what exactly is okay, but I¡¯m not a slime researcher or anything, so I didn¡¯t pry any further. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go home?¡¹ With those words, we left the n building. ©– Today, we are diving into thebyrinth. The goal for the most part is to socialize. And I also want to exin our n to them. From our n, there is Luna, Marius, and I. Those are the best candidates to get neers to know our n. Nin also was one of the candidates, but she is a saintess, and Lilifell and others probably already know enough about her. It was an hour earlier than the agreed time, but Luna and I already were in the n building. Then, someone knocked on the door. ¡¸It¡¯s not locked,e in.¡¹ When I said that, the door opened, revealing Lilifell standing behind it. Her red hair gently swayed. Then, she did a sharp salute. ¡¸Good morning, Teacher, Luna-san!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, good morning. You are early.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! I was so excited that I woke up early! To think I will finally be able to dive into the dungeon with Teacher, whom I admired for so long¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hey hey. Your life as an adventurer is about to start.¡¹ I smile wryly, as Lilifell seems to be about to burst into tears from excitement. She sat down on one of the chairs that we prepared. On her back, she had a shield and on her waist a sword. She is a bit thin, so I¡¯m somewhat uneasy about her fighting as a tank. ¡­¡­Now, how do I bring this up. It¡¯s a good chance since she came early and we can talk without the others. I should use it to indirectly ask her about this. ¡¸Lilifell¡­¡­ Do you want to be a tank?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! When it showed in the church that I have the¡ºTaunt¡»skill I realized that it is fate!¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ But what if you could acquire new skills, what would you like to get?¡¹ ¡¸The same skills as you, Teacher!¡¹ ¡­¡­If she wants to be a tank this much, then forcing her into other roles will do nothing but harm. And be it¡ºSubstitute¡»or¡ºErase Presence¡», these are nothing more than her future avable abilities. Her effort might create other possibilities as well. ¡­Efficiency is important, but humans don¡¯t always go for the most effective option. Lilifell and Luna seem to be having a friendly chat. Looks like Lilifell is interested in the details of the fight on the 50th floor. For the most part, how I fought there. I wish she could stop that. It¡¯s embarrassing. I feel like I was thrown into boiling water. ¡¸Amazing¡­¡­ Teacher also went to investigate Avancier Orchard Labyrinth instead of the hero, right?! Together, you did what the hero couldn¡¯t, right?! Luna-sama, you were with him at the time, right?!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not used to being called Luna-sama, so can you stop?¡¹ ¡¸No way! Then you should stop calling me¡ºLilifell-sama¡»! For someone like me¡ºHey, Lilifell! Go fetch!¡»is fine!¡¹ ¡¸Do you think I would say something like that¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Nope! Just a joke!¡¹ Lilifell is so full of energy. Indeed, Luna¡¯s position would be higher than hers. Luna seems to want to serve humans as a homunculus, but Lilifell has no idea of that. So either Luna gives up on sama or goes along with Lilifell. ¡¸¡­¡­Understood. Please call me Luna-sama.¡¹ So she went with that. But if she puts it like that, it makes her sound very arrogant. ¡¸Got it! Luna-sama, Luna-sama!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Ug¡­hh¡­¡­¡¹ You don¡¯t have to, it sounds like you just took a critical hit¡­¡­ After a while, Timeo and Rinkin showed up. Timeo seems very rxed, he is even yawning. But Rinkin seems to be nervous. He was trembling when he stepped through the door. Chapter 66: Acting as a leader

Chapter 66: Acting as a leader

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± What is Marius doing? I told him that we are going to meet up at the entrance of thebyrinth, but he said that he wants toe here. I touched a little clone of Hyu that I had in my pocket. When I asked about his current location, he replied that he will soon arrive. Today we are going into hisbyrinth. Monsters also were notified beforehand that we will being with newbies today. Marius told them to act their part as evil monsters It is extremely convenient to teach new adventurers the basics ofbyrinths. ¡¸Sorry! I overslept! I was too excited to fall asleep yesterday!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that so? Well, you are barely on time. Then, let¡¯s go.¡¹ The three new adventurers turned their gazes to the entrance. Marius came wearing his mask and the conical hat. The outfit also wasn¡¯t the one he wears in thebyrinth, but a more simplistic one, that would allow him to blend with the townsfolk. Leaving the n building we head to thebyrinth. ¡¸Rinkin. Marius is also using a katana. You should learn from him.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes¡­¡­ Marius-san, I will be in your care!¡¹ ¡¸Yea. To choose a katana, that¡¯s a good decision!¡¹ ¡¸I tried many different weapons, but this seemed to suit the best¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh? I see! Well, when ites to using a katana I can teach you as much as you want. Feel free to ask me!¡¹ Marius smiled, clearly in a good mood. He looks a bit suspicious, so I thought thatbined with Rinkin¡¯s timidity it would be hard for them tomunicate, but it seems that Marius¡¯ overwhelming positivity will make it work. ¡¸Timeo, you also can learn the sword from Marius. And Luna is good with magic.¡¹ ¡¸Is it going to be okay? He doesn¡¯t feel that strong?¡¹ ¡¸Ha Ha Ha. The strong don¡¯t always make for good teachers, Scaredy Cat-kun!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Scaredy Cat?¡¹ ¡¸Marius keeps giving people weird nicknames. Don¡¯t mind it.¡¹ Did he do it because Timeo¡¯s doubt in his ability ticked him off? ¡­¡­No, it doesn¡¯t appear that way. In the first ce, he never seemed to care what others think about his strength. ¡¸E-ehm¡­¡­How should I put it¡­¡­ That¡¯s an amazing person.¡¹ ¡¸Marius is¡­¡­ The strongest one here.¡¹ ¡¸Even stronger than you, Teacher?!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if he were to fight seriously.¡¹ And by seriously I mean turning into his monster form. If he stays in his human form I think we would be tied. He has an attack while I have a defense. I don¡¯t feel like I would lose. Timeo let out augh. ¡¸Realistically thinking, would someone that strong join a n and follow someone? No, they won¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you aren¡¯t wrong¡­¡­¡¹ But Marius onlyughed at his words. ¡¸I¡¯ll dly follow an interesting person. I found Rude interesting and thus decided to follow him. That¡¯s all.¡¹ But in reality, you just want a rematch, right? ¡¸¡­¡­I don¡¯t get it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s Marius for you.¡¹ Timeo¡¯s confusion is only natural. We walk, heading towards Avancier¡¯s orchard. ¡¸Teacher! I¡¯ll do my best!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡¹ Looking slightly embarrassed, Lilifell clenched a fist. I intentionally put some distance between me and Lilifell since she is proactive in her attempts to interact with me. Right now I have to talk with everyone and learn more about them. ¡¸Is it your first time entering abyrinth?¡¹ I asked Rinkin, who happened to be the nearest one, to which he made a small nod. ¡¸Yes. It is¡­ The first time.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I see. Today we are going to have you three form a team and fight. The opponents are expected to be no stronger than goblins. And you three happen to make a bnced party.¡¹ ¡¸Us three, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ A dissatisfied expression appeared on Timeo¡¯s face. But meeting eyes with me he let out a short sigh. ¡¸I got it¡­¡­ Well, I don¡¯t mind it, for now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Uuuh.¡¹ Lilifell growled, clearly eager to give him a piece of her mind. ¡¸Timeo. Surely there is a gap in strength, but even so, it is a good chance for you to learn something.¡¹ ¡¸And what could that be?¡¹ ¡¸That is something that you will have to understand on your own, otherwise there is no point. ¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t like how that sounds. Wouldn¡¯t it be much easier if you simply said what is that?¡¹ Timeo said, irritated. There is a gap in ability between him and the other two. That¡¯s why he has to be the leader of the party, and act seeing the battlefield as a whole. That should lead to the acquisition of ¡ºBird¡¯s Eye¡». If he is going to fight as a magic swordsman, then it is an essential step. ¡¸Now now, Timeo. Of course, we will teach you what¡¯s needed. About the n, for example. Do you have anything you want to know?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, if you say so. I¡¯ll go along with this for today. But there is something that I absolutely have to ask you, Rude-san.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Rude-san, what can your n do for us, new adventurers?¡¹ ¡¸We are going to personally train new adventurers. ¡­¡­We more or less have pretty outstanding experts, though each in their own field. I¡¯m a tank, Luna is an offensive spellcaster, Marius is a melee attacker, each of us is proficient enough to teach others. And if you want to learn the ways of a healer, then we even have Nin, a saintess.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ Timeo put a hand to his chin and for a while went silent, apparently thinking. Lilifell acted the same as always. Smiling andughing, talking with Luna. ¡¸There is a lot to ns, right? When I was registering at the guild, they told me that it would be better if I joined a n. Rude-san, were you previously also a member of some n?¡¹ Timeo tilted his head. ¡¸No, I wasn¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸So there is that approach as well, right? I also don¡¯t like all that annoying stuff, so maybe I should take it easy without joining anyone?¡¹ ¡¸However, Timeo. You have to be good at making new contacts and getting along with people, or it will be pretty difficult.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s also pretty annoying.¡¹ Timeo¡¯s shoulders drooped. A cheeky kid, huh. Well, he is only 15, so in a way it¡¯s inevitable. ¡¸And also, although I wasn¡¯t in any n, I still liked the idea. Though ites with some restrictions, you still can spend your days with dearrades. So I can understand why the guild would rmend you to join a n.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so. Is that called insecurity or something? I don¡¯t care about such stuff.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that might be somewhat true¡­¡­ Always fighting alongside the same group gives a peculiar sense of security. It also improves your teamwork over time.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that might be true. But nse with many restrictions, don¡¯t they? Some even ask for a share frommissions. ¡¹ Timeo shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. ¡¸For starters, we are considering asking the same of those that reach a certain rank. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see¡­¡­ I heard of ns going for that approach. And to be more specific?¡¹ ¡¸We are considering starting from D rank, when you officially graduate from being a newbie adventurer. So we would like you to first get to D rank.¡¹ When I said that, Lilifell made a salute, while Rinkin nodded in a hurry. Looks like this was what Timeo wanted to hear since he went silent for a while once again. ¡­¡­We actually didn¡¯t decide on anything specific yet. I want to discuss it with the other members before we decide. ¡¸Which reminds me, I read in the newspaper that Rude-san founded a n to manage Avancier, is that true?¡¹ ¡¸Manage¡­¡­ More like creating a deterrence. The name of the n can decrease the number of adventurers going crazy in the town.¡¹ Timeo tapped on his palm as if he suddenly recalled something. ¡¸That¡¯s right. The two ns that are especially famous. Rude-san, you have connections with both of them, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, in a way.¡¹ There is no need to go into the details. But it seems that this is what interested Timeo, who narrowed his eyes. ¡¸You didn¡¯t join hands with either of them, right?¡¹ ¡¸For now there are no ns for that.¡¹ ¡­¡­As a n leader, I¡¯d like topete with them. Timeo made a short sigh, and once again put a hand to his chin. ¡¸Timeo, you were scouted by several ns?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. It seems I¡¯m pretty gifted, so I was approached a few times.¡¹ Looking at his certificate of ability, he does seem to be somewhat talented. And the most important, therge outer shell grabs attention. It¡¯s the most obvious gauge of strength. ¡¸And yet you came all the way here to check out our n?¡¹ ¡¸Well, just asking is free, right? And if I join a n, there is half a year before I can join a new one. Of course, I will consider things carefully?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. Well, if you have any other questions fire away.¡¹ ¡¸Well, then, is there a possibility of us ever standing at the top of this n? For example, if a branch was made, is it possible that one of us will be a leader of that branch?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Of course. If you¡¯d like to do that I¡¯d create an opportunity, if you¡¯d want to work at the main branch, then it also can be discussed. Well, that is in the case that everything goes well.¡¹ ¡¸That sounds kind of pessimistic. Can you really get ahead of other ns with that attitude?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not pessimistic. ¡­¡­Ultimately, I hope we could be the greatest n of this country.¡¹ Timeo beganughing loudly. ¡¸Hahaha, such a dreamlike goal. Isn¡¯t that borderline impossible, realistically speaking?¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps. But isn¡¯t that what makes it interesting?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t share that line of thought. I¡­¡­ Well, as long as there aren¡¯t many people and I can take things at my own pace, I¡¯m good. And the time when I will be able to group with Rude-san and others is probably pretty near.¡¹ ¡­¡­That¡¯s probably what he is hoping for. To raidbyrinths with me. Though I don¡¯t know what he is trying to get by doing that. Fame? Money? Well, as long as talented kids will show motivation I don¡¯t really care. ¡¸Timeo. I¡¯ll say only one thing.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸Learn how to get along with people. Maintain at least the basic courtesy. That¡¯s your biggest issue after all.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll try.¡¹ Timeo waved a hand. I don¡¯t care that much about this, but others probably do. As a leader one has to warn about such things. And to be honest for me this is the most difficult part. Being a leader is tough¡­ Chapter 67: Timeo’s Battle

Chapter 67: Timeo¡¯s Battle

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± After walking for a bit we arrive at thebyrinth. Immediately entering, we climb the stairs leading to the first floor. ¡¸Say, Rude. That guy with a katana¡­¡­ It¡¯s not like he hates me, right?¡¹ It seems Rinkin is not that good at making contact with other people. If Marius tries to talk with him, he probably will be very perplexed. ¡¸¡­¡­Probably. I think Rinkin is a very shy kid. Please, find a way around it.¡¹ ¡¸I-I see¡­¡­ To be honest I never had to be concerned with something like that. So I¡¯m a bit worried.¡¹ Marius nced at Rinkin. Since they are using the same weapon, they should have something inmon. ¡¸You have the same weapon. So you should be able to reach some understanding. I¡¯m sure you can do it, so go for it.¡¹ ¡¸Roger!¡¹ I encouraged him, but I had no basis for that at all. Well, but it¡¯s Marius? So it probably should be okay. As a faint smile appeared on Marius¡¯ face, he immediately went to Rinkin. ¡¸Hey hey, swordsman.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I was just wondering how long you have been using katana¡¯s. How is it? Are you using it heavily?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­No, just a bit. I just heard about the fighting style with katana, and after I tried, it seemed to work the best for me.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see! That¡¯s unusual.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Is that, so?¡¹ ¡¸W-well. I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way, okay? I was praising you! You are a genius for noticing the charm of katana!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­But. I also heard that katana isn¡¯t suited forbyrinths.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hm, really?¡¹ Marius tilted his head with a nk look. Timeo looks at me with a silent question. ¡ºIs this person alright?¡» Putting everything on one attack is the basic principle for katana. Iai with a sword charged with magic power or other simr moves aren¡¯t suited for a series of battles. Using it on a boss is one thing, but repeatedly shing at trash monsters along the way is a chore. Pretty much like my ¡ºLife Conversion¡». But Marius is very fast at charging his attacks. And his focus is also something else. In his case, it is possible to use iai even in quick session. He is out of the norm. After that Marius said something to Rinkin. To which Rinkin, though with difficulty, replies. After which Marius scratched his nose, happy like a kid, and continued the talk. ¡­¡­Well, they seem to be okay. After walking through the first floor for a while I call out to the trio. ¡¸Try fighting on this floor. For now, you three are on your own.¡¹ Hearing me they exchanged nces. Looks like¡¸You three¡¹bothered Timeo. ¡¸Who is going to be the leader?¡¹ Well, a leader might be a bit of a stretch. But from the very beginning, I was nning to entrust that role to Timeo. ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you, Timeo.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Got it. Well, I¡¯ll do it this time.¡¹ To train his¡ºBird¡¯s Eye¡»it¡¯s best to have him overlook the whole battlefield as a leader. ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯ll be in your care.¡¹ Lilifell was unsatisfied. Rinkin didn¡¯t say anything and just nodded. ¡¸Well, our opponents are goblins, so even you should be able to handle them? ¡¹ ¡¸The first floor¡­¡­ Has goblins? Nothing else?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­You don¡¯t even know that? What about you, Rinkin-san?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I heard about this.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s a passing mark, I guess. Rinkin-san, your outer shell is scarce, so please don¡¯t do anything rash. Lilifell-san, you are the tank, so make sure you properly aggro our enemies. With my magic the likes of goblins will easily perish.¡¹ Though he sounds condescending, his instructions are not wrong. Lilifell didn¡¯t even try to hide her irritation in¡ºSuuuure¡»with which she replied. Looking at them from a bit of distance I then exchanged looks with Marius. ¡¸Did you adjust the monsters properly?¡¹ ¡¸Do not fret. Everything is fine.¡¹ I asked him to make the monsters y a bit of an act for us. I also didn¡¯t activate my skills, to make the three more nervous. ¡­¡­Well, if things get dangerous I¡¯m ready to re-activate it anytime. Founding a n, raising adventurers¡­¡­ My n was to cooperate with Marius and use hisbyrinth for that. This is still pretty much an experiment. I can only pray that things will go smoothly. ¡¸Well, today you are meant to get used to thebyrinth. We will step in if things get dangerous. So go all out.¡¹ Timeo made a short nod to my words. His eyes look a bit more serious than before. ¡¸I just want to confirm one thing. ¡­¡­Lilifell-san, naturally, you are an evasion-type tank, right?¡¹ ¡¸Huh, what was that? Can¡¯t you see my shield?!¡¹ ¡¸Did you be a baggage carrier for Rude-san?¡¹ ¡¸This is MY shield!¡¹ ¡¸With that small stature, you are saying that you are going to do the same thing as Rude-san?¡¹ ¡¸S-sma¡­¡­!! I¡¯m not small! I grew up just fine.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Haaah.¡¹ ¡­¡­There is a saying about being close enough to fight. Well, at least they can speak their mind. ¡¸And, Rinkin-san, how well can you fight?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Don¡¯t¡­ Count on me¡­¡­ Too much.¡¹ ¡¸Got it. I will finish them off with my magic. At least try to hold out until then.¡¹ Lilifell puffed her cheeks. ¡¸Can¡¯t you do something about this big attitude of yours?!¡¹ ¡¸Unlike you two I havebat experience. So I think my standing is naturally above yours.¡¹ ¡¸I have fought as well! Back in the vige, I was running every day, training endurance! I don¡¯t want to be lectured by a bean sprout magician!¡¹ ¡¸ Well, I think I have enough stamina to keep up with Rude-san.¡¹ Lilifell and Timeo were butting heads, ring at each other. Meanwhile, Rinkin was looking at the two in a bit of a panic. Well, what do we do about this¡­¡­ While I was wondering, Marius pped his hands. Then, the space near us distorted, and next, monsters appeared. ¡¸Maybe they will stop fighting among themselves if they get someone else to fight?¡¹ He smiled and said quietly. That¡¯s a bit of a forceful approach. But he isn¡¯t wrong. Timeo and the others immediately reacted. As expected of adventurers. The goblins gave a lick to the clubs they had in their hands and then made a light swing. Next, they raised a loud war cry. It¡¯s my first time seeing them do such an excessive attempt at intimidation. Marius showed a thumbs up. So it is his work. ¡¸Three goblins. Please do your best to buy enough time until I finish casting.¡¹ ¡¸Aah, every word you say is pissing me off! Rinkin-san, I will attract enemies¡¯ aggro, please use that opportunity to attack! ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yes.¡¹ Rinkin put his hand on the katana on his waist. Then, closed his eyes and breathed out. ¡¸¡­¡­Fumu.¡¹ Marius put a hand to his chin, closely looking at Rinkin. ¡¸Did you notice something?¡¹ ¡¸He said that he didn¡¯t use it that much, and it indeed seems to be the case, but he has pretty good focus. ¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ I don¡¯t get this katana stuff, so I can¡¯t tell. Well, if Marius says so, then it is probably the case. ¡¸¡­¡­But, no matter how you look at it, his movements are amateurish. How should I put it, it¡¯s like he suddenly became an adventurer the other day.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­That¡¯s true. His movements are the epitome of an amateur.¡¹ But since he ended up with a katana, he probably put some thought into his choice of weapon. I wonder how he became an adventurer. Lilifell used ¡ºTaunt¡», aggroing the enemies. The goblins sprang at her, swinging down their clubs. Lilifell blocked them with the shield but staggered anyway. However, she managed to immediately regain her bnce with the legs that she is said to have trained. So she isn¡¯t fazed by some pushback. Though her technique with the shield is dubious, the real problem for the improvement is in her size. ¡¸Ha!¡¹ Rinkin unsheathed his katana. Because I¡¯m so used to seeing how Marius does it I can¡¯t call it anything else but unsightly, but it probably wasn¡¯t that bad. The attack hits one of the goblins on the neck. Which seemed to have surprised Rinkin. ¡­¡­It is his first battle with monsters after all. The feeling of cutting through the goblin¡¯s flesh and bones is probably what surprised him. But his expression rapidly turned worse and worse. Out of breath, he jumped back. Lilifell quickly returned the goblin¡¯s aggro to herself as it was about to turn to Rinkin. It¡¯s hard for Lilifell to take care of three opponents at the same time. The goblins¡¯ cooperation is better than one would expect. Probably another thing that Marius taught them. Then, Timeo made his move. Taking a light sh at one of the goblins he got its attention. While Lilifell fought two goblins, Timeo took care of the remaining one. There is no waste in his movements with the sword. He is one-sidedly beating his lone opponent. He seems to see his surroundings well, even when working on magic preparations. Something impossible for ordinary mages, no matter how hard they try. Kicking the staggered goblin, he threw it at one of the goblins that were fighting Lilifell. Then, he swung down his empty left hand. A pir of fire appeared from beneath the goblins, burning two of them to a crisp. They soon vanished, leaving only raw parts behind. Gettingplete freedom of action, Timeo then promptly finished off the remaining one. ¡¸How was that?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that was superb.¡¹ When I replied, Timeo bashfully scratched his cheek. Chapter 68: The difference in strength

Chapter 68: The difference in strength

Trantor: ¡°Pink Tea¡± Editor: ¡±Ryunakama¡± After that, we went through several more battles. On the first floor, which has almost no obstacles, it all turns into a simple contest of strength. Lilifell and Rinkin seem to be getting used to it, gradually getting more and more ustomed to fighting goblins. Actually, this period of time before they learn how to handle things is the most difficult. But it looks like they were able to sessfully make their first step as adventurers. To take a break we go back to the stairs leading from the first floor outside. They use the chance to get rehydrated. The temperature of eachbyrinth is different. Marius¡¯byrinth is warm andfortable. It¡¯s just fine if you stay put, but after repeated fights, you will get sweaty. Putting away his water sk, Timeo wiped his mouth and donned a confident smile. ¡¸I think we fought quite enough, isn¡¯t it your turn, senpais?¡¹ Though we gave them hints and tips, we didn¡¯t directly participate inbat. Though we didn¡¯t have to fight, Lilifell¡¯s eyes sparked up at Timeo¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸Ah! I want to see how Teacher fights as well!¡¹ ¡¸I also¡­¡­¡­ Would like to see it¡­¡­ Maybe I would be able to use it as a reference.¡¹ Until now all of the fights were their own after all. Even Marius was getting bored. When I exchanged nces with Marius and Luna they both replied with nods. ¡¸Okay, okay. Then, we will do a bit of fighting.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like to see you three fight on the higher floors.¡¹ ¡¸Me too!¡¹ ¡¸Me, too¡­¡¹ ¡­¡­Aren¡¯t you awfully in sync? Well, that¡¯s what you¡¯d expect from adventurers. Even if they are usually arguing, as long as they can cooperate duringbat it¡¯s enough. ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go to the 6th floor. It has goblins, goblin leaders, and some asional orcs.¡¹ ¡¸Why not go even higher?¡¹ ¡¸No. As small as the risk may be, I don¡¯t want to take it here. So that should be fine. And also, even if we go higher, the only thing we will find there are fieldzauruses.¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­¡­ I got it.¡¹ Looks like that convinced Timeo, more or less. Returning to the first floor we used Luna¡¯s Dungeon Walk to teleport to the 6th floor. Lilifell pped her hands upon seeing Luna¡¯s magic. ¡¸Dungeon Walk is so handy! I¡¯d like to learn it as well¡­¡¹ ¡¸No way it can be learned that easily. Even I couldn¡¯t do that. For the likes of you, it¡¯s even more impossible.¡¹ Timeo shrugged as we walked. ¡¸For the likes of me?! What¡¯s that supposed to mean! Now I want to learn it even if it kills me!¡¹ ¡¸Now, now. Everyone has an affinity for different magic. You might be able to learn it, or not. You won¡¯t know unless you try.¡¹ Which reminds me, none of them can use dungeon walk, huh. From what I saw today, they should have no problems with monsters from the lower floors if we trained them a bit. After that, I thought we could have them challenge thisbyrinth, but without dungeon walk, it would be pretty inconvenient. ¡­¡­Well, not a big deal if it¡¯s only the first couple of floors. Actually, it might be a good exercise for them to get more stamina. ¡¸It¡¯s been so long since Ist saw the teacher fight! I~ am~ so~ excited!¡¹ Lilifell sang as we walked. ¡¸You saw it before?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I did~. That¡¯s the reason why I decided to join this n!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, really? What was it like?¡¹ ¡¸Well, amazing! Gah, duduh, bam! Is what it was like!¡¹ ¡¸No idea what you are trying to say. Lilifell-san, you are an idiot, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Huh! Who are you calling an idiot?! I¡¯m a genius! The one who calls others idiots is the real idiot!¡¹ Lilifell said, pointing fingers. Timeo didn¡¯t pay her any further attention. Goblins and goblin leaders spawn around us as we walk through the 6th floor. They seemed pretty enthusiastic initially, when they just appeared, but noticing us, they froze. Just staring at us. ¡­¡­Can they stop? They are making the whole thing weirdly suspicious. They have the question¡ºEH? Are we supposed to fight you?¡»written all over their mugs. Marius¡¯ expression changed to a grin. And it seems that smile told them everything they needed to know. Goblins shuddered, and then raised a battle cry. Well, they are dungeon monsters after all. So they are trying to fulfill their duty. And we also have to fulfill our roles as adventurers. After I used taunt on the three goblins they all turned to me at once. And then charged at me. I block the first goblin¡¯s attack with the sword. Repelling the club strike with my shield I stagger the second goblin. ¡¸¡­¡­Amazing. The teacher doesn¡¯t even budge from the attacks that broke my stance¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­As expected from someone who sessfully fought in thebyrinths of the highest difficulty.¡¹ Marius immediately cut the goblin, which had its guard broken with his katana. The quick sh instantly split the goblin in two. The monster disappeared. As expected, the other two were shaken, but the goblin leader shouted, pointing its sword at me. After which goblins resolved themselves to resume the attack. The goblin leader charged at me, using the other goblin as a distraction. I blocked the attack with the greatshield and pushed one of the goblins back. Using that chance the goblin leader pounced at me. I parried that iing sword with my own. And turned it aside. The very moment the goblin leadernded on the ground, Luna¡¯s spell flew at his location. Swift fire arrows. They poured on it like rain. Pierced by a number of fire arrows goblin leader fell to the ground. The remaining goblin tried to escape, but Luna¡¯s spell mercilessly chased it down. And that was the end of the monsters. The precision and efficiency of Luna¡¯s spells seem to have risen from before. ¡¸¡­¡­Even though the flow of the battle waspletely the same, it feltpletely different. I have to be like Teacher!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s my first time seeing such a swift and powerful iai.¡¹ Lilifel and Rinkin muttered, stunned. Meanwhile, Timeo was looking at Luna with a hand at his chin. ¡¸¡­¡­You are way better than I imagined.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, we have our share of experience as adventurers. There is no way you can do the same in just one or two days. You will have to grow over months and years.¡¹ Being rushed is not what an adventurer should do. Pushing oneself too hard can easily result in an injury, which can¡¯t be called optimal. Though there is no reason to worry about that while they stay in thisbyrinth. ¡¸Then, it¡¯s your turn to fight again. ¡¹ And so we made them fight on the 6th floor as well. With the addition of goblin leaders, the cooperation of goblins went up a notch. After that, Timeo and the others struggled their way through a number of fights. ©– We walk towards Avancier under the dusk sky. Rinkin looked crestfallen on our way there. He was the least effective today. Halfway through it he clearly began having doubts. Leaving Marius to lead the way I lined up next to him. ¡¸Rinkin, don¡¯t mind it. There is no one who was able to fight at the very beginning. Rather, just keeping up with the others is plenty. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. I barely had anybat experience. Though I did my best, to not be a burden.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s more than enough at first. As long as you have the motivation, you will have many opportunities to get stronger from now on.¡¹ I told him, but Rinkin¡¯s expression remained just as dark. ¡¸Well, Rude-san, now you probably understood well enough the difference between me and them.¡¹ Timeo said, brimming with confidence. ¡¸Well, I understood the difference in your abilities.¡¹ ¡¸Right? Then¡­¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for taking that into ount and properly cooperating with the others. Today you did a good job as a leader.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Who cares about that. Don¡¯t you think that putting me into the same team as these people is a waste?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I want to party with stronger people. With Rude-san for example¡­¡­¡¹ Timeo was intently looking my way. ¡¸No, you should party with them.¡¹ ¡­¡­In his words he can¡¯t show any care for others. But in the fight, he was able to fight taking into ount the weaknesses and shorings of others. He acted like it is a pain, but he actually did a pretty good job at that. ¡¸Timeo, talk to Luna if you want to get better at magic. You still have many sloppy aspects.¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­¡¹ Seemingly sour from my response he went to Luna. When I turned my gaze back to Rinkin he was even more depressed than before. ¡¸Rinkin. Why did you decide to be an adventurer?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry for not having a talent.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not what I meant. You had your own considerations, right? There was a reason why you chose this path, right? If you will be as passionate about this as back when you decided to be an adventurer, you will grow a lot stronger.¡¹ As I said that, Rinkin cast his eyes down. ¡¸I didn¡¯t want to stay weak. I was incredibly weak when I was still in my hometown. And I couldn¡¯t¡­¡­ properly talk with others. So I often was bullied and ridiculed¡­¡­ And I didn¡¯t want to continue like that. Most of my peers joined something like militia¡­¡­ And I wanted to change. I thought that if I try hard, I might change¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­ Me too, I didn¡¯t want to remain weak and strived to get stronger. So in that aspect, we are the same.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Rude-san, was there a time when you were weak?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Ie from the slums. So I wanted to be stronger to protect my little sister. At first, I might¡¯ve been even weaker than you. Even so¡­¡­ Now people are iming that I¡¯m strong. if you apply yourself you should be able to be stronger.¡¹ Talking with him, I could sense a deep conviction from his tone and the eyes. ¡¸Is that, so¡­¡­ I will do my best.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Yeah, go for it. Marius also seems to have taken a liking to you. Learn how to use a katana from him. He is quite an open person. He will be happy to teach you. And fortunately, we don¡¯t have many members at the moment. So he will be able to give you his undivided attention. Use that chance.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­¡­ Thank you very much. ¡¹ He clenched a fist, a bit bashfully. ¡­¡­I wonder if I did well as a leader. I also have my own doubts. Reaching Avancier I look back. This is where we part ways today. ¡¸Good job everyone. For now, we are nning to look after you like today. After you get the hang of things you will be free to act on your own. And well, I¡¯m not demanding an immediate answer. Take your time, take a look around the city, consider everything.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m joining the n! I¡¯m going to be an invincible tank under your tutge, Teacher!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Well, for today, take a rest. If your opinion won¡¯t change tomorrow, then you are wee.¡¹ I¡¯d prefer if they make a calm and informed decision. No, I of course would like them to join, if they want. But it would be a problem if they begin to second guess their decision after joining. Just having a high turnover of members can cause unwanted rumors among adventurers. ¡¸Yeah. I will take my time to consider things as well.¡¹ Timeo seemed angry. ¡­¡­He seems to want to get into the party with me. After the two left, Rinkin approached Marius. Marius left smiling, together with him. After seeing them off, Luna and I returned home. We returned when Nin and Manicia were cooking. Turning around, Nin revealed an apron that seemed to be covered in stters of blood. ¡¸Nin, what happened?¡¹ ¡¸Fufun. Isn¡¯t it cute?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than cute, it¡¯s scary¡­¡­¡¹ Manicia made a bitter smile. Pouting, Nin brushed up her chestnut-colored hair. ¡¸For you to be unable to recognize its charm. You still have much to learn. Rather than that, Rude, how were new kids? I didn¡¯t get to talk with them yet¡­¡­ The church is so busy these days.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it would seem so. Well, as for the trio, just leave them to us. You can help out when things calm down.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Well, I¡¯d like to invite you to go for a drink, and we can call them at the time¡­¡­ If I actually get that time.¡¹ ¡¸We are fine any day, so it¡¯s for you to find a day.¡¹ ¡¸We can just adjust the dateter¡­¡­ Ah, the dinner will be ready soon, prepare the tableware. By the way, look at the cute cup I bought from a merchant.¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ A pattern looking like fresh blood was depicted on the cup that Nin pointed at. I don¡¯t understand her sensibilities. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!